Session: State Capitol, Room 214 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Toll Free: (800) 565-3742 Phone: (907) 465-3743 Fax: (907) 465-2381 Personal Web Site: www.repjames.org Interim: post office: PO Box 56622 North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: (907) 488-9339 Fax: (907) 488-4271 location: 3340 Badger Road Beaver Brook Mall, Suite 290 North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: (907) 488-1546

Sponsor Statement for HB 444
Alaska Public Building Fund

An Act relating to buildings covered under the Alaska public building fund; and providing for an effective date.

The Public Building Fund (PBF) pilot program, established under HB 112, 21st Legislative Session, has shown remarkably positive results. The continued deterioration of those few buildings has been stopped and progress toward improvement is evident.

The creation of the PBF introduced a new management approach for certain public buildings as a "pilot program" under ch. 19 SLA 2000. Currently the Department of Administration assesses an occupancy fee to public and private users of eight specifically identified state owned facilities (six in Juneau, one in Anchorage, and one in Fairbanks). These fees, which include depreciation, provide funding for the maintenance and operation of the facilities.

The vision that led to the introduction of HB 112 was that through proper management and a steady source of funding we would begin to address the loss of our valuable government infrastructure. When I introduced that bill, I was confident we would see an end to continued deterioration of state property, while at the same time requiring state agencies to more thoroughly evaluate their space needs by creating a program expense for office space.

Under the amendment I propose in this bill, the limitation included in AS 37.05.570 to the eight buildings currently covered is removed. The term "covered building" is amended to mean any building owned by the state and assigned to the Department of Administration for operation, maintenance, and management. Given the performance of the PBF program over the last year and a half, it makes sense for the Department of Administration to expand its role of managing public facilities.

# # #

Attachments:

• Print Friendly Version
  Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - 1 page(s) - 85 K

| Sen. James's Page |

| Top | Home | Site Search | Breaking News | Legislators | Bills |
| Committees | E-Newsletter | Surveys | Research | Help |

The Official Web Site of the House and Senate Legislative Majorities
for the 22nd Alaska State Legislature
To Report Technical Problems or Contact Webmasters