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Votes at a glance: Northwest Arctic Borough approves budget amendments, contracts and multiple VIF grants
Summary
The Assembly adopted a second amended FY25 budget and a Village Improvement Fund amendment, approved contracts for OCED grant work and broker services, and passed multiple VIF grants and lease/easement items; most motions carried, with a few abstentions and no-vote entries noted.
The Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly on July 22 adopted several ordinances and approved a slate of Village Improvement Fund resolutions and contracts, taking final or introductory action on budget and project items.
The Assembly approved Ordinance 24-07-AM-02, the second amended FY25 line-item budget, after Treasurer Jade Hill summarized the changes and Assemblymember Lincoln Carr moved to approve. Several members raised concerns about a hiring freeze and uncertainty tied to funding sources; the motion passed by roll call majority.
The Assembly also approved Ordinance 24-08-AM-01, an amended FY25 Village Improvement Fund budget, and later adopted Ordinance 25-07 (a professional services agreement with Deerstone Consulting LLC for work under the Borough's Regional OCED Grant Project) and Ordinance 25-08 (a three-year broker services agreement with Hale & Associates). Those contract ordinances were recommended "do pass" by staff and carried by roll call votes.
Village Improvement Fund resolutions approved on July 22 included: - Resolution 25-30: approve VIF funding for Nunakins to provide childcare in Kotzebue (motion carried); - Resolution 25-31: approve VIF funding for Ipnatchiaq Electric Company (Deering) to purchase a flatbed truck (motion carried); - Resolution 25-32: approve VIF funding for the City of Selawik to conduct urgent water and sewer repairs (motion carried; Raven Sheldon abstained); - Resolution 25-33: approve VIF funding for the Native Village of Kotzebue to purchase and install heat pumps for the Tribal Services and Cultural Center (motion carried); - Resolution 25-34: approve VIF funding for the Native Village of Kivalina for solid waste management (motion carried); - Resolution 25-35: approve VIF funding to the Northwest Arctic Borough School District to support HVAC upgrades (motion carried); - Resolution 25-36: approve a professional services agreement with the University of Vermont for OCED grant–funded research to promote energy affordability (motion carried).
Additional assembly actions included Resolution 25-37 (ratifying an Assembly donation for the Qatnut Trade Fair), Resolution 25-38 (negotiation and execution of a lease with OTZ Telephone Cooperative, Inc., for a telecommunications facility in Shungnak; passed by majority with no recorded vote from Walter Sampson), Resolution 25-39 (an easement with the Native Village of Kiana for a drainage project; passed unanimously), and Resolution 25-40 (a sublease with AVEC for temporary power generation in Noatak; carried by majority with Craig McConnell recorded as voting no).
What the record shows: Most motions passed on roll-call votes; the transcript does not list full vote tallies or count of yes/no in each case, only motion outcomes and named abstentions or no-votes where recorded. Several items were recommended "do pass" by department staff prior to votes.
Why it matters: The adopted budget amendments and VIF awards translate to local infrastructure, energy and public-service projects across villages in the Borough, including water and sewer repairs, HVAC upgrades at schools and temporary power arrangements in Noatak.
What’s next: Many items were approval to negotiate/execute agreements or to accept funding; implementation steps and exact dollar amounts were not detailed in the July 22 meeting record and will likely appear in subsequent staff reports and contract documents.
