Selawik Board Roads

Revised scope of work, schedule and budgets to meet CDBG requirement and submitted to City of Selawik for approval and to submit to Pauletta Bourned/CDBG in Fairbanks.
Continue working with DOT and CDBG to meet environmental review requirements.

Deering: Utica Mine, Inmachuk River, U.S. EPA Brownfields Assessment

Postponed contacting Deering as they were dealing with winter damage to water/sewer system.
Still working on developing a strong EPA Brownfields assessment and/or clean up grant application to be submitted by November 2005.
Have contacted Wayne Don of NIMA Corp. They worked with Nunivak Island people, UAF and others to develop grass roots tourism based on a Summer Science Field Camp for students. Funders initially included USDA, USFWS, and National Science Foundation Tribal Programs. The tourism part of the operation has been extremely successful.
Will research the Nunivak and other recommended models more. Have identified potential additional funding sources to pursue sustainable, appropriate alternative tourism similar to above.
Will contact DEC and Dennis Filler of SLR, the contractors hired to do pre-assessment about scheduling site visit to Deering. Last projected at end of June but might be sooner if break up is early.

Denali Commission Solid Waste Management Grants

After several weeks of research and communication, worked with the communities of Kiana and Buckland and submitted their grant applications by the May 13 deadline.
Congratulations to both the IRA and City staff in these communities for partnering with the Borough to gather all the documentation and information needed.
Special thanks to Darlene Hadley and Shannon Melton in Buckland who were very responsive even under flood warning; also, Gloria Shellabarger in Kiana who stayed on top of things and provided a huge amount of valuable information, and Claudia Sampson, too.
For various reasons, applications were not submitted from other communities I contacted, but I invite them to contact me if they would like to work together starting SOON on a grant application for future submission.

One of the main reasons that grant applications were not submitted for the Denali burn box grant was due to the lack of a comprehensive or community plan.
The Borough will continue to partner with Maniilaq to help communities complete their formal Plans. Even a documented planning process would have enabled communities to be eligible to apply for grants.
The Borough has committed funds to Northern Management in Anchorage to finish development of software to assist communities in developing their community plans.
The software should be available by the end of May. Training of Borough and Maniilaq staff, and others participating in the pilot program is tentatively scheduled for mid-June.
The Borough and Maniilaq will continue to work together to develop a process to actively involve students and other community members, in addition to local planning committees. (Do you have one?)

In addition to providing assistance with the Denali grant applications above, the Borough also offered grant management assistance should a community receive a funding award. Most of the communities accepted.
Details of how that would work are subject to Denali Commission approval and agreement between the Borough and the community. Additionally, one of the goals of this assistance is to work with the community to build capacity and resume this responsibility locally.
Was contacted by Paulette Scheurch about Maniilaq’s upcoming training in financial and administrative management skills for village tribal leaders and revisiting the possibility of partnering to train local city leaders. However, the first training is already scheduled for June and Borough funding to participate might not be available. Will consult with the Mayor.

Boys and Girls Clubs

Provided minor assistance to Diana Ramoth in Selawik on her ANA grant. Look forward to revisiting that application for possible use with other villages.
Will resume Selawik B&G club funding efforts that were on hold while I was working on Denali burn box grants.

Suicide Prevention Grant

Worked intensively with Barbara MacManus of Ambler to assist with her grant application to the State program.

Grant Application Assistance

A tip sheet of information is being developed for communities wishing to work with this department in applying for grant funding.
Several communities have requested assistance but are not prepared for the work involved to complete the application packet. These packets are anywhere from 10 – 50+ pages long.
Hopefully, with this information, we will be able to assist and empower more communities in submitting effective grant applications.

Community Gardens Project

The Economic Development department is taking the lead on this one. Will assist as needed.
Plans still in the works for organic vegetables from Noatak to be sold in Kotzebue at a bi-weekly (every other week) “Country Market” open to all residents to buy and sell. Borough participation informal at this time. But keep your ears open.