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January-February 2009
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Pavement Distress
Governor Palin submitted a FY2009 federal economic stimulus supplemental bill to legislators February 24 that requests authorization for transportation infrastructure improvements in Alaska. The legislation will provide $461.1 million in authorization for aviation, transit, highway and bridge projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was signed into law February 17, 2009.
The supplemental bill requests $45.6 million for Federal Aviation Administration-approved projects, $9.1 million for transit projects, and $302.4 million for Federal Highway Administration projects, including $11.6 million of new regular federal funds. The Governor also included a recommendation of $25 million in stimulus funding for improvements to the Glenn Highway.
A portion of the funds are requested as a contingency to ensure that Alaska would benefit from redistribution of funds from other states that are unable to meet the required timelines. Additionally, $115.7 million in fund source changes are requested to fund prior authorization for these projects with economic stimulus funds. This will simplify the tracking of projects funded through economic stimulus dollars.
The governor joined state lawmakers February 25 to announce the start of the bid process for Alaska’s first economic stimulus project, which will be the construction of a new causeway in Gustavus. The existing causeway was built in the early 1960s, but is badly in need of repair after years of exposure to severe weather. The project will be completed with a combination of economic stimulus funds and previously appropriated National Park Service funds.
More information about the FY2009 federal economic stimulus package and budget amendments is available on the Office of Management & Budget Web site at http://omb.alaska.gov/. More information on transportation-specific economic stimulus projects is available at http://www.dot.state.ak.us/econstim/.
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I’m pleased to announce that the first year of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s Weatherization and Home Energy Rebate programs has been a success.
In the Weatherization program, the homes of 700 low- to moderate-income Alaskans have been completed, 500 more homes are nearing completion and another 600 homes are in early construction. AHFC anticipates more than doubling that amount in the next fiscal year to 4,000 homes and increasing it again the following year to 7,500 homes.
Home weatherization in Alaska
In the Home Energy Rebate Program, more than 8,000 Alaskans have had their homes rated for energy efficiency, which is the first step in taking advantage of the program. More than 300 Alaskans have finished their energy efficiency upgrades and received an average of $6,000 per rebate. There is still a lot of work to do, though. More than 8,000 Alaskans are on the waiting list for a rating.
In the case of the first 200 homeowners who completed the program, they reduced their yearly heating bill by an average of $1,355, or by more than 22 percent. The average home has reduced 12,228 pounds of CO2 per year released into the air. These 200 homes have saved a total of 17.2 billion BTUs of energy per year.
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Anchorage Public Health Laboratory
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When Alaskans are poisoned, it’s a potential life and death situation in which time is of the essence. It used to be that when someone had ingested antifreeze, for example, tests were only available outside Alaska, and it took an average of two days to get the results back. In this life-threatening situation, a quick diagnosis is essential.
But the analytical chemistry team at the Anchorage Public Health Laboratory developed a lab test for ethylene glycol poisoning. Because of their work, the tests are available 24/7 and an estimated $250,000 has been saved in unnecessary treatments.
The Anchorage Public Health Laboratory is the only lab in the state that can perform life-saving blood tests within hours to determine if someone has ingested antifreeze, wood alcohol or rubbing alcohol – and knowing which deadly substance is involved determines the course of treatment. According to doctors at Providence Alaska Medical Center, in one poisoning case, the quick antifreeze test result saved the patients a couple of days in the intensive care unit. In another case, knowing which substance was involved helped save a patient’s kidneys.
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VIEW STEP WEBPAGE:
State Employment and Training Program
A program that continues to help Alaskans, especially during today’s worsening economic environment, is the State Training and Employment Program, administered by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
STEP, which is funded by a set-aside of employee contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, awards grants to training providers across the state. This leads to new jobs due to the availability of a skilled labor force and increased training opportunities for Alaska workers to protect against fluctuations in the economy and to prepare for technological changes in the workplace.
Services to participants include: industry-specific, customized employer-linked, or on-the-job training; and training-related supportive services.
According to the latest performance data collected by the Department’s Research and Analysis Section that tracks participants for a full year after they complete STEP-funded programs, more than 89 percent of exiting participants were employed in the first quarter following their training. As critical, 97.8 percent of participants who exited STEP in 2007 remain Alaska residents.
For more information about STEP performance data go online to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Research and Analysis Section at http://almis.labor.state.ak.us and select “Training Information” or call (907) 465-4500.
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It’s a busy and exciting time for the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, which is spearheading multi-agency efforts to improve the lives of all Alaskans through the Legacy Plan. Initial work is under way to provide a long-term vision designed to provide jobs for Alaskans and diversify the overall state economy.
More immediately, the department has taken the lead in a five-department outreach to distressed villages of the Lower Yukon River. The communities of Emmonak, Kotlik, Alakanuk and others have benefited from bridge loans for fuel and provided by the department in recent weeks as they deal with economic hardships resulting from a sub-par fishing season. Longer-term initiatives will assist villagers in weatherization projects and other programs designed to avoid future distress.
LINK: View Administrative Order 248 Establishing the "LEGACY" plan.
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It’s easier than ever now for those who want to do business with the state of Alaska. That’s because the state’s Division of General Services has produced a video commercial to help walk vendors and businesses through the process. The video recently received national recognition when it was selected for a National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. Innovations Award in the customer service category. The 10-minute video, “How to Do Business with the State,” covers a top-10 list of typical problems and questions vendors may encounter. To view the video, visit http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ADMIN/dgs/purchasing/home.htm.
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The Alaska Department of Fish & Game released two new publications in February. Sustaining Alaska’s Fisheries: Fifty Years of Statehood was funded through a special grant from the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board and highlights sustainable fisheries as one of the driving forces behind our statehood efforts. The second publication, Economic Impacts and Contributions of Sportfishing in Alaska highlights the economic contributions and benefits of sportfishing in Alaska, taking into account the diverse industries and communities by region.
Alaska retained the management authority of our fisheries at statehood, and our fisheries management programs are respected worldwide. Together, these publications underscore our state’s great reliance on our fishing resources and the many ways we Alaskans value and utilize those resources. They will serve as a resource for anyone interested in Alaskan fisheries, and might even encourage a few students to be part of this legacy by pursuing a fisheries management degree here at home.
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Alaska saw an all-time low in traffic fatalities in 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. There were 63 traffic fatalities in 2008, compared to 82 in 2007. Fatal and major injuries have been on a mostly downward trend since 2003, although they ticked upward in 2007. The Seward Highway has seen a 77 percent reduction in fatal and major injury crashes since a safety corridor was introduced in May 2006 and the Parks Highway safety corridor has resulted in a 37 percent decrease. The combination of double fines, reduced speed limits and increased enforcement has made the designation of safety corridors a successful tool in reducing injuries and death. While impaired driving is still the number-one behavioral factor in traffic crashes, drivers on Alaska’s roads are buckling up at the highest percentage ever, at 84.9 percent. The department’s goal is to see that number increase to 88 percent in 2009.
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Governor Sarah Palin greets 22 new citizen soldiers at the 4/25 Airborne deployment ceremony in Anchorage.
It was a privilege for me to be able to participate in the deployment ceremony for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, held in early February at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. These brave Fort Richardson-based paratroopers will be leaving for Afghanistan in February and March. This ceremony was marked by a special occasion, when 15 of the soldiers became U.S. citizens as we watched them take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. The more than 3,500 soldiers will be deployed for a 12-month tour, and they will be in our thoughts and prayers as they fight for our continued peace and security.
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Until next time,
Governor Sarah Palin
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