Planning Underway in Selawik
Mayor's Report Week of March 3, 2003

When Kim Franklin joined our Borough staff in January as an associate to Planning Director Noah Naylor, her mission was crystal clear: Help all of our villages complete their comprehensive plans within the next year.

Comprehensive plans are a detailed look at where a community stands today and what the residents would like to see in the future. Plans address all aspects of a village, including roads and airports, water and sewer, health and education, bulk fuel storage and solid waste disposal, public safety and economic development, and even childcare and recreation. Plans serve as a means to preserve what is valued in a village and a roadmap for changes that may be desired. They list the capital projects that may be needed to meet goals, and which are the most important. They record the services that the community would like to provide. And they also list the various funding sources that may be available to accomplish each goal. Government agencies that provide funding for all types of projects, including landfills, water and sewer, roads, and other facilities, often require that a comprehensive plan be in place before approving funds.

Kim's first assignment has been to work on Selawik's Plan. That process began two weeks ago when she attended a town meeting in the village and spent two additional days gathering input from local people. Selawik leaders that have been involved in the project to date are IRA Director Clyde Ramoth and Administrator Maureen Tickett, City Administrator Roger Clark and Mayor Oran Walton, Ray Ballot, Arlo Davis, Pauline Ramoth, Raven Sheldon, Sherman Skin, Dennis Stoyer and the Resource Specialist, Diane Ramoth.

Maniilaq Association is also actively engaged in providing technical assistance to this planning process. Wesley Goodwin and Yiyuk Henry, Planner/Grantwriters, and Bob Wells from the Energy Program were in Selawik to assist with the initial meetings and will continue to work closely with Kim. This coordinated effort and sharing of resources should enable us to realize our goal of seeing all the village plans completed in the near future.

The draft plan, which is now being written, will be reviewed closely by the people of Selawik and discussed at one or more additional town meetings. The plan will be finalized only after there has been a consensus on village priorities.

The completed Selawik Comprehensive Plan will be especially important because it can serve as a model for other village plans in our borough. While each village will have somewhat different needs and desires, all plans will have to include the same types of information.

This planning process is also vital to addressing the "Village Wellness" initiative that is being promoted by both the North Slope Borough and our own. Each plan will address the importance of developing a stronger workforce and less welfare dependency through reduced substance abuse, better school attendance, improved law enforcement, and more parental guidance of the young people. They will also focus on the importance of preserving the Inupiaq culture. Most important, the plans will establish specific goals for accomplishing these things. The talk about our problems has been going on for years. Now, it is time for action.