HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS                                   
                 STANDING COMMITTEE                                            
                   March 6, 1998                                               
                      8:07 a.m.                                                
                                                                               
                                                                               
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                             
                                                                               
STATEWIDE TELECONFERENCE ON EXPLORING WAYS TO IMPROVE RURAL                    
COMMUNITIES RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE                                        
                                                                               
PRESENTATION BY:  DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC                       
FACILITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, AND COMMUNITY AND                      
REGIONAL AFFAIRS                                                               
                                                                               
TAPE(S)                                                                        
                                                                               
98-14, SIDE(S) A&B                                                             
98-15, SIDE(S) A                                                               
                                                                               
CALL TO ORDER                                                                  
                                                                               
Representative Ivan Ivan, Chairman, convened the House Community               
and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting at 8:07 a.m.                   
                                                                               
PRESENT                                                                        
                                                                               
Committee members present at the call to order were Representatives            
Ivan, Dyson, Kookesh and Sanders.  Representative Joule arrived at             
8:10 a.m.  Representative James also attended the meeting.                     
                                                                               
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                         
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN IVAN discussed departmental roles with rural communities              
and the possible methods in improving those relationships.                     
                                                                               
MIKE IRWIN, Commissioner, Department of Community and Regional                 
Affairs, discussed the department's relationship with rural                    
communities and the interaction between the Department of Community            
and Regional Affairs, other state agencies and rural communities.              
                                                                               
KEITH KELTON, Director, Division of Facility Construction and                  
Operation, Department of Environmental Conservation, gave an                   
overview of his division's interactions with rural Alaska.                     
                                                                               
GREG CAPITO, Village Safe Water, Division of Facility Construction             
and Operation, Department of Environmental Conservation, provided              
information on Village Safe Water's methods of dealing with rural              
communities.                                                                   
                                                                               
CLYDE STOLTZFUS, Special Assistant, Department of Transportation               
and Public Facilities, talked about the department's role in                   
dealing with rural airports and some of the problems encountered               
with legal aspects of contracts with rural communities.                        
                                                                               
GARY LONGLEY, Kawarek, Nome, gave his views on the Rural Governance            
Task Force and state-rural communities interactions.                           
                                                                               
DAISY STEVENS, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks, discussed                  
unfunded arrangements between the state and rural communities.                 
                                                                               
PHIL SKILBRED, Two rivers, discussed limitations on incorporating              
a village and statutory problems.                                              
                                                                               
JOHN KUNIK, Glennallen, presented his views on SB 36 and HB 86.                
                                                                               
JANE BROWN, Glennallen, discussed the need for an active bush                  
caucus and representation of the unorganized borough.                          
                                                                               
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
The committee took no action.                                                  
                                                                               
ADJOURNMENT                                                                    
                                                                               
The meeting was adjourned at 9:53 a.m.                                         
                                                                               
NOTE:                                                                          
                                                                               
The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken.  A              
copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the            
House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite 211, Juneau,                  
Alaska  99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the               
second session of the Twentieth Alaska State Legislature, in the               
Legislative Reference Library.