Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Frank Richards

“once final investment decision is taken, we'll have 180 days to present the option to present the economics, the risks of inequity participation to the state of Alaska. So for an example, if there is a final investment decision in the fourth quarter, let's say the beginning of the fourth quarter quarter of this year, then that would start the 180 day clock to be able to provide the information to the legislature and to the Alaskans that would be interested in it”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:37

Lyman Hoffman

“I bring this up because that 180 day timeline makes much sense. But what triggers that timeline, to me it would make more sense when the legislature convenes that that clock would start ticking so that we would have ample time to make major decision on the amount of funds that the legislature may invest in.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

1:01

Frank Richards

“we wanted this opportunity to acquire ownership if the State of Alaska through appropriate legislation would be available to us. And so we reserved that option. However, if that option does not proceed forward, there will still be some what we call developer economics returns. And as owner of HSTAR Alaska, because of the development cost that the State of Alaska through AGDC and now Glenn Farm working towards FID will have expended and want to have some return on the investment. So as Glenn Farm retains equity positions in any of the sub projects and has developer economics return coming up to them for fees to those sub projects, then AGDC without any more additional funding would receive 25% of those returns to the State of Alaska.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:29

Frank Richards

“we've reserved that for the for the legislature between 5 and 25% equity option is what we've reserved within our agreements with Glenn Farm. And the goal would be that the state of Alaska may not have to elect the full 25% if it chooses not to. Then that option will then be extended to Alaskans and Alaskan corporations.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:17

Jesse Kiehl

“The 5% minimum buy in, is that going to match all other potential equity investors? Is there any chance that anybody else gets in at 2%?”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:49

Frank Richards

“my goal is that this project is able to reach a final investment decision for phase one sooner than that. It's really the opportunity that the developer talked to yesterday about what are those existing actions that must be undertaken to complete and have a final investment package, a decision support package that they would then make their decision on. Part of it is again around the property tax.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:12

Frank Richards

“the ownership structure of Eight Star Alaska is 75% Glenn Farm, 25% AGDC.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:50

Frank Richards

“what I heard from Mr. Prestige yesterday is that, you know, they support paying the alternate volumetric tax again as it becomes responsibility of theirs to be able to do that. The real reason around this bill and the structure is around the cost of that payment in lieu of tax, I'll call it. But it's an alternative volumetric tax because the existing rates were so high.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:47

Matt Kissinger

“the property taxes that we were faced with were about 10, 10 times higher than the next highest, which was Cove Point in Maryland we'd be looking at 600 to 800 million a year, possibly a billion a year once you factor in the potential risk of cost overruns. Whereas in LNG Canada I believe that they're paying somewhere around 27 million a year.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:45

Frank Richards

“it has been recognized really for decades that Alaska's oil and gas property tax rate is very high. And so we've looked through independent verification on where Alaska sits in comparison to other jurisdictions that have LNG projects. And so, so we've gone and we'll present some of that information today. But literally it is that Alaska is approximately 10 times higher than other jurisdictions in terms of our oil and gas property tax.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:45

Frank Richards

“Glenn Farm yesterday provided you with an updated Class 2 cost range. And I apologize, I don't have those in front of me, but it was in the 15 to 16 billion dollars range and that was at a class two cost estimate.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:48

Matt Kissinger

“There may be multiple rounds building up to an fid but you won't achieve a final investment decision until you have sufficient funding to construct the project along with your contingency and additional contingency for contract cost overrun. Risk, et cetera, at that point in time, once that final investment decision, and that's a single vote that happens at a single moment in time. That's what starts the clock on our 180 days.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:33

Frank Richards

“when the legislature created agdc, they also gave an exemption to any project that AGDC was working on that there would be no property taxes during construction. So what you hear from the developer is they're willing to pay a property tax, an alternative volumetric tax during construction.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:33

Matt Kissinger

“Developers have a habit of setting very aggressive FID dates and they do this because it's really the only way to drive everyone who's actually working on a project to a common target. But the knock on effect is it sets this unrealistic FID date out in the public and slowly credibility erodes.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

1:01

Bert Stedman

“there is some other concerns that some of us have at the table when it's referenced to the state. You know, a lot of it's really easy to assume it come into the legislature, but there has been some interest in accessing other entities of the state if it's the Alaska Railroad, if it's ada, if it's a permanent fund. So there is concern on the structure and how that would be executed.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:07

Matt Kissinger

“that 2mil rate has since morphed into this alternative volumetric tax which we feel also brings a lot more alignment.”

