SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE March 19, 2009 5:10 p.m. 5:10:24 PM CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Stedman called the Senate Finance Committee meeting to order at 5:10 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Lyman Hoffman, Co-Chair Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice-Chair Senator Donny Olson Senator Joe Thomas MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Johnny Ellis ALSO PRESENT David Levy, Executive Director, Alaska Mobility Coalition; Theresa Holt, Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education; Chris Hladick, City Manager, City of Unalaska; Shirely Marquardt, City of Unalaska PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE Bill Sheffield, Former Governor; Gail Phillips, President, Board of Directors Alaska Aviation Museum; Lynne Woods, Mat- Su Borough; Benjamin Mills, Self; Jeff Tucker, Fire Chief North Star Borough Fire Department, North Pole; Sue Ellen O'Connor, Self, Mat-Su; Orin Seybert, Founder of Peninsula Airways; Patrick Duke, Chairman, Blood Bank of Alaska; Terrance Van Ettinger, Self, Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired; Michelle Weston, Board of Directors, Alaska Blood Bank; Cindy Schumaker, Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center; Ron Dixon, Chair Tanana Valley Campus Advisory Council, Fairbanks; Jerry Walker, Advisory Council Member, Tanana Valley Campus, Fairbanks; Paul Reichardt, Self, Fairbanks; Mary Greene, Board of Directors, Retirement Community of Fairbanks, Fairbanks; Karen Parr, Chairman, Board of Directors, Retirement Community of Fairbanks; Richard UnderKofler, City of Petersburg; Judy Cordell, AWAIC, Anchorage; Steve Hagedorn, Rebounders Booster Club, Anchorage; Steve Nerland, Volunteer UAA, UAA Cite Council, Anchorage; Bobbi Ramos Olson, Self/UAA, Anchorage; David Young, Self/UAA, Anchorage; Jim Olson, self, Anchorage; Charles Leet, Self, Palmer; Bill Klebesadel, Self, Mat-Su; Kathy Morgan, Tok Area Umbrella Corp., Tok; John Cannon, Alaskans with Disabilities, Mat-Su. GENERAL SUBJECT(S): SENATE BILL NO. 75 "An Act making and amending appropriations, including capital appropriations, supplemental appropriations, and appropriations to capitalize funds; and providing for an effective date." The following overview was taken in log note format. Handouts will be on file with the House Finance Committee through the 26th Legislative Session, contact 465-6814. After the 26th Legislative Session they will be available through the Legislative Library at 465-3808.   TIME SPEAKER DISCUSSION  5:11:12 PM DAVID LEVY, Spoke in support for the governor's EXECUTIVE budget proposal of $800,000 in General DIRECTOR, Funds and $300,000 in Mental Health ALASKA Trust Funds for coordinated community MOBILITY transportation projects. He is a member COALITION, of the governor's taskforce on the issue.  5:13:52 PM Senator Olson Queried the breakdown of the funding request.  5:13:59 PM Mr. Levy Replied $800,000 in General Funds and $300,000 in Mental Health Trust Funds.  5:14:08 PM THERESA HOLT, Spoke in support for the governor's GOVERNOR'S budget proposal of $800,000 in General COUNCIL ON Funds and $300,000 in Mental Health DISABILITIES Trust Funds for coordinated community AND SPECIAL transportation projects. She EDUCATION, specifically cited disabled and low income Alaskans. She shared that transportation can be a major barrier in the independence of disabled Alaskans.  5:16:44 PM CHRIS HLADICK, Spoke in support of the city's Power CITY MANAGER, House Project and made a request for CITY OF the purchase of a new 4.4 mega watt UNALASKA, diesel generator. His request is for $5 million dollars. His second project funding request was for the Ballyhoo Road Project, which had its funding  cut. He also spoke in support of a bridge project.  5:17:41 PM SHIRELY Spoke support of the city's request for MARQUARDT, infrastructure funding. Co-Chair CITY OF Stedman wondered if the Ballyhoo UNALASKA, project was already on the STIP.  5:20:07 PM Mr. Hladick Clarified that he was speaking of the Ballyhoo road, which was not on the STIP.  5:21:50 PM BILL Spoke in support of the Port of SHEFFIELD, Anchorage's project request to remodel FORMER and add to the port. The project would GOVERNOR be funded: 50 percent federal, 25 percent state, and 25 percent municipal revenue. He stressed that the project needs $20 million for six years.  