[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6359020,"mediaKeyId","2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e","parentId",2209174,"title","DOT outlines rural aviation needs, PFAS transition and civil-rights planning for airports","audioSeconds",245,"startMs",1412000,"endMs",1657000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e&start=1412&end=1657","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e/thumbnail_1412000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359020/Alaska/DOT-outlines-rural-aviation-needs-PFAS-transition-and-civil-rights-planning-for-airports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359020-0d25ab420a864e605c24e325165e59ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486342&Signature=SQzK8gusSu8eSGNz~WdOtpWrMY1WWym-7QTEv~71w3LjCzi4-bnOjNtZQ4I5vwWF-gLCTPrzyVUXQ7L0Esuq2lZi1YKMiYcLzjIzLVZMm6G6WC6~E5yatSqJ55wI4IRQrwCazDe-fzi41OwTueCSya2qBCTWgxT9k3RePRMdYnqJ6u2sBB7nmI8UIfNTr9GUy02m5WZmLrhWT67JEV-rqKwVTpiod99tAopRBEJFuIS2CMloQJzoASJVcX89s~P0~TSe1DK2Z1v~oPzEHccZ0WODIwOrM-Q34O6CkEzc4uSREnqb~Rf7fadAShxqE4fEYfPgn1kZBoTW3QHytREkLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","Dom Pinone, DOT director of program management and administration, told the House Finance Subcommittee on Jan. 28 that DOT operates a large rural aviation network and cited specific operating pressures in rural airports. The department said it operates roughly 235 rural airport locations and that many rural runways are maintained by contract because local contracting is often the most effective approach.

Pinone described requests in the FY26 operating package tied to rural aviation: increases to rural airport maintenance contractor funding (presentation cited $374,000), software licensing and database work for the Alaska Aviation System Plan and inspection programs, and employee-housing increments for airport employees. The transcript shows the presentation listed $72,000 of UGF for employee housing at one airport and an additional line of $111,000 of UGF; the transcript did not clearly specify which airports correspond to each amount (not specified).

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) transition work at airports was discussed. Anderson and Pinone said DOT is actively managing the shift to fluorine-free firefighting foams, starting with international airports, and that cleaning equipment and vehicles previously exposed to PFAS is work-intensive. The department said a contract for cleaning vehicles at international airports was under way and that bottled water provision remained in places where groundwater impacts from legacy firefighting training required mitigation. DOT indicated capital funds will be needed for larger water-system fixes.

Committee members asked about civil-rights reviews the department has undertaken at certain airports. Pinone said FAA-required civil-rights plans have been developed for primary airports and that DOT expects to produce on the order of 20'30 plans (presentation cited an FAA-driven requirement to prepare plans for primary airports). The plans address a range of reporting requirements, including provisions such as handicap accessibility.

Members pressed for more specific deferred-maintenance breakdowns for roads, facilities and airports; DOT said it maintains lists and will provide those breakdowns to the committee. The department noted airport lighting, weather-observation systems and employee housing as notable maintenance and capital needs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Finance: Transportation & Public Facilities Subcommittee - January 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Jan. 28 subcommittee briefing, DOT described capacity and maintenance needs in rural aviation, ongoing PFAS foam transition at airports, civil-rights plan development required by the FAA, and requests for contractor and software funding.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6359025,"DOT seeks multiyear accounting change for Alaska Marine Highway System budget; cites workload and workforce challenges",1043,1666000,2709000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e&start=1666&end=2709","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e/thumbnail_1666000.jpg","/articles/6359025/Alaska/DOT-seeks-multiyear-accounting-change-for-Alaska-Marine-Highway-System-budget-cites-workload-and-workforce-challenges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359025-41acdca84780b12dd12d843fd456a14d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486342&Signature=KhjjwsXRWvn6RhAmJbKDEhcI26WB2cM1AvMVRuTI1F905j0ZBYJNXLyuXQNR2o6ZDy6tLg5Ixbi1KpS6kYYmCQ0p9WyGum4my5xlj8xA~oy28UQQZX6Mu68ULuwr7ofYCVkUsGm5fKNYkQgSCruxmZPuh9aL-Bi6aTDDBpfJt1-yGbfVqeIrmE-8dt1PtOP6c8RGvsUgo11EcQnvib5uXaJti7yqPfsyatWwFHH6Jaz0lwfoYa10n3jsgeuLuNrjj-jfjE2aoJDbQSqVbBwn31~DMddVHsTeq8pdKS5YVjPhqO7tWRnD5CCFGrc9Xf8gskiz8Wl~n9pN4Q9qDRQByg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Ryan Anderson told the House Finance Subcommittee on Jan. 28 that DOT is seeking to move the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) operating budget from the numbers section of the operating bill into the language section. Anderson said the change would allow the AMHS calendar-year funding model to roll forward across fiscal years and reduce the repeated accounting workload that results from closing both the state fiscal year and calendar year twice a year.

Anderson described the proposal as a new and potentially complex concept for the committee that is likely to prompt extended discussion in future hearings. He emphasized that the department's intention is to continue requesting 12 months of calendar-year funding while removing the administrative \"bookends\" that force biannual accounting work.

