PUBLIC NOTICE FOR TRIBAL MEMBERS

PUBLIC NOTICE FOR TRIBAL MEMBERS

Tribal Member Consultation Regarding the American Rescue Plan Act Funds Distribution for 2023

 

Dear Tribal Members,

To date, ONC has issued three distributions of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to Tribal members to help alleviate the negative impacts of COVID-19 to our families and households. Our Council has scheduled a member consultation session regarding remaining available ARPA funds on Tuesday, January 10th, 2023, to engage in a discussion on how this funding would best be utilized for our nation. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format to provide for greater participation from our membership.

DATE: Tuesday, January 10, 2023

TIME: 3:00PM – 5:00PM

LOCATION: ONC MAIN OFFICE

AND Via Zoom

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PUBLIC NOTICE OF UPCOMING SOLICITATION (RFP)

PUBLIC NOTICE OF UPCOMING SOLICITATION 

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Orutsararmiut Native Council

On or about December 29th, 2022, Orutsararmiut Native Council (ONC) will be soliciting Requests for Proposals for a Debris Removal Contractor for the Former Bethel Airport Remediation, conducted through the Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program (NALEMP). We are seeking either one contractor or several contractors who are able to provide the following equipment and/or services: flatbed truck(s), barge(s), heavy equipment for debris removal, and laborers to perform debris removal activities. Proposals must be received by January 29th, 2023 for consideration.

 RFP packets will be available for interested vendors on or about December 29th, 2022 at our office located at 117 Alex Hatley, Bethel, AK 99559, or can be requested by email at kford@nativecouncil.org. For any questions, you may contact Kylie Ford (907-543-0200, email listed above) or Mary Matthias (907-543-0522, mmatthias@nativecouncil.org).

Preferences in the award of contracts and subcontracts shall be given to Tribal Member-owned or other Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) owned organizations or economic enterprises. Provide proof of Tribal membership or AN/AI membership for the vendor’s owner. In order to be considered for preference, proof of membership and at least 51% ownership must be submitted with the proposal.

 

 

Tribal Advocate_Contract_announcement

Request for Public Comment-Elders Meals on Wheels

Request for Public Comment

ONC’s Senior Service Department is planning to submit a proposal for 2023-2026 Nutrition, Transportation and Supportive Services with the State of Alaska. We are seeking funding to help us continue to serve lunches to the Elders in our community through our Meals on Wheels program.

Part of this proposal’s approval process is receiving community support for the project. If you would like to comment on whether you support the continuation of our Meal on Wheels program, or would like to suggest any changes to the program, please let us know.

To provide this commentary, please reach out to csamuelson@nativecouncil.org or call 907-543-0509 and leave a voice message. Quyana.

American Rescue Plan Act Final Application (Spring 2022)

04/13/2022

Resolution 22-04-08
WHEREAS, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council is the Federally-Recognized
Tribal Governing Body of the Native Village of Bethel; and
WHEREAS, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council represents the interests of the
Tribal Members of Bethel; and
WHEREAS, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council was awarded federal funding
in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to assist Tribal Members and the
community to appropriately plan, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council hired the law firm of
Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller & Monkman, LLP in 2021 to review U.S. Treasury guidance
documents for interpretation of rules for allowable activities and eligible expenses. Rebecca
Patterson of the above law firm was assigned, and has recommended the completion of this
analysis via resolution of the continued negative impacts of the pandemic if the Tribe wants to
move forward with a third direct cash assistance payment from ARPA to Tribal Members; and
WHEREAS, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council has completed this analysis of
the negative economic harm still being caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, and not
covered by the two prior direct cash assistance payments in 2021 ($1700 and $1500,
respectively) for which a third payment is needed to address immediately. The pre-existing
economic condition of our Yukon-Kuskokwim Region that ranks as the poorest economically in
the nation with the highest cost of living in the country that continues to be negatively harmed by
COVID-19 with the disruption of the day-to-day lives of the people in our community. Many of
these challenges in the new year include the inflated economic costs of food, housing and fuel,
along with reduced employment opportunities for our Tribal Members and residents: and
WHEREAS, both the U.S. Treasury interim guidance and the more recently-issued Final
Rule (1/6/22) state it is eligible to use ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to provide
direct cash assistance to households and individuals negatively impacted by the COVID
pandemic (R. Patterson, Sonosky LLP), “provided that cash transfers must be ‘reasonably
proportional’ to the negative economic impact they address and may not be ‘grossly in excess of
the amount needed to address’ the impact. In assessing whether a transfer is reasonably
proportional, recipients may ‘consider and take guidance from the per person amounts
previously provided by the Federal Government ($3200) in response to the COVID-19 crisis,
and transfers ‘grosslv in excess of such amounts’ are not eligible.”; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Treasury has reiterated in the Final Rule that responses to negative
economic impacts should be reasonably proportional to the impact that they are intended to
address. Uses that bear no relation or are grossly disproportionate to the type or extent of harm
experienced would not be eligible uses. Reasonably proportional refers to the scale of the
response compared to the scale of the harm. Treasury declined to set a dollar amount that is
allowable, instead leaving the “reasonably proportional” language. (R. Patterson, Sonosky LLP);
and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Orutsararmiut Traditional Native
Council, based on the analysis that has been completed, does find a third disbursement of direct
cash payment assistance is needed to address the economic harm not covered by the two
payments in 2021, in the amount of $1000.00 using remaining ARPA funds to each eligible
Tribal Member who are enrolled as of May 31st. 2022.

