Summer Legislative Conference

Homer - August 9-11, 2023
Registration

Summer Legislative Conference

The Summer Legislative Conference is traditionally focused on:

  1. An update on legislative action that may have impacted local governments,
  2. Review of outstanding issues found in bills or the budget, and
  3. Preparation of AML’s policy and position statement. We hear from our lobbying team, State officials and legislators, and discuss priorities facing local governments.

The 2023 conference was held August 9-11 in Homer at Land’s End Resort.

Conference Presentations

This is a collection of the presentations from the 2023 Summer Conference

PERS TRS Payroll examples
PERS_TRS_Overview_AML_08102023 – Worley
AKML Education Funding – Painter
AML presentation from ISER 8.9.2023

Tuesday, August 8, 2023 AML Board of Directors Meeting

1:00pm – 6:00pm AML Board of Directors Meeting / Pratt Museum AML board members

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 AMMA and ACoM Meetings

8:00am – 5:00pm Alaska Municipal Management Association Meeting / Land’s End

Breakfast & Lunch included / Separate agenda

9:00am ACoM Welcome and Introductions / Land’s End

  • Mayor Glenda Ledford, President,
  • ACoM Business Meeting

10:00am Alaska Conference of Mayors / Rainbow Tours

  • Networking and Mentoring opportunities, key informant interviews

1:00pm Arrive and Lunch / Seldovia

2:30pm ACoM Seldovia Site Visit

  • Local infrastructure
  • City and Tribal officials

4:00pm Depart Seldovia

5:30pm Return and adjourn for day

Dinner on own

Thursday, August 10, 2023 AML Legislative Conference

8:00am Breakfast – Included

8:30am Welcome and Introductions

  • Mayor Ken Castner, City of Homer
  • Mayor Peter Micciche, Kenai Peninsula Borough
  • Mark Springer, City of Bethel
  • Rep. Sarah Vance, Alaska State Legislature

9:00am Director’s Update

  • Nils Andreassen, Executive Director, Alaska Municipal League
    • Exemptions and Preemptions

9:30am Review of 33rd Legislature

  • Heather Brakes, Legislative Consultants

10:00am Break

10:15am Legislative Issues Discussion – Major Impacts to Local Governments

  • Base Student Allocation and education funding
    • Alexei Painter, Director, Legislative Finance (virtual)
    • Dayna Defeo, ISER
  • Defined Benefit Pension and PERS Update
    • Kevin Worley, Department of Revenue (virtual)

12:00pm Lunch

  • Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom

1:30pm Legislative Issues Continued

  • Title 29 review and rewrite
    • Lynn Kenealy, DCRA
  • Best Practices Scores for Water/Sewer Projects

3:00pm Break

3:30pm Senator Lisa Murkowski

4:00pm Infrastructure Funding Access and Project Implementation – Challenges – Erin Reinders, Infrastructure Program Director, AML

  • What are issues that you’re running into for applying for federal funds?
  • What challenges have you had in planning for access to funding?
  •  Are there any challenges that you anticipate in project implementation?
  • How do you consider state funding to meet your capital needs?
  • Have you changed your approach to state capital funding?

5:00pm Adjourn

6:00pm Reception – Homer Seaplane Base

Friday, August 11, 2023 AML Legislative Conference

8:00am Breakfast

8:30am State Fiscal Policy

  • State Revenues – Is a sales tax really on the table?
  • PFD and POMV
  • Spending Cap – What are the impacts to local governments?

10:00am Break

10:30am Plenary Discussion of State and Federal Legislative Issues

  • Additional research needed?
  • Resolutions to be considered by AML at Annual Meeting?
  • Lobbying activities during the interim?
  • Is there anything we’re missing?

Public Lands Resource Center

  • Nils Andreassen, Alaska Municipal League

11:30am Adjourn

Alaska Municipality League

Questions?

Accommodations

There are three lodging options available for the conference: Land’s End, the Driftwood Inn or The Ocean Shores Resort. If Land’s End is full, please ask to be added to their waitlist.

Land’s End Resort

The Room block for reservations at the Land’s End will close July 9, 2023. Call 907-235-0400 and refer to Alaska Municipal League to receive your discount on hotel rooms (Beachfront Lodges and Lodge Rooms Excluded)

  • A one-night deposit is required at the time of booking.
  • The guaranteed check in time is 5 pm, check out time is 11 am.

Driftwood Inn
135 West Bunnell Ave.
Homer, AK 99603
907-235-8019
Link to Lodging

The Ocean Shores Resort
3500 Crittenden Dr.
Homer, AK
800-770-7775
Email: oceanshoresalaska@gmail.com

Member must email and request room under AML block. The hotel is closed for the season but will respond within 24 hours with reservation information

Travel

The Alaska Bus Company provides transportation to and from Homer from the Anchorage airport at $109 each way. Reservation is required.

Alaska Bus Company

Who Should Attend?

AML Summer Conference: Mayors, Managers, Administrators, Councilmembers, Assembly members

Alaska Conference of Mayors: Mayors, Vice-Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Councilmembers, Assembly members

Alaska Municipal Management Association: Managers, Administrators, Chiefs of Staff, and similar positions

Contact: Sarah King at sarahk@akml.org or 907-790-5378.