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About Siletz news letter. (Siletz, Oregon) 1989-1997 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1996)
January 1996 MOTION #3 - Joe Lane moved to approve naming the Chinook Winds Gaming Convention Center after Jessie Davis, as recommended by the attached resolution. Motion carried. Seconded by Dolly Fisher. Joe was asked if he had the same feelings today that he had a year ago. A year ago, things were moving so slow, but he would still support this motion. He has never changed his opinion. Jessie thanked everyone for the honor. She stated that she was not out their doing this work for honors, she wanted something for the Tribe. There is still a lot of work to be done and it takes the effort of everyone. but the Tribe has members who have college degrees and we should tap into this resource. All of the STEDCO meetings are public meetings. Ralene Butler stated that it is hard to obtain these papers or documents. Stan Werth stated th at the documents are not available to members outside of the local area. Before we enter into something with this magnitude, why is it not brought out in the newspaper and have general nnnnr.il input. We could hold special meetings. People are upset with the loses that we have had to absorb through STEDCO. They do not have input on what is happening. Clifford suggested to amend the Tribal Constitution and give the power back to the people. Walt Klamath thanked the Council for a job well done. In the last two years he has placed over 300 smoke detectors that the state provided. They no longer supply them, he would like to request money to purchase 10 cases of smoke detectors because they save lives. Bonnie Peterson asked what the tribal members were going to get out of this joint venture. Jobs will be created by this and tribal preference will apply. Stan pointed out that there is nothing in the agreement indicating this. Clifford Case presented the STEDCO and Ross- Simmons joint venture the General Council. He stated that some people did not know anything about it., Lillie and Reggie were against it. People need to start looking at things. His concern was that Ross-Simmons were going to run the mill and their only obligation was to buy the wood. He questioned why do we have to give our profits to someone else to make it work. Gerald Ben was concerned with giving up our sovereignty rights as we did at the gaming center. There has not been a loan where we have not given up our sovereignty right. Ross-Simons is having STEDCO do everything and not buying a n y th in g from us except the timber, which the cost of that timber will be a write off for them. They are not contributing anything to this venture. This is a lease agreement, not a joint venture. Council, informed Clifford that the mill has not make a profit, not because of management but because of no wood products. The small mill was set up to mill smaller cuts of hardwood. We still do not have the market for the hardwood. The partnership with Ross-Simons will bring in capitol because we do not have die money to put forward on the mill. With the joint venture die Tribe will be participating in something. Clifford was concerned about waiving our sovereignty rights. And the agreement starts out as 50-50 until a certain amount is paid with the expenses being paid by Ross-Simons. After all expenses have been paid, this is when the 50-50 takes place. We are paying half of that also. Any equipment bought by Ross-Simons during this time, they retain ownership. The Siletz Tribe will be obligated to buy their equipment if they decide to terminate this agreement. Some of Councils comments were: They voted yes after amendments were in place. There is language to protect the Tribe, it is only the assets at stake. The Tribe doesn’t have the money to do this function on their own. At least with a joint venture we are going to get half and half. Not only are we receiving 50% of the profits, but Tribal Members will be trained. The mill was purchased through regional strategies meetings. We have the dry kiln. They have looked at the books with this company. They have put up the money, we are putting up the equipment and the mill. This is better than shutting the doors all together. The Tribe owns die 70 acres which STEDCO has obtained for the Tribe. Clifford stated that we should count our loses and get out. He was for the Tribe getting the land, STEDCO has a new commission with three tribal members and two non-tribal members. They h a v e hired a new General Manager to run STEDCO. Elouise Case approached Council with a concern about her program, she works under a grant for Title VI, a nutrition grant. The program has limited funds but she tries not to say no to anyone. The program had an emergency this past week. The program will not allow her to pay anyone over $5 an hour for only 8 hours a day. An elder needed more care than the program could provide. She is requesting that Council consider setting aside money for emergency short term situations. Fish Martinez was in support of the smoke detectors as requested by Walt Klamath. It is important for safety. Fish stated that he has a family member incarcerated in Eugene because of substance abuse. This young man would like to make a turn around in his life. He is requesting that Tribal Council send a letter to support a rehabilitation program in Lane County. Since he has been in there, he had made his amends with the police. Fish would like the Tribe to support h im in rehabilitation instead of doing six years. Ronda Ramsey stated that the Tribe has paid thousands of dollars for her son Todd’s medical treatment because of Alcohol and Drug problems. Why can’t we put something in place. They are under staffed and need something in place for our youth. She is requesting more funding for the Alcohol and Drug Program. Tina Retasket had a concern about alcohol being permitted in the gaming facility. The facility is doing fine without the alcohol. As a member of the health committee we decided to send a letter opposing alcohol in the facility, when you add alcohol you add problems to it, social problems, legal problems and problems we do not need. The extra money we will make serving alcohol is not worth what it will do to people who come. We would also be negligent. There is discussion about the moral issue about gambling, I think that Tribal Council took a look at this and decided that economically it is important for us to move ahead. I am not opposed to it, I support the g a m in g center, but I ask that you stick to your original agreement that there would be no alcohol in that facility. MOTION # 4 - Tina Retasket moved to approve banning all alcohol in die permanent gaming center including the convention center. Seconded by Elouise Case. Motion Disapproved by Consensus. Discussion on motion # 4 - Tribal Council voted at the last council meeting that no alcohol would be served. The issue was discussed to serve alcohol on the gaming floor. In the convention center, if it was to be served it would be by contract. If the conventions that were coming in, wanted alcohol they would contract out for it. Conventions need the ability to contract out for alcohol. MOTION # 5 - Rosemary Landis moved to approve taking an advisory vote about the alcohol issue in the permanent Gaming Center to read: Are you in Favor of Having Alcohol in the : Restaurant Y/N, Gaming Center Y/N, Convention Center Y/N. A list of Pro’s and Con’s for having an not having alcohol will be included in the mailout. There will be a deadline when the votes need to be cast. Seconded by Stan Werth. Motion carried. Discussion on Motion # 5 - We are not responsible for policing the world, we are in business to make money. Tribal Members are not the only ones using that facility. We have to compete with Grand Ronde, before we start a no liquor campaign, we should look at the business side of it and let someone give us some advice. Without alcohol, we will not get any conventions. We do not have to drink it if we do not want to. You make more money on alcohol than you do on food. What guarantee do we have that Tribal Council will consider this advisory vote. Rosemary has a book called the Whitewater Mailman, there is a picture of the elders from 1990. If you know someone who is in the picture, please contact her. Ray Blacketer apologized to Tribal Council for not going to as many Tribal Council meetings to show his support and offer input. His concern was in regards to the treaties that they found a couple of years ago. Do not loose focus of those. There are experts out there that try and tell use that we do not have treaty rights any longer, but this is not true. There are other experts out there that tell us that we have every right to go forward.