Walter Jim, President

Robert Hoffman, Secretary

 

American Rescue Plan Act Application

The Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council (ONC) received the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) relief funding and approved payment to the ONC Enrolled Tribal Members as of May 31,  2022 who have experienced negative economic impact as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are two options for each tribal member to choose from:

OPTIONS 1)  $1,000.00 direct payment to member(s) 

                  2)  $1,000.00 payment towards utilities

Eligible Head of Household’s may apply online at the following link:

https://zfrmz.com/kYYBvXzUP1UrkIgFVF0m

2022 Annual Meeting

Attention Tribal Membership.

Please join us Saturday May 14 for the 2022 Annual Meeting. Our first hosted meeting since 2019 will be at 10 AM AST at the ONC Muti-Purpose Building in Bethel, Alaska. Tribal Membership who wish to attend virtually can email us at: onc2022@nativecouncil.org for more information. You will receive an enrollment confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. You must have the Zoom application for this option. Question’s, No email? Contact our enrollment office at

907-543-2608

QUYANA!

ARPA Application Round Two Deadline

Notice to Tribal Membership:

The Deadline to apply for round two ($1700.00) of the ONC ARPA pandemic assistance program will be February 15, 2022. ONC began accepting applications from enrolled tribal members in October of 2021 for round two of pandemic assistance. For clarification, ONC has done a total of three rounds of assistance since the spring of 2021: CARES (January 2021), ARPA1 (August 2021), and ARPA2 (October 2021). If you have applied after October 1, 2021 for round two, Please do not attempt to submit a duplicate application. All duplicate applications are automatically set in a different que to be reviewed and are processed last. All other pandemic assistance programs listed above have closed under UST guidelines and Council Resolutions.

If you have any questions you can contact ONC ARPA @ 907-543-2608 or email us at arpa@nativecouncil.org

 

Thank You,

ONC ARPA Program Staff.

 

A longtime Bethel tribal member, tribal court judge, election worker, and well known community leader died last month. Margaret “Tootsie” Guinn passed away at home surrounded by loved ones on Dec. 16, 2021. Tootsie as she was affectionately known was 76 years old. Margaret was a well known volunteer in most Bethel organizations for over 40 years, and was the chair for Bethel’s first voting precinct until her death. In 2018, Guinn received a proclamation from the city for protecting the democratic process. Guinn’s funeral was held privately because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Orutsararmiut Native Council members and Staff would like to extend our condolences to the Guinn family and recognize her many years of hard work on behalf of the tribe including as one of our first Tribal Judge’s. Tootsie will be greatly missed by our Tribal Community & her passing will surely be felt within our Tribal Court.

January Regular Meeting

  1. Call to Order
  2. Roll Call
  3. Invocation
  4. Approval of Agenda
  5. Approval of Meeting Minutes
  6. People to be Heard
    1. YKHC Reps                 c. YKHC COVID Team
    2. AVCP Reps
  7. Reports
    1. Administration Report                                                  Inamarie Chaney
    2. Finance Report                                                             James Paul/Alex Werba
    3. CARES/ARP Report                                                     Yvonne Kinegak
  8. Old Business
  9. New Business
    1. The Village of Georgetown Webinar January 12th, 2022
  1. Need representative
    1. Approval of 2022 Employee Pay Schedule

 

  1. Other

 

  1. Executive Session
  1. Date of Next Meeting
  2. Adjournment

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American Rescue Plan Act 3rd Round

 

Update: American Rescue Plan Act Round 3 Application process closed 02/15/22 for tribal members.

Greetings Tribal Member(s)

Throughout our two Tribal Member Consultation meetings regarding the American Rescue Plan Act funds; we’ve heard from many members wanting their household bills paid directly while others appreciated the direct payment directly to each Tribal Member. The Council has heard each members input and acted according to the wants and needs of our membership.

We are pleased to announce that The Orutsararmiut Native Council is now accepting applications for the third round of COVID relief funds.

*All information is encrypted with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)/& SSL

Each tribal member household has two options for this round of relief:

Option 1: Payments made directly to vendor

For this you will be required to submit actual bills with your application. This ensures that staff have the accurate information which includes the mailing address of the vendor, account numbers, and name(s) of which the utility account(s) is under. Please specify on the application the amounts you want/need to go to each vendor.

Option 2: Direct payment to Tribal Members (in the form of a check)

For this option you must check the box in front of each vendor and specify how you would like it paid out.

It is uncertain if more pandemic relief will be available, and ask that each Tribal member use these funds in ways that will benefit and secure your household needs as a priority.

We understand the urgency in some cases, but we ask for your patience and cooperation as these applications are processed. We will be working as quickly as we possibly can. ONC is the largest tribe in the region with over 4500 active members to serve in many places.

Thank you, To avoid delay in processing, before submitting your application, please make sure that all required documents are included and allow time for processing. Do not submit  an application more then once as this will only cause further delay. You will be notified once your application is being processed and complete.

ONC APRA staff