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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes1990-157 . . . Sponsored by: Schaefermeyer CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA RESOLUTION NO. 90-157 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, RATIFYING THE KENAI PENINSULA CAUCUS 1991 STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS WHEREAS, on October 20, 1990, the Kenai peninsula Caucus approved its 1991 Statement of Legislative positions; and WHEREAS, all member organizations have been asked to ratify this document; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, that: Section 1. The Kenai Peninsula Caucus 1991 Statement of Legislative positions, a copy of which is attached and incorporated herein by reference, is hereby ratified. Section 2. This resolution shall take effect after adoption by the Caucus of a position on health care issues equivalent to those adopted by the Alaska Municipal League. PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council of the city of Seward, Alaska, this 10th day of December, 1990. THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA ~~ William C. Noll, Mayor AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Dunham, Hilton, Meehan, Noll and Sieminski None Burgess and Krasnansky None ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: Perkins Coie, Attorneys for the city of Seward, Alaska ()'} ,i~{ J Tc~~ Fred B. Arvidson City Attorney (City Seal) . . . 1991 Legislative Positions Kenai Peninsula Caucus KENAI PENINSULA CA UCUS AN ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS AND CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE OF THE KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH 177 North Birch Street, Soldotna, Alaska 99669 Phone: 262 9107 Board of Directors Municipal Governments Don Gilman, Kenai Peninsula Borough Betty Gfick, Kenai Peninsula Borough John Williams, City of Kenai Gary Davis, City of Soldotna Phil Morris, Kachemak City William Noll, City of Seward Gerald Willard, City of Seldovia Chambers of Commerce Buzz Kyllonen, Anchor Point Gloria Wisecarver, Funny River Mike McHone, Homer Jim Carter, Kenai Jack Brown, North Peninsula Darlene Crawford, Seldovia Andy Patapoff, Seward Roy Barton, Soldotna 1991 STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS The Kenai Peninsula Caucus is a nonprofit corporation organized under laws of the State of Alaska. The Caucus was organized in 1987 for the general purpose of promoting the physical, social and economic well being of the Kenai Peninsula Borough. Its specific purposes may include, but shall not be limited to: Charitable; benevolent; educational; Civic; patriotic; political; social; and cultural activities. Voting members of the organization are representatives of Municipal Governments and Chambers of Commerce of the Kenai Peninsula Borough. An objective of the Caucus is to secure legislation at the local, state and federal levels which will be beneficial to inhabitants of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and to oppose legislation injurious thereto; but to remain non-partisan in the conduct of its affairs. The Caucus does not endorse candidates for elected or appointed positions at any level of government. Two weeks written notice must be given to each voting member of the Caucus before it may consider a legislative position or resolution. An act of the Board of Directors must be approved by at least 75% of the Directors present at a meeting. The intent of this bylaw requirement is to assure that any action taken by the Caucus will represent a substantial consensus of opinion within the Kenai Peninsula Borough. This brochure provides a synopsis of the legislative positions developed by the Caucus through input from municipal officials and directors of the local Chamber of Commerce organizations, Each position represents legislative recommendations of the Caucus. These positions will be actively lobbied for by the Board of Directors on behalf of its membership to the Alaska Municipal League, the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, the Local, State and Federal governments. As Recommended for Ratification At an Annual Meeting of the General Membership Held October 20, 1990 Mr. D's Restaurant, Kenai, Alaska Ratification Draft October 20, 1990 1 ' r: /PI- I ." ' f ' ({J /3:) !3/ro/fd . . . 1991 Legislative Positions Kenai Peninsula Caucus PART I RESOURCES A. OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT 1. Arctic National Wildlife Refuae. The Congress of the United States should open the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Reluge (ANWR) to environmentally responsible oil and gas exploration, development and production. 2. Promotion. The Caucus encourages the State of Alaska to promote oil and gas exploration and development through: a A stable taxation policy; b, Change or elimination of unreasonable or unnecessary regulations; c. Easing of permitting regulations to make possible the development of marginal discoveries and sub-economic oil accumulations; d, Positive encouragement from the State administration. 3. Oil Soill Continaencv Plans. The Caucus encourages the State 01 Alaska to insist upon oil spill contingency plans which will take into consideration the unique geographic circumstances 01 each area where oil is transported by marine vessels. In other words, plans developed for Cook Inlet must be tailored to the Cook Inlet area, rather than imposing a state-wide contingency plan modeled after plans implemented for Prince William Sound. 4. Support Natural Gas Ventures. The Kenai Caucus supports any meaningful endeavors which may remove roadblocks, aid in the search for U.S, and foreign markets, or develop practical, cost effective stipulations for construction of natural gas transportation and manufacturing projects within the Kenai Peninsula Borough. 5, Kenai Peninsula as a Pipeline Terminus, While the Caucus supports Valdez as a terminus for a pipeline from the North Slope, strong effort should be made to intertie the Kenai Peninsula, particularly the Nikiski area, with any natural gas pipeline which is extended from the North Slope. B. TOURISM 1. MarketinQ Plans. The development 01 tourism marketing plans to make Alaska and the Kenai Peninsula Borough a destination for all travelers is necessary. 2, State Funding. The legislature should appropriate to the Alaska Division 01 Tourism a sufficient budget for the continuation of its very successful state-wide marketing programs. In addition. the legislature should appropriate sufficient funds to the Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation to develop facilities within the Kenai Peninsula Borough which have a demonstrated visitor value. 3, Borough Funding. The Borough Assembly should continue to appropriate a sufficient budget lor the implementation 01 marketing plans to promote the Kenai Peninsula Borough as a visitor destination in joint venture with the Borough Economic Development District, local chambers 01 commerce and municipalities. Ratification Draft 3 October 20, 1990 . . . 1991 Legislative Positions Kenai Peninsula Caucus PART III EDUCATION A. OPERATING EXPENDITURES 1. Constitutional Responsibilities. The Alaska State Constitution requires that the State shall establish and maintain a system of public education. open to all the children of the State. The Caucus supports the State's assumption of financial responsibility for "basic" education operating expenses. 2. Eaual State Fundina for Basic Education. The Legislature should establish a definition of 'basic education", and establish an equitable funding formula that ensures this basic education is provided. Defining basic education is the key to development of a fair formula for state funding of education. The development of this formula should involve the municipalities or districts who must fund the local share of education, 3. Local Autonomv. Full funding should not inhibit the rights of local government to supplement state or federal funding for education purposes beyond "basic needs" or to administer local schools. 4. Forward Funding. The Caucus supports the use of "forward funding" to provide for basic education so that local governments and school districts will know how much funding will be available from the State prior to April 1 st of each year. 5, Reduction in Force of Teachers, The Caucus supports legislation that would allow local school districts to have a reduction in force of teachers when either student enrollment decreases or when funding is reduced. B. BONDED INDEBTEDNESS FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION 1, Debt Reimbursement. The Caucus urges the State LegiSlature to establish a trust fund with windfall oil revenues to fully fund the school debt reimbursement program at levels provided by statute under former programs of municipal school construction assistance in accordance with the state's responsibilities under the Alaska Constitution, 2. Oppose Offsets, The Caucus opposes any effort by the State to reduce school debt reimbursement through deduction of interest earned on school bond proceeds. 3. School General Obliaation Bonds, If the State fails to defease school debt with windfall oil revenues. the Caucus supports placing a proposition on the ballot for the next statewide general election which would enable the State of Alaska to sell its general obligation bonds to refinance all existing municipal school debt. C. SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM 1. Needs Based Grant ProQram. The Caucus supports application of the new priority-based school construction grant program as established by the 1990 Legislature (Chapter 5, SLA 90). 2, Local Priorities, School construction grants should be provided for these priority (Level 2) school construction projects identified by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District: Priority Project Description 1 2 3 Tustumena Elementary School Addition West Homer Elementary School Skyview Middle School Ratification Draft 5 October 20, 1990 . . . 1991 Legislative Positions Kenai Peninsula Caucus B. BOROUGH BUDGET 1. Multi-Year Financial Plans. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, the School District and the Borough Service Areas are encouraged to continue to adopt multi-year financial plans. These financial plans should identify service objectives and three (3) year projections of revenue and expenditures. The plans should be updated each year at the conclusion of a public hearing. 