ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL   APRIL 18, 2023  5:30 PM    MEMBERS PRESENT  Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, Chair  Representative Kevin McCabe, Vice Chair  Senator Click Bishop  Senator Matt Claman  Senator Lyman Hoffman  Senator Jesse Kiehl  Senator Donny Olson  Senator Gary Stevens  Representative Bryce Edgmon  Representative Sara Hannan  Representative Craig Johnson  Representative George Rauscher  Representative Dan Saddler  Representative Cathy Tilton    MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Bert Stedman (alternate)    AGENDA  APPROVAL OF AGENDA  APPROVAL OF MINUTES  RATIFICATION OF CHARITY EVENTS  CONTRACT APPROVALS  COMMITTEE BUSINESS-EXECUTIVE SESSION  COMMITTEE BUSINESS    SPEAKER REGISTER  Jessica Geary, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs  Agency (LAA)  JC Kestel, Procurement Officer, LAA  Tim Banaszak, Chief Information Officer, Integrated  Technology Services, LAA  I. CALL TO ORDER    5:31:58 PM  CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON called the Legislative Council meeting to  order at 5:31 pm on April 18, 2023. Present at the call  were: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, Rauscher,  Saddler, McCabe, Tilton.    Twelve members present.    Speaker Tilton joined the meeting at 5:35 PM, Senator  Hoffman joined the meeting at 6:17 PM.    II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA    5:33:05 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  the agenda as presented.    The agenda was approved without objection.    III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES    5:33:25 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  the minutes dated: January 16, 2023, and February 21, 2023,  as presented.    The minutes were approved without objection.    IV. RATIFICATION OF CHARITY EVENTS    5:33:49 PM  VICE-CHAIR MCCABE moved and asked unanimous consent that  Legislative Council ratify the Chairs sanctioning of the  following charitable events per AS 24.60.080(a)(2)(B): Sham  Jam, April 8, 2023; Legislative Skits, April 29-30, 2023;  Kenai River Junior Classic, August 9, 2023; Ted Stevens  Kenai River Classic, August 23-25, 2023; and Kenai River  Women's Classic, September 14-16, 2023.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion.  She stated that she previously sanctioned the listed events  and verified the 501(c)(3) status of the charities. There  was no discussion, the objection was removed, and the  charitable events were ratified.        V. CONTRACT APPROVALS    A. Ketchikan Lease Renewal    5:35:11 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  continuation of the lease extension for Ketchikan office  space through February 28, 2027, in the amount of  $50,645.88 for fiscal year 2024.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Mr. Kestel to speak to this item.    JC KESTEL, Procurement Officer (LAA), said the current  Ketchikan lease was under the $50,000 threshold at the time  the lease extension was exercised by a previous Legislative  Council Chair. Due to the recent increase in the Consumer  Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), this lease  will exceed the $50,000 threshold for the upcoming fiscal  year (2024); therefore, Legislative Councils approval is  required to continue this lease extension.    There was no discussion and Chair Gray-Jackson removed her  objection.    5:36:57 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    B.  Fairbanks Lease Renewal    5:37:48 PM  VICE-CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  Renewal Number 3 of the lease for Fairbanks office space in  the amount of $216,240.96.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Procurement Officer JC Kestel to speak to this  item.    MR. KESTEL stated that this item is for the third renewal  of the Fairbanks office space. He said the current lease  renewal expires July 31, 2023, and if Council approves the  request today, there will be two remaining one-year  renewals of this lease. The third renewal is for the period  of August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2024, and since it  exceeds the $50,000 limit, it requires Legislative Council  approval.    There was no discussion and Chair Gray-Jackson removed her  objection.    5:38:51 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    C. Mat-Su Lease Extension Renewal    5:39:34 PM  VICE-CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  Renewal Number 2 of the lease for the Mat-Su office space  in the amount of $190,681.56.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Procurement Officer JC Kestel to speak on this  item.    MR. KESTEL stated that this request is for the second  renewal of the Mat-Su office space lease. The renewal  period, if approved, would cover August 1, 2023, through  July 31, 2024, leaving three optional renewals remaining.  Since it exceeds the $50,000 limit in one fiscal year, the  renewal requires Legislative Council approval.    There was no discussion and Chair Gray-Jackson removed her  objection.    5:40:41 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    D. FY24 Microsoft Enterprise Software Renewal Agreement    5:41:26 PM  VICE-CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council authorize  the annual Microsoft FY24 licensing payment to Software  House International (SHI) for $278,056.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Mr. Banaszak to speak to this item.    TIM BANASZAK, Chief Information Officer (LAA), stated that  this SHI Microsoft renewal is the third and final renewal  available under the current State of Alaska three-year  contract; Council previously approved the first two  renewals. The primary purpose of the contract is to provide  Microsoft products that affect essential functions of the  Legislature including Windows 10, Windows server operating  systems, cybersecurity software, and the Office software  suite. It also provides software for critical  infrastructure and systems such as Windows servers and  databases, most notably BASIS; network storage drives; web  servers; video conferencing systems like Microsoft Teams;  and crucial cybersecurity tools. He recommended renewal of  the agreement which offers reduced volume pricing and  enhanced technical support, as well as training for both  technical staff and users.    