NN committee approves infrastructure project list Gallup Independent August 10, 2013 By Kathy Helms Diné Bureau navajo1@gallupindependent WINDOW ROCK — The Budget and Finance Committee this week approved the Navajo Nation Chapter’s Infrastructure Improvement Priority Projects list for fiscal years 2013-2018, according to a news release from the Office of the Speaker. How to fund the projects is another matter. Delegate Jonathan Hale, sponsor of the resolution, said the capital projects originally were to be funded by the interest from the Permanent Trust Fund; however, the goal now is to approve the priority listing first. Hale noted that creating a concurrent legislation to fund the projects would cause confusion, but will be initiated after the priority listing is finalized. “I do not see any language in this legislation that authorizes a bond (to finance these projects),” committee member Lorenzo Curley said. “There needs to be language or another legislation that addresses how the Nation will fund these developments.” Budget and Finance’s Danny Simpson said, “The stock market has been good to us and we should use the Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund to finance these projects and get them completed as soon as possible.” “If the CIP list is not approved soon, it will only cause further delay,” the committee’s Nelson BeGaye said. The resolution first was introduced in April and resulted in work sessions with chapter officials discussing proposed capital projects in their areas, according to Hale. All chapters requesting a capital project were required to submit chapter resolutions which included project proposals. “At this point, we have the majority of chapters that have already submitted their chapter resolutions with the exception of 13 chapters,” Hale said. Chief Justice Herb Yazzie explained the importance of the CIP priority list and spoke on behalf of the Judicial Branch in regard to construction of a new Supreme Court building. “About six years ago we started on a dream to obtain a judicial complex to house the Supreme Court, court administration, peacemaking, and probation programs,” he said. “We are constructionready and ask that we be put at the top of the priority list.” Hale said the FY 2014 priority list is project-ready and is awaiting funding to begin construction. Currently, the list includes 105 projects from each of the Nation’s five agencies and Window Rock. “Every year until FY 2018, the list will be reevaluated to reflect projectready sites only,” he said. Budget and Finance approved the resolution, 3-0, and sent it to Naa’bik’iyati’ Committee for consideration. Naa’bik’iyati’ added it to the agenda Thursday, however, the committee’s 10 a.m. meeting did not get started until around 2:30 p.m. and lost quorum before the resolution could be considered. Speaker Johnny Naize said several of the standing committees were meeting simultaneously in an effort to conclude their FY 2014 budget hearings, which delayed the Naa’bik’iyati’ meeting.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:39:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015