HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE February 25, 1993 1:40 P.M. TAPE HFC 93 - 32, Side 1, #000 - end. TAPE HFC 93 - 32, Side 2, #000 - #275. CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Ron Larson called the meeting of the House Finance Committee to order at 1:40 P.M. PRESENT Co-Chair Larson Representative Brown Co-Chair MacLean Representative Foster Vice-Chair Hanley Representative Grussendorf Representative Hoffman Representative Therriault Representative Navarre Representative Parnell Representative Martin was not present for the meeting. ALSO PRESENT C. E. Swackhammer, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety; Kenneth Bischoff, Director, Division of Administrative Services, Department of Public Safety; Bruce Geraghty, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Community and Regional Affairs; Remond Henderson, Director, Division of Administrative Service, Department of Community and Regional Affairs; John Walsh, Deputy Director, Community and Rural Development Division, Department of Community and Regional Affairs. SUMMARY INFORMATION HB 60 FY 94 CAPITAL BUDGET OVERVIEWS: Public Safety Community and Regional Affairs Co-Chair Larson provided the Committee with a letter from the Board of Public Accountancy. [Attachment #1]. He asked that the members review it for a future meeting. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY C.E. SWACKHAMMER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, introduced the Department of Public Safety (DPS) CIP 1 requests. * Motor vehicles public service enhancements request for $235.5 thousand dollars. The components of this request consist of: A. Anchorage office public service enhancements - $64.5 thousand dollars. The goal will be achieved by the implementation of four projects. Lobby directional control - $7.0 Line control system - $7.5 Message signs - $28.0 Telephone system - $22.0 B. Business workflow/technology assessment - $100.0 thousand dollars. This is a request for funding to perform a requirement analysis and develop a general design of how business workflow should be approached in the future. C. Driver improvement/AFO LAN request - $71.0 thousand dollars. These fund would provide for the purchase of the equipment necessary to establish a local area network and connect to the DPS wide area network. Co-Chair MacLean inquired as to the $220 thousand dollars allocated last year. She pointed out it had to date not been used. KENNETH BISCHOFF, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, replied that a portion of last years DMV allocations were held in a separate section of the capital bill and needed further review. It has recently been approved and DMV does have plans for those funds. He continued with the Department CIP request. * Aircraft equipment/overhaul repairs request for $459.8 thousand dollars. This project allows for the yearly purchase of equipment needed to replace worn out or obsolete equipment such as radios, landing gear and engines on an annual schedule as well as establish replacement dollars for aircraft determined to be beyond economic repair. Mr. Swackhammer noted this work would be contracted out. * FWP enforcement vessel repairs CIP request for $570.4 thousand dollars. The request would 2 accomplish repairs, conversions, servicing, and maintenance for the patrol vessels Woldstad, Trooper, Enforcer, Burton and the smaller vessels to ensure their safe and dependable operation during FY 94. He pointed out that experience has shown that regular scheduled maintenance is the most cost efficient for the State. * Fish & Wildlife protection equipment replacement request for $273.2 thousand dollars. The project purchases and replaces equipment such as skiffs, outboard motors and snow machines. All-Terrain Vehicles and other equipment the day-to-day enforcement activity of this division. * Statewide law enforcement systems request for $1.8 million dollars. The capital request is a consolidation of projects required to support State, local and federal law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in Alaska. The request targets maintenance of critical law enforcement information projects essential to: A. Detection, identification, apprehension and arrest of criminals; B. Screening of criminal justice employees; potential foster parents, school teachers, school bus drivers and others who come into contact with children and other protected groups; C. Decisions involving sentencing, probation and parole of persons convicted of a crime; D. Continuation of access to natural criminal justice and motor vehicle information networks; E. Issuing of driver licenses, vehicle titles and registrations; F. Acquisition, maintenance and reporting of law enforcement management information and statewide crime statistics. Mr. Bischoff provided the Committee with a handout addressing the Alaska Public Safety Information Network. [Attachment #2]. Co-Chair MacLean recommended that the $100.0 thousand dollar line request for Wide Area Network Central site management 3 tools be moved to the operating budget. Mr. Bischoff replied the expenditure is a one time cost and it is expensive. He stressed it should be kept in the capital budget. * Alaska State Trooper replacement equipment request for $500.0 thousand dollars. Deputy Commissioner Swackhammer stated the appropriation will provide funding for the replacement of various items of equipment needed throughout the Division of AST. AST has historically relied upon CIP funding for these types of replacement items due to a lack of replacement equipment funding in the AST operating budget. The primary purpose of this project is to generate operating productivity and efficiency by providing the equipment necessary for Troopers to perform their law enforcement functions effectively. The project provides equipment basic to the law enforcement functions of the Troopers. Representative Therriault questioned the $12 thousand dollars in training cost. Deputy Commissioner Swackhammer noted that the Fish and Wildlife section have converted their guns to hand held pistols. The training requires compliance with pistol policy and procedures for revolver and semi automatics. Representative Therriault asked if the costs could be contracted out. Mr. Swackhammer stated it would be handled by the Department. Representative Navarre asked how the the old guns are disposed. Mr. Swackhammer stated they would be sold through surplus. Co-Chair MacLean pointed out last year the Department requested $400 thousand dollars for semi automatic pistols. There remains a balance in that account of $369 thousand dollars. Mr. Bischoff stated, the bid was received February 23, 1993, at which time those funds were