15.1.6.040 Findings

The Council hereby finds and declares that:

(a) The population of the Pueblo is increasing putting pressure on existing housing supplies and creating a need for new housing; and

(b) Many members of the Pueblo have expressed the need for new housing and improvements to existing homes; and

(c) The Pueblo has some land parcels available that could be utilized for new housing purposes; however, these parcels often lack adequate utilities, ingress and egress, and other infrastructure needs; and

(d) The Pueblo has issued land assignments to members of the Pueblo, in some cases decades ago, initially for farming purposes, and some members and their descendants have utilized or desire to utilize land assignments to develop or improve housing including manufactured and new construction homes; and

(e) The Pueblo desires to make land available for housing for members of the Pueblo in a fair and equal manner while taking into account the impacts new housing will likely have on neighboring land assignments, land use, the natural environment, culturally-sensitive areas, aesthetics, infrastructure, utilities, and overall policies established by the Pueblo; and

(f) The IHS has, from time to time, provided utility line construction and installation services to deliver certain utilities such as water and wastewater systems to members of the Pueblo, including to both existing homes and new homes, at a significant cost savings to the Pueblo and its members; however, the process to apply for IHS-funded services, and the process for the Pueblo to authorize IHS-funded construction services, has been haphazard and unclear, due in part to federal funding limitations; and

(g) As part of the Aamodt water rights litigation and settlement, the Pueblo is in the process of constructing a major water infrastructure project that will result in the availability of additional water resources to the Pueblo and its members including water for housing, farming, economic development, conservation, and other purposes; and

(h) The amount of land available for housing purposes is limited, and any decisions regarding the development of new housing projects must be made in a thoughtful, systematic, and culturally-appropriate manner to protect against waste, duplication of services including utility infrastructure, and to reduce conflicts, while, at the same time, establishing fair and transparent rules and procedures for all members of the Pueblo to address their housing needs; and

(i) The Council has determined that it is in the best interests of the Pueblo and its members to authorize and direct the Governor to address housing utility issues including the authority to approve and enter into agreements with the IHS to provide utility infrastructure services or to initiate a Utility Infrastructure Project to homes and homesites of members of the Pueblo.