Permanent Trust Fund, Sihasin Fund projects update

Posted by Hannah John | Feb 14, 2022 | News |

GALLUP

An update to the Permanent Trust Fund five-year expenditure plan and the Sihasin Fund projects was given by the Budget and Finance Committee last Friday.
The trust fund plan discussed Friday’s ranges from 2016 to 2020.

The projects that were to be funded under this plan were the Shiprock hotel-restaurant, Eastern Agency economic development project, Shonto hotel, waterline projects, Northern Agency agriculture project, Wheatfields agriculture project, Many Farms agriculture project, office buildings, Tohajiilee C-store, Indian Wells economic development, Newcomb store, Blue Gap C-store, Chinle gas station, and the Piñon multi-purpose office complex.

From the years 2016 to 2020, a total of $150 million was given towards these projects.

However, currently some of these projects are unfinished and there is still a remaining balance of approximately $84 million due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were getting this money and then COVID hit, so a lot of these projects stopped,” Lisa Jymm, budget officer with the Office of Management and Budget, said. “They were at a standstill, so now we’re picking them back up and that’s why you still see a lot of the budgets, the balances are still available.”

Jymm said the projects are still trying to get contracts submitted in order to complete these projects.

She also said the funds will be available for these projects until it is all expended.

These available funds are also sitting in budgets specifically for the projects, according to Principal Accountant Natasha Damon.

During the meeting, Sihasin Funds and the progress of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority power-line projects were also discussed.

The Sihasin Funds were passed by Navajo Nation Council in April 2018. The projects outlined to be funded are bulk water projects, CKP insurance LLC, Navajo CDFI, Navajo Technical College dorm, and NTUA power lines and chapter projects. This will all add up to approximately $233.1 million.

With NTUA power lines, there is currently a total of $140 million allocated for these projects.

Louella Chee, project administrator at NTUA, said some of these projects were not completed by the completion date due to issues like pending right-of-way approvals.

The total number of customers that are going to be connected is 369 and out of this 243 have been connected, 24 are pending construction scheduling, 54 are pending house wiring, four have been approved for right-of-way and pending house wiring, and 72 are still waiting for right-of-way approvals.