Alaska Legislature: Senate Finance - June 4, 2026 10:00am · Jun 4, 2026

0:23

Speaker A

“The overall preparation has really improved. And so I don't want you to dwell on this. I want you to think about that you have an unmodified opinion, and that is what you want, right? So, so nothing led us to conclude that amounts were wrong in the financial statements as they were issued. It's just what we see is that there's some improvement that can be done over the reconciliation and review process.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:29

Speaker A

“CBJ audits results. We also issued unmodified opinions over all opinion units. So again, I mentioned the different types of funds you have, so we're issuing multiple opinions on each of those reporting units or funds. We had two material weaknesses in internal controls and one significant deficiency.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:40

Speaker A

“Bartlett's auditors issued one material weakness over financial reporting. It's on your screen. It is similar to what the city had last couple years in that basically there were design and implementation issues related to preparing for the audit. So essentially not having internal controls in place to make sure that the information was ready.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

1:01

Speaker A

“So with 2 different audit firms and it being a first time through for Bartlett's auditors, um, they had additional time that was needed for them to complete their audit. And because of that, because we didn't get Bartlett's final issued financial statements, then CBJ wasn't able to finish out some of their final allocations, specifically the internal service allocations, until we have both Bartlett and school district financial statements.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:39

Speaker A

“Again, based on those adjustments that we just went through, the reconciliations for debt issuance, tax accruals, and unearned revenue hadn't gone through sufficient review and hadn't been tied out. We call it tied out, but hadn't been reviewed and made sure that they agreed to the account balances in your system prior to providing them to us to audit.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:38

Speaker A

“We did have what we call some material misstatements that were corrected as a result of our audit. To highlight quickly these, there was $10 million that was a timing thing. The bond was not issued till FY26, but it got recorded in '25.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:47

Speaker A

“For the lease receivables and deferred inflows in Harbor Enterprise Fund, which also is included in the business type activities, we found that leases had been valued incorrectly. And I know this is something that finance is working on currently to correct, but we found about $8.6 million of lease receivable and deferred inflows.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:38

Speaker A

“And then we found a calculation error in the sales and hotel tax accrual that was done at year-end, and it changed it by $2.7 million. So again, what we're looking for is large amounts that could change decision-making, right? And these are all larger amounts that are part of your financial statements.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

1:13

Speaker A

“The second material weakness related to— I mentioned the lease receivable for the Harbors. We found that communication between Harbors and Finance was not sufficient and that there hadn't been adequate review of the variable leases.”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

1:00

Speaker B

“So typically by November 1st, with a kind of final draft around Thanksgiving time, and that allowed about 3 weeks before we tried to issue in mid-December to late December. And that was the timeframe that was followed for many years, essentially until COVID hit, and then we started running into delays”

Juneau: June 3, 2026 Assembly Finance Committee · Jun 3, 2026

0:37

Speaker G

“I move to amend Ordinance Number 3525, 2026 by amending the title to read an ordinance amending Kenai municipal code section 14, 20.320, definitions to provide definitions regarding tents and campgrounds and amending Kenai municipal code section 14.22, land use table and delete from the ordinance sections 1 and 3 and renumber existing section 2 and 4 to 1 and 2.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:38

Speaker G

“The AV infrastructure used for broadcasting and recording public meetings and other governmental communications, specifically, as we know the world, is post Covid very technologically driven. And that's how a lot of people communicate and connect with each other, with public agencies, with their government. And it has increased access and general ability to be part of the process that wasn't there before.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:26

Speaker G

“City Manager Eubank's example that he gave was in response to a. A specific complaint that involved tents that had a dumpster and had a biffy on site. So they were providing sanitation options for their garbage and their human waste, but they were sleeping in a tent, not a camper.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:35

