HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE March 5, 1997 1:08 p.m.ΒΆ MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Bill Williams, Chairman Representative Beverly Masek, Vice Chairman Representative John Cowdery Representative Bill Hudson Representative Jerry Sanders Representative Kim Elton Representative Al Kookesh MEMBERS ABSENT All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE BILL NO. 10 "An Act naming Mountain View Road in Gustavus." - MOVED SB 10 OUT OF COMMITTEE SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12 AM Relating to reconstruction and paving of the Alaska Highway. - MOVED SJR 12 AM OUT OF COMMITTEE (* First public hearing) PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: SB 10 SHORT TITLE: MOUNTAIN VIEW ROAD - GUSTAVUS SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) MACKIE JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 01/03/97 16 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/3/97 01/13/97 16 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 01/13/97 16 (S) CRA, TRA 01/22/97 (S) CRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205 01/22/97 (S) MINUTE(CRA) 01/23/97 114 (S) CRA RPT 3DP 01/23/97 114 (S) DP:WILKEN, PHILLIP, MACKIE 01/23/97 114 (S) ZERO FISCAL NOTE (DOT) 02/04/97 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205 02/04/97 (S) MINUTE(TRA) 02/05/97 234 (S) TRA RPT 4DP 02/05/97 234 (S) DP: WARD, WILKEN, HALFORD, GREEN 02/05/97 235 (S) PREVIOUS ZERO FISCAL NOTE (DOT) 02/11/97 (S) RLS AT 10:45 AM FAHRENKAMP RM 203 02/11/97 (S) MINUTE(RLS) 02/12/97 307 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 2/12/97 02/12/97 311 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 02/12/97 311 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 02/12/97 311 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SB 10 02/12/97 311 (S) PASSED Y19 N- E1 02/12/97 317 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 02/13/97 330 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 02/13/97 330 (H) TRANSPORTATION 03/05/97 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17 BILL: SJR 12 SHORT TITLE: CONSTRUCTION OF ALASKA HIGHWAY SPONSOR(S): TRANSPORTATION BY REQUEST JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 02/03/97 208 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 02/03/97 208 (S) TRANSPORTATION 02/18/97 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205 02/18/97 (S) MINUTE(TRA) 02/20/97 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205 02/20/97 (S) MINUTE(TRA) 02/21/97 446 (S) TRA RPT 2DP 1NR 02/21/97 446 (S) DP: WARD, WILKEN; NR: GREEN 02/21/97 446 (S) ZERO FISCAL NOTE (S.TRA) 02/25/97 (S) RLS AT 10:30 AM FAHRENKAMP RM 203 02/25/97 (S) MINUTE(RLS) 02/26/97 517 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 2/26/97 02/26/97 520 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME 02/26/97 520 (S) AM NO 1 OFFERED BY DUNCAN 02/26/97 520 (S) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT 02/26/97 520 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT 02/26/97 521 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SJR 12 AM 02/26/97 521 (S) PASSED Y20 N- 02/26/97 525 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 02/27/97 499 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 02/27/97 499 (H) TRANSPORTATION 03/05/97 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17 03/06/97 555 (H) TRA RPT 6DP 1NR 03/05/97 556 (H) DP: HUDSON, KOOKESH, SANDERS, COWDERY 03/05/97 556 (H) MASEK, WILLIAMS 03/05/97 556 (H) NR: ELTON 03/05/97 556 (H) SENATE ZERO FISCAL NOTE (S.TRA) 2/21/97 WITNESS REGISTER SENATOR JERRY MACKIE Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, Room 427 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-4989 POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SB 10 and testified on SJR 12 AM. SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS Alaska State Legislature Capitol Building, 103 Juneau, Alaska 99801 Telephone: (907) 465-4949 POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SJR 12 AM. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 97-13, SIDE A Number 001 CHAIRMAN BILL WILLIAMS called the House Transportation Standing Committee to order at 1:08 p.