Alaska State Legislature
News From The Deferred Maintenance Task Force

Wendy Lindskoog (907) 258-8187
Anchorage Legislative Information Office
Anchorage, AK 99501
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540
web site: www.akrepublicans.org

Building an Alaska for the 21st Century
Task Force Unveils Deferred Maintenance Recommendations

For Immediate Release: Friday, November 7, 1997 Contact: Denny DeWitt, Legislative Assistant to Rep. Mulder at (907) 465-2647 or (907) 258-8193.

Anchorage -- Members of the Legislative Deferred Maintenance Task Force Friday unveiled several recommendations to address Alaska’s ongoing maintenance needs.

The Deferred Maintenance Task Force visited 16 communities, 16 schools, 3 University campuses, 3 prisons, 3 harbors, 8 airports, 13 other public buildings and hundreds of miles of state highways. The Task force held over 60 hours of public hearings. In addition, the Task Force members visited with hundreds of Alaskans during various site visits.

The Deferred Maintenance Task Force Thursday concluded a heavy schedule of public hearings, public testimony, and site visits throughout the state. The Task Force tentatively adopted several recommendations along with a six-year a plan to finance the needs to repair Alaska's infrastructure for the 21st Century.

"This has been the most active interim task force I've ever served on," Representative Eldon Mulder, Co-Chair of the Task Force said. "We have been able to see much of what needs repair and heard reasons why our facilities have gotten into such bad repair. Finger pointing won't solve this problem. We have a solid financing plan for legislative consideration along with recommendations to prevent the problem happening again."

The Deferred Maintenance Task Force developed criteria for prioritizing almost $1.5 billion of projects over a six-year period. The criteria includes health and safety concerns, preservation of educational programs, economic development, history of maintenance and other criteria. The criteria will be used to create a list of projects to be funded by the "Build Alaska - Public Facilities Construction Fund".

"I am encouraged by the bipartisan cooperation shown to address this major problem," said Senator Tim Kelly, Task Force Co-Chair. "We have identified over $1 billion of needs for repair of our schools, highways, airports, buildings and the University of Alaska. Our financing proposal - "Build Alaska" - addresses these critical needs over a six year period. The plan protects the Permanent Fund and doesn't require any new state taxes. We can use the investment opportunities of the Constitutional Budget Reserve without reducing the principal in the fund."

The Task Force tentatively adopted a list of recommendations including a $1.42 billion Build Alaska - Public Facilities Financing Plan, draft legislation to require maintenance programs for public facilities, separate budget appropriations for maintenance, and the use of prototypical schools. The task force will ask several standing committees to review issues such as lighter weight studs in tires and their impact on maintenance of our roads, and regulatory standards that unnecessarily increase the cost of construction.

"As sponsor of the Resolution that created the Task Force and as a member, I can tell you that it has responded to its charter. We have developed a list of what needs repair, recommendations to keep from falling back into the same quagmire of not maintaining our facilities, and recommendations for financing repairing our public assets," House Speaker Gail Phillips said.

The Task Force will recommend the administration continue moving toward establishing a rental concept for agencies using state buildings. The concept has been under consideration since the Hickel Administration and is almost ready for a pilot program. The concept will help deal with maintenance responsibility and force a more serious consideration of space needs and use.

"We have identified the problem, we have reviewed the needs, and we have proposed a workable solution," said Representative Mulder. " It is a large problem and includes some of the less popular needs like prisons and state buildings along with schools, the University, and roads. This Task Force addressed a large range of problems, not just the "Photo Opportunity" projects and is recommending a plan to address the full scope."

"I am proud to be the Co-Chair of this Task Force," said Senator Kelly. " This Task Force has been willing to tackle the whole problem and do the "heavy lifting" that actually gets improvements off the planning boards and onto the ground." The work of the Deferred Maintenance Task Force will serve to make Alaska in the 21st century a safer and better place to live."

Legislative leaders have said that consideration of the Deferred Maintenance Task Force's proposal will be one of the top priorities for the next legislative session.

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  1. Action and Recommendations.

  2. Expenditures for Public Facility Repair and Replacement Construction.

  1. Build Alaska Financing Plan Integration into Five Year Budget Strategy.

  2. Notes and Assumptions.

  3. Criteria For Consideration And Prioritization.

Radio Actualities available by calling (800) 478-6540
 = Tim Kelly, 94 K
 = Eldon Mulder, 28 K
 = Gail Phillips, 45 K