4
S moke S ignals
JANUARY 1, 2018
Tiny powwow dancers
Tribal Council
OKs 2018 budget
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
2017-18 Portland State University Ms. Naimuma
Keeli Nehani Littleleaf Kotchik dances with Hallie
Brewer during the Youth Powwow held in the
Tribal gym on Thursday, Dec. 21. The powwow
was hosted by the Cultural Education Program and Health & Wellness
Center, and Grand Ronde Royalty helped serve dinner.
Ezri Bailey dances during the Youth Powwow held in the Tribal gym on
Thursday, Dec. 21.
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 Hunting Board meets as needed. Chair: Marline Groshong.
• Culture Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the
month at the Grand Ronde Food Bank/iskam mfkhmfk haws, 9675
Grand Ronde Road. Chair: Francene Ambrose.
• Editorial Board meets at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12, in Room 204 in the
Tribal Governance Center. Chair: Siobhan Taylor.
• Education Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday 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 Board meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Governance
Center. Chair: Michael Mercier.
• Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday
of the month at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Chair:
Tyson Mercier.
• Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Monday of the month
in the Health & Wellness Center. Chair: Patti Tom-Martin.
• Housing Board meets at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of the month in the
Housing Department conference room. Chair: Matt Thomas.
• Powwow Special Event Board meets monthly at noon at the Community
Center. Dates vary. Contact Dana Ainam at 503-879-2037. Chair: Dana
Ainam.
• Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the month
at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Chair: Bob Mercier.
• Veterans Special Event Board meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of
the month in the old Elders Craft House. Chair: Steve Bobb Sr.
To update information on this list, contact Publications Coordinator Dean
Rhodes at 503-879-1463 or dean.rhodes@grandronde.org.
Tribal Council approved the
Tribe’s 2018 budget that includes
a 36.8 percent projected increase
in gaming dividend over last year’s
conservative revenue estimate
during its final meeting of the year
on Wednesday, Dec. 27.
With the April 2017 opening of
the Cowlitz casino approximately
15 miles north of the Vancou-
ver-Portland metropolitan area
in mind, the Tribe expected deep
decreases in gaming revenue in
2017 and subsequently budgeted
for those anticipated shortfalls last
November.
However, after nine months
of competition from the Cowlitz
facility, the shortfalls are not as
substantial as projected a year ago
and the Tribe has increased its pro-
jected gaming dividend revenue for
2018 by almost 37 percent.
The 2018 budget also plans for a
4.1 percent increase in total spend-
ing over 2017’s budget.
The 2018 budget allocates 75
cents out of every gaming dividend
dollar earned to either direct mem-
ber payments and benefits or trans-
fers to reserves. The remaining 25
cents is allocated to operation of
Tribal governmental programs.
The 2018 budget was sent out
to the Tribal membership in the
November Tilixam Wawa and was
the topic of the November General
Council meeting held in executive
session.
During the Tuesday, Dec. 26, Leg-
islative Action Committee meeting,
Finance Officer Chris Leno said the
Tribe received four written com-
ments about the proposed spending
plan between the Nov. 5 General
Council meeting and the deadline
to submit comments, which was
Dec. 4.
He said those comments will be
addressed in the February Tilixam
Wawa, which is traditionally the
publication of the final budget for
the coming year.
“Reflecting on the 2017 budget
gives the Tribe reason to believe
that Spirit Mountain Casino re-
mains competitive and the impact
of the newly opened casino will not
significantly affect our gaming rev-
enue,” Tribal Council Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy said in her No-
vember Tilixam Wawa statement to
the membership.
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Approved the agenda for the 11
a.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, General
Council meeting that will be held
in the Tribal Community Center.
The program report will be from
the Health & Wellness Center;
• Approved new guidelines for
Spirit Mountain Gaming Board
of Directors compensation that al-
low non-Tribal Council members
to be compensated for attendance
at up to 12 regular monthly board
meetings per year;
• Approved up to $3.3 million in
a capital contribution to Spirit
Mountain Gaming Inc. for ap-
proved capital projects, such as
new slot machines and informa-
tion technology, facilities and
security projects;
• Approved a credit card for Health
& Wellness Business Office
Manager Tresa Mercier and two
generic credit cards for the Pro-
curement Department;
• Appointed Simone Auger to the
Housing Grievance Board with a
term expiring in March 2019;
• Approved General Manager Da-
vid Fullerton entering into inter-
governmental agreements and
memoranda of understanding
that continue necessary opera-
tions at the Grand Ronde Tribal
Police Department, such as mu-
tual aid agreements, deadly force
plans and jailing agreements;
• And approved the enrollment of
eight non-infants and one infant
into the Tribe because they meet
the provisions outlined in the
Enrollment Ordinance and the
Tribal Constitution.
Also included in the Dec. 27
Tribal Council packet were au-
thorizations to proceed and staff
directives that:
• Donated $5,000 from Tribal
Council to the Grand Ronde
Food Bank for holiday food box
supplies;
• Approved charging wage and
fringe expenses for the senior
administrative assistant at Adult
Foster Care to a third party, sav-
ing the Tribe $60,000 in gaming
dollars in 2017;
• Approved forming a work team to
develop a plan to delineate and
describe the rights of the Con-
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Community of Oregon;
• Approved a $25,000 budget for an
All Employee Holiday Luncheon
or Dinner in 2018;
• Approved a $50,000 budget in-
crease for the Home Repair Match
Grant Program;
• And approved a 2.5 percent cost-
of-living adjustment for Tribal
employees in 2018. A proposed
3.5 percent adjustment did not
receive sufficient support from
Tribal Council.
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
George and his son, Tynan, joined
Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris
Mercier and Cultural Resources
Department Manager David Har-
relson in performing the cultural
drumming and singing to open the
meeting. n
ATTENTION CTGR TELEPHONE SERVICE
If you have an emergency and need to dial “911” you must first dial a
“9” (9911). The only calls that do not require that you dial a 9+ are those
made from the CTGR extensions within the CTGR campus and/or those
who use CTGR Tel for their home phone service. n
