Senator Gary StevensSenate Rules Chairwww.aksenate.org

GaVEL FALLS ON 25^TH ALASKA LEGISLATURE:

Juneau—The gavel fell on the second session of the 25th Alaska Legislature early this (Sunday afternoon) after lawmakers gave their approval to the final major piece of legislation, the Fiscal Year ’2009 Capital Budget. Working with Representatives Paul Seaton (R-Homer) and Gabrielle LeDoux (R-Kodiak), Senator Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) was able to secure support for numerous infrastructure projects for the communities he serves in the Kenai Peninsula, the Lake and Peninsula Borough and Kodiak Island. “The District R projects in the capital budget are of great importance to my constituents and the communities I represent in the Senate, so I’m pleased we’ve been able to get legislative support for them,” Senator Stevens commented. “I would like to thank the civic and community leaders around my district for working with us on the projects, as well as Representatives LeDoux and Seaton for their efforts to gain support for these projects in the House.”

FY ’09 Capital Budget Items for District R Kodiak Area Capital Budge Projects Include:

• Kodiak Launch Complex Infrastructure $17,500,000
• Ouzinkie Airport Reconstruction and Relocation $10,000,000
• EVOS Parcel Acquisition on Afognak Island $10,000,000
• Kodiak Ferry Terminal Construction $7,100,000
• Kodiak Schools Seismic Mitigation Project $4,000,000
• Kodiak Ultraviolent Secondary Water Treatment Facility $2,884,000
• Near Island Facility Construction $2,000,000
• City of Kodiak Large Vessel Lift and Boat Yard Facility $2,000,000
• Kodiak Airport Chemical Storage Building $1,700,000
• Aleutian Homes Water and Sewer Replacement Phase IV $1,816,000
• Ouzinkie Dock Replacement $1,150,000
• Old Harbor Small Boat Harbor $710,000
• Old Harbor Design & Construction of Water & Sewer Facilities $612,677
• Kodiak Mission Road Repair and Upgrade $575,000
• City of Kodiak Cruise Ship/Pier II Master Plan $500,000
• Kodiak Airport Hanger Upgrade $225,000
• Peterson Elementary School Seismic Vulnerability Project $175,000
• Kodiak Island Wide Comprehensive Transportation System Feasibility Study $150,000
• City of Kodiak Griffin Memorial Building $148,900
• Kodiak Area Wide School Supplies and Equipment $130,000
• Kodiak Regional Ferry Feasibility Study $100,000
• Baranof Park Improvements $100,000
• Larsen Bay Road Repairs and Resurfacing $100,000
• Old Harbor Park Renovation and Multi-Use Sports Field $65,000
• Akhiok Dozer Acquisition $50,000
• Karluk Playground equipment $50,000
• Ouzinkie New Tractor with Backhoe for Landfill $50,000
• Kodiak Airport Hanger Upgrade 225,000
• Senior Citizens of Kodiak Kitchen fire Protection and Refrigeration $8,545

Lake and Peninsula Borough Area Capital Budget Items Include:

• Port Alsworth FireHall/Meeting Hall $150,000
• New Halen Septic Pumper Truck $130,000
• Kokhanok Water and Sewer Master Plan $100,000
• Lake and Peninsula Borough Area Wide Supplies and Equipment $60,000
• Igiugig Excavator $50,000
• Nondalton Fuel Truck Acquisition $50,000
• Pedro Bay Fuel Truck Acquisition $50,000
• Levelock Septic Pumping Equipment $43,000
• Kokhanok Septic Truck Pumper $40,000

Cooper Landing Projects Included in the Capital Budget:

• Camp Kushtaka Rebuild $510,000
• Eagles View Senior Housing Driveway and Parking Area Pavement $27,500

Seward Area Projects in the Capital Budget:

• AVTEC Culinary Building Replacement and Instructional Equipment $8,659,000
• Dredging Cruise Ship Berthing Basins and Approaches $4,500,000
• AVTEC Maritime Safety Training Facility $3,350,000
• City of Seward Back-up Generators Purchase $2,000,000
• Seward Road/Levee Construction $1,750,000
• AVTEC Deferred Maintenance $1,727,000
• Spring Creek Correction Center Project $1,200,000
• Jesse Lee Home Stabilization Project $1,000,000
• Seward Long-Term Care Center Construction $400,000
• AVTEC Student Database System $400,000
• Alaska Marine Highway System Southwest Warehouse $200,000
• Seward Waterfront Pavilion $195,000
• AVTEC Student Records Archival System $100,000
• Aluttiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery King Crab Research and Rehabilitation Project $68,000
• Seward Fish Ditch Restoration $61,250
• Bear Creek Community Multi-Use Facility Site Prep $55,000

