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From: Ruth Dial Woods
Date: 18 Jan 2004
Time: 11:06:48 -0500
Remote Name: 172.141.28.114
The Tribal Council then authorized me to negotiate for the three land sites. HUD had recommended that we use an appraiser with a certain appraisal certification and this was only a problem for some council members and one of the bidders. Contrary to the complaint, a certified non-Indian appraiser was obtained to conduct the appraisals. The land was negotiated not at the price the landowners wanted but a price below the asking and at or slightly above the appraised price in order to obtain the sites that had been found desirable to the Council and to meet the need identified for planned mixed communities that would provide housing for the elderly, apartments and townhouses for rent, single scattered homes for homeownership and to the extent possible, community service centers within the housing communities. This was the plan submitted to HUD and approved by HUD. To clear the record, there is no prohibition in tribal policies or in federal policies that felons are ineligible for contracting and procurement, that is unless they or their companies/businesses have been cited as not eligible for doing business with HUD programs. I take full responsibility for assisting the Tribal Council in planning for housing communities, procurement of three sites (including 3 phases of procurement at Arrowpoint over a 3 year period for 100 acres more or less). HOWEVER, I DID NOT RECOMMEND AND THE COUNCIL DID NOT APPROVE WHILE I WAS THERE THE PURCHASE OF 3 HOUSES AND THE LAND ON WHICH THE HOUSES WERE LOCATED IN ARROW POINT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE WAS NO BIDDING FOR PURCHASE OF HOMES AND NO PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROCUREMENT OF HOMES. IN THIS MATTER, I HAVE REVIEWED THE MINUTES AND IN JANUARY, 2003 (AFTER I HAD LEFT THE COUNCIL IN MID-DECEMBER) JAMES HARDIN MADE A MOTION, SECONDED BY CRAIG MACMILLIAN TO NEGOTIATE LAND AT ARROW POINT. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUNDS FOR THE 3 TRACTS APPROVED BY COUNCIL WHILE I WAS THERE WAS $624,200 FOR ALL 3 TRACTS. I CANNOT FIND ANYWHERE IN THE FULL COUNCIL MINUTES WHERE FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN TO PURCHASE 3 HOMES, NOR CAN I FIND ACTION TAKEN THAT STATED THE COST OF THE LOTS AND HOUSES THAT I RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRIBE NOT OBTAIN. ACCORDING TO THE FEBRUARY 3, 2003 MINUTES OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, OCEANUS LOWRY WAS DIRECT TO GET THE 3 HOMES APPRAISED AT ARROWPOINT. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE HOUSING PLAN SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BY HUD DID NOT INCLUDE PURCHASE OF HOMES ANYWHERE - RATHER, IT WAS TO BUILD HOMES. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN ANY FURTHER ACTION UNTIL MAY 13, 2003 WHEN THE HOUSING COMMITTEE APPROVED PLACING 3 HOMES AT ARROWPOINT INTO HOME PURCHASE OR HOME OWNER ASSISTANCE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN JULY, 2003 AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE HOUSING COMMITTEE INCLUDED COST OF HOMES VS ACTUAL APPRAISAL AT ARROWPOINT BUT I AM NOT PRIVILEGED TO THIS INFORMATION. THE POINT OF ALL THIS IS THAT FIRST - THERE IS NO TRIBAL OR FEDERAL POLICY PROHIBITING PURCHASE OF LAND FROM FELONS; I WENT ON RECORD AS OPPOSING THE PURCHASE OF THE 3 HOMES AND 3 LOTS BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN PLACED THERE DURING NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE LAND AND WAS NOT PART OF THE APPROVED HOUSING PLAN, AND I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT FEDERAL NAHSDA PROCUREMENT POLICIES WERE FOLLOWED BY THE COUNCIL IN OBTAINING THE ADDITIONAL LAND AND HOMES. THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN AFTER I HAD AVISED AGAINST IT AND AFTER I WAS NO LONGER EMPLOYED BY THE TRIBE. LET US MOVE ABOVE POINTING FINGERS NOW AND BUILD OUR DISCUSSION UPON THE FACTS AND THE OPINIONS OF THOSE WHO COUNT THE MOST - THE PEOPLE!