Download Initial expenditure plan for settlement funds focuses on water

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS
Jared Touchin (928) 221-9253
Jolene Holgate (928) 380-4174
[email protected]
Initialexpenditureplanforsettlementfunds
focusesonwaterprojectsforNavajocommunities
WINDOWROCK–Followingmonthsofdiscussions,publichearings,andmeetingsthatincluded
recommendationsfromtheNavajopeople,chapters,andmanyofficials,legislationwasofficially
introducedonTuesday,whichseekstoadoptaSÍhasinFundBulkWater&Wastewater
DevelopmentExpenditurePlan–thefirstofseveralexpenditureplansthatoutlinestheuseofa
portionofthe$554million,lessattorneyfees,receivedfromasettlementagreementwiththe
federalgovernment.
LegislationNo.0015-16sponsoredbyCouncilDelegateLeonardTsosie(Baca/Prewitt,Casamero
Lake,Counselor,Littlewater,OjoEncino,PuebloPintado,Torreon,WhitehorseLake),outlinesan
expenditureplanthatallowsforapproximately$101millionforlargewaterprojectsoverafiveyearperiodandcallsfortheuseoffundingfromfederal,state,orprivateentitiesthroughmatch
funding,jointfunding,contributionfunding,cost-sharefundingorotheragreementstosubsidize
thecostsofthewaterprojects.
TheproposedplanwasdevelopedbytheSÍhasinFundSub-committee,whichwasestablishedin
April2015andtaskedwithrecommendinganexpenditureplanforthefundsreceivedfromthe
federalgovernmentthroughasettlementagreementinwhichtheNavajoNationreceived
approximately$554million.
DelegateTsosiechairsthesubcommittee,whosemembershipalsoincludesCouncilDelegates
SethDamon,NathanielBrown,WalterPhelps,JonathanPerry,OttoTso,NelsonS.BeGaye,Kee
AllenBegay,Jr.,MelR.Begay,LeeJack,Sr.,TomT.Chee,andDavisFilfred.
Theplandevelopedoverthecourseof12meetingsheldbytheSÍhasinFundSub-committee,
whichconsideredpubliccommentsfromsevenpublichearingsthatwereheldacrosstheNavajo
Nationin2014,andmanypresentationsandrecommendationsfromnumerousentities.
In2014,theCounciladoptedtheNavajoNationBreachofTrustSettlementActthatcreatedthe
SÍhasinFundandmandatedthatthefundsfromthesettlementagreementbeusedfor1)the
planninganddevelopmentofregionalinfrastructuresupportingeconomicandcommunity
developmentand2)educationalopportunitiesformembersoftheNavajoNation.
“Morethan80-percentoftheNavajopeoplestatedthattheywantinfrastructuredevelopment
withthetrustsettlementfund.TheSÍhasinFundSubcommittee,onbehalfoftheNavajoNation
Council,followedthisinstructionfromtheNavajopeople.Developingaplanforthiskindof
developmentishardandcomplicatedworkandthesubcommitteeisproudtofinishthisphase,”
statedDelegateTsosie,chairoftheSÍhasinFundSubcommittee.
The“BulkWater&WastewaterDevelopmentExpenditurePlan”isajointproposalsubmittedby
theNavajoTribalUtilityAuthorityandtheNavajoNationWaterManagementBranchthatlists
over40projectsthattargetfiveinterrelatedprojectcategoriesincluding:
1) Theestablishmentofbulkwatercapacityandthetreatmentandtransmissionofthatbulk
watertothedeliverysystems.
2) Theimprovementofexistingwatersystemsthroughrenovation,upgrade,andcapacity
increasetoaccommodatethedeliveryofnewbulkwater.
3) Theconstructionofnewplants,aswellastheupsizingorreplacementofexistingplants,
toprocessnewbulkwater.
4) Thedevelopmentandconstructionofbridgewaterprojects,suchasnewgroundwater
wells,tobridgethecapacityuntilthelargercapacityreachescertainareasthatare
farthestfromthebulkwatersources.
5) Theinterconnectionoflinesthatwillnetworkwatersystemstogethertomovewater
fromsystemtosystemandeventuallycreatetheflowpathtomovebulkwatertothe
farthestreachesandisolatedcommunities.
Accordingtothelegislation,NTUAwouldreceiveapproximately$85millionandtheWMBwould
receiveapproximately$16millionoverthefive-yearperiodtocompletetheprojects.Additionally,
thelegislationstatesthatNTUAwillrepayitsfundingtotheNavajoNationthroughaloan
agreementthatwouldrequiretheapprovaloftheCouncil’sBudgetandFinanceCommittee.
DelegateDamon,whoplayedaninstrumentalroleinthedevelopmentoftheplan,alsonoted
thatbondfinancingcouldbeanotheroptiontofinanceprojects.
“ThisplanaddressesoneofthemostfundamentalnecessitiesforNavajofamilies,communities,
andeconomicdevelopment–theneedforwaterinfrastructure.Inordertopromoteeconomic
development,wefirstneedbasicinfrastructureandthisplantakesamajorstepinaddressing
thatneed,”saidDelegateDamon.
TheNationfinalizeditsveryfirstbondfinancingagreementinNovember2015,whichopened
anotheravenuefortheNationtofinanceprojectsthatbenefitNavajocommunities.
"ItisgoodtoseethesettlementmoniesbeusedfordirectbenefittoNavajopeopleand
communities.Theplanincludesbulkwatertransportandwillimproveandupgradecurrentwater
infrastructuresothatNavajorate-payerswillnotfootthebillforthiscostinthenearfuture,”
statedDelegateTsosie.“TheplanalsoaddressessomewastewaterdevelopmentandSewage
DisposalSystemprojectstobeginhelpingwiththeoperationandmaintenancecosttokeeprates
down.”
AccordingtoDelegateTsosie,theplanwillalsoallowtheNationtoworkwithCongresstohelp
fundSewageDisposalSystemprojectsthatwouldprovidedirectwaterlinestoNavajohomesand
begintofundtheNavajoNation'sownversionofwaterrightsinfrastructureandotherformof
leveragingforwaterprojects.
InAugust,theCouncil’sNaabik’iyátí’Committeeapprovedaninvestmentpolicythatallowedthe
Nationtoinvestthesettlementfundsintoadiversifiedportfoliothatincludesstocks,bonds,real
estate,andotherinvestmentvehiclesthathaveledtoareturnontheNation’sinvestment.
TheNation’sinvestorshaveexplainedthatduetothevolatilityofthestockmarket,the
settlementfundshavebeeninvestedinincrementsof$50millionpermonthsincetheinvestment
policywasapprovedinAugust.Todate,theNationhasinvestedapproximately$200millioninthe
stockmarketandwillcontinuedoingsountiltheentireamountisinvestedoruntilan
expenditureplanisapprovedbytheCouncil.
TheSÍhasinFundSubcommitteesaidadditionalexpenditureplanswillbeintroducedtoaddress
economicandcommunitydevelopandeducationopportunitiesasmandatedbytheNavajo
NationBreachofTrustSettlementActof2014.
LegislationNo.0015-16isassignedtotheResourcesandDevelopmentCommittee,Budgetand
FinanceCommittee,Naabik’iyátí’Committee,andtheNavajoNationCouncil.Thebillwillrequire
two-thirdsapproval,or16supportingvotes,frommembersofCouncil.
Toviewthelegislationandtheprojectlisting,pleaseclickhere.Publiccommentsmaybe
submittedtotheOfficeofLegislativeServicesatP.O.Box3390,WindowRock,Arizona86515or
[email protected].
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