During last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, the board paid homage to the extraordinary Navajo Code Talkers, declaring Aug. 14, 2023, as an official Navajo Code Talkers Day. This acknowledgment stands as a testament to the unparalleled role these individuals played in shaping pivotal moments in our history.
In the wake of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the subsequent declaration of war by the United States Congress, the Navajo Nation responded with unwavering resolve. Over 400 Navajo men were enlisted to form specialized communication units, laying the foundation for what would later be known as the esteemed Navajo Code Talkers.
Through ingenious use of their native Navajo language, these exceptional individuals crafted an intricate code comprising an impressive 211 distinct terms. This linguistic marvel became an indispensable asset during key operations involving the United States Marines in the Pacific Ocean theater, enabling secure and confidential communication channels. The Board of Supervisors’ proclamation not only dedicates a specific day of remembrance but also signifies the deep-rooted appreciation felt by the community towards the Navajo Code Talkers, recognizing their unmatched contribution to the nation’s history and the enduring pursuit of freedom.
The supervisors also recognized Navajo County Deputy Attorney Devon Hall, who won the Juvenile Prosecutor of the Year award from the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council. The award considers every prosecutor in the state, from the largest to the smallest agencies. The award is given to prosecutors who can best balance consequences for crimes with mindfulness of how it will affect someone at such a young age.
County Attorney Brad Carlyon commended Hall for all the work he has done for the county and mentioned that Hall has recently been assigned more major cases such as felonies. He also commended him for doing what was best to ensure young offenders are put on the correct path.
The board also approved the tax rates for many municipalities for this year, including Navajo County’s primary tax rate of 0.8114. All the taxes described in the document have been previously adopted by the applicable public entities, but this approval was needed to make them official.
The board also heard a presentation from the Navajo County Treasurer Kari Lopez, who spoke about the collection of taxes from the last fiscal year. The presentation included the fact that they collected just over $85 million dollars, and there is still almost $2.2 million in unpaid taxes. The presentation also discussed the different investments that the county has. These investments include $84.7 million in short-term investments and over $282 million held in government securities. The total interest made by the county this year includes almost $3.7 million from the savings accounts and just over $4 million in interest from the government securities.
In other business, the board:
* Approved three contracts with Painted Sky Engineering & Survey, LLC for a topographic survey for grading and drainage improvements in the amount of $5,820, roadway design for Snowflake-Woodruff Road & Five Mountain Roadway in the amount of $40,780 and on-call surveying services in the amount of $40,000.
* Approved a contract with Glenn Kephart DBA for public works consulting at a cost of $2,500 a month.
* Approved a contract with Northland Pioneer College for Leadership Development Training for $5,750.
* Appointed David M. Clouse, Nancy Ann Telizyn, Linda Joyce Hamilton-O’Sullivan and Paul Rick Burris as Republican Precinct Committee members for their respective precinct.
* Approved board member elections for Domestic Water Improvement Districts for Pinedale, Porter Mountain and Sky-High on Nov. 7.
* Approved a standard vote in person election for Holbrook Unified School District No. 3, Snowflake Unified School District and Blue Ridge Unified School District.
* Approved resolution to affirm county’s commitment to fair housing.
* Approved reissuance of stale dated checks.
* Approved tax exemptions filings for widows, widowers or disabled people.
* Approved a contract with Just Appraised for software to aide in the transferring of real property, the cost is in the form of fees associated with the transactions.
* Approved contract with NEOGOV for software to aid in HR and payroll for $135,480 for year one, $52,587 for year two, $78,880 for year three and $110,432 for year four.
* Appointed Dominic Marcanti, business manager/ journeyman wiremen with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 518, to the Northeastern Arizona Innovative Workforce Solutions Development Board.
* Renewed Steve North’s membership of the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) and appointed Cathy Melvin to the LWDB with voting rights.
* Approved contract with ATLAS to manage participant referrals in the workforce program at a cost of $31,810 a year and about $34,000 in one-time fees.
* Appointed Bryan Layton and Eric Scott, as an alternative, as trustees for Arizona Counties Insurance Pool.
* Approved licensing agreement between Frontier Communications and Navajo County for the county to lease existing conduit space from Frontier for the Broadband Infrastructure Development Project and granting authority to the capital projects manager to sign any future documents necessary for this agreement.
* Approved sympathy letters to Rebecca Robertson, Lynda Young and Teri Walker.
* Renewed the Intergovernmental Agreement between Arizona Department of Health Services and the county to provide financial support to help offset mandatory public hearing activities surrounding HIV testing, reporting, and surveillance.
* Terminated a Memorandum of Understanding between Navajo County Public Health Services District and Apache County Public Health Services District for registered dietitian services for the Women Infants and Children (WIC) Program.
* Approved a cooperative agreement for animal impoundment services between the county and City of Holbrook.
*Approved a service agreement for medical waste disposal between the county and Trilogy Medwaste at no cost to the county.
* Approved upgrades to the technology of Division III courtroom including technology to allow for remote appearances and to utilize digital evidence. The cost to the county is $66,377.
* Approved an intergovernmental agreement between the county and the Teesto Chapter for assistance on heavy equipment material and parts at a cost to the county of $15,000.
* Approved $47,820 of the Transportation Alternatives grant be used for the Joseph City Sidewalk Development project.
The next meeting of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, in the board chambers located at 100 E. Code Talkers Drive.
