HOUSE BILL NO. 234 "An Act making supplemental appropriations, reappropriations, and other appropriations; amending appropriations; capitalizing funds; making appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution of the State of Alaska, from the constitutional budget reserve fund; and providing for an effective date." 1:36:21 PM Co-Chair Foster referenced the amendment packet for the bill. Representative Carpenter noted he had just been informed that the item in his amendment had already been removed from the supplemental budget. 1:37:06 PM AT EASE 1:37:28 PM RECONVENED Representative Carpenter MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1 (copy on file): DEPARTMENT: DEED APPROPRIATION: Mt. Edgecumbe Boarding School Facilities Maintenance ALLOCATION: Operational and Maintenance Costs for MEHS Aquatic Center Rep. Carpenter DELETE: 100.0, 1004 Gen Fund POSITIONS: None EXPLANATION: Eliminate general funds for operation of the Mt. Edgecumbe pool. Co-Chair Johnston OBJECTED for discussion. Representative Carpenter explained the Mt. Edgecumbe pool did not have a feasible financial path forward. He did not support putting an additional $100,000 into a pool that could not fund itself into the future. He recommended saving the funds and closing the facility. Representative Wool recalled there was a fee structure in the supplemental with a path forward to offset at least part of the expenses for the pool. He asked for details. Vice-Chair Ortiz stated that the amendment pertained to a state facility that needed to be maintained like any other state facility. He elaborated that in the prior year, when the facility was short on funding, Mt. Edgecumbe used money from its Base Student Allocation (BSA) to maintain the pool. The school would likely do it again for FY 21 if the committee adopted the amendment. Ultimately the amendment would only take away from BSA funding. The pool was being used for classroom instruction and Mt. Edgecumbe was currently working with local entities such as the hospital to use the pool more frequently to generate more door receipts for the future. There was an increase in door receipt authority in the FY 21 budget. He believed the legislature could not continue to ask the district to fund the pool with BSA funding. He reported that out of the 2010 bond package the Mt. Edgecumbe Aquatic Center funding made up a very small percentage of project funding. He reiterated that it was a state facility and, the state was the overseer of the entire Mt. Edgecumbe school including the pool. He opposed the amendment. 1:40:23 PM Representative Sullivan-Leonard looked at the supplemental bill. She noted that the reduction of $100,000 did not eliminate funding for the pool. She asked if there was still funding in the bill for the pool. Representative Carpenter confirmed the amendment would only remove undesignated general funds (UGF). Representative Knopp asked if the pool had been included in the capital budget in recent years. Vice-Chair Ortiz answered that the pool was located in Sitka - it was newly constructed. He explained that after the pool was constructed there had been an issue about continued funding for the pool's operation. The funding request did not have to do with repairs or maintenance, as it was a new facility. The funding had to do with getting the pool up and operating. He hoped the pool would be able to collect more revenue to be more self-supporting in the future. In the end, it was a state facility and, Mt. Edgecumbe was managed by the state. He had heard no comment about a desire to discontinue operations of the pool. Representative Carpenter provided wrap up on the amendment. He remarked that no one was suggesting closing down Mt. Edgecumbe. He argued that the pool at Mt. Edgecumbe should be closed because it was not self-sufficient. He did not think the state should be funding the pool. The reality was that students and children in the community already had a community pool to use which existed prior to the building of the Mt. Edgecumbe pool. Vice-Chair Ortiz MAINTAINED his OBJECTION. A roll call vote was taken on the motion. IN FAVOR: Knopp, Merrick, Sullivan-Leonard, Tilton, Carpenter OPPOSED: LeBon, Ortiz, Wool, Josephson, Foster, Johnston The MOTION to ADOPT Amendment 1 FAILED (5/6). Co-Chair Foster indicated there were no further amendments for HB 234. He wanted to proceed with moving the supplemental bill from committee. He thought overall the bill reflected the governors supplemental bill. Nothing had been added to it. The supplemental budget restored $120 million in Medicaid and provided just under $100 million for fire suppression among other things. Co-Chair Johnston MOVED to REPORT CSHB 234(FIN) out of committee with individual recommendations. CSHB 234(FIN) was REPORTED out of committee with a "do pass" recommendation. 1:47:03 PM AT EASE 1:52:02 PM RECONVENED