5:25:26 PM Co-Chair Replied that the committee would do Stedman what it could to help.  5:25:55 PM GAIL PHILLIPS, Spoke in support for the request for PRESIDENT, funds for the Alaskan Aviation Museum. BOARD OF The funds would be used for energy and DIRECTORS safety improvements.  ALASKA AVIATION MUSEUM 5:26:57 PM LYNNE WOODS, Spoke in support for the match of state MAT-SU BOROUGH funds for road bonds. She felt the funding would help to alleviate congestion and improve road safety. The request is for $35 million.  5:28:31 PM Co-Chair Shared that discussion to move the Stedman projects forward are ongoing. He wondered if the community had issued the bonds already.  5:29:11 PM Ms. Woods Replied that the bonds will be issued when the state match is secured. Preliminary work has been done in anticipation of a state match. She thanked Senator Huggins for his support in the matter.  5:29:56 PM BENJAMIN Spoke in support of repairing bridges MILLS, SELF on the new and old Glenn Highways. He expressed concern with the condition of bridges in his area and the possibility of flooding in his village. He spoke of a letter he sent to Senator Huggins addressing the matter.  5:31:58 PM Senator Assured Mr. Mills that there is a town Huggins hall meeting scheduled in the Anchorage/Chugiak area to discuss the matter. He said he would provide any necessary information Mr. Mills may need concerning the meeting.  5:33:25 PM JEFF TUCKER, Spoke in support for capital funding to FIRE CHIEF replace a 30 year old fire engine for NORTH STAR the North Star Fire Department.  BOROUGH FIRE DEPARTMENT, NORTH POLE 5:34:24 PM SUE ELLEN Expressed support for the governor's O'CONNOR, request for coordinated community SELF, MAT-SU transportation funds of $300,000 Mental Health Trust Funds and $800,000 General Funds. She is a blind woman who uses public transportation to get to work.  5:35:03 PM ORIN SEYBERT, Spoke in support of capital funds for FOUNDER OF improvements in the Alaska Aviation PENINSULA Museum. He stated that the money is AIRWAYS needed to improve the energy efficiency of the museum building. He stated that museum attendance is up to 20,000 people per year. He felt that the museum contributes greatly to the state and needs to be preserved.  5:39:44 PM PATRICK DUKE, Spoke in support for the capital CHAIRMAN, campaign to build a new blood bank BLOOD BANK OF building. He stated that the board has ALASKA committed $300,000 of its own funding toward the building. He shared that the bank serves the entire medical community of the state. He shared that collected blood must be sent to Washington State for testing before it can be used here in Alaska. This slows the ability to provide blood in a timely manner. An in-state testing facility is necessary.  5:43:06 PM TERRANCE VAN Expressed support for the governor's ETTINGER, request for coordinated community SELF, ALASKA transportation funds of $300,000 from CENTER FOR THE the Mental Health Trust and $800,000 in BLIND AND general funds. He stated that he relied VISUALLY on People Mover and public IMPAIRED transportation to get to work. He stressed that the need for solid public transportation is necessary.  5:45:19 PM MICHELLE Urged support for blood bank facility WESTON, BOARD expansion. She expressed the need for OF DIRECTORS, blood to be readily available in-state. ALASKA BLOOD She plans to personally raise $5,000 BANK for the project.  5:47:25 PM CINDY Urged support for $1 million in funding SCHUMAKER, from the General Fund or Crew Ship MORRIS Impact Funds for the completion of THOMPSON exhibits within the facility. The plan CULTURAL AND had been to fund the exhibits with  VISITORS private funds but economic times have CENTER proven to make that impossible.  5:49:54 PM RON DIXON, Urged support for $5 million capital CHAIR TANANA request for funding for the UAF Tanana VALLEY CAMPUS Valley Campus Center Space ADVISORY Revitalization Phase 4.  