Capital budget signed in event tempered by senator’s passing

Gov. Michael Dunleavy signed the Capital Budget today, providing funding for public safety, homeless services, numerous items the Legislature did not fund during its operating budget process, as well as the usual roads and highways monies that draw down federal dollars.

The 2020 capital budget captures nearly $1 billion in federal transportation and infrastructure funding.

Dunleavy made only brief remarks and focused on the loss of Sen. Chris Birch, who was an engineer by trade. Dunleavy noted his contributions and that he was a force in the Legislature and a good family man. He kept his remarks on the budget general, noting that budget decisions are being made by his administration because Alaska is out of the easy money, and he refuses to pretend that there’s no end to the ability to spend.

He took no questions from the media, reiterating how he was sorry that Sen. Birch was not present for the bill signing ceremony.

Other funds in the Capital Budget include (numbers are rounded):

Hiland Mountain Women’s Mental Health Unit: $2.5 million

Village Safe Water and Wastewater Projects: $12 million

Electronic Visit Verification System to reduce Medicaid service provider fraud: $680,200, draws in $4.3 million in Federal funds.

Arctic Strategic Transportation and Resources (ASTAR): $2.5 million for infrastructure on the North Slope Coastal Plain for future oil development.

Critical Minerals Mapping: $600,000, leveraging $3 million in Federal funds to map minerals and support future mining.

Geological Mapping for Energy Development: $300,000, leveraging another $300,000 in Federal funds for work on the Colville area for discovery of more oil.

AHFC Competitive Grants for Public Housing for low-income Alaskans: $3350,000.

AHFC Federal and Other Competitive Grants for homeless services: $1.5 million.

AHFC Housing and Urban Development Federal Home Grant for near homelessness, foster care: $750,000.

AHFC Rental Assistance for Domestic Violence Victims: $1.5 million.

AHFC Homeless Assistance, pass throughs to community shelters: $3.6 million.

AHFC Senior Housing: $1.75 million to help senior citizens with housing.

AHFC Supplemental Housing: $3 million.

Federal Highway and Aviation: $73.3 million, leveraging $900 million in Federal funds.

Inter-Island Ferry Authority: $250,000 for continued ferry service from Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island.

Harbor Grant Program: $1.6 million, a re appropriation of unspent harbor grant funds from prior year projects.

Alaska Marine Highway System Vessel Overhaul: $13.5 million, most of it spent in Alaska shipyards with Alaska suppliers and vendors.

Road projects funded include:

• Parks Highway repaving from Milepost 163-168 and 169-174
• Richardson Highway reconstruction from Milepost 159-167 and 18-24, resurfacing
• Utqiagvik Airport combined maintenance and operation
• Point Hope Airport realignment
• Kenai Spur Road rehabilitation
• Parks Highway Pittman Road to Big Lake Road, Milepost 48-52
• Seward Highway, Placer River to Twenty Mile River, Milepost 77-81
• Haines Highway Milepost 12.2 to 23
• Juneau Glacier Highway improvements in the Lemon Creek area
• Kodiak Channel bridge improvement