freed up for use. * Fish and wildlife protection bulk fuel storage tank replacement for $236.6 thousand dollars. Mr. Swackhammer explained that the project would purchase five replacement aircraft bulk fuel storage tanks to meet new Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and airport requirements in Aniak, King Salmon, Bethel, Kodiak and Soldotna. The project will also purchase the site assessment and removal of two underground bulk fuel storage tanks located in Kodiak. * Training Academy equipment request for $37.0 4 thousand dollars which would acquire a training device for teaching automobile skid recovery and control techniques. When the Academy was originally constructed, there were plans developed to eventually have a dedicated drivers training area. This was never completed and recent estimates for building such a facility are in excess of one million dollars. Currently, a parking lot is used for drivers training techniques. However, it is impossible to teach any hands-on skid control or recovery. A training device, called a Skid-Car, has been developed that would allow skid recovery and control techniques. * Facilities renewal and replacement/deferred maintenance request for $1,5 million dollars. Deputy Commissioner Swackhammer noted the primary purpose of this project is to provide maintenance on state owned facilities operated by the Department. The project provides overdue maintenance to basic facilities utilized by the law enforcement officers of the Department. All of the maintenance noted is overdue and can not be put off to future years without substantially increasing the cost of the project as deterioration of the facilities accelerates. Co-Chair MacLean inquired how many phases would be necessary to complete the DPS Headquarters in Anchorage. Mr. Swackhammer replied that project would be completed in three phases. He added that the building stores all criminal histories and needs new heating and ventilating systems. The total anticipated cost for completion would be $1.9 million dollars. * Juneau Public Safety building code upgrade/modifications request for $450.0 thousand dollars. The Juneau Public Safety building was constructed in 1970 as temporary space. The building is still occupied by the Department of Public Safety as its Juneau Headquarters. Because this structure was viewed as temporary, only minimum heating, ventilation, and rest-room requirements were included. Conditions are clearly substandard for long-term occupancy. This structure is now viewed as permanent office space. Phase 1 modifications have been made to correct the most significant heating and ventilation problems. Co-Chair MacLean questioned if the Department of 5 Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) could share the expense for the handicapped access. Mr. Bischoff offered to provide that information after consulting with DOTPF and OMB. * Enforcement vessel replacement request for $1.0 million dollars. Deputy Commissioner Swackhammer concluded this project would provide for the purchase of two new or used 50' - 58' limit seiner class patrol vessels for commercial fisheries patrols search and rescue missions. The vessels would be purchased as replacements for aging and less effective 38-foot vessels in Homer and Ketchikan. Co-Chair MacLean asked if one of the illegally seized fishing boats could be used for search and rescue missions. Mr. Swackhammer stated if a vessel was found and was in satisfactory condition, it would be used. Representative Hanley questioned choosing seiners for the outside waters. He thought they were too big and slow. He suggested using a surplus Coast Guard boat. (Tape HFC 93-32, Side 2). DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS BRUCE GERAGHTY, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS (DCRA), provided the Committee with a handout, "Capital Project Description". [Attachment #3]. * Organizational Block Grants CIP request for $600.0 thousand dollars in general funds. AS 29.05.180- 190 provides that each new municipal government is entitled to multiyear organizational grants which are meant to defray costs of transition to a city or borough government and to provide for interim operation. Co-Chair MacLean asked for detail to be provided for the "unspecified new cities" component. Mr. Geraghty replied, in the past, this component was addressed through the supplemental budget. Placing it in the capital budget will make those funds available this year, rather than waiting for the next legislative session. Mr. Geraghty noted that this will help in forming new boroughs and cities. * Community Block Grants CIP request for $4.0 million dollars in federal funds. The Community Block Grant programs are exclusively federally funded. Each year the State must prepare plans 6 for each of the programs, and submit them to the federal agencies for approval and subsequent funding. The plans are subject to public review and input prior to submission to the federal government. Funding projections are based on past history of program funding as well as input received from the federal agencies at the time budgets are prepared. JOHN WALSH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS, noted that the Community Block Grants are for small city developments. Most of the funds allocated in this item go to the small communities throughout the State with the exception of Anchorage which directly contracts with the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office. Co-Chair MacLean asked that a detailed list of projects be provided to the Committee. * DP Equipment Purchase CIP request for $600.0 thousand dollars in general fund. This line item will replace the Department's current WANG equipment. The request is an estimate based on a preliminary figure received from the Department of Administration, Division of Information Services. DIS is in the process of providing the Department with information which will enable the completion required on the CP1 and CP2 forms. REMOND HENDERSON, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS, noted that a CP1 form could be provided. He added the DP equipment purchase request would replace the WANG computers in all DCRA offices. The new system will allow DCRA to save $80 thousand dollars a year in maintenance costs on the system. Representative Hoffman questioned the $50 thousand dollars operational costs. Mr. Henderson replied that cost would include $20 thousand dollars for repairs and maintenance. Currently, those costs are $100 thousand dollars. The remaining $30 thousand dollars would address the telecommunication costs. Everyone at DCRA will be using micro computers. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 2:35 P.M. 7