Homer-Kachemak Bay Area Projects in the Capital Budget:

• Homer Electric Distribution and Transmission Upgrade $12,500,000
• Homer East End Road Rehabilitation Milepost 3.75 to 12.5 $6,000,000
• Seldovia Design and Construction of Water and Sewer Facilities $3,207,227
• Homer Main Street Intersection/Reconstruction $2,000,000
• Homer Water Treatment Plant Upgrade $1,730,400
• Homer Electric South Kachemak Bay Cable Replacement Project $1,100,000
• Nanwalek Water and Sewer Facilities Design and Construction $757,906
• Vosnesenka Water and Sewer Facilities Design and Construction $639,640
• Seldovia Jackalof Bay Float Deferred Maintenance and Transfer $380,00
• Homer Electric Hazardous Tree Removal Project $250,000
• Seldovia Matching EPA Funds for Water and Sewer Upgrades $235,000
• City of Homer Spit Trail Completion/Harbor Pathways $150,000
• Ohlson Mountain Ski Hill Improvements $89,000
• Homer Senior Citizens Senior Housing Land Purchase $50,000
• Road Improvements to Access Vosnesenka and Kachemak Selo Schools $50,000
• Kachemak Bay Campus Pre-corrections Officers Orientation and Preparation Training $50,000
• Kachemak Emergency Services Area Personal Protection Equipment $50,000
• Seldovia Boat Haul-Out Trailer $45,000
• Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center Improvements $37,00
• South Peninsula Hospital $26,500
• Smolt Stocking for Seldova Slough $25,000
• Nanwalek IRA Council Back-up Generator Purchase and Installation $25,000
• Playground Improvements for Vosnesenka and Kachemak Selo Playground Improvements $25,000
• Homer Hockey Association Zamboni Blade Sharpener $15,000
• South Peninsula Hospital Cell Phone Repeater Antenna $10,225
• Road Improvements to Caribou Hills Access Trail $10,000

Kenai Borough Projects Impacting District R:

• Road Improvements and Projects $18,400,000
• Kenai Peninsula School District Supplies and Equipment $505,000

Area Wide Capital Budget Items:

• Funding for Maintaining Ferry Service to Southwest Alaska During the M/V Tustemena Overhaul $4,247,600
• Crew Member Fishing Participation Database Design and Construction $150,000

Bond Bill Projects

Another important measure winning legislative approval this session was a general obligation (GO) Bond bill containing several projects around the state. Voters will be asked to approve the bond sales in the November elections. In the Senate, three projects for District R Communities were added.

Kodiak Island Borough Road Service Area Rehabilitation and Paving $2,500,000

• City of Old Harbor Dock Replacement $4,000,000
• City of Ouzinkie Dock Replacement $2,850,000

Personal Legislation Recap

Also this session, four bills and one resolution sponsored by Senator Stevens passed the Legislature.

SB 285 is awaiting the governor’s signature. Senator Stevens introduced the bill in response to the court case decision of Moore vs. Alaska, which pertains to the Legislature fulfilling its constitutional mandate of overseeing school districts and schools when student test scores continue to be too low. The bill requires that regulations be drafted establishing criteria under which the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) may intervene and provide direction to a district to improve school and district-level instructional practices.

SCR 15, creates a standing Education Committee in the Senate and House beginning with the 2009 legislative session. The resolution is part of a package of legislation recommended by the Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force, of which Senator Stevens was a member. The Task Force met several times during the 2007 Interim to take a comprehensive look at the numerous issues facing Alaska’s school districts. The new Education Committee will be dedicated reviewing Alaska’s educational policies from Preschool to the University of Alaska.

SB 241 is also awaiting the governor’s signature. The bill requires the University of Alaska be to provide an annual report to the Legislature documenting their efforts and degree of success in training teachers and in assisting Alaska schools districts to attract and retain qualified teachers. SB 241 also derives from recommendations of the Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force.

SB 97 was signed into law Thursday, April 10. This legislation makes several changes to the law the Alaska State Council on the Arts uses to administer the Silver Hand program, which is used to authenticate Alaska Native art work, including the deletion obsolete statutory language and intensifying the penalty for violating Silver Hand laws.

SB 59 gives Alaska’s numerous nonprofit agencies authority to promote their raffles on broadcast outlets around the state. Currently, this ability is limited to print media.

Interim Plans

Senator Stevens will be returning to Kodiak later this week, and will be back in Juneau on June 3rd for the special session called by the governor on the natural gas pipeline. Constituents can reach him and his staff throughout the interim at (907) 486-4925 in Kodiak, in Homer at (907) 235-0690, and in Juneau at 1-800-821-4925 in Juneau.

(For more information, please contact Doug Letch or Katrina Matheny at (907) 465-4925)

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