Alaska State Legislature

News From The House Majority

Ken Freeman, Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540 (907) 465-3804

Speaker Phillips Seeks Solutions For Deferred Maintenance

Measure Seeks Establishment of Task Force To Determine Alaska's Maintenance Needs

For Immediate Release: February 27, 1997 Contact: Ken Freeman (907) 465-4582

JUNEAU - Legislation that seeks to establish a task force to evaluate Alaska's deferred maintenance needs passed the House Thursday. House Concurrent Resolution 8, sponsored by House Speaker Gail Phillips, creates a task force to determine the extent of Alaska's infrastructure and public facility maintenance needs and establish options for possible funding.

Speaker Phillips said deferred maintenance is the result of years of unmet maintenance on Alaska's public facilities.

"Meeting our maintenance needs is not about building a skywalk from the court building to the capitol. It is about a capitol building that leaks when it rains and ruins documents. It is about docks that are rotting and falling into harbors. It's about schools with inadequate fire protection," said Phillips. "It is about an infrastructure that needs mending."

Speaker Phillips noted that some cost estimates place Alaska's unmet maintenance needs at well over $1 billion.

HCR 8 will establish a Legislative task force to make recommendations to the Governor and the legislature on how to address Alaska's unmet maintenance needs. The Task Force will be made up of five members from the House and five members from the Senate. The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate will also serve as non-voting members.

The Task Force will be specifically charged with:

• reviewing and evaluating existing reports and publications about deferred maintenance recommendations previously made
• identifying and evaluating all current and deferred maintenance needs
• soliciting public comment about this topic
• submitting a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by the convening of the second regular session.
• forwarding recommendations about funding all deferred maintenance needs.

The Task Force will begin work as soon as members are appointed.

Broadcast Note: An audio actuality is available by calling 1-800-478-6540.

###