Mr. Banaszak noted the cost of this renewal is the  Legislatures portion of the State of Alaska contract which  was competitively procured. In response to a question by  Representative Johnson, Mr. Banaszak responded that the  software licensing and renewals allow for updating the  software to the latest versions available, including  Windows 11. While the memo does not mention the upgrade,  the license does.    There was no further discussion and Chair Gray-Jackson  removed her objection.    5:47:57 PM A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    VI. COMMITTEE BUSINESS - EXECUTIVE SESSION    5:48:49 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council go into  Executive Session under Uniform Rule 22(b)(1), discussion  of matters, the immediate knowledge of which would  adversely affect the finances of a government unit and  22(b)(3), discussion of a matter that may, by law, be  required to be confidential. The following individuals may  remain in the room or online during Executive Session:  Jessica Geary, Megan Wallace, Emily Nauman, Santé Lesh,  Molly Kiesel, JC Kestel, Tim Banaszak, Skiff Lobaugh, and  any legislators not on Legislative Council, and any staff  of Legislative Council members.    5:50:02 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None     The motion passed 13-0.    5:50:37 PM  Council went into Executive Session.    6:15:36 PM  Council came out of Executive Session.    A roll call was taken to establish a quorum.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    Thirteen members present.    A. Lease Extension Renewal    6:16:24 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  Renewal Number 1 of the lease for the Office of Victims  Rights office space in the amount of $50,087.16 through  June 30, 2024.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Mr. Kestel to speak to this item.    MR. KESTEL stated that this request is for the first  renewal of the lease extension for the Office of Victims  Rights. Since the renewal exceeds the $50,000 limit in one  fiscal year, it requires Legislative Council approval. If  approved, the lease extension renewal would be granted  through June 30, 2024.    There was no discussion and Chair Gray-Jackson removed her  objection.    6:17:35 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    VII. COMMITTEE BUSINESS    A. 40-Hour Workweek    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON asked Ms. Geary to speak on the change  to the 40-hour workweek.    Prior to Ms. Gearys testimony, Senate President Stevens  requested that Council pause to ensure Senator Hoffman was  on teleconference as he had expressed an interest in  participating for this item.    6:18:37 PM Council took a brief at-ease.    6:18:47 PM Council returned from at-ease. Senator Hoffman was  confirmed to be on teleconference.    JESSICA GEARY, Executive Director (LAA), stated the reason  LAA started looking into moving to a 40-hour workweek was  because compensatory time over the last couple of years was  frequently exceeding the 150-hour maximum that non-partisan  staff can accumulate. In many cases, this resulted in  difficulty for staff to use both their comp time and their  mandatory leave. Paying staff for an additional 2.5 hours  per week which they are already working would help improve  morale, retention, and burnout that employees are currently  experiencing. She said she has additional information  prepared and is pleased to answer questions.    REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked which LAA sections were  experiencing the most burnout.    MS. GEARY responded that Legal Services, IT, Maintenance,  and sometimes Supply experience the most burnout.    REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER followed up to confirm that Legal  Services, IT, and Maintenance were some of LAAs largest  sections.    MS. GEARY confirmed that was correct.    6:21:22 PM CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON called a brief at-ease.    6:21:46 PM Council returned from at-ease.     6:22:16 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council adopt the  Standard Workweek Policy as presented.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion.    REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER stated his support for the 40-hour  workweek.    6:23:49 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Hoffman, Gray-Jackson,  Kiehl, Olson, Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan,  Johnson, McCabe, Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 14-0.      B. FY24 Hardware Refresh    6:24:47 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  the Fiscal Year 2024 Computer Hardware Refresh in the  amount of $176,642 out of existing capital funds.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Chief Information Officer Tim Banaszak to speak  on the issue.    MR. BANASZAK stated that the motion for $176,642 addresses  deferred maintenance for Councils consideration to  include: 50 laptop workstations; 23 laser printers; 5 tiny  PC workstations; 165 laptop docking stations; and 15 iPads.  The hardware refresh follows the IT Subcommittee guidelines  and is based on a five-year computer refresh cycle, age of  equipment, upkeep costs, performance, and obsolescence. The  recommendations are consistent with the Three-Year  Technology Plan; standardize a single, color laser printer  for each office, reducing toner replacement costs and  support resources; transition hardware to laptop computers  that support working from any location; and are cost  efficient, leveraging government contract volume discount  pricing. He said he was happy to answer any questions.    6:28:02 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    C. Amendment to COVID-19 Mitigation Policy    6:28:51 PM  VICE CHAIR MCCABE moved that Legislative Council approve  the amendment to the COVID-19 Mitigation Policy as  presented.    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON objected for the purpose of discussion  and asked Ms. Geary to speak to this item.    