SB  77-SECOND CLASS BOROUGH SERVICE AREAS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:32:17 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BISHOP announced  consideration of  SB 77.  He noted  that                                                               
Senator Micciche was  the sponsor, and public  testimony had been                                                               
opened and closed.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:33:05 PM                                                                                                                    
RACHEL  HANKE,  staff,  Senator   Peter  Micciche,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, briefly  reviewed that SB  77 would                                                               
expand the  authority of  second class  boroughs to  exercise the                                                               
local option  of creating a  non-taxable service area  to provide                                                               
emergency services  along highway  corridors. Since there  are no                                                               
voters residing in the service  area boundaries, the borough will                                                               
be able to use a portion of  its federal payment in lieu of taxes                                                               
(PILT)  allocation  to  cover  the   costs.  Then  every  highway                                                               
corridor  traveler will  receive these  vital emergency  response                                                               
benefits with no additional cost to the state.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony on SB 77.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:34:01 PM                                                                                                                    
ROY  BROWNING,  Central  Emergency  Services,  Soldotna,  Alaska,                                                               
supported  SB  77.  His  service  area covers  61  miles  of  the                                                               
Sterling  Highway  and  provides  mutual   aid  to  some  of  the                                                               
communities that this  bill would create a  possible service area                                                               
for.  They currently  provide mutual  aid to  the communities  of                                                               
Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, and  Bear Creek when needed. However,                                                               
there are  times when  Cooper Landing and  Moose Pass  don't have                                                               
the structure  or the ability  to provide ambulance  service, and                                                               
his community's  ambulance ends up  going 20 to 30  miles outside                                                               
of their  service area  to respond  to their  emergencies putting                                                               
the burden  back on the  Soldotna service area. When  the service                                                               
area is established,  then the local communities  in the affected                                                               
areas can  establish what parameters  and training are  needed to                                                               
help them provide primary response in their areas.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:36:03 PM                                                                                                                    
JAMES  BAISDEN, Fire  Chief,  Nikiski  Fire Department,  Nikiski,                                                               
Alaska,  said  he  supports  SB  77 for  all  the  reasons  Chief                                                               
Browning spoke about.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:37:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BISHOP, seeing  no further  questions or  comments, closed                                                               
public testimony on SB 77.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:37:15 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:38:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MACKINNON moved  to report  SB 77,  labeled 30-LS0657\A,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BISHOP announced  that without objection, SB  77 moved from                                                               
the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.