COMMISSION ON PRIVATIZATION AND DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES Anchorage, Alaska December 1, 1999 9:15 a.m. COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Ward, Co-Chair Representative Cowdery, Co-Chair Representative Brice (via teleconference) Mike Harper, President, Kuskokwim Corporation (via teleconference) Tom Fink, Former Mayor of Anchorage Emil Notti Kathryn Thomas, Former Chair of Alaska State Chamber of Commerce George Wuerch, Alaska Municipal League COMMISSION MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Adams Bill Allen, Former Mayor of Fairbanks Don Valesko, Business Manager of Public Employees Local 71 COMMITTEE CALENDAR Discussion of the procedure to be used to prepare the final report PREVIOUS ACTION See Commission on Privatization minutes dated 7/20/99, 8/16/99, 9/20/99, 10/28/99, 11/4/99, 11/10/99, 11/18/99, 11/24/99 and 11/30/99. WITNESS REGISTER ANNETTE DEAL, Staff to Commission and to Representative John Cowdery POSITION STATEMENT: Presented information about members' packets and pending reports from departments. MARCO PIGNALBERI, Commission Director and Legislative Assistant to Representative John Cowdery POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions and presented information. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 99-21, SIDE A CO-CHAIR WARD called the Commission on Privatization and Delivery of Government Services meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Cowdery and Brice; Senator Ward; and Commissioners Fink, Notti, Wuerch, Thomas and Harper. Marco Pignalberi, Commission Director, was also present. Commissioners Allen and Valesko and Senator Adams were not in attendance. [Participating via teleconference from Juneau were the following: Karen Rehfeld, Early Development, Department of Education and Early Development; Dan Spencer, Director of the Division of Administrative Services, Department of Administration; Llewelyn Lutchansky, staff to Senator Torgerson; Mary Siroky, Information Education and Coordination, Department of Environmental Conservation; and John Cyr, NEA-Alaska. Participating via teleconference from Fairbanks was Jeff Walters, Member, Department of Education Subcommittee.] OLD BUSINESS ANNETTE DEAL, Staff to Commission and to Representative John Cowdery, informed members that the items listed under "old business" are pending information requests made of departments and agencies; all information is to be submitted to the commission by Friday, December 3. MS. DEAL noted that commissioners' packets contained the following: a commission schedule of department subcommittee presentations for today's meeting and meetings on December 7 and 8; a memo from Janet Clarke pertaining to the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) rather than the Department of Education and Early Development; a diagram of the structure of DHSS, prepared by DHSS Subcommittee member Sarah Short, which was included at Co-Chair Ward's request; and a written response from Randy Simmons regarding the November 30 presentation on the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC). NEW BUSINESS CO-CHAIR WARD announced that today's agenda had consisted of reports by the subcommittees on the Department of Education [and Early Development], the Office of the Governor, the Department of Administration, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Alaska Court System and the Alaska State Legislature. However, those presentations would be set aside. He announced that the commission had received all subcommittee reports at this time. He thanked the more than 300 volunteers who had done a massive amount of work. Discussion of the procedure to be used to prepare the final report CO-CHAIR WARD invited commissioners to discuss how to proceed. COMMISSIONER FINK referred to a 38-page master list of 245 recommendations prepared for commissioners the day before and noted that more recommendations are forthcoming. He suggested that the commission's report should consist of an executive summary of five to six pages, with the subcommittee reports attached as backup material. He indicated he had prepared a list of 16 items that he would like the commission to discuss, and that he would prefer that each commissioner specify which recommendations they want the full commission to review, rather than try to review all recommendations. REPRESENTATIVE BRICE suggested that each commissioner take one week to review the master list of recommendations and submit ideas. CO-CHAIR COWDERY pointed out that because legislators will be moving their offices within the week, and because he would like to see the commission stay on schedule, one week is too long. He proposed one or two days instead. He said he would prefer to look over Commissioner Fink's recommendations and determine which ones commissioners collectively agree with, and then have the full commission debate the others. COMMISSIONER WUERCH concurred with first determining points of agreement and striving to produce an executive summary containing about six key issues. He indicated two levels of effort are required by commissioners: screening subcommittee reports to find recommendations that rise to the surface as short-list items, and addressing matters not been included in subcommittee reports, including overarching issues. He proposed that each commissioner generate a short list of recommendations and distribute those lists to other members. CO-CHAIR WARD asked Mr. Pignalberi whether the commission's time schedule to produce a final product will be impacted if commissioners take one to two days to generate short lists of recommendations. He pointed out that the deadline for the final report was designed to give legislators 30 days for review prior to the start of the legislative session. He reminded members that Commissioner Thomas previously had raised another issue: inclusion of the commission's philosophy in the executive summary. In addition, she had expressed concern that the validity of subcommittee recommendations not highlighted in the executive