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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1979)
SERIALS US. POST AM BULK MIC perkt no i WARM In this issue Police Dept Changes 2 Health Needs Survey 6 Community Fire Prevention 8 Holiday Tourneys Spilyay Tymoo Coyote News 25e 10-11 VOL 4 NO. 1 WARM SPRINGS, OREGON 97761 JANUARY 8 1979 Future of Budget Items Still Uncertain by Cynthia Stowell The 1979 tribal budget be came effective January 1 but several programs and positions are on hold until January 24 when Tribal Council is expected to make a decision on the release of funds. In late September Council approved the budget package submitted by tribal management with the exception of seven items which were deleted and eighteen items held in abeyance pending further justification by tribal staff. The abeyance items range from the salaries of top manage ment to personnel in the police department. Funds have been included in the budget for these items, but no expenditures can be made until Council acts. A decision was expected December 19 when the Council took up the matter in closed session. Two-three subsequent Council meetings also addressed the subject but a resolution was not forthcoming. A meeting has been scheduled for January 23 to discuss salaries to be followed the next day by a final session on the other abeyance items. The deleted items were not addressed and probably will not be, according to a Tribal Council source. They included the assis tant chief of police, a salary increase for the police chief, two positions in the juvenile justice Snowswept program, two programs in the Snow has lingered on rimrock and juniper as temperatures refuse to health branch, and a portion of climb above freezing. Spilyay Tymoo Photo by CDS the community center’s funding. As for the fate of the abey ance items, predictions differ. social services, administration, The Council source said he felt municipal programs and enter his colleagues would hold fast to prises. A decision on salaries is their original reservations about expected before the end of the the programs. A management first pay period of 1979. source, however, indicated he The Council budget sessions was optimistic about favorable held late last month and early Council action. this month were closed to all but In question are some key the individuals directly involved positions in tribal administra in the discussion. Meeting min tion, including three individuals utes were not made available to who hold the purse, strings. “If Spilyay by press time. we lose them, then nobody will A Council source indicated get paid," said general manager that a big concern in the meet Ken Smith. ings was the overlapping of cer Smith will be spending the tain tribal programs, especially next couple of weeks merit in the area of social services and rating his four branch managers, law enforcement, and how they the results of which will be might be made more efficient. shared with Council. Although he The entire juvenile justice has done this for the last two program, in its second year, was years, this is thé first time ' put on hold because of an alleged Council has requested a review failure to perform adequately, of the ratings. while four requested positions in Smith is working on a spe the police department have also cialized form for the rating, but been held up for “further re says that the theory and process view.” will be basically the same as that Other positions and pro for all tribal employees. “I think grams for which the Council I’ve got some pretty good branch wants more information are as managers,” he noted, “but of follows: a new residential child course they’re human and there care program in the old Jackson will be some negative as well as home, the Johnson-O’Malley so positive comments.” Smith feels cial workers, salaries for the that the merit rating should help judges and court administrator, him and the branch managers in Finance Director (MIS Pro addition to satisfying Council. gram), Assistant Controller, Smith’s salary will also be Contracts and Budgets Director, under scrutiny. “Council and I Tribal Garage Supervisor, sal will discuss my salary. I will tell ary of the activity coordinator at them what I think I deserve and the community center, and a justify it. Then we’ll sit down and portion of the employee develop talk about it.” The Tribal Council ment program funds to be used hires the general manager, who for non-tribal members. in turn hires branch managers to (See related story. Page 2) oversee the areas of health and Smith offered top job in B.I.A. by Cynthia Stowell While tribes across the nation have been asked to re commend individuals for the post of Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Assistant Interior Secre tary Forrest Gerard has indi- • cated he already has someone in mind. Weather DEC. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 JAN. 1 2 3 HI 44 37 36 35 34 40 49 55 54 56 35 43 30 21 21 12 LO 29 18 24 20 10 26 28 26 34 30 20 22 20 19 16 -4 -14 10 17 19 -4 8 9 PREC. .02 snow 3” snow 3” snow That person is the general manager of the Confederated Tribes, Ken Smith. Officially approached by Gerard in mid-November, Smith told Spilyay Tymoo “I’m still taking a look at it at this point.” He expects to make a decision sometime in the next three weeks. “I’ll have to have more communication with Forrest and maybe one more visit before I’ll say yes or no,” said the general manager. Before an appointment is made, Smith would be looked over by Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus. Smith already met with Gerard and with Chuck Parrish of the Secretary’s office during a visit to Washington D.C. December 14. The position of Commission er of Indian Affairs, which has not been filled since Morris Thompson left in the fall of 1976, is a political appointment rank ing just below Gerard in the Indian bureaucracy. The Com missioner is responsible for the daily operations of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which employs 12,500 people nationwide. According to Smith, Gerard has spoken of a “team concept” KENNETH SMITH with regard to the division of responsibilities. Smith ex pects Gerard’s attention to be focused more closely on policy, legislation and communication with the Secretary, leaving the Commissioner with administra tive duties. “So far we’ve only talked on a summary level and haven’t addressed the details,” said Smith. “I would want to know more about what the job involves and what my authority would be before I pursue it any further.” This is not the first time Smith, 43, has been considered for a top level job. He was asked unofficially in 1977 if he was interested in the newly-created position of Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, which was eventually given to Gerard. Smith was quick to say no at that time. Apparently it is not as easy for Smith to turn down the recent offer, however. “It’s flattering to be asked and to be considered for the job,” he said. “It would be a big challenge to whip the Bureau into shape.” Smith points to poor morale and the absence of top manage ment in the central office as two problems needing attention. “I could be a big asset to Forrest in operating the Bureau,” he sug gested. “He wants someone from the field and not a career bureaucrat. He wants fresh ideas.” Although Smith feels he can offer that to the Bureau, he is also looking out for himself. “There are only eighteen months left in Carter’s term. Can I really do something in that period? I might work my tail off and suddenly find my time is up — with a lot left to do. And where would I be?” The future of the Confeder ated Tribes also concerns the general manager of nine years. Leaving the Tribes without a manager would be a “toughy,” he said. “There is still a big challenge here. You can’t work with an organization for years, helping to develop and stabilize it, and just turn your back on it.” With many more personal reservations such as a reduced salary, relocation, and other career goals, Smith still says he has left the “doors open” to the appointment. He said the Tribal Council knows that he doesn’t want to live here and be general mana ger forever, “but whether this is the time to go or the direction I want to go, I don’t know,” he mused. Correction The December 15 issue of the Spilyay carried a story about the permanent closing of the Fron- Itier Tavern. It was mistakenly reported that Levi Bobb circu lated a petition, along with Louie Pitt, to close the Frontier. Leroy Bobb, brother of Levi, circulated the said petition.
