NAVAJO COUNCIL’S NAABIK’IYATI COMMITTEE DEBATING LEGISLATION 0122-15: An Action Relating To The Resources and Development Committee, Naa’bik’iyati’ Committee and the Navajo Nation Council; Accepting Agreements Between the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and Pacificorp And Acknowledging the Satisfaction and Termination of a Letter of Agreement Between the Predecessor of Pacificorp and the Navajo Nation
SPONSOR, DELEGATE DAVIS FILFRED
i was with Navajo Hopi Honor Riders in Aneth area. It was raining but that didn’t deter riders.
to my right is my agent, Navahi Tribal Utility Authority Chief Executive Officer Walter Hauss.
out in aneth, over 300 families need electricity. i’m sure they’d like to have a refrigerator. this legislation would buy out Rocky Mt Power, formerly Utah Power.
WALTER HAUSS
CEO for more than 7 years and appreciate being heard by speaker and council. this agreement in 1959 for navajo to acquire power company for benefit of people. as enterprise, we have authority to provide power to people. but the agreement at the time was between chairman and council and didn’t mention NTUA but knew that tribe would eventually be in position to buy Rocky Mt Power.
next step is bring to Utah Power Service Commission and important to show that NTUA has rights to acquisition.
Aneth families waiting since past 1959. services not provided as quickly and families required to get rights of ways that is difficult.
NTUA started with no customers and now at 40,000 customers. 15,000 families without electricity and they live outside NTUA region.
providing 300 families with electricity brings up their way of life, hires six employees, provides additional services.
NTUA is not for profit enterprise. there are funds in area to provide services.
the acquisition process way too long and involved since 2011, hae negotiated all terms and owned by Warren Buffett. problem cuz not turn over to Navajo and there was gas company that didn’t want us to serve them.
March 2012 gave us list of what they wanted and when we brought this legislation they changed negotiating style which is wrong.
oil and gas compnay would remain with Rocky Mt Power until June 2019. but now they are saying oil prices down. but where were they when oil prices up and share those profits with Aneth customers.
so we ask Naabi to vote in favor and Council vote in favor and move to president.
six minute video of aneth families.
we are not asking for funding from navajo nation.
we are capable of providing public power. we are the only organization that has received an award for providing stable power.
and we are not raising the rates of Resolute. they will maintain their rates from Rocky Mt Power until june 29, 2017. and Resolute’s claim that NTUA has no provisions to raise rates is untrue.
why are multi-million company that pumps Navajo gas allowed to make navajo pple support them in this effort. morally i cannot support that.
DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
this is interesting that we have colleague who is really advocating for area that we have rarely heard from so let’s support this. how long are the pple in Aneth going to suffer. they need power that is entitled to them.
SPEAKER BATES
seven spoke and four in favor, two just spoke, one said move along. three mre individuals or call for vote right now.
DELEGATE BEN BENNETT
The ROWs that exist in Resolute fields and lot of ROWs have expired and have not been paid for and if NTUA takes over, who pays for?
AKTAR ZAMAN, NAVAJO NATION MINERALS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR
Same question i have. resolute is separate issue. resolute has separate power coming in. if look at resolute, they are in bankruptsy. best solution is NTUA. deficite $20 m and so don’t want reduction in production.
NAABI VOTING ON LEGISLATION 0122-15 – 14 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED
Legislation 0122-15 moves to Council
