By
Osage News
On Day Nine of the 2016 Hun-Kah Session, the Fourth Osage Nation Congress passed the following four items with unanimous votes:
- ONCA 16-28: A $4 million appropriation bill (sponsored by Congresswoman Shannon Edwards) for the demolition, design and building of a new Hominy Indian Village community building, and building or remodel of an arbor in the Hominy village, and the purchase of kitchen equipment and furnishings for the building, as well as property management and improvements.
According to the bill, the $4 million will be placed in the Nation’s capital asset and improvement fund for the expenditures, as they are planned and needed. The bill also allows the village committee (Five-Man Board) to purchase needed kitchen equipment before this year’s In-Lon-Schka dances held in June. The village committee informed the Congress and Executive Branch of improvements, including the need for updated community building kitchen equipment, needed to the village property, which hosts the annual ceremonial dances at the arbor and numerous special/ cultural events and meals in the community building each year.
- ONCA 16-36: A $75,000 grant donation to the City of Barnsdall for water treatment and installation of new filtering equipment. Edwards, who sponsored the bill, said she spoke with Barnsdall Mayor Brock Moore (Osage) regarding the water issue, who said the city is planning to take out loans to pay for new water filtering equipment at the city treatment plant. Moore told Edwards that anything the Nation can contribute would help, she said.
The bill’s unanimous passage comes two months after Barnsdall underwent a boil order that lasted just over a week due to high turbidity levels, which left the drinking water cloudy. The Bartlesville Osage Casino was also impacted by the boil order because it receives its water from Barnsdall as part of a rural water district.
- ONCA 16-38: A $150,000 appropriation bill (William “Kugee” Supernaw) for the purchase of real property in Hominy with the money being appropriated to the capital asset and improvement fund for a new Wellness Center. Supernaw said the money will go toward purchasing land in Hominy by the Head Start building. The current fitness center is located north of town in the Nation’s Industrial Park and residents told Supernaw the facility is too small for the workout equipment.
Earlier this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) informed the Nation that its grant request for $800,000 in federal funds was approved with the money designated to build a new fitness/ Wellness Center.
- ONCA 16-39: An appropriation bill (Supernaw) to appropriate $55,000 to the Nation’s restricted real property repurchase fund. Supernaw said the money is being used to finish a restricted property purchase being pursued by the Executive Branch.
All items will be sent to Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear’s office for his review and consideration of action.
For more information on the Hun-Kah Session, legislation and committee meetings, visit the Congressional website at: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
Original Publish Date: 2016-04-07 00:00:00