MS. GEARY stated members have a copy of the amended policy  and a memo outlining the proposed changes. The simple  changes eliminate provisions that the Legislature is no  longer following such as social distancing requirements,  testing, and screening. She noted the amended policy  retains the ability for individuals to require masking in  their own offices. In response to a question by Senator  Olson, Ms. Geary said positive cases are no longer  officially being tracked and the number of those who self- reported were insignificant.    6:30:30 PM  A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Bishop, Claman, Gray-Jackson, Kiehl, Olson,  Stevens; Representatives Edgmon, Hannan, Johnson, McCabe,  Rauscher, Saddler, Tilton    NAYS: None    The motion passed 13-0.    VIII. OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS  A. Announcement of Subcommittees    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON stated that in the first meeting of  Legislative Council on February 21, 2023, she requested  volunteers for three subcommittees, with follow-up requests  during subsequent discussions. She extended her gratitude  to the following legislators and staff who volunteered to  work on these issues:    Assembly Building Subcommittee  CHAIR Senator Kiehl  Senator Bishop  Senator Stedman  Senator Gray-Jackson  Representative McCabe  Representative Hannan  Jessica Geary, Executive Director, LAA  Serge Lesh, Facilities Manager, LAA    Security Subcommittee  CHAIR Representative Cronk  Representative Tilton  Representative C. Johnson  Senator Stevens  Senator Claman  Senator Shower  Jessica Geary, Executive Director, LAA  Rayme Vinson, Chief of Security, LAA    IT Subcommittee  CHAIR Tim Banaszak, Chief Information Officer, LAA  Tim Lamkin, Staff to Senator Stevens  Steve St.Clair, Staff to Speaker Tilton  Lizzie Kubitz, Staff to Senator Claman  Aurora Hauke, Staff to Senator Kiehl  Forrest Musselman, House Majority Press Office  Alliana Salanguit, Staff to Senator Dunbar  Naresh Shrestha, Staff to Senator Shower  Tim Clark, Staff to Representative Hannan  Ed King, Staff to Representative McKay  Crys Jones, Chief Clerk  Liz Clark, Senator Secretary  Tim Powers, Information and Teleconference Manager, LAA  Brian Heimbigner, Media Services, LAA  Shay Wilson (IT Advisory), LAA  Drew Gruening (IT Advisory), LAA  Frank Wilson (IT Advisory), LAA    Chair Gray-Jackson welcomed two additional members from the  House to serve on the Assembly Building Policy  Subcommittee, but it is not required. She again thanked  individuals for volunteering to serve on these  subcommittees.    B. 2022 Agency Report    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON asked Ms. Geary to speak on the 2022  Agency Report distributed to legislators last year and  again in meeting packets today. She said she knew that  Agency staff worked hard, but she was truly amazed at all  the work done in support of the Legislature. She truly  appreciated that work and looked forward to Ms. Gearys  comments and answers to any questions from members.    MS. GEARY said this Agency Report was drafted after going  through COVID and demonstrates the Agencys work for  members and staff. These reports will be bi-annual and  provided to members at the end of each Legislature. Members  can review the report and ask questions about any of the  work being done. She said an important thing to note is  this report shows how proud Agency staff are to work in  support of the Legislature. She said she is very proud to  work here and knows her staff are as well.    Ms. Geary, in response to a question by Senate President  Stevens, said the operations of the Legislative Lounge are  under the purview of the Senate Rules Chair, not LAA.    SENATOR BISHOP thanked Ms. Geary and her staff. These last  several years have not been easy. He said he and all  legislators owe Ms. Geary and, under her leadership, all  LAA employees, a debt of gratitude for what they went  through to make this building work; so, thank you.    REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN echoed Senator Bishops comments. She  said Council chairs gain an understanding of all the work  that happens behind the scenes, but most offices are  unaware because of the exemplary job of those doing the  work. The Agencys job is to make legislators jobs  possible, and they do so with very little fanfare, and she  thanked them for it.    C. Preview of Upcoming Items    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON asked Ms. Geary to provide a brief  summary of items that are anticipated to come before  Council this year.    MS. GEARY said she anticipates bringing to Council for  consideration within the next year, and possibly the  following year depending on solicitation length, the  following items: (1) the Terry Miller Legislative Office  Building, where most LAA offices are located, needs a new  HVAC system. The system is antiquated, parts are no longer  available nor is there the knowledge and expertise to  repair it, so LAA is working on issuing a procurement for a  new system; (2) service contracts in Anchorage - a  janitorial contract renewal which expires in August, a snow  removal contract which expires in October, and a security  contract renewal which expires in December; (3) the Kodiak  lease, which expires in October; and (4) depending on  subcommittee recommendations there may be security items  and some Assembly Building policy related items. Ms. Geary  ended her preview by saying that of course there may be  unexpected items that arise to be brought before Council.    There was no discussion.    IX. ADJOURN    CHAIR GRAY-JACKSON thanked previous Council Chair  Representative Hannan for her leadership. She thanked Ms.  Geary and Agency staff for their hard work, especially  during COVID. She thanked her staff in helping her as  Council Chair which requires a great deal of time and  effort. Lastly, she thanked Vice Chair McCabe for the  advance work required to allow these meetings to be  successful.    With no further business before the committee, the meeting  was adjourned at 6:42 PM.    6:42:17 PM