SENATE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE April 26, 1996 1:37 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator John Torgerson, Chairman Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chairman Senator Tim Kelly Senator Fred Zharoff Senator Lyman Hoffman MEMBERS ABSENT All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 26(FIN) am Relating to creation of the Public Inebriate Task Force. CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 192(FIN) am "An Act relating to housing assistance provided by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and to its rural housing programs, to the corporation's supplemental housing development grants to regional housing authorities, and to housing programs of regional housing authorities; permitting regional housing authorities to make, originate, and service loans for the purchase and development of residential housing; and amending the definitions of `rural' and `small community' as applied in various housing programs." PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION HCR 26 - No previous action to record. HB 192 - See State Affairs minutes dated 4/11/96 and Community & Regional Affairs minutes dated 4/22/96. WITNESS REGISTER John Bittney Alaska Housing Finance Corporation P.O. Box 101020 Anchorage, AK 99510-1020 POSITION STATEMENT: AHFC neutral on HB 192 Bryce Edgmon, Staff to Representative Richard Foster State Capitol Juneau, AK 99801-1182 POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor supports amendment to HB 192 Tom Wright, Staff to Represenative Ivan Ivan State Capitol Juneau, AK 99801-1182 POSITION STATEMENT: Offered information on HCR 26 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 96-23, SIDE A Number 001 CSHB 192(FIN) am AHFC HOUSING LOANS  CHAIRMAN TORGERSON called the Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee meeting to order at 1:37 p.m., and brought CSHB 192(FIN) am back before the committee as the first order of business. He directed atention to an amendment being proposed by Senator Kelly. SENATOR KELLY, in addressing the proposed amendment, stated a conflict of interest. He said the amendment would affect the Chester Park Condominium group in Anchorage and his in-laws own a unit there. Explaining the amendment, Senator Kelly noted the Senate State Affairs Committee changed the age limit for senior housing in Alaska from 60 years down to 55 years, however, that amendment faces serious opposition in the House and might kill the bill. He pointed out the Chester Park residential cooperative is a senior condominium project that is privately financed in Alaska. The cooperative has a full-term taxable loan from AHFC, but receives no subsidy from them. By restricting this for persons 55 years of age or older in residential cooperatives organized under AS 10.15 or AS 34.08, it only relates to the Chester Park cooperative and leaves the age at 60 for other facilities. SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS also stated a conflict of interest. Number 112 JOHN BITTNEY, representing Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, stated AHFC's position on legislation is neutral, but by narrowing the definition it will narrow down a lot of the impact that it could potentially have and alleviate some of the concerns that have come up. Number 140 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS moved the following amendment to CSHB 194(FIN) am:  Amendment No. 1 Page 8, line 16-22: Delete all material and insert: "(A) means construction or improvement undertaken primarily to provide dwelling accommodations (i) for persons 55 years of age or older in residential cooperatives organized under AS 10.15 or AS 34.08; and (ii) for persons 60 years of age or older in [, INCLUDING] conventional housing, housing for frail elderly, group homes, congregate housing, residential horizontal property regimes organized under AS 34.07, [RESIDENTIAL COOPERATIVES ORGANIZED UNDER as 10.15 or as 34.08,] residential condominiums organized under AS 34.08, and other housing that meets special needs of the elderly;" Page 8, line 29: Delete "55" [60] years of age or older." Insert "of the age set by law to qualify for senior housing[60 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER]." Hearing no objection, the Chairman stated the amendment was adopted. Number 145 BRYCE EDGMON, staff to Representative Richard Foster who is prime sponsor of HB 192, stated the sponsor supports the amendment. Number 149 There being no further testimony on CSHB 192(FIN) am, SENATOR TORGERSON asked for the pleasure of the committee. SENATOR KELLY moved that SCS CSHB 192(CRA) be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. CSHCR 26(FIN) am PUBLIC INEBRIATE TASK FORCE  Number 180 SENATOR TORGERSON brought CSHCR 26(FIN) am before the committee as the final order of business. TOM WRIGHT, staff to Representative Ivan Ivan who is prime sponsor of HCR 26, explained the resolution was introduced to address a problem that most of the hub communities throughout the state are forced to deal with, and that's public inebriate. The resolution establishes a task force to develop and recommend to the legislature a plan to minimize use of protective custody provisions of Title 47, identify methods that may be implemented to maximize opportunity for treatment, evaluate policy that will organize and allow state departments to work together to help solve this problem, and also to evaluate and determine methods to utilize community solutions, especially in light of dwindling revenues. Mr. Wright noted there have been other task forces that have looked at alcohol problems, per se, but none that have really dealt solely on the public inebriate problem. There being no further testimony, SENATOR TORGERSON stated he would entertain a motion on the resolution. SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS moved that CSHCR 26(FIN) am be passed out of committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered. There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 1:52 p.m.