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Williams, Masek, Cowdery, Hudson, Sanders, Elton and Kookesh. SB 10 - MOUNTAIN VIEW ROAD - GUSTAVUS Number 049 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS announced the first order of business is SB 10, "An Act naming Mountain View Road in Gustavus." Number 113 SENATOR JERRY MACKIE stated that the bill passed the house last year and died when time ran out. He stated that the bill is non- controversial, all it does is name a road in Gustavus, Mountain View Road. It started as a school project and the kids in Gustavus proposed this. He stated that it has always been referred to as Mountain View Road although it never has been officially named that. He stated that it is before the legislature because Alaska Statute requires the legislature to name roads. He stated that there is a big mountain at the end of this road, and there is a view of the mountain when driving down the road. He stated there is no fiscal note involved. He stated that he knew of no one opposed to it. Number 202 REPRESENTATIVE BILL HUDSON made a motion to move SB 10, with zero fiscal notes and asked unanimous consent. Number 225 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS asked if there was an objection. Hearing none SB 10 was moved out of the House Transportation Standing Committee. SJR 12 AM - CONSTRUCTION OF ALASKA HIGHWAY Number 258 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS stated the next order of business is SJR 12 AM, "Relating to reconstruction and paving of the Alaska Highway." Number 280 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS stated that the resolution requests congress to appropriate $95 million to pave the Shakwak or the North Alaska Highway, which is the link outside the Alaska-Canada border to just outside the Haines Junction. He stated that it is the last link that has to be paved. This is an agreement that the U.S. Government and the Canadian Federal Government had agreed on, in 1977. He stated that there would be no tolls charged on either side of the border and it does not affect Alaska's state allocation as far as federal highway monies are concerned. Number 359 REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COWDERY asked if his understanding was correct that no other projects will suffer as a result of SJR 12 AM. Number 373 SENATOR PHILLIPS replied that is correct. It is separate from our allocation from the Federal Highway Administration. He stated it will not have any affect on the allocations internally in the state. Number 395 REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY asked if American firms are supposed to bid on the contract. Number 420 SENATOR PHILLIPS responded that the agreement is, we give Canada the money to build the road and they take over the maintenance, operations in perpetuity. He stated that the reason is there are 350,000 visitors coming through the panhandle or through the mid- section of Canada visiting Alaska. Number 470 SENATOR MACKIE stated that it would improve access to the capitol city and to communities like Haines. It would allow people to drive into the interior and into Alaska. He stated that the U.S. State Department put out a travel advisory stating that this is one of the most dangerous roads in the world because there aren't any gas stations. He stated that it has a tremendous affect on tourism in Alaska for people traveling the highways if they get these travel advisories, that say this is a dangerous road because it is not paved. He stated that the ramifications of the one section of the road has far reaching implications on tourism. He stated that he wanted to add his support to SJR 12 AM. Number 548 REPRESENTATIVE BILL HUDSON asked what amendment was made from the time it was put in. Number 562 SENATOR PHILLIPS replied that it seems to him that the amendment, would not tie the state to have any responsibilities as far as administrating. He stated that it was a concern brought up by Commissioner Perkins, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and Senator Duncan had offered the amendment to clarify who will do what with the road. He stated that the road is basically a Canadian responsibility. Number 607 REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON stated that it would separate our responsibility from liability or maintenance of the highway. He stated that there is a study going on to build a road out of Juneau and they have identified a source of funds and it is his understanding that none of the funds interact with the funds for SJR 12 AM. He stated that he is supportive of this resolution. Number 648 SENATOR PHILLIPS stated that there is a delegation going over to Whitehorse on March 15, 1997 and he would like to have it passed to show Alaska's mutual concerns and willingness to work together on common problems. Number 693 REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON made a motion to move SJR 12 AM, with individual recommendations, zero fiscal notes and asked unanimous consent. Number 700 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS asked if there was an objection. Hearing none SJR 12 AM was moved out of the House Transportation Standing Committee. ADJOURNMENT Number 726 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS adjourned the House Transportation Standing Committee at 1:17 p.m.