2. Budaet Policv Statements. The Borough Assembly should assume a more aggressive role in guiding the annual budgetary process, Toward this objective. the Assembly should consider and adopt annual budget policy statements in January of each year, The budget policy statements should reflect principles and priorities to be used by the Mayor, the School Board and Service Area Boards in preparing budget requests for the subsequent fiscal year. 3. Local Tax Effort, As a part of the Borough's long term financial plans and annual budget policy statements, the Borough Assembly should consider and adopt guides concerning the level of local taxation. Property tax rate limitations should be encouraged on spending for schools, service areas and other general purposes. C. TAXATION, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 1, Taxpaver Notification of State Assistance. The Department of Community and Regional Affairs is urged to amend its regulations so that taxpayer notification for excess municipal assistance may utilize the same notification procedures required for State Revenue Sharing, State Aid for School Construction, and State Foundation payments under AS 29.45.020. The intent is to provide all such notifications by publishing a statement in local papers. The current requirement to provide notice of excess municipal assistance with each tax statement places undue hardships on local governments. 2. Accountina for CiQarette Tax Revenues. The Department of Education is urged to change 4 MC 36.10 to permit the use of the Central Treasury concept in accounting for cigarette tax revenues for schools. 3. Motor Vehicle Taxes. The legislature is urged to amend AS 28.10.431 so that the schedule of fees for taxes on licensed vehicles collected for local governments would be approximately equivalent to the revenues that would be collected from ad valorum personal property taxes on motor vehicles. These fees have not been revised since 1978, 4. Interest on Construction Contract Retainaae. The legislature is urged to exempt municipalities from the requirement to pay 10,5% interest on construction contract retainage as provided in AS 36.90.001. This interest rate has proven to be higher than investment market rates, Failure to withhold retainage provides no monetary recourse for inadequate construction. PART VI TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES A. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES The Caucus encourages the State of Alaska to build the second half of the Seward Correctional Facilities as soon as possible. Ratification Draft 7 October 20. 1990 . . . 1991 Legislative Positions Kenai Peninsula Caucus D. SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL 1. Waste Disposal Plans. The Caucus supports endeavors by the Borough Assembly to develop long range plans and to formulate Borough codes and regulations pertaining to both domestic and hazardous waste disposal. 2. Waste DisDosal Facilities. The Caucus supports a legislative grant to the Kenai Peninsula Borough for the continued improvement of solid waste disposal facilities as they become identified and approved in the Borough's area-wide long range waste disposal plans, E. STATE HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES The Caucus urges the Department of Transportation to relocate its Seward and Soldotna Highway Maintenance Facilities out of their existing downtown locations. F. SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING 1 . Kenai Conareaate Housino, The Caucus urges the State of Alaska to provide the remainder of financing needed for the City of Kenai to construct a Senior Citizen Congregate Housing Facility in lieu of building a Pioneer Home on the Kenai Peninsula. 2. Soldotna Senior Center. The Caucus encourages the Legislature to make an appropriation under the provisions of AS 37,05.16 to Soldotna Senior Citizens, Inc., an Alaska non profit corporation, to provide the remainder of financing needed for a Soldotna Senior Center. G. MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS The Marine Capital Improvement Priorities of the Caucus are: 1 . Federal Aid Proiects: Priority Project Description 1 2 Seward Ferry Terminal and Dock Replacement Homer Ferry Dock, Staging Area and Parking Improvements 2, State Aid Proiects: Prio rity Project Description 1 2 3 4 5 Seldovia Small Boat Harbor Float Reconstruction Anchor Point Salt Water Access and Small Boat Harbor Seward Marine Industrial Center North Dock Construction Homer Small Boat Harbor Float Reconstruction Ninilchik Harbor Improvements Ratification Draft 9 October 20, 1990 . . . 1991 Legislative Positions Kenai Peninsula Caucus E. FOREIGN TRADE ZONE The Caucus urges the Borough Economic Development District to initiate such actions as may be necessary to explore the feasibility of a Foreign Trade Zone within the Kenai Peninsula Borough, PART IX TORT REFORM The Caucus supports legislation which would enact these tort reforms: 1. Limiting Attorneys' Contingency Fees: 2. Changing the "Collateral Source Rule" so that a plaintiff could not recover twice for the same damages; and, 3. Establishing a cap of $250,000 on non-economic awards. such as those for punitive damages and "pain and suffering", Ratification Draft 11 October 20, 1990