GÖ6171
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Í2 3 0 SW PARK AVE
PORTLAND/ OR 972Ö5
WARM SPRINGS, OREGON 97761
VOL. 7 NO. 6
T .S .- Postage
Bulk Rate Permit No. 2
W arm Springs, O R
MARCH 26,1982
Round Butte rent set
SIGNS OF WINTER’S END
Pussywillows catch the rays o f a spring sun along the Shitike Creek.
Spifyay Tymoo photo by Leno
(They have to be paid back)
The Tribal Council issued a |$16 a month for residential
notice March 16 to inform risers, noted tribal attorney
tr ib a l m em b ers th a t a Dennis Kamopp.
“The decision of the board
settlement has been reached in
th e R o u n d B u t te r e n t rep resen ts a co m p ro m ise
between PGE and the Tribes,”
arbitrations.
A three-m an board o f said Karnopp, referring to the
arbitrators established a rent of adjusted rental payment.
The arbitrators were Charles
$4.7 million per year to be paid
by Portland General Electric to Davis, former Oregon Public
the Tribes for use of tribal land Utility Commissioner, selected
by PGE; Abe Weissbrodt, a
on which the dam is built.
The Tribes are currently c l a im s a t t o r n e y fr o m
receiving just over $1 million a Washington, D.C., selected by
the Tribes; and E. Kendall
year in rent from PGE.
In accordance with the Davis, a power expert from
original agreement, the board Sacramento and former lawyer
specified that the new rent hike for the U .S . Bureau o f
is to be retroactive to 1979, plus Reclamation, mutually agreed
interest, to cover the five-year upon by both parties in the
dispute.
period to 1984.
Hearings were held before
Rent has been renegotiated
every five years since 1974. The the Board of Arbitrators in
rental amounts are computed Portland Dec. 2-8, 1981.
by a c o m p le x fo r m u la Attorneys representing the
customarily used in power C onfederated Tribes were
Dennis C. Karnopp and James
purchase agreements.
It is estimated that the D. Noteboom of Johnson,
impact o f the new rental figure Marceau, Karnopp & Peterson
set by the board will mean an in Bend. Representing PGE
increase of only 20 cents a were Alvin Alexandersen and
m o n th to th e a v e r a g e Ron Johnson.
It is anticipated that a joint
residential user.
press release will be issued by
In c o m p a r i s o n , t h e
¡‘‘mothballing*’ of area nuclear the Tribes and PGE sometime
J plants is costing an average of next week.
Error caught in rent relief refunds
by Sandy Rangila
Those who received a rent
relief check from the state
Department of Revenue last
October (or the Oct. before)
can soon expect a billing for a
return of that money, plus
interest, if they live on federal
property.
Some reservation residents
mistakenly filed for refunds
they weren’t entitled to under
the Homeowners and Renter
Relief Program (HARRP). “I
think that those who filed just
figured they qualified because
they rent and because their
income was under the specified
limit,” said Carol Wisner,
public information officer for
the state D epartm ent of
Revenue.
She explained that only
those residing on taxable
property and who meet the
eligibility standards qualify for
a HARRP refund.
There will be no prosecution
for fraud in this case because
“we think this was purely a case
of misunderstanding. There
doesn’t appear to be any
fraudulent intent. They just
didn’t read far enough in the
instructions,” said Wisner. For
that reason no penalty charge
will be added to the bill.
Under Oregon law, only
property that is assessed for
property taxes is eligible for tax
relief. And most property on
the reservation doesn’t qualify,
she stressed.
The dollar amounts each
individual household will have
to pay back vary according to
their income and rental amount
back in ‘79 and ‘80. But Wisner
said the average check was $230
per year and the interest charge
will be one percent a month.
Interest will be computed
back to when the check was
received, she said. Some people
received a refund in Oct. 1980,
some in Oct. 1981, and some
got refunds both years.
Wisner said that the revenue
department’s computer will be
isolating ZIP codes and other
identifying information about
r e s e r v a tio n p r o p e r ty to
determine which qualifies for
tax relief and which doesn’t.
The problem is how to
separate the small amount o f
reservation property which is
on fee patent land (and taxable)
because the ZIP code is the
same throughout the reserva
tion.
HARRP refunds issued the
past two Octobers, for 1979
and 1980 applications, are
being matched against the
master list from the computer.
Wisner predicted that people
will begin receiving billing
letters tins summer. For some it
will be a billing letter and for
others it will be a contact
regarding property status —
whether or not it is on fee
Ipatent land. She said that
normally payment would be
expected within 30 days.
“In the case of a real
hardship, an individual can
make payment arrangements
th ro u g h
ou r c o lle c tio n
division,” said Wisner.
The computer has “kicked
o u t ” a p p lic a t io n s fro m
ineligible properties for 1981
refunds, so they won’t be issued
at all. HARRP refunds made
for the years before 1979 will
not be reviewed because o f the
cost involved and because there
is a statute o f limitations
(unless fraud is suspected).
Wisner said the state first
learned about the error after a
Warm Springs resident, who
had just received a refund
check, called the revenue
departm ent. “ The person
wasn’t sure he was eligible—
and he wasn’t.”
A t th a t p o in t , th e
Department of revenue started
checking into other refunds
that had gone to Warm Springs
residents, as well as those which
had been issued to people on
the Umatilla Reservation.
Brunoe to visit Japan
K a h -N e e -T a g e n e r a l
manager Garland Brunoe will
be visiting Tokoyo, Japan next
.month to attend the Pacific
Northwest Tourism Mission
which will be presented in
cooperation with Thai Airlines.
Brunoe will join state travel
d ir e c t o r s an d e x e c u t iv e
convention directors from
W ashington, O regon and
Idaho. Also attending will be
representatives from Princess
T o u rs, T h u n d e r b ir d /R e d
Lion, Port o f Seattle, Port of
Portland, Azumano Travel
Agency, Hilton Hotels and Sun
Valley, Idaho. Kah-Nee-Ta
was the only resort that
req u ested to a tten d the
seminar.
Kah-Nee-Ta sales director
Liz A pple heard o f the
conference and recommended
to the Kah-Nee-Ta Board of
Directors that Brunoe attend
the five day seminar.
In addition to the seminar,
all the representatives will be
v is it in g m a jo r J a p a n e s e
wholesalers, hoping to bring
more Japanese tourism trade to
the states. (Wholesalers are
similar to American travel
agencies.)
The seminar will include a
Continued on page 12