SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE March 13, 2008 5:09 p.m. CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Stedman called the Senate Finance Committee meeting to order at 5:09:17 PM. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice-Chair Senator Kim Elton Senator Donny Olson Senator Joe Thomas Senator Fred Dyson MEMBERS ABSENT None ALSO PRESENT Charles Parker, President, Alaska Village Initiatives; Joan Nugent, Director of Business Development, Ketchikan General Hospital; Bruce Bowler, Coach Trainer PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE Rick Vann; Laurinda Pepi; Sandra Matthews; Cynthia Smith; Daniel Smith; Richard Bornengo; Connie Vann; Pat Murray; Larry Willard; Mary Hughes, Anchorage, Chair, Board of Regents, UAA; Paul D. Kendell, Anchorage; John Duffy, MatSu Borough; Michael Carlson, Architect, McCool Carlson Green, Mat-Su; Bill Hudson, Mat-Su; Donna Krier, Pioneer Park Museum, Fairbanks; Luke Hopkins, FNSB Assembly Member, Fairbanks; Joe Hayes, UAFAA, Fairbanks; Nadine Winters, Fairbanks; Rick Caulfield, UAF TVC, Director, Fairbanks; Chad Roberts, Fairbanks City Council; David Miller, UAF Facilities Fairbanks; Paloma Harbour, Fairbanks, UAA; Ron Dixon, UAF, TVC; Joan Braddock, UAF, Fairbanks; Reed Morisky, Project Manager, UAF, Fairbanks; Alan Yauney, UAF, Maintenance Supervisor, Fairbanks; Bill Cox, Supervisor of Mechanics, UAF, Fairbanks; Linda Zanazzo, Director of Facilities, UAF; Walt Ebell, Anchorage, CEO of Old Harbor NC; Lindsey Forrest, President, UAS Student Government President; Mike Schultz, UAF, Fairbanks; Brian Barnes, Director of Arctic Building, UAF; Charles Denny, Mayor of Saxman; Chris Turletes, Anchorage, UAA; Gene Kowchee, Nome GENERAL SUBJECT(S): The following overview was taken in log note format. Handouts will be on file with the House Finance Committee through the 25th Legislative Session, contact 465-6814. After the 25th Legislative Session they will be available through the Legislative Library at 465-3808. SB 221 "An Act making appropriations, including capital appropriations, supplemental appropriations, and appropriations to capitalize funds; and providing for an effective date." SB 221 was HEARD and HELD in Committee for further consideration. SENATE BILL NO. 221 "An Act making appropriations, including capital appropriations, supplemental appropriations, and appropriations to capitalize funds; and providing for an effective date." TIME SPEAKER DISCUSSION  5:10:59 PM RICK VANN Spoke against a public boat launch through the Sole Creek Estates proposed by the Fish and Game on the Kasilof Kasilof  River. Road traffic would travel through the residential district.  5:12:45 PM LAURINDA PEPI Testified against the proposal that a boat launch would run through the Sole Creek Estates. The Kasilof River has limited ability for river boat traffic.  5:14:46 PM SANDRA Testified against the Fish and Game MATTHEWS proposal to put a public boat launch at  the Kasilof River.  5:17:23 PM CYNTHIA SMITH Spoke against the Fish and Game proposal to put a public boat launch at the Kasilof River. She emphasized that there is no monitoring.  5:18:52 PM DANIEL SMITH Testified against the Fish and Game proposal to put a public boat launch at the Kasilof River. She noted it is also a road hazard.  5:19:52 PM RICHARD Spoke against the Fish and Game BORNENGO proposal to put a public boat launch at the Kasilof River. She pointed out that there are too many people.  5:20:29 PM CONNIE VANN Testified against the Fish and Game proposal to put a public boat launch at the Kasilof River. She said that this is a residential neighborhood.  5:21:26 PM PAT MURRAY Spoke against the Fish and Game  proposal to put a public boat launch at the Kasilof River. She noted problems at the mouth of the river.  5:22:11 PM LARRY WILLARD Testified against the Fish and Game proposal to put a public boat launch at the Kasilof River. He said this could harm commercial fisheries and it is a safety hazard.  5:26:33 PM BRUCE BOWLER, Testified in support of funding for an  COACH TRAINER indoor shooting range.  Anchorage  5:26:38 PM MARY HUGHES, Voiced support for the regents capital ANCHORAGE, budget for deferred maintenance.  CHAIR, BOARD OF REGENTS, UAA 5:28:21 PM PAUL D. Reminded all committee members that KENDELL, everything stems from the single family ANCHORAGE home. He spoke of multi-family hits from an economic downturn.  