SB 189-APPROP.: BRIDGES, SERVICE ROADS, TRAILS                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:29:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   ALBERT  KOOKESH   announced   SB  189   to   be  up   for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
DAVE STANCLIFF, staff  to Senator Therriault, sponsor  of SB 189,                                                               
reviewed that  this bill addressed  the most  important component                                                               
of the state's highway system especially  in light of some of the                                                               
construction that  is anticipated with  the gasline. A  number of                                                               
bridges have been  investigated since the bridge  disaster in the                                                               
Lower  48 and  have been  identified as  at-risk and  in need  of                                                               
serious work. At  the last meeting Senator  Cowdery had requested                                                               
information  that the  Department  of  Transportation and  Public                                                               
Facilities (DOTPF) has provided.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY asked  if the  administration had  requested any                                                               
money for  these bridges  and how many  federal dollars  would be                                                               
involved if the state funds the program.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
FRANK    RICHARDS,    Deputy    Commissioner,    Department    of                                                               
Transportation and  Public Facilities  (DOTPF), replied  that the                                                               
bill asks for an appropriation  from the general fund and doesn't                                                               
mention federal  funding. He said  the state has  federal funding                                                               
through  the  Highway  Administration  for  bridges,  but  it  is                                                               
already allocated and these needs  are greater than the available                                                               
resources.  He said  this bill  would address  some bridges  that                                                               
currently have  structural deficiencies, but aren't  in the near-                                                               
term spending plan.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  asked if  the administration  supports this                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICHARDS answered yes.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  asked if he  asked for this money  from the                                                               
general fund.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICHARDS replied that DOTPF didn't  request it as part of its                                                               
capital budget; Senator Therriault brought this bill forward.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked why they  didn't request funds through                                                               
the budget process.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR.  RICHARDS  replied in  preparing  the  capital and  operating                                                               
budget  for  FY'09  the department  received  guidance  from  the                                                               
governor's   office   in  terms   of   the   level  of   funding.                                                               
Subsequently, additional bills were put  forward such as the G.O.                                                               
Bond package  for $121  million of highway  needs and  the Alaska                                                               
Transportation  Fund  that  created  an  endowment  that  created                                                               
approximately  $50 million/year  earnings that  could be  used to                                                               
cover transportation needs across the state.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:33:45 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  COWDERY commented  that  for this  amount  of money  the                                                               
state should get as much leverage out of it as it can.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   OLSON   agreed   and   added   this   approach   seemed                                                               
contradictory if  the administration  is in favor  of it,  but is                                                               
not asking for it.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  OLSON  moved  to  report  SB  189  from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no objection, the motion carried.