DOT also briefed members on AMHS operational challenges and capital activity. The department said it is in a long-range planning effort for the system, plans to release a public draft during the legislative session, and cited ongoing capital grants and vessel investment: roughly $170,000,000 in terminal grants and about $400,000,000 in vessel grants in current programs, according to the presentation. Anderson said DOT is evaluating the MV Matanuska, which the department currently uses as a hotel ship, and will bring recommended next steps to the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board.

Workforce shortages were a recurring theme in the AMHS discussion. Several committee members raised pay and recruitment concerns; Representative Stuteson noted pay differentials with the private maritime industry as a reason for recruitment difficulty. Anderson said DOT has pursued workforce-development strategies, training, and stewardship programs but that recruiting for higher-skill maritime positions remains challenging.

Anderson asked the committee to reserve detailed discussion for a later agenda item and said the department would return with focused material on the AMHS in future meetings.","DOT asked the subcommittee for authority to move Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) operating funding from the numbers section of the budget to the language section to better align state and calendar-year accounting, and discussed workforce and vessel investment issues.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6359030,"Alaska DOT presents FY26 operating budget overview, highlights pay, capital linkages and targeted increments",0,198000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e&start=198&end=198","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2209174-793a95bf9321b4bb2f4818d08f82ec6e/thumbnail_198000.jpg","/articles/6359030/Alaska/Alaska-DOT-presents-FY26-operating-budget-overview-highlights-pay-capital-linkages-and-targeted-increments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359030-725fec92ab15757b91fada112c9115f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775486342&Signature=l2sWr54xRocQdj9xedt21ExWFier8BBHh-T~pddjWo-Vv~euJzKoZLWC5mlMZmHbZ13ZGjrAbtFRYpjUg7vziF5l-HXfDNiZQ-dcCji~Rz23iUk-ImOXxRn16JiDUkAzmJQxgQflPtbTfDkrj~jWgeVJ1eKjDWoell4KeiEjAu6ranfQO-jlynOszHQSa81vk87luEUPyiZdx8zF4gsfy02VFSxHOpbMzIjOK1JH2l9V9SQ-yCPBKP0Qk7q2DSpQzAsV~Aqn62lQHbG12dT-0LtPqG-RdNk2N~jMUaGu7e25Zt77mnKMVfTXsTbxosjtHsXBsT12irUKKWCNAPwqUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) presented an overview of its FY26 operating budget to the House Finance Subcommittee at a Jan. 28 meeting chaired by Representative Hannon. Commissioner Ryan Anderson said DOT will focus the subcommittee's review on the numbers section of the operating budget and noted that the department's mission is to \"keep Alaska moving.\"

The presentation said personnel costs account for the largest share of DOT's operating budget. DOT officials stated personal services represent about 61% of the operating budget, approximately $488,000,000, and that roughly $200,000,000 of payroll is funded from capital project receipts. The department also described major funding sources, including motor fuel tax receipts of about $37,000,000 that support highway maintenance and operation.

Commissioner Anderson and Dom Pinone, director of program management and administration, highlighted inflation and materials-cost pressures captured by the Federal Highway Administration's National Highway Construction Cost Index, which the presentation said rose roughly 61% since the pandemic and is a driver of project cost escalation and schedule changes. Anderson said cost escalation on capital projects can trigger revised estimates and require amendments that reduce the number of projects that can be delivered.

DOT listed several targeted requests and increments in the operating budget presentation. The department reported current-year spending on cleanup of vacated homeless encampments of roughly $300,000 in Anchorage and roughly $130,000 in Fairbanks; the transcript did not clearly specify the requested FY26 UGF increment for encampment cleanup (not specified). DOT also requested one-time and base increments including funding for roadside safety hardware and guardrail repairs in the northern region, and training funds to prepare Dalton Highway crews to respond to potential liquefied natural gas transport events. The Dalton Highway was identified as a priority for maintenance contracting because it is a 414-mile corridor with elevated vacancy rates at some maintenance camps (some camps reported vacancy rates above 50%).

The department emphasized the link between operating and capital budgets: many DOT staff who design and deliver capital projects are paid from capital program receipts. DOT also described vacancy pressures across classifications, the department's 3,400-plus positions statewide, and a reliance on contractors for some rural airport and maintenance services.

Representative questions focused on vacancy rates, the effect of construction-cost escalation on fiscal constraints, and requests for further breakdowns of deferred maintenance by roads versus facilities. Chair Hannon asked that any follow-up questions from individual members be routed through the subcommittee chair so responses can be shared with the full membership.

The subcommittee scheduled follow-up hearings to drill down on divisions and individual programs; DOT officials said they expect additional, more detailed briefings in future meetings.","At a Jan. 28 House Finance Subcommittee meeting, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities officials summarized the department's FY26 operating budget request, noting personnel costs as the largest share of the operating budget and outlining several targeted one-time and base increments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DOT outlines rural aviation needs, PFAS transition and civil-rights planning for airports

DOT seeks multiyear accounting change for Alaska Marine Highway System budget; cites workload and workforce challenges

Alaska DOT presents FY26 operating budget overview, highlights pay, capital linkages and targeted increments