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Orutsararmiut Native Council and Bethel City Council to hold joint meeting for the first time in over 3 years

Bethel City Hall
Olivia Ebertz
/
KYUK
On Nov. 2, Bethel City Council and Orutsararmiut Native Council will meet together for the first time since August 2018.

On Nov. 2, Bethel City Council and Orutsararmiut Native Council will meet together for the first time since August 2018. The agenda will cover a diverse range of items of interest to both entities.

Among them is a proposed plan to transfer city land under the ONC Multipurpose Building to the tribe. The Yup’ik tribe has been leasing the land for the past 25 years, and the city council wants to restore it to tribal ownership.

Mayor Mark Springer said that he knows the city council wants to transfer the land back, and said that the tribe wants to accept. This discussion will just make that mutual desire official. However, the transfer of land ownership must first pass through the city’s planning commission. It has come up for discussion in the planning commission, but nothing has been formalized yet. According to the proposed ordinance, the value of the land as of a year ago was $220,012.

The two entities will also discuss how to tackle the issue of violence in Bethel. Springer said that he hopes that Bethel Police Chief Richard Simmons will attend to help determine how the entities can work together to strengthen public safety.

“I think that the police department needs to familiarize itself just a little bit more with some of the roles that ONC plays in the community,” said Springer.

Additionally, the city council and tribe will be discussing how to extend and improve the boardwalk between the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.

The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. City of Bethel meetings are not currently open for in-person public attendance, but you can access the meeting by clicking this link.

Olivia was a News Reporter for KYUK from 2020-2022.
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