Speaker B

“currently it's the responsibility of the administrative assistant and the airport manager at the airport to monitor the activity of, you know, landings and transient parkings and things like that at the airport. And I think that is where the hole is in our system is that requires them to actually see this activity. And then obviously they're only there during normal business hours.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:30

Speaker G

“we are just here to thank you for considering the amendment to the budget that includes a grant for the utility costs should we be able to reach an agreement to take over operations of the Kenai pool. And we encourage you to vote for. That amendment and approval of the budget.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:22

Speaker B

“what this amendment does is it puts the funding in the budget to allow us to issue a grant. We still would have to work on a grant agreement with the club. The club. Obviously, I think, like Ms. Kasmore's testimony, they still have to get an agreement with the district to operate the pool.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:35

Speaker G

“if a family does put a tent in their front yard for their kids to camp in off and on all summer, as my kids did, or as my son completed his camping nights to earn his Eagle Scout in the backyard, that was seven nights.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:38

Speaker B

“during last year's personal use fishery, we received a complaint from members of a neighborhood about a piece of property. It's a vacant lot within the subdivision in the neighborhood that somebody had purchased. And there were. They had brought in sanitary facilities, they brought in dumpsters, they brought in some porta potties, but they had a number of tents that were housing people that were participating in the fishery.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

1:04

Speaker B

“The majority of this is mirrored after the code that deals with recreational vehicles. Campers and RVs both require a primary structure on the property in order to have tents. Or if it's a vacant property, it needs to be adjacent to A property owner with a primary structure, it limits the length of time a tent can be erected to three consecutive days or seven days within a 30 day period where a recreational vehicle is limited to no more than 30 days.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:48

Speaker G

“Our infrastructure is dated and doesn't offer that accessibility, which if we don't continue to move forward and meet residents where they're at, I think it would raise the question as to whether or not we're really participating in open and accessible government activities. Increases transparency and overall, I think it will reduce the cost and burden on some of our staff.”

Prefix - Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:57

Speaker B

“I also want to recognize the efforts of Tyler Best and the Parks and Rec crew and Parks and Rec Commission again the public and now Council here tonight for adopting that Parks and Rec master plan. I think that's that is the first Parks and Rec plan that the City of Kenai has ever adopted.”

Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:22

Speaker B

Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:30

Speaker G

Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:38

Speaker G

Kenai: 06/03/24 City Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:41

Speaker G

“if this city doesn't understand that fishing is what pays, really pays the bills and the families that work in fishing in this town, that's what, that's where you get most of your money. Raising the mill rate and forcing people out of town to make it where they can't afford to live. Here you wait, see what happens.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:08

Speaker A

“Motion carries. 7, 0.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:40

David Zastrow

“although yes, our budget, our current revenue is supporting our needs, we have more than established that our needs are not met. And although our budget. We're not in a deficit, I feel like we're in a severe deficit with their maintenance.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:25

Debra Adams

“I am a member of the community that disagrees with the comments that you can live without a library and you can live without a museum. I think we need to find ways to include those in our budget.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:21

Mike Mickelson

“I'm in support of keeping it where it is. I've had numerous community members come up and say they oppose raising it. And I certainly understand the financial pressures that we're under right now, but I just feel like this, this isn't the time.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:14

Speaker A

“this is a public hearing for resolution 062622, a resolution of the city council of the city of Cordova, Alaska, establishing the property tax mill rate for 2026 tax year.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:21

Kasey Kinsman

“I move to approve resolution 0626 22, a resolution of council of the city of Cordova, Alaska establishing the property tax mill levy for the 2026 tax year at its current rate, 11.44 mills for all properties in the city of Cordova.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

0:48

Kasey Kinsman

“keeping the mill rate exactly where it's at accounts for increased value on properties, accounts for just even sentiment in the community of just matching and that for not. Not raising the mill rate. It's staying the same. It's different than the budgeted mill rate adjusted, but the mill rate is staying the same.”

Cordova: June 3, 2026, Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting · Jun 3, 2026

← Newer Older →