HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE February 23, 1993 5:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Richard Foster, Chair Representative Al Vezey Representative Curt Menard Representative Bill Hudson MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Gary Davis, Vice-Chair Representative Jerry Mackie Representative Eldon Mulder COMMITTEE CALENDAR HB 26: "An Act relating to the control of outdoor advertising." PASSED FROM COMMITTEE Statewide airport overview by Helvi Sandvik from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. WITNESS REGISTER HELVI SANDVIK Statewide Aviation Manager Department of Transportation and Public Facilities P.O. Box 196900 Anchorage, Alaska 99519 266-1460 Position Statement: Provided overview on statewide airports. JEFF OTTESEN Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 3132 Channel Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 465-6954 Position Statement: Available to testify on HB 26 if necessary. PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HB 26 SHORT TITLE: PROHIBITED HIGHWAY ADVERTISING BILL VERSION: SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) MENARD,Olberg TITLE: "An Act relating to the control of outdoor advertising." JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 01/04/93 31 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 01/11/93 31 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 01/11/93 31 (H) TRANSPORTATION, CRA, JUDICIARY, FINANCE 02/11/93 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17 02/11/93 (H) MINUTE(TRA) 02/23/93 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 93-6, SIDE A Number 015 CHAIRMAN FOSTER called the meeting to order at 5:10 p.m. HB 26: PROHIBITED HIGHWAY ADVERTISING CHAIRMAN FOSTER brought up HB 26 for discussion. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY said he was concerned with Section 8, which provides penalties. The violation of these provisions provides that the fines provide for fines up to $500 or one year in jail. He felt the penalty provisions should be revised. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY suggested the penalty for violation be a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $5000, plus the elimination of the jail time. After discussion, the violation agreed upon by the committee was a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $2500 and the elimination of the jail time. After further discussion of potential amendments, it was decided that the committee would prepare a letter of intent to the next committees of referral so that when it got before the Judiciary Committee they could look at the penalty sections with the final agreed upon fine and suggestion to eliminate the jail time. Number 328 REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY asked further questions regarding the right-of-way provisions. Number 0360 REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON asked Representative Menard if there was any fiscal impact created by this legislation. REPRESENTATIVE MENARD referred to the zero fiscal note included within the members' packets. Number 0365 REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON moved HB 26 from committee with individual recommendations, and with a House Transportation letter of intent. Number 0370 CHAIR FOSTER requested that committee staff take care of adding his name as a co-sponsor on HB 26. Number 0375 CHAIR FOSTER moved to the next item on the agenda - the statewide airport system - and invited Helvi Sandvik to begin her briefing on this issue before the committee. HELVI SANDVIK, STATEWIDE AVIATION MANAGER, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES (DOT/PF), said there are about 300 airports that the DOT/PF currently owns and operates. There are also approximately one dozen non-DOT owned airports in the state, owned by municipalities or boroughs; i.e., Juneau, Kenai, Soldotna, Nenana, Palmer, North Slope Borough owns 5 small airports, and the DOT owns Deadhorse and Barrow, which are in the North Slope Borough. There are also a few others that the DOT owns but are leased and operated by other entities, such as Sitka and Ketchikan. Number 0421 MS. SANDVIK stated that in relation to funding, they relied almost entirely on the federal airport improvement grant program, which provides 45-50 million dollars for capitol improvements on airports. Although that is an historic figure, for the last two years Alaska has received in excess of 60 million dollars for airports. It is a fairly restricted source and cannot be used for maintenance activities and there is no flexibility to spend the money where the department wants to spend the money. The department is working to obtain more flexibility in the state of Alaska in the use of these funds. Number 0421 MS. SANDVIK indicated that one of the main issues that may be brought up is essential air service. It is a relatively small program to the state of Alaska, but it means a lot. It is run by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) out of Washington, D.C., and essentially assures that all of our communities that are not accessible by road or other means have scheduled air service of some level. If a commercial air carrier cannot provide service at a profit, there is an opportunity for them to compete for a subsidy offered by the U.S. DOT. Funding is fairly controversial and the dollar amount for Alaska is a little less than two million dollars subsidy. Ms. Sandvik indicated her office is generally an advocate of the communities in their dealings with the U.S. DOT. Number 0414 MS. SANDVIK discussed the by-pass mail program, which has been fairly controversial, and she indicated that the state may see some changes with this. The U. S. Postal Service provides a non-priority mail shipment of goods to rural Alaska for very good rates. It is currently costing the U. S. Postal Service seventy million dollars to subsidize the Alaska program, and the postal service is proposing several controversial changes. One of these changes is the establishment of 15 new by-pass mail hubs, which means that this may require significant capitol investments in those new areas and be responsible for a significant increase in maintenance and operations costs. They are proposing to save seven million dollars. There is currently a task force evaluating what the impact would be and providing recommendations to the U. S. Postal Service. The task force has determined they could compromise in certain areas; however, they certainly were not in favor of the increased hubs. The state DOT has gone on record against their proposal. Number 0450 MS. SANDVIK addressed two additional federal mandate issues of concern. These were the FAR 139, which relates to safety standards, and FAR 107, which relates to safety standards. Under both programs, the federal government mandates must be met or the state is at risk of paying non-compliance fines. FAR 139 requires that airports which support aircraft of 30 seats or more provide fire fighting response; which means that currently, a lot of grader operators in rural airports have taken certification training for fire fighting. MS. SANDVIK said FAR 107 effects security, and airports serviced by airplanes which seat 60 passengers or more are mandated to provide security. This requires law enforcement officer response, and thus far the state has been able to use the local enforcement officers. Due to occurrences in the Lower 48, however, FAR 107 is getting harder to comply with on a state level. MS. SANDVIK stated that both of these mandates are dictated by the type of aircraft which land in the airports. If the state is unable to meet the mandates required, it is then up to them to reduce service or limit types of aircraft which land in those airports. Currently in Kotzebue, the police force is on call 15 minutes prior and 15 minutes after a plane lands. In some areas, the DOT has been able to ensure payment if the law enforcement officers are called upon. MS. SANDVIK stressed the budget constraints which are being created by the federal mandates. TAPE 93-6, SIDE B CHAIR FOSTER adjourned the meeting at 6:05 p.m.