Smoke Signals 3
JUNE 1,2013
Tribal Council approves liquor sales on casino main floor
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council approved an ex
pansion of Spirit Mountain Gaming
Inc.'s liquor sales license for Spirit
Mountain Casino at its May 22
meeting.
The expansion allows the sale of
alcohol on the main gaming floor as
designated in a floor plan submit
ted to the Oregon Liquor Control
Commission.
Spirit Mountain Casino General
Manager Randy Dugger said alco
hol sales on the main gaming floor
started Saturday, May 25, over the
Memorial Day weekend.
Tribal Council also approved a
direct care services reimbursement
agreement between the U.S. De
partment of Veterans Affairs and
the Grand Ronde Health & Well
ness Center.
Tribal General Manager Mark
Johnston said that the agreement is
part of the Affordable Care Act and
allows Tribes to request Veterans
Affairs reimbursement for direct
care provided to eligible Native
American veterans.
Previously, the Tribal clinic usu
ally wrote off expenses for eligible
Native veterans who only had Vet
erans Affairs coverage.
"We were not allowed to bill the
VA," Johnston said. "In most cases,
those costs were written off because
there was no mechanism to bill the
VA."
Now, the Tribe will bill the De
partment of Veterans Affairs at the
Indian Health Service all-inclusive
rate $269 when eligible Na
tive veterans receive out-patient
care from their primary care phy
sician. Johnston said the clinic sees a
"substantial" number of Native
American veterans, so the Tribe
stands to see an increase in rev
enue. The Tribe signed the one-year
agreement on May 23 and is await
ing on Veterans Affairs for a sig
nature. The agreement includes a
four-year extension option.
"We are one of the first Tribes
in the Northwest to complete this
agreement," Johnston said. "It will
create added revenue so that we
can create more innovative types
of care."
Johnston said future agreements
with Veterans Affairs may include
Tribal reimbursement for other,
more expensive medical proce
dures, such as MRIs and surgery.
"We believe that was the inten
tion of the legislation," he said.
In other action, Tribal Council:
Approved the disenrollment of a
Tribal member because of a blood
quantum error that occurred
during the enrollment process
and OK'd the enrollment of two
infants;
Declared Friday, June 14, as the
per capita payment date;
Approved an amendment to the
security services agreement with
Advanced Security Inc., which
provides security for Tribal offices
and property in Grand Ronde;
Approved the Smith property
ground lease subject to approval
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The lease will allow the Grand
Ronde Tribal Housing Authority
to use 16.64 acres of the 31.32
acre parcel on which to build
multi-unit residential buildings
and a common building for activi
ties; Approved the 2013 Eula Petite
Scholarship award to Lenae Rose
(Mercier) as recommended by the
Tribal Education Committee;
And approved negotiating a new
technical services agreement with
Industrial Economics Inc. for work
at the Portland Harbor Superfund
sites. The new agreement even
tually will be brought to Tribal
Council for approval. D
Tribe creates Enrollment
Audit hotline
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has created an Enroll
ment Audit hotline with which to collect frequently asked questions
from the Tribal membership.
The goal of the hotline is to develop a list of commonly asked
questions regarding the audit information that was distributed in
the April Tilixam Wawa. The answers to those questions will be
published in an upcoming Tilixam Wawa, as well as be distributed
to the membership in an information packet.
Please ask general questions only; please do not leave personal
inquiries regarding yourself or family.
The toll-free phone number is 877-645-2641. fl
2013Tiribafl
RlarkeftpOace dates
D June 7-8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; June 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
B July 12-13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; July 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
B July 19-20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Elder Honor Day)
Dates subject to change due to conflicting Tribal or SMC events.
Located across from Cedar Plank Buffet.
Committee & Special Event
Board meeting days and times
Below is the most current information on the meeting days and times for
Tribal Committees and Special Event Boards:
Ceremonial Hunt Board meets as needed. Chair: Marline Groshong.
Cultural Trust Board meets at 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month
in Modular No. 2. Chair: Perri McDaniel.
Culture Committee meets at 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month
in the Land & Culture Department conference room. Acting Chair: Betty
Bly.
Education Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. on the first Monday of the
month in the Adult Education Building. Chair: Tammy Cook.
Elders' Committee meets at 10 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month
in the Elders' Activity Center. Chair: Gladys Hobbs.
Enrollment Committee meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Building. Chair: Sharon Hanson.
Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of
the month at the Natural Resources building. Chair: Harold Lyon.
Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of the
month in the Tribal Wellness Center. Chair: Patti Tom-Martin.
Powwow Special Event Board meets at 5 p.m. the first Thursday of
the month at the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Dana Ainam.
Rodeo Special Event Board meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of the
month at the Tribal Rodeo Office. Chair: Harold Lyon.
Social Services Committee meets at 4 p.m. the second Monday of the
month in the Social Services conference room. Chair: Jenny Sanchez.
Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources building. Chair: Bob Mercier.
Veterans Special Event Board meets at 3 p.m. the first Tuesday of the
month in the Tribal Community Center. Chair: Gene LaBonte.
Event to discuss assaults
against Native women
"Renewing Spirits," a Native American Women Against AssaultSex
ual Assault luncheon, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3. p.m. Monday,
June 17, at the Elders' Activity Center.
The luncheon will bring assaultsexual assault awareness to the
Tribal community and its neighbors. One in three Native American
women are assaulted in their lifetime and 60 percent of those assaults
are unreported.
Guest speaker will be Rose M. Quilt and there will be several door
prizes. Lunch will be provided.
For more information, contact Jamie Adams at 541-704-5030 or Erica
Mercier at 503-474-7043.
ATTENTION TRIBAL MEMBERS
COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL EVENT BOARD VACANCIES
The following Committees and Special Event Boards have vacant
positions.
Health Committee 2 Vacancies
Enrollment Committee 1 Vacancy
Rodeo SEB 2 Vacancies
Powwow SEB 1 Vacancy
Please send completed applications to Stacia Martin, 9615
Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347.
Transportation
for Tribal members
The Portland Office has transportation
day to Grand Ronde once a month for
medical, dental appointments or
enrollment cards. We need a minimum
o f 3 people to sign up. P 1 e a s e c a 1 1 L i s a k.
yt-i ;-1l '
, it o ' 4 t i i ' k' f " M ,i 1 ' , .
Please call in advance for the scheduled monthly date
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