Online public notices replace paper in Alaska

All Alaskan state agencies are now required by law to post all public notices on the Internet.

By logging onto the Alaska Online Public Notice System, people can view notices by category, department, location, publication date and title. People can also search the site using key words.

The system replaces the Alaska Administrative Journal, a weekly publication of the lieutenant governor's office. With the advent of the Internet, the subscription-based publication saw its numbers dwindle from 125 in 1995 to 12 this year. Of those, only one subscriber was based in Alaska.

Many agencies were already posting notices online. However, under the law, all notices are required to be posted online. The new system will also be run from the lieutenant governor's office.

Having public notices available online will not change requirements relating to printing, posting and distribution of the notices, such as newspaper notices for solicitations for bids or notification of public meetings.

For citizens without a computer, the system can be accessed at libraries or state agencies that provide computers for public use. People can also request a printed copy of the notices.