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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2018)
8 S moke S ignals DECEMBER 15, 2018 Input sought on transit, transportation By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer Anyone who walks, bikes or runs along Grand Ronde Road has seen their share of semi and log truck traffic. “It’s only a matter of time until there is a tragedy because of it,” Tribal Public Works Coordinator John Mercier said. He said that most large semitrucks cannot navigate a nar- row curve on Highway 22 (Hebo Road) near Kissing Rock because it doesn’t have a shoulder, so most choose to use Grand Ronde Road and connect to