4 JANUARY 15, 2005
Smoke Signals
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
5:00 p.m. Meeting was called to order by Tribal Council Vice Chairman,
Reyn Leno. A quorum was present.
Present was Angie Blackwell, Jack Giflen, Jr., Reyn Leno, Chris Mercier,
Valorie Sheker-Robertson, June Sell-Sherer and Wesley "Buddy" West
Excused was Cheryle Kennedy (personal leave) and Jan D. Reibach (personal
leave).
Invocation was done by Wesley "Buddy" West.
PREVIOUS MINUTES APPROVEAMEND
Valorie Sheker-Robertson moved, Jack Giflen, Jr. seconded to approve the
December 1, 2004, Tribal Council regular meeting minutes as presented. Mo
tion carried 6-0-0.
NEW BUSINESS
General Council Meeting January 9, 2005 Agenda Items
a. Program Report: Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority (GRTHA)
b. Door Prizes $250 (1 at $100 and 3 at $50)
By full consensus of Council the General Council Meeting January 9, 2005,
agenda items are approved as presented. Motion carried 6-0-0.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE
D Calendar Year 2005 Operating Budget. Jack Giflen, Jr. moved, Valorie
Sheker-Robertson seconded to adopt Resolution No. 166-04 approving the
2005 Calendar Year Operating Budget, effective January 01, 2005. Motion
carried 6-0-0.
Endorse the Submission to COTA for a Tribal Involvement Grant
by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Oregon Chapter. June
Sell-Sherer moved, Angie Blackwell seconded to adopt Resolution No. 167-04
endorsing the submission to Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA) for a Tribal In
volvement Grant by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation Oregon Chap
ter. Motion carried 6-0-0.
D Endorse the Submission to COTA for a Tribal Involvement Grant
by the Salem Multicultural Institute. Wesley "Buddy" West moved, Valorie
Sheker-Robertson seconded to adopt Resolution No. 168-04 endorsing the sub
mission to the Circle of Tribal Advisors (COTA) for a Tribal Involvement Grant
by the Salem Multicultural Institute. Motion carried 6-0-0.
Rodeo Special Event Board Appointment. Jack Giffen, Jr. moved, June
Sell-Sherer seconded to adopt Resolution No. 169-04 approving the appoint-
' ment of Joy Burcham to the Rodeo Special Event Board, with a two year term
expiring December 31, 2006. Motion carried 6-0-0.
2005 Compensation Plan Approval. Angie Blackwell moved, June Sell
Sherer seconded to adopt Resolution No. 170-04 approving the 2005 compen
sation plan for Tribal Government Employees, effective January 1, 2005. Dis
cussion followed. Motion carried 6-0-0.
Announcements
Notice from the American Indian Society of Washington, D.C. and Adam
Beach, Honorary Chair, extending an invitation to attend the American Indian
Inaugural Ball January 20, 2005, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Arlington, Virginia.
Costs: $100 per person, or $125 per person with brunch or $150 per person at the
door. Advance tickets recommended. In addition, room and airline arrange
ments need to be made.
H Notice that Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians' Winter Conference is sched
uled for February 7-10, 2005, at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Portland Airport.
Room and registration arrangements need to be made.
Notice of the 19th Annual National Reservation Economic Summit and Ameri
can Indian Business Trade Fair is scheduled for February 7-10, 2005, in Ne
vada. Registration, room and airline arrangements need to be made.
The General Council meeting on February 6, 2005, will be held in Portland,
Oregon and the General Council meeting on April 3, 2005, will be held in Eu
gene, Oregon (site to be determined).
Council, for the record, noted its acceptance of Hearing Officer Judge Mary J.
Pearson's Order Dismissing the Ethics Complaints brought against Council
member Reyn Leno and Tribal Attorney Rob Greene by Ed Pearsall. June Sell
Sherer, Tribal Council Secretary, read a summary of the Order (below in gray
box). Copies of the Order of Dismissal are available upon request.
OTHER BUSINESS
A Tribal member asked who can attend the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest
Indiana's Winter Conference scheduled for February of 2005. Council responded
that the conference is open to the public. There is a registration fee to attend the
conference.
A Tribal member asked the following: Asked for the locations of the General
Council meetings in February and April of 2005. Asked for clarification on a
Tribal employment position. Vice Chairman Leno stated that the Tribal Coun
cil is not involved in employment. The council's role regarding employment
matters is to provide the necessary funding to cover positions approved through
the General Manager and the Human Resources Director. Discussion followed.
Cliff Adams, General Manager, stated a freeze no longer exists on new job posi
tions. Rather, each new position needs to be justified and a funding source for
the position identified. .
5:20 p.m. Valorie Sheker-Robertson moved, Reyn Leno, seconded to ad
journ the meeting. Motion carried.
Reyn Leno And Rob Greene Ethics Matters
On December 13, 2004, we re
ceived Hearing Officer, Mary
Pearson's Order Dismissing the -Ethics
complaints filed by Ed
Pearsall against Vice Chairman,
Reyn Leno and Tribal Attorney,
Rob Greene. Copies of the Order
of Dismissal are available upon
request. Here is a brief summary
of Hearing Officer Pearson's Or
der. ' Hearing Officer Pearson held
that she lacked jurisdiction to hear
the complaints because the com
plaints are not "sworn" as required
by the former Tribal Ethical Stan
dards Ordinance. In other words,
. the complaints do not contain an
oath that the facts alleged in the com
plaints are true and correct to the
best of Mr. Pearsall's knowledge.
Hearing Officer Pearson found
that not only are Mr. Pearsall's com
plaints not sworn, but that they con
tain "apparent" allegations which are
equivocal and not permitted under
the 2000 amendments to the Ordi
nance. Hearing Officer Pearson then
noted that Mr. Pearsall had three
separate opportunities to amend his
complaints and bring them within
the requirements of the Ordinance,
but failed to do so. ,
Hearing Officer Pearson further
held that even if a sworn" statement
was not required, other issues, in
cluding the timeliness of certain al
legations, whether the allegations are
barred by confidentiality, and the fail
ure of many allegations to state a
claim, would be dispositive of the case
or at least reduce the number of is
sues before the Hearings Officer.
The former Tribal Ethical Stan
dards Ordinance required the
Tribal Council to accept the find
ings of fact and conclusions of the
Hearing Officer. As the Council
,j is obligated to accept the findings
of fact and conclusions and Hear
ing Officer Pearson has dismissed
the complaint, no further action
is required and the Council for
the record notes the acceptance of
these findings and the Order Dis
missing Ethics Complaints,
Large Crowd Gathers For Bruce Lattin's Retirement Party
1 r-r r" 1 r 1 rrpi t .
Send Off Eagle Beak performed at the retirement party of Spirit Mountain
Casino's Security Manager Bruce Lattin. Lattin took on the Security Manager
position in 1 995 following a career with the Oregon State Police.
"We Will Miss You Bruce" Artist John Hawks, a Chiricaua Apache (far
right) presents Bruce Lattin (left) with a bear carving.