COUNCIL, FAIRBANKS 5:51:16 PM JERRY WALKER, Spoke in favor of funding for the ADVISORY renovation of the Tanana Valley Campus COUNCIL Downtown Center.  MEMBER, TANANA VALLEY CAMPUS, FAIRBANKS 5:52:55 PM PAUL Spoke in support of the Raven Landing REICHARDT, Retirement Community Center Project. SELF, Urged support for the construction of a FAIRBANKS senior center with the use of $1.8 million in capital funds.  5:54:47 PM MARY GREENE, Spoke in favor of the use of $1.8 BOARD OF million in capital funding for the DIRECTORS, Raven Landing Senior Community Center.  RETIREMENT COMMUNITY OF FAIRBANKS, FAIRBANKS 5:56:41 PM KAREN PARR, Spoke in favor of $1.8 million in CHAIRMAN, capital funds to build the Raven BOARD OF Landing Community Center. She shared DIRECTORS, that the current community senior RETIREMENT center in Fairbanks is limited and COMMUNITY OF needs to be improved to support the FAIRBANKS growing senior population.  5:59:07 PM RICHARD Spoke in favor of funding the UNDERKOFLER, Department of Transportation 50/50 CITY OF Municipal Harbor Facility Grant PETERSBURG Program. He felt that the state should be matching city dollars in costal community for city-owned harbor maintenance.  6:01:01 PM Co-Chair Stated that there is $13 million on the Stedman match list for those harbor projects in coastal Alaska.  6:01:57 PM JUDY CORDELL, Spoke in favor for more funding for AWAIC, facilities for victims of domestic ANCHORAGE violence. She claimed that her shelter is currently short 25 beds and has been operating over capacity for the last two years. $920,000 is required for capital repairs to the building in order to provide the services needed by its clients.  6:04:23 PM STEVE Spoke in support for more funding to be  HAGEDORN, used for the maintenance of UAA REBOUNDERS sporting facilities on campus. He BOOSTER CLUB, stressed that the facilities are ANCHORAGE falling apart and need the funding of $65 million for repairs.  6:06:24 PM STEVE NERLAND, Spoke in favor for funding the UAA VOLUNTEER UAA, arena. He said that the UAA facilities UAA CITE are inadequate in supporting the COUNCIL, growing sport needs. He asked the ANCHORAGE committee to consider the $65 million request.  6:08:30 PM BOBBI RAMOS Voiced support for the request of $65 OLSON, million to build the new facility at SELF/UAA, UAA. She felt that the building would ANCHORAGE attract out-of-state residents to Alaska.  6:11:27 PM DAVID YOUNG, Testified in support of UAA facilities. SELF/UAA, He emphasized that the costs for the ANCHORAGE project would rise.  6:13:08 PM JIM OLSON, Spoke in support of UAA sports SELF, facilities. He was concerned Anchorage ANCHORAGE would lose people.  6:14:37 PM CHARLES LEET, Encouraged votes for bond issue in the SELF, PALMER Mat-Su valley and for $2 million for Trunk Road repair. He felt that this was an important issue for safety.  6:16:27 PM Co-Chair Named several proposed projects for the Stedman area. He mentioned that Senator Huggins has informed the committee of the importance of funding the projects.    6:16:47 PM BILL Encouraged support Road bond package KLEBESADEL, for Mat-Su Borough for road upgrade and SELF, MAT-SU repair.  6:18:22 PM KATHY MORGAN, Spoke in support of Capital TOK AREA improvements for Tok to protect city UMBRELLA from wildfires and boost local economy. CORP., TOK $86,000 to remove buildings related to firefighting. Wood pellet stoves and wood chip boiler to save heating costs (testimony copy on file).  6:22:14 PM AT EASE  6:26:32 PM RECONVENED  6:26:41 PM JOHN CANNON, Spoke in favor for funding for ALASKANS WITH coordinated community transportation. DISABILITIES, Expressed support for the governor's MAT-SU request for community transportation funds of $300,000and $800,000 general funds. He felt that the high unemployment rates among the disabled in the state is largely due to lack of reliable transportation. He thought  that the problem needed to be looked at more diligently.  6:29:44 PM AT EASE  6:34:13 PM RECONVEVED  6:34:22 PM  ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 6:34 PM.   6:35:51 PM