Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2009)
Tribe, County Agree to Share Resources in an Emergency MOU helps groups coordinate response By Brent Merrill Area residents will be safer now that the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and Lincoln County have teamed up to provided a better, more comprehensive response to emergency situations that can affect everyone. The Tribe and the county have agreed to work together to provide a more coordinated response to people in need of help. Both groups plan to share knowledge and resources and also will join efforts in planning and future training exercises. Both will work on mutual aid agree ments that will allow sharing of equip ment, facilities and personnel. Tribal personnel and county staff will seek training opportunities that will benefit all and the two groups will look to share expenses whenever the opportunity pres ents itself. Mutual concerns, plans and activities will be discussed when the two groups get together twice a year to discuss emer gency response systems. The agreed cooperation came about when it became clear the Tribe and the county have similar interests and service obligations. Working together coopera tively became the clear answer and would provide the most efficient, coordinated response based on mutual respect. “The agreement helps us share our local resources because we need to rely on each other, said Lynn Alexander, former emergency response coordinator. "We are all going to be in this together when an event occurs,” said Dean Sawyer, Siletz Tribal emergency management planner. "This agreement gives us the op portunity to start the conversation today rather than during an event.” According to Sawyer, the Tribe and Lincoln County both signed a mutual aid agreement for emergency situations that dealt mainly with public health issues. This mutual agreement, or MOU, had been in the process since April of this year prior to outbreaks of H1N1 or swine flu. “The agreement provides a frame work for the Tribe and the county to share resources,” said Sawyer. “Either party to the agreement can request aid from either party to assist in any public health emergency.” The agreement also provides for the sharing of resources — both equipment and staff - so any public health issue that occurs in Lincoln County on reservation land can be dealt with by leveraging both entities’ resources. Currently, the Tribe and the county work together on a variety of issues that sta fai ; ... - AGREEMENT - Lynn Alexander and Dean Sawyer, with the emergency response agreement that was signed by Lincoln County and the Siletz Tribe. are of mutual interest,” said Sawyer. "This agreement outlines what each entity will do in case of an emergency. The agreement spells out who is responsible for costs, par ticipation, equipment sharing, equipment maintenance, liability responsibility, staff salaries and other issues that might come up when resources are shared.” Sawyer pointed out that because responsibility for emergency services is often overlapped between the county and the Tribe, it only made sense to streamline efforts for both and work together for everyone’s benefit. Call to Siletz Tribal Landscaping Contractors CSLLC (a company jointly owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz In dians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) is seeking proposals from licensed landscape contractors for landscaping services at its Chemawa Station property located in Keizer, Ore. x Contractors that are owned by or employ Tribal members and wish to submit a bid proposal are requested to contact Brenda Bremner at 541-444-8204. Please a. indicate your business name, address, telephone, fax, name(s) of Tribal members employed and roll number if available. Bids are due Oct. 20, 2009. Councils, con’t from page 1 VISIT - Chairman Delores Pigsley (left) and Vice Chairman Bud Lane (right) visit with Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon on a recent trip to Washington, D.C. The Tribal Council has been working on legislation authorizing the Tribe to enter into 99-year leasing authority and for trust applications to be processed in the Northwest Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Helicopter, con’t from page 1 "There are no roads in the middle of these areas and even if there were, you couldn't get the necessary equipment into the middle of the stream to place the logs, said Mike Kennedy, Tribal Natural Resources manager. A twin-rotor Chinook helicopter from Columbia Helicopter in Portland, Ore., will move the logs. Portions of Werner Road (near milepost 6 on Highway 229) about 2.5 miles up the road will be closed periodically as the helicopter flies over it with two or three logs dangling beneath it per trip. Columbia Helicopter was founded in 1957 and now includes a worldwide fleet of more than 30 helicopters and 800 employees. Kennedy estimates it will take two or three days to move the 250 logs to their new home on Cedar Creek. “There are still people on the waiting list for housing in Lincoln City,” said Fisher. Housing needs are met on a first- come, first-served basis. “The need is still there,” said Fisher. According to Lincoln City Manager David Hawker, new construction financ ing in Lincoln City is down by $2 million. Lincoln City asked the Tribe to help in several ways, including direct funding and increased partnerships between the city and the Tribe. Hawker asked the Tribe to consider helping with the repair of the Schooner Creek Bridge, which he determined is currently unsafe. Another partnership discussed at the meeting was the Tribe stepping up to fund a music class at Taft High School that according to Lincoln City Mayor Lori Hollingsworth will be cut from the budget because of economic woes at the school. Hollingsworth reported that the idea had been discussed with Taft High Principal Scott Reed. Hollingsworth said the city is pledg ing $5.000 to keep the class and is asking the Tribe to put up the other $5,000 need ed to keep the class. Samaritan North Lin coln Hospital is putting up the additional $4,000 to complete the necessary funding needed for the class to continue. Tribal Chairman Delores Pigsley told representatives at the meeting that the Tribal Council would discuss the merits of such a donation at their next scheduled meeting. The council subsequently met and approved the donation. A resolution was unanimously passed by Tribal Council that will provide fund ing for the elective credit class. Pigsley also pointed out that the Tribe already contributes to the school system by funding the charter schools in Siletz with $250,000 through the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund. October 2009 • Siletz News • 5
