Membership Newsletter - April 2001 Southeast Conference Newsletter April, 2001 Number 1-02 Director's Corner It's been busy here, with legislature in session, and all our issues rolling along with a life of their own. I will try to bring you up to date on what we've been up to for the last three months…We now have a part time assistant working with us again, which hopefully will help reduce the size of some inbaskets around here. Transportation Committee/DOT Issues The Committee met February 15 and again on March 7. Key issues have been the final adoption of Addendum 1, the ongoing Lynn Canal and Northern Panhandle study, IFA, Garvee bond funding for additional ferries, and operating budget shortfalls in the next few years. At this writing, House Finance has taken up a very different Garvee bond bill, which cut Southeast back to one "fast ferry". It is very uncertain what will happen with this bill if it makes it to the Senate. DOT is facing about a $900k shortfall in FY 02 funding, which may be provided in the final operating budget. The real wake up call comes in FY 03, when the department expects to need an additional $10 million, because their contingency fund will be empty. This should alarm anyone who relies on the AMHS for any service. It will mean big cut-backs, unless the legislature can come up with a substantial funding source. If ferry service is important to you, we need to identify some source of funding, before the savings envisioned in the Southeast Plan can ever take hold. AMHS will need supplemental money for at least the next 2 or 3 years before they are able to see any of their Southeast Plan savings. The setback in the construction contract on the first Fast Ferry doesn't help. Interisland Ferry Authority construction is on schedule, and they are working on the last piece of financing needed to start their service next year. They are still engaged in a difficult process to secure funding for the second north end vessel, and the terminal in Coffman Cove. DOT plans on the S. Mitkof-Wrangell link are unclear at this point, especially with the setback in the first ferry delivery, so they are not moving very fast on a Memo of Understanding for IFA to provide service on that link. Transportation Committee members were not 100% satisfied with the Department's handling of Addendum 1, the primary criticism being the lack of substantial negotiation or consideration of points raised, a sense that the public process portion was merely window dressing on decisions already made. We have sought some legislative assistance, which is forthcoming in hearings to be held by an interim committee. Other Legislative News We have been promoting our list of Priorities (posted on the web page) as we make the rounds of Southeast legislators. The harbors deferred maintenance issue has been addressed, but as of today, it has a long way to go. There are some Intertie segments being considered, but they also have a long way to go. Study money is being considered for various legs of the system. Legislation to assist 4 dam pool divestiture was passed into law. There is a senate bill for formation of a Marine Highway Authority, which is moving slowly. The Conference would like to take up this concept at our next Annual Meeting. Intertie We convened a meeting of interested parties on February 22nd. About 50 people attended. We got a better sense of where some of the communities stand on issues related. Since the meeting, we have applied for and been awarded a DCED grant of USDA funds to do the preliminary legal work and documentation to form an authority, including the outreach work to find a format that will fit for all the participants. That work will start next month. Mayors Meetings The Southeast Conference of Mayors met in Juneau on February 4. Com Fish division head Doug Mecum from ADF&G spoke to Chum Salmon hatcheries, Pacific Coast King Salmon Enhancement money, and Mariculture/Dive fisheries issues. Members came away with a better understanding of where F&G stands on these issues. Metlakatla Mayor Sol Atkinson announced a rock quarry plan they have been working on. Craig Mayor Dennis Watson brought up Corps of Engineers issues, and wants the group to send a letter asking for more consistent handling of permitting. We discussed the effect of a recent Supreme Court ruling against Corps wetlands jurisdiction. We have had three teleconferences dealing with the Forest Receipts legislation passed last session of Congress. There is still some questions and confusion over the interpretation of the law, and we have asked the Forest Service to clarify deadlines, and exactly what documents they need to fulfill the requirements. We also held a mayor's meeting during the Mid Session Summit, held April 9-11 in Juneau. We will post a summary of events on the mid session summit, as time permits. Back to top Southeast Conference P.O.Box 21989, Juneau, Alaska 99802-1989. Phone: (907) 523-2310 Fax: (907) 463-5670 info@seconference.org Copyright © 2002, Southeast Conference, all rights reserved. Site designed by WebWeavers, LLC