Navajo Nation Council special session started and debate heating up over list of capital improvement projects for the Navajo Reservation’s 110 chapters. It’s now 1 pm and the Council chamber is filling up with chapter officials to show their support for their CIPs so the Council will finally approve a Five Year CIP Plan, which prior Council’s since the mid-1980s have failed to do because each Delegate wants his or her chapters’ CIPs on the list.

DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
It appears that there’s a lack of communication, which is a real problem of the Navajo Nation government. I know that some of the projects for some of the chapters lack resolutions even though chapters were told to have those resolutions. And Church Rock chapter is now texting that they didn’t get any information about submitting a project with a chapter resolution. And then there is the problem of accountability by chapters for New Mexico state funds.

DELEGATE LORENZO BATES
I understand that my colleagues want to fight to have their projects on this list but my point is, is that if those projects didn’t go through the process then the Council will have to waive the Appropriations Act and that requires 16 Yes votes. WE can waive Appropriations Act but it will definitely increase funding. But we are not talking about funding, we are talking about Five Year Plan. Once approve Five Year Plan then we talk funding. Do we go to the people and ask them to dip into Permanent Trust Fund? Approve Bond? Or what? But understand my colleagues that we will need to waive Appropriations.

CIP DIRECTOR CASEY BEGAY
If projects come from the Council floor then they will not have gone through the process…

DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
POINT OF ORDER: I disagree. In this list, it states that Forest Lake has no resolution but I know that Forest Lake has a resolution. Page 58, Chinle Agency, lists Forest Lake project.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAY
We are just on the amendment which is to clearly state LEGISLATION 0118-13 is a Five Year Plan.