summary should not be diminished in the final report. COMMISSIONER WUERCH indicated he could submit his own short list by Friday. He suggested the commission address the short lists at the next meeting on December 7. COMMISSIONER FINK said he hopes many duplicates appear in the short lists and that if more information is needed about a specific recommendation, the commission can request that a department representative attend the next meeting. He would prefer to run future agendas according to the short lists rather than by departments. CO-CHAIR WARD said that approach would allow time for all pending information to be received and entered into the equation. COMMISSIONER NOTTI said he had reviewed the master list the previous night and was prepared to submit written recommendations at any time. MARCO PIGNALBERI, Commission Director and Legislative Assistant to Representative John Cowdery, cautioned that department representatives are very busy with other matters; therefore, it will be difficult for them to attend future meetings. He advised commissioners to be prepared to go forward without further input from the departments. COMMISSIONER FINK clarified that he is prepared to go forward without more input but was suggesting a departmental contact in case someone needs a question answered. CO-CHAIR WARD said additional written information can be submitted to the commission but, from this point on, the commission will only hear from those who request and receive permission to testify. COMMISSIONER NOTTI agreed that Commissioner Fink's suggested approach is good. He also agreed that commissioners should work from short lists because reviewing each departmental report would require reviewing items that are not going to be considered. CO-CHAIR COWDERY commented that some departments have been responsive while others have not, but the commission has all of the information it needs. He felt the commission should be able to put a recommendation aside for 24 hours if an issue were to arise that required a departmental response. COMMISSIONER HARPER suggested that each commissioner should prioritize five of the 400 recommendations and move forward. CO-CHAIR WARD proposed that commissioners submit to Mr. Pignalberi their priority recommendations from subcommittee reports and from those compiled by Ms. Higgins (staff to Senator Ward). Mr. Pignalberi would then inform commissioners of overlapping recommendations and list those for the December 7 meeting. Commissioners would analyze the efforts of all subcommittees and make recommendations. Co-Chair Ward asked whether any commissioners had concerns about that approach. COMMISSIONER WUERCH asked whether commissioners should identify the source of each recommendation on their short lists. MR. PIGNALBERI said that would be helpful. He noted that the revised master list currently being prepared cites page numbers from subcommittee reports and department reference numbers. COMMISSIONER WUERCH indicated the second part of each commissioners' submittal should be to identify overarching issues that are not tied to a specific recommendation. MR. PIGNALBERI asked that commissioners send their lists to him via e-mail. CO-CHAIR WARD verified that commissioners should make recommendations on the subcommittee reports and then address any philosophical mission statements in a separate submittal. COMMISSIONER FINK asked that he receive copies of each commissioner's recommendations when Mr. Pignalberi receives them. CO-CHAIR WARD asked Mr. Pignalberi to e-mail or fax commissioners' recommendations to all members as they are received. MR. PIGNALBERI pointed out that one subcommittee's recommendations have not yet been received. He suggested that he prepare one revised master list rather than two so that commissioners will receive it by the end of the day. CO-CHAIR WARD agreed that the final subcommittee report will be delivered to commissioners by the end of the day. CO-CHAIR WARD thanked subcommittee members and department representatives for attending and indicated that Mr. Pignalberi would be requesting further written information of them if needed. COMMISSIONER THOMAS asked whether the commission would be hearing from the Department of Natural Resources and the Alaska Railroad Corporation. After Co-Chair Ward said she could make such a request, Commissioner Thomas requested their written comments. COMMISSIONER FINK suggested that the short lists prepared by commissioners should be made available to anyone who wants them. CO-CHAIR WARD noted that the short lists will be posted on the commission's web site [www.privatizealaska.org]. He repeated that anyone can submit written information to the commission until its final report is approved. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS CO-CHAIR WARD asked if any commissioner wished to comment. COMMISSIONER WUERCH commended Commissioner Fink on his list of 16 issues and asked him to comment on number 8, relating to endangered species farms. COMMISSIONER FINK said his thought is that with so many projects blocked because of endangered species, he thinks endangered species should be raised domestically and then released into the wild. He suggested the state could raise a lot of money by doing so. He said he is convinced that individuals and industrial giants would put up money to start a farm for endangered species. CO-CHAIR WARD commented that certain members of Congress have attempted to establish such a program on a national level. CO-CHAIR WARD announced that commissioners will put their suggestions in writing, which will be faxed and e-mailed to other commissioners and posted on the web site. In addition, a complete master list will be distributed to commissioners this afternoon. Staff will consolidate the recommendations received from commissioners. Finally, as pending or other information is received, staff will forward copies to all commissioners. There being no further business to come before the Commission on Privatization and Delivery of Government Services, Co-Chair Ward adjourned the meeting at 9:55 a.m.