Siletz news letter., July 01, 1995, Page 2, Image 2

J91T1995
with our tribal regulators. We should be proud of
the completely unbiased process by which these
commission members were selected.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
From Delores Pigsley
Planning for die Major Facility
Everything seems like an anti-climax following
the exciting opening o f Chinook Winds!
Everything has quieted down and we are now
enjoying the fruits o f our labors, glowing in its
success.
But the opening o f our temporary facility was
only phase one.
The anticipation - the
excitement - will build up again during the next
twelve months for the opening o f our major
Chinook Winds Gaming a n i Convention Center.
And there will be a million and one things that
will still need to be done to accomplish this
major objective.
Critical National Indian Gaming Issues
We were fortunate in having Sharon House to
conduct training sessions for our Tribe
specifically on internal control standards.
As Tribal Chairman, I feel we must see to it that
our Tribe not only formulate but apply strict
standards to protect our assets, I know that my
fellow council members feel the same.
Direct responsibility for overseeing the proper
conduct o f our gaming operations and the
protection o f our assets lies in the hands o f our
Gaming Commission and Tribal Monitor.
Sharon commented on how impressed she was
Although we are kept currently informed of
national issues by Franklin Ducheneaux, our
consultant in Washington, DC who also serves on
NIGA’s legal team, it was helpful for us to get
first hand, Sharon’s perspective o f what is
happening at die national level,
Sharon
underscored what we have heard before; that
anti-Indian forces are again at work try in g to
undermine Indian gaming through amendments
to IGRA. Once again, the tribes must unit«» to
fight these destructive forces.
Jessie Davis, who serves as Ad Hoc Gaming
Committee Chair (formerly, Ad Hoc Gaming
Commission) has been an active participant o f
the NIGA Task Force that deals with critical
national Indian gaming issues. She will continue
to represent the Tribe on these vital matters
affecting our Tribe.
CH
Ad
At
the
National
Consultation Meeting,
unresolved issues were identified;
♦trust services: promised but not yet delivered
*general assistance: BIA is considering moving
to TP A
Navaho requests a moratorium - heavily funded
California tribes want base budgets
Siletz considering options
*HIP: looking for resource allocation method in
1996
Judicial Services
Tribe gets approval o f HIP waiver
On 6 /1 6 /9 5 1 met with Area Director Stan Speaks
to discuss a number o f topics including the need
to fill die position o f Field Representative
(formally Superintendent) at die Siletz Agency.
Three candidate for this position ares currently
being considered by the Area Director. It is
expected that a decisión will be made soon.
Status o f Self Governance negotiations:
Although we have not received word in writing
as o f tins issue o f the Newsletter, we received
word that our request for Secretarial waiver o f
HIP regulations has been approved.
Under the previous regs, Category B was not
meeting the needs o f the most needy. Under the
approved waiver, services can be expanded by
increasing the allowable grant
Current negotiations are basically the same as
negotiations last year.
Hoc
Chinook Winds is a little over
one month old and is a great
success! All our patience and hard
work have paid off.
Of course, we experienced
some problems which is normal for
a brand new operation like ours.
Each problem is being addressed
and adjustments are being made as
we go along.
We are viewing the operation
of our temporary facility as a period
of gearing-up for our major facility.
The 140,000 sq ft gaming and
convention center is scheduled to
open in May of 1996, so we have
one year in which to hire and train
our staff and iron out our wrinkles.
And how financially suc­
cessful is Chinook Winds? The
revenues will help pay the loans
jj^at^werÇ- incurred in establishing
The Bureau is considering moving a number o f
programs to the Tribal Priority Allocation (TPA)
system. Whether it would be to the advantage or
disadvantage for us to be put under that system
has not yet been determined.
Status o f Field Representative Appointment
Gam ing Report
By: Jessie Davis,
Gaining Committee
There are a number o f issues that we and the
Bureau are grappling with including Contract
Support. No mutually acceptable method has
been adopted as yet for the distribution o f
contract support funds.
the gaming center, i.e., the $3
million for the purchase of the
Lincoln Shores property, about $2
million for slots and other gaming
equipment, the construction of title
facility, and for other start up costs.
Our plan is to repay these
loans as soon as possible so we will
have less interest to pay. We will
also be incurring expenses in the
construction and start-up of the
major facility.
Status of Gaming Personnel
Critics of our gaming center
had dire predictions that a flood of
people would pour into Lincoln City
causing a severe strain on the
community's housing supply. The
fact is,
the gaming center has
opened up job opportunities for the
people who are already residents of
Lincoln,City and the County. There
has not been, nor will there be, a
drain on the local housing supply.
Where do the 201 current
employees live?
*100 are residents of Lincoln City,
*42 commute from Siletz
*56 live elsewhere in Lincoln County
* 3 live outside Lincoln County and
Commute.
Of the 500-600 who will be
employed in the permanent facility,
201 will be employees currently
working for Chinook Winds.
Five hundred eight appli­
cations are currently on file for
positions
with
the permanent
facility. Of the 508:
*309 are residents of Lincoln City.
*199 are residents of Lincoln
County.
Planning For The Permanent
Center
Planning for the construction
of the Chinook Winds Gaming and
Convention Center is moving ahead