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.