Vernon Edwardsen

This Utqiaġvik Comprehensive Plan 2045 serves as a strategic roadmap to guide the community's future over the next two decades, preserving its traditions, addressing challenges, and creating new opportunities. It focuses on thirteen key goals: protecting the natural environment, strengthening hazard mitigation and climate resilience, protecting subsistence resources and cultural traditions, modernizing infrastructure, enhancing transportation, promoting recreation, improving housing, strengthening the local economy, enhancing administrative, social, and health systems, improving educational opportunities and cultural connections, coordinating social services and healthcare, focusing on land use and community planning, and empowering community residents for active participation.

This Comprehensive Plan serves as a strategic roadmap for Anaktuvuk Pass, guiding development, protecting vital resources, and preserving the community's unique character over a 20-year horizon. It focuses on six overarching goals: protecting and enhancing subsistence activities, establishing future land use designations for managed growth, supporting quality and energy-efficient housing, maintaining essential social services and infrastructure, facilitating economic development, and preserving Iñupiaq culture, language, and history. The plan aims to ensure the community's resilience and strength for future generations by balancing tradition with development, fostering a strong cultural work ethic, and creating opportunities for residents to thrive.

The North Slope Borough Fire Department's mission is to protect life and property by utilizing community volunteers and career personnel to provide ground and air emergency medical services, rescue, fire suppression, prevention, and training. Key goals include revitalization through a network of paid first responders, professional development via mentorship and officer programs, and recruitment and retention by strengthening relationships with Police and SAR. The plan also focuses on youth engagement through an explorer program, enhancing training, promoting fire prevention, and improving administrative support to community fire departments.

The strategic plan outlines the North Slope Borough's commitment to efficient and responsive local government, emphasizing strong cultural values, healthy lifestyles, and a vibrant economy. It details the responsibilities of the Mayor's Office, including policy administration, budget preparation, and supervision of borough operations. Key goals include protecting the revenue base, assisting departments in achieving their objectives, collaborating with the school district, and partnering with various entities on issues affecting the North Slope.

The North Slope Borough Assembly is considering the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Annual Budget Document, which includes estimated revenues and expenditures of $408,776,329 to support NSB's services. The budget is based on estimated local and oil & gas property tax revenues, with a minor reduction in property tax revenue from the prior year. The budget also includes other estimated revenues derived from charges for services, projected investment income, and Federal and State grant resources. The budget took into consideration $21.3 billion valuations in taxable oil and gas properties, local real estate, and equipment property. The recommended appropriation for the School District is $36,828,052, reflecting a 5% decline from prior year. The budget will distribute $9,438,940 for the Economic Impact Assistance Program (EIAP).