5:31:45 PM JOHN DUFFY, Testified in support of the funding of MATSU BOROUGH revenue sharing for Mat-Su in order to replace a school and landfill. He requested more money than was designated. He noted that there are dangerous roads and bridges that need repair so higher transportation funding is needed. He pointed out that local taxes are high but not enough is collected.  5:35:22 PM MICHAEL Encouraged the University funding CARLSON, request for deferred maintenance. He ARCHITECT, also encouraged continued Arena MCCOOL CARLSON planning for Anchorage and supported GREEN, MAT-SU the funding for the Valley Center for Art and Learning.  5:38:04 PM BILL HUDSON, Supported $7.5 million for state MAT-SU funding for the Juneau State Museum.  5:40:46 PM DONNA KRIER, Supported $7.5 million for state PIONEER PARK funding for the Juneau State Museum. MUSEUM, Spoke in support for all museums in Fairbanks  FAIRBANKS Alaska.  5:42:05 PM LUKE HOPKINS, Supported transportation funding and FNSB ASSEMBLY $15 million more to improve urban area MEMBER, roads. He said there is a need for more FAIRBANKS money than the federal highway money. He also stated support for university funding.  5:45:23 PM JOE HAYES, Deferred comments to Nadine Winters.  UAFAA, FAIRBANKS 5:45:53 PM NADINE Supported $10 million for the road  WINTERS, service projects, $15 million for the FAIRBANKS FMATS project, and funding for the University Biological Science Building.  5:48:04 PM RICK Supported renewal of University funding CAULFIELD, UAF for the Tanana Valley Campus Center. He TVC, DIRECTOR, requested $8 million for the Phase 2 FAIRBANKS renovation.  5:49:32 PM CHAD ROBERTS, Supported transportation funding. FAIRBANKS CITY COUNCIL   5:50:22 PM DAVID MILLER, Supported $120 million for university UAF FACILITIES funding.  FAIRBANKS 5:51:53 PM PALOMA Supported the university deferred HARBOUR, maintenance request.  FAIRBANKS, UAA 5:53:05 PM RON DIXON, Supported the $8 million request for UAF, TVC the Tanana Valley Campus.  5:54:07 PM JOAN BRADDOCK, Supported funding for biology teaching UAF, FAIRBANKS labs. He voiced support for the BIOS building.  5:57:03 PM REED MORISKY, Supported University funding and the PROJECT BIOS building.  MANAGER, UAF, FAIRBANKS 5:57:22 PM ALAN YAUNEY, Supported University funding and the UAF, deferred maintenance. Supported waste MAINTENANCE line repairs funding.  SUPERVISOR, FAIRBANKS 5:59:26 PM BILL COX, Supported the BIOS building. He said he SUPERVISOR OF wants to set up water projects.  MECHANICS, UAF, FAIRBANKS 6:01:16 PM LINDA ZANAZZO, Supported University funding and DIRECTOR OF deferred maintenance and the Tanana FACILITIES, Valley school project.  UAF 6:02:42 PM WALT EBELL, Testified in support of small parcel ANCHORAGE, CEO acquisitions from the Exxon Valdez OF OLD HARBOR settlement.  NATIVE CORPORATION 6:03:49 PM CHARLES Supported Project Code Red funding to PARKER, 24 communities to fight fires. This is PRESIDENT, the most cost effective program ALASKA VILLAGE existing and protects millions of INITIATIVES dollars in personal property and people.  6:07:30 PM JOAN NUGENT, Spoke to the capital projects that are DIRECTOR OF not in SB 221. Ketchikan and Saxman  BUSINESS need funding for local projects. She DEVELOPMENT, was looking for funding for smaller KETCHIKAN communities, especially the local GENERAL hospital.  HOSPITAL 6:10:02 PM LINDSEY Supported building maintenance FORREST, throughout the University. The deferred PRESIDENT, UAS maintenance is the largest problem with STUDENT students especially in housing. She GOVERNMENT also supported the deferred maintenance PRESIDENT funding.  6:14:00 PM AT EASE:  6:21:05 PM RECONVENED:  6:22:49 PM MIKE SCHULTZ, Supported the UAF deferred maintenance UAF, FAIRBANKS funding.  6:23:14 PM BRIAN BARNES, Supported new capital for the BIOS DIRECTOR OF building for the University. He also ARCTIC supported the deferred maintenance BUILDING, UAF funding.  6:26:39 PM CHARLES DENNY, Supported funding for smaller MAYOR OF communities. He was also looking for SAXMAN funding for the community center in Saxman.  6:28:01 PM CHRIS Supported UAA facilities funding. He TURLETES, spoke as a former staff, alumni, and ANCHORAGE, UAA parent. He also supported funding for deferred maintenance.  6:30:56 PM GENE KOWCHEE, Supported funding for health and social NOME services. He also supported additional education funding.  6:33:18 PM AT EASE  6:33:57 PM RECONVENED  ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:34 PM.