Murkowski team prepares

WASILLA -- Gov. Frank Murkowski's transition team met Tuesday at Evangelo's Restaurant in Wasilla to discuss public input brought forward at its Saturday public hearing and to shape formal proposals to help Murkowski understand the state's needs as he steps into office this month.

Bert Hall, one of three co-chairs of Murkowski's Mat-Su Issue Group team, said Tuesday the public hearing held Saturday had brought more than 100 responses from the public, either through testimony before the various issue groups, submittal of written concerns or issues to the groups, or both.

People stopped by Tuesday to share ideas with the groups gathered Tuesday, although their suggestions were only in the form of written comments distributed to the six issue groups at the meeting.

Groups at the meeting discussed topics pertaining to natural resources, transportation, human resources, public safety, education and revenue, and worked to identify common problems or topics that could be addressed by the new administration.

According to information from Hall, the groups were responsible for collecting, evaluating and forwarding policy ideas to Murkowski's administration. The comments, which are being taken statewide, will be compiled and looked at again. The hope, Hall said, is that statewide trends or needs will rise to the top and a more effective way of addressing those needs or trends through policy changes or a different focus can be found.

This isn't the first time Hall has served on a transition team, and it's not the first time he has worked with Murkowski.

"I was part of the first group that elected him," Hall said, adding that he served as commissioner of Health and Social Services when Murkowski was in Juneau. While Hall didn't point to any specific ideas that had come from public input taken during a transition, he said he believes the public involvement can lead to a fresh perspective.

"There's always more that comes out -- people think out of the box," Hall said.

When asked how the transition team was compiled, Hall recognized that many of those on the issue group team had been involved in Murkowski's election in one way or another. But not everyone involved in the team was necessarily involved in the campaign -- many were chosen for their expertise in the field, Hall said. Don Zoerb, Matanuska Electric Association's director of finance, for example, is a secretary on the revenue team and former Wasilla Police Department chief Charlie Fannon is a co-chair on the public safety team.

"We have people on some of the committees that were not involved with the campaign at all," Hall said, "some of whom's politics I'm not absolutely sure about -- but you can bet there aren't any people from the other side."

Hall said the transition teams have a Dec. 9 deadline to turn in their position papers.

At that time, he said, everything will be forwarded to Murkowski's transition office in Juneau, headed by Jim Clark, who Murkowski recently announced will serve as his chief of staff.

Although comments statewide can be submitted to Anchtranstion@alaska.net, Hall said comments that relate to Valley issues can be more effectively compiled in the Valley issue group position papers.

"That's a little bit of a problem for us because we don't know what Valley people are saying when they don't turn them in to us," Hall said.

He encouraged people with specific suggestions to contact a co-chair of one of the issues groups. If people would like to comment but are unsure where to send their comment, they can contact team co-chairs for suggestions.