Chairman/Treasurer Attend Franken Listening Session

Red Lake Chairman Darrell G. Seki, Sr., Treasurer Annette Johnson, and Executive Administrator Charles Dolson, attended a rural infrastructure listening session on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Northwest Minnesota Foundation office in downtown Bemidji.

The session was hosted by staff for US Senator Al Franken. They included Jake Schwitzer, State Policy Advisor from Franken's St. Paul office, and Carson Ouellette, Franken's NW Field Representative out of the Moorhead office.

In addition to Red Lake officers, attendees included a delegation from White Earth, several counties, cities, economic development agencies, utilities and business.

Schwitzer suggested an open discussion's with the staff's main goal of listening in order to better understand northern Minnesota's needs and challenges around infrastructure. Rural Minnesota communities face unique challenges that the Metro area doesn't.

The Red Lake delegation brought up the disparity Red Lake suffers because the formula used for tribal roads, is based on population rather than land based. "Tribal roads are public roads," Seki reminded Franken's staff. Other issues brought up by tribal representatives included IHS funding, and the proliferation of drugs being brought on the reservation by non-tribal members. Seki argued that the tribe should be able to prosecute non-member offenders.

Treasurer Johnson brought up the high cost of Beltrami Electric's shut off policy. Dolson mentioned that Red Lake was moving forward with an extensive solar energy initiative. Seki mentioned the need for housing pointing out that Red Lake has 400 members on a housing waiting list.

Other attendees shared Red Lake's concern for transportation, housing, water infrastructure and broadband access and affordability. All agreed that more funding was needed for rural infrastructure, asserting that this is connected...and vital to keeping rural Minnesota healthy. Nearly all were of the same mind that working with the feds led to unnecessary and expensive "red tape" citing several examples.