Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development Director Albert Damon Jr., who is a political appointee of Navajo President Ben Shelly. Photo by Marley Shebala. (Please provide proper photo credit when reusing photo.)
NAVAJO DIVISION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ALBERT DAMON
DED amended its plan of operation. things asked for by RDC was done. shouldn’t have to come from Tuba City to Window Rock. Business Regulatory and Real Estate remain at Window Rock.
RESOURCES & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRPERSON ROSCOE SMITH
part of effort of Condition of Appropriation was become more efficient in services but i understand that COA was vetoed? And so even though vetoed, the COA went forward. Questions from RDC?
RDC MEMBER LEONARD PETE
I’m concerned about the transfer of industrial development specialist to Tourism. it’s like taking from grey area and making white. i haven’t seen plan yet. You can have all kinds of personnel with all kinds of experience and degrees out there to deal with business development but it’s useless if there are no business sites leases, no BSL with actual businesses. I don’t know how close you oversee Regional Business Development Office. but is the right person administering RBDO?
like i said chinle needs hardware store. i don’t have business background but a lot of this is common sense. My concern is I don’t have all the details on how DED operates. Year after year,
find out if really handicap and so asked to fill up barrel. individual comes along and says, “hey, are you guys stupid. there’s a hole in the barrel.”
RDC MEMBER DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
Budget and Finance committee, thinking they were the almighty, they changed the RDC’s recommended annual budget for DED. This year, we have report not to that caliber…so what do we do? throw a couple more millions and hope for the best. i realize we have budget and organizational charts but i believe we can change the amounts here and there. otherwise what good is a budget session.
There are support services and we won’t change. so what difference between RBDOs and Small Businesses? the land around power plants cud be developed. and then there are hospitals. another target development that wud be tourism oriented wud be natural sites. some has occurred at Monument Valley but that’s not so great looking. natural beauty there but when have all those white trailers thrown all over the place, it kind of looks ugly.
and there is “near border town developments.” we tell Navajo pple not to shop in Gallup and Farmington but they go, if we build walls. so rather than fight then let’s target our economic development that way with gas stations and laundromats. so that is also chapter oriented cuz have chapters near border towns. but that is where money going.
This RBDO (Regional Business Development Office) idea was good but not working. and we need Clearance Office for Chapters where chapters wud be helped getting through environmental assessments, etc. And what about providing attorneys for chapters. RBDO is not working and we cud change plan of operation for DED and develop new way for economic development.
and support services would provide support. i heard last night that Navajo pple upset and they want new way of doing things. economic development is about grabbing the dollar so where is the money? money at agency level, border towns, tourism.
maybe ten years from here and i’m old and grey and in nursing home, then RBDO revived. but need to grab that money that is going to border towns. i wud recommend that.
RDC MEMBER DELEGATE LEONARD PETE
according to this budget, there is no vehicle for Chinle offices. That is stupid and dumb. expect to hitch hike, use dog sleigh, what? like i said this whole thing is no brainer. have 33 out of 54 staff at central office. you’re top heavy and so you expect people in field to work for you. you are heavy at top.
RDC MEMBER DELEGATE GEORGE APACHITO
We use RBDO offices at Tohajiile, Alamo, Ramah and so to support Delegate Tsosie’s recommendation is not fair. Delegate Pete said main office here in Window Rock is top heavy and so let’s put some of those central office funds out at communities. we have a lot of projects going thru that office.
RDC MEMBER DELEGATE LEONARD PETE
it wud b interesting to look at personnel job description and then review/monitor if person in that position is doing what is in in the job description. i’d like to see the job descriptions. and who does job performance evaluations? and if want to fire/terminate employee cuz not doing, you can’t because there is no job description.
RDC MEMBER DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
in response to RDC member Apachito, my revised plan of operation would continue to help chapters. a few chapters get help. i asked this morning if DED in past 165 days has opened one business. we spent more than $3 million and not one business has opened. I’m sure they helped some chapters.
I recommend that the budgets of Small Business; Navajo Real Estate, and All RBDOs, and put those dollars under Project Development.
RDC VICE CHAIRPERSON DELEGATE ROSCOE SMITH
No second to RDC member Tsosie’s amendment.
RDC MEMBER LEONARD PETE
on project development, there are 6 personnel in Project Development but nothing being produced. are we just shuffling personnel around and getting nothing? if they are not producing, then what happens?
Motion for Condition of Appropriation for vehicle and staff for Chinle Project Development Office and if no vehicle and staff assigned then DED director’s vehicle and all DED vehicles will be removed.
RDC MEMBER LEONARD TSOSIE
second for discussion of amendment. I wish that COAs worked but they don’t. And this COA is for next year’s budget and next year, President Shelly and his administration will be gone. There will be a whole new administration.
DED DIRECTOR ALBERT DAMON
The Whipoorwill Project Development Office staff and vehicle are being moved to Chinle.
VOTE ON DED 2015 BUDGET
2 IN FAVOR, 2 OPPOSED
based on what DED Director Damon said about Whipoorwill, I vote against COA so vote is 2 IN FAVOR, 3 OPPOSED and so RDC member Delegate Pete’s COA fails.
THE FINAL VOTE ON THE NAVAJO NATION DIVISION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT’S PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET WILL BE MADE BY THE RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DURING A REGULAR RDC MEETING. THE PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET FOR DED IS $6.4 MILLION. DED HAS 66 EMPLOYEES AND 13 VEHICLES.
THE PROPOSED 2015 TRIBAL OPERATING BUDGET IS $172.7 MILLION. THE NAVAJO NATION 2015 BUDGET INSTRUCTION MANUEL CONTAINS THE PROPOSED 2015 BUDGET LEGISLATION.
