Therriault Bill to Fix Bridges, Service Roads & Trails Moves from Senate Transportation Committee

Committee also okays bill to exempt some municipal board meetings
from Open Meetings Act

JUNEAU – The Senate Transportation Committee today voted to move two bills sponsored by Sen. Gene Therriault, R-North Pole, on to their next committees of referral.

The first, SB 53 would take one step toward fixing some of the state’s bridges, local service roads and trails most in need of major maintenance. The bill appropriates $25 million for design, planning and construction of repairs to existing bridges and bridge infrastructure. It also appropriates $10 million to the Local Service Roads and Trails program for work on smaller road projects.

“I was gratified to have SB 53 move out of the Transportation committee because it shows the Senate is serious about funding these bridge and road repairs, and I appreciate Chairman Albert Kookesh for his leadership in moving the bill,” Therriault said. “A lot of our attention is given to big picture projects, so ongoing maintenance of many of our smaller bridges just doesn’t get funded. At the same time, local service roads do not qualify for federal matching dollars and must depend on general fund dollars. This bill is helping to frame the debate and focus our attention on these crucial – but deteriorating – transportation links.”

SB 53 has a next referral to the Senate Finance committee.

The second bill, SB 48, provides an exemption to the Open Meetings Act for all municipal boards, commissions, and committees meeting solely to administer and manage existing policy. A public meeting must still be noticed and held if the agenda includes policy matters such as contract negotiations or setting service area tax rates.

“Senate Bill 48 makes a distinction in the Open Meetings Act between the meetings of boards or committees that are strictly administrative, as opposed to those which discuss and set public policy,” Therriault said. “If we have a road washout or a heavy dump of snow, road commission members need to be able to deal with the problem, that is, to administer a previously decided policy, without being in violation of the Open Meetings Act.”

SB 48 also clarifies an abnormality in state law regarding the definition of a “meeting.” Currently, meeting requirements for advisory bodies are more stringent than those for policy setting bodies. SB 48 places the same open meetings requirements on advisory bodies as are on government agencies authorized to establish public policy.

SB 48 has a further referral to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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