LEGISLATION 0355-16: An Action Relating to Resources and Development, Budget and Finance and Naabik’fyati’ Committees and Navajo Nation Council; Adopting the Sfhasin Fund Twin Arrows/Glittering Mountain Family Entertainment Center Economic Development Expenditure Plan Pursuant to Resolution CD-68-14 And 12 N.N.C. §§ 2501-2508 SPONSOR: Honorable Jonathan L. Hale CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Alton Joe Shepherd
(m) Honorable Norman M. Begay (s) Honorable Lee Jack, Sr. (v)
07/ 18/2017 – Motion to Refer back to the Naabik’iyati’ Committee to Revise Expenditure Plan by 2018 Winter Session; (M) Honorable Edmund Yazzie; (S) Honorable Otto Tso; (V) 15 in Favor, 06 Opposed (Speaker Bates Not Voting).

DELEGAE LEONARD TSOSIE AND HE SAYS THAT LAND WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE BEEN PUT IN TRUST AND THAT WAS NOT DONE SO COUNCIL SHOULD VOTE DOWN HIS BILL UNTIL GAMING OFFICE PUTS LAND INTO TRUST.

DELEGATE LEE JACK, gaming office hear to talk about what they have been doing so vote green.

COUNCIL VOTES TO RECALL LEGISLATION 0355-16.

SPONSOR, DELEGATE JONATHAN HALE, this bill was tabled because of expenditure plan.

AGENTS ARE NAVAJO SHOPPING CENTER DIRECTOR NATHAN BEGAY AND TALLSALT CONSUTANTS REPRESENTATIVE STEVE GUNDERSON.

SPEAKER SAYS EXPENDITURE PLAN IS ATTACHED TO NAABI REPORT. AND BOOKLET IS STAMPED CONFIDENTIAL.

LEGISLATIVE STAFF INFORM SPEAKER THAT NAABI DEEMED BOOKLET PUBLIC.

NAVAJO SHOPPING CENTER DIRECTOR NATHAN BEGAY, this will bring in revenues.

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE, this is not an expenditure plan.
Document handed out to Council says increased trust land by seven acres but Navajo Shopping Center director Begay just reported that they are still working on putting land into trust. So council should be careful about investing millions. All we want to know is if land is in trust. We don’t want to modify documents. and this protects Navajo jurisdiction and Navajo money. we don’t want Arizona telling us to hand over tax money because fee land and not trust land. If approve this as is, it will subject Sihasin Funds to jeopardy all because someone says we are getting there, give us a chance. we should be told there is ironclad position that land in trust. Navajo Tribal Utility Authority said they will not extend utility lines because land not in trust. Some delegates asking why so many theaters. yes, Shopping Center director Nathan Begay can say it will be amazing but we are investing millions of dollars.

DELEGATE WITHERSPOON, question about document and speak to grant of $100M from trust fund.

DELEGATE SETH DAMON, thank you everyone for being with us and learning about council and Hale for bringing this bill to us. first question goes back to discussion with board and then goes back to what currently happening. seeing before feasibility study completed but is there another one after new theater in flagstaff moved to east side. old feasibility study had theaters on west side.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAYE, i need assurance from Shopping Center director Begay that land going into trust. and been more than a year that we have been meeting on this. And Sihasin Fund has laws and we need to abide by those laws as Council.

DELEGATE LEE JACK, delete $20.5 million and replace $!6m to $4M

DELEGATE TSOSIE, this seems like candy bar so council approve so what is being cut out. there is inflation and so another reason feel candy bar. Also land still not in trust. And with Water Project Expenditure Plan that is why funds not expended until projects shovel ready. This expenditure plan allows for all kinds of agreements to be made and expenditure of Sihasin Fund. Urge Council to vote down and wait until land in trust otherwise put Navajo pple funds in jeopardy. who will say I caused loss of money? whether $20M or $16M, make sure Az not come in and claim Sihasin Fund. when put land into trust then we’ll talk. without being in trust, county there to make entity abide by county regulations.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAYE, i’m looking at legislation heading and prior legislation states that funds subject to fee to trust because bill specific. and really hoped that when said that this bill return to council during winter session that there would have been meeting before bill placed on council agenda.

DELEGATE OTTO TSO, another example of positive project. and this fee to trust came to Navajo Hopi Land Commission to put fee into trust which is lot faster than tribe process which takes two years. and believe president’s office working on this.

QUESTON OF PRIVELEGE, DELEGATE CROTTY, in reviewing notes, looking at document, referring to Council Rule 20Efor legislative counsel that bill referred to committee twice that permanently removed. april referred to Naabi and again to Naabi in July. Is this legislation in order according to Council Rules?

INTERIM SPEAKER SETH DAMON, Rule 20E says legislation referred twice to committee, it will be permanently removed from agenda. And it was at council and referred to Naabik’iyati Committee April 18, 2017, and returned to Council and referred to Naabi on July 2017. Kind of grey area and we should have returned to Council and dealt with in July 017 so as speaker I deem it out of order which is subject to challenge. so Legislation 355-16 is off the agenda.