HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE May 5, 1997 8:04 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Ivan, Chairman Representative Fred Dyson Representative Joe Ryan Representative Reggie Joule MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Scott Ogan Representative Jerry Sanders Representative Al Kookesh OTHER HOUSE MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Tom Brice COMMITTEE CALENDAR HOUSE BILL NO. 38 "An Act relating to Statehood Act land selection conveyances to boroughs and unified municipalities." - MOVED CSHB 38(CRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE (* First public hearing) PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HB 38 SHORT TITLE: CONVEYANCE OF LAND SELECTIONS TO BOROUGHS SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) BRICE JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 01/13/97 37 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/3/97 01/13/97 37 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 01/13/97 37 (H) CRA, WTR, RESOURCES 04/23/97 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 124 04/23/97 (H) MINUTE(CRA) 04/28/97 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 124 04/28/97 (H) MINUTE(CRA) 05/01/97 (H) CRA AT 4:45 PM CAPITOL 408 05/01/97 (H) MINUTE(CRA) 05/05/97 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER REPRESENTATIVE TOM BRICE Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 426 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-3466 POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 38. CAROL CARROLL, Director Division of Support Services Department of Natural Resources 400 Willoughby Avenue Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-3502 POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in favor of CSHB 38(CRA). ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 97-21, SIDE A Number 001 CHAIRMAN IVAN IVAN called the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Ivan, Dyson, Ryan and Joule. Members absent were Representatives Ogan, Sanders and Kookesh. HB 38 - CONVEYANCE OF LAND SELECTIONS TO BOROUGHS Number 025 CHAIRMAN IVAN announced the first order of business to be HB 38, "An Act relating to Statehood Act land selection conveyances to boroughs and unified municipalities." He stated that a subcommittee consisting of Representatives Ryan, Ogan and Joule was appointed to work out a committee substitute for this bill. Number 092 REPRESENTATIVE FRED DYSON made a motion to adopt CSHB 38, Version O-LSO233/B. CHAIRMAN IVAN asked if there was an objection. Hearing none, CSHB 38(CRA) was adopted for discussion purposes. Number 118 REPRESENTATIVE Dyson asked if the sponsor, Representative Tom Brice, was comfortable with CSHB 38(CRA). REPRESENTATIVE BRICE responded that he was. CHAIRMAN IVAN asked that Representatives Ryan and Brice discuss the committee substitute. Number 142 REPRESENTATIVE JOE RYAN stated that the subcommittee consisting of himself, Representatives Brice and Joule and Jane Angvik, Director, Division of Lands, Department of Natural Resources, met on May 1, 1997. He stated that they looked at the history of municipal land. He stated that a lot of the problems stem from the over selection of lands and by the state and Native corporations because the federal government has not transferred the requested lands. There are some municipalities that have no land available without the expansion of their boundaries. He stated that the subcommittee looked at the municipalities that were eligible under the original land entitlement and have allowed them to select land up to the year 2012. The year 2012 being the selection closing date, they would not have to receive entitlement to the land by that date. Number 285 REPRESENTATIVE RYAN stated that there would be an over selection so that those municipalities would be selecting over the state and Native entitlements, but by adding enough land, those municipalities will have an opportunity for land. He added that they will not be able to guarantee anything, considering all the different parties involved and all the previous selections. Number 382 REPRESENTATIVE BRICE outlined the changes that the subcommittee dealt with. The initial committee substitute dealt only with the boroughs under AS 29.69.010. The subcommittee expanded that to all boroughs effective the date of the act. The bill had previously stated 50,000 acres, the subcommittee changed that to be up to 50,000 acres because not all boroughs have 50,000 acres available of vacant unappropriated unreserved (VUU) land. The subcommittee provided the authority for the Department of Natural Resources to receive program receipts up front from the municipalities, provided there is legislative authority to do so. The Department of Natural Resources would also be able to implement the program and pay for the administrative costs. He stated that the clarification of the land deficiency payments is dealt with in Section 4. It is made clear that land under this program would not eligible for land deficiency payments. This means that these lands do not fall under the statute that requires the state to pay municipalities $1,000 an acre. Number 650 REPRESENTATIVE DYSON stated that he would like to be reassured that the Administration does not have any problems with this bill. Number 690 REPRESENTATIVE BRICE stated that it was his understanding that Jane Angvik, Director, Division of Land, Department of Natural Resources, was comfortable with all the changes. Number 708 CAROL CARROLL, Director, Division of Support Services, Department of Natural Resources, stated that the department is in support of the changes. Number 871 CHAIRMAN IVAN asked if Representative Brice could speak to the municipalities over selection entitlement. Number 885 REPRESENTATIVE BRICE responded that the reason the remaining 600,000 acres is taking so long to get conveyed is because of budgetary reasons in the Department of Natural Resources. He stated this delay is also because of various problems within the municipalities themselves, such as; land title transfers from the federal government to the state government, making sure that the areas that have precedence are getting their choice and because the status of land changes from one year to the next as far as what is available land and what is closed land. Number 1033 CHAIRMAN IVAN indicated that Jane Angvik is available via teleconference. REPRESENTATIVE RYAN stated that it was his understanding once an area received land that they had previously wanted, land that they had previously over selected then becomes available. He stated surveys of the land by the townships and the bureaucratic process is what can also slow the process down. Number 1139 REPRESENTATIVE REGGIE JOULE moved and asked unanimous consent to pass CSHB 38(CRA) out of committee with the attached fiscal notes. Number 1165 CHAIRMAN IVAN asked if there were any objections. Hearing none, CSHB 38(CRA) was moved out of the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee. ADJOURNMENT Number 1183 CHAIRMAN IVAN adjourned the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee at 8:21 a.m.