HB 180 LIQUOR LICENSES FOR RESORT/LODGES  SENATOR TORGERSON brought HB 180 before the committee. BARBARA COTTING, staff to Representative Jeannette James, said HB 180 will allow businesses in more remote areas of organized boroughs to get a liquor license. Presently, a small lodge or tourist facility in a remote or inaccessible area or an organized borough has to have 40 rental rooms to obtain a liquor license. She said the sponsor is trying to make this change so that there will not be such stringent requirements in those small remote areas, which will allow some development of tourist facilities. Number 090 TIM TITTLE, testifying from Anchorage, related that his brother owns a lodge on the Denali Highway. He said right now, in order to establish the infrastructure to build a small lodge with 10 to 15 rooms, which would accommodate fishermen, snow machiners, tourists, etc., the minimum cost would be around $500,000. To require these individuals who would like to go into this type of a business to build another 25 or 30 rooms would require an additional investment of approximately $300,000, and business people that would like to get into this type of an enterprise will not do it because it doesn't capitalize out. Mr. Tittle stated his support for HB 180, saying that it will be great for economic development in these remote areas. Number 120 PAT SHARROCK, Director, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, testified from Anchorage that the ABC Board supports HB 180. SENATOR HOFFMAN said there are several lodges out in the Bristol Bay region, and he asked how many lodges will be impacted as a result of HB 180. He also noted there has been discussion on annexing the whole Bristol Bay region into a borough. PAT SHARROCK did not know the number of lodges that would be impacted. He said the legislation applies only to those businesses that reside within the boundaries of a municipality or borough. If a business is located outside in the unincorporated area, there are different rules of the road under AS 04.11.400 relating to population limitations and the number of licenses within a five-mile radius. Number 140 SENATOR TORGERSON directed attention to a his proposed amendment to HB 180 and explained that subparagraphs (A), (B) & (C) are basically the same language currently in HB 180. The new subparagraph (4) defines "highway" to read more directly to what the intent of the sponsor was, which was state maintained roads for public transportation. SENATOR KELLY moved the adoption of the following amendment: Amendment No. 1 Page 2, lines 8 thru 13: Delete language in paragraph (3) and replace with the following language: "(3) A hotel, motel, resort, or similar business that is inside a unified municipality or organized borough and (A) has at least 10 rooms available for the public to rent; (B) cannot be reached by highway from the nearest first or second class city or established village; or (C) could be reached by highway during no more than 10 months in a calendar year preceding the year in which the issuance or transfer is requested." Add new paragraph (4) to read: "(4) "Highway" for purposes of this section is a road maintained by the state for public transportation." Hearing no objection to the adoption of the amendment, the motion carried. SENATOR KELLY moved that SCS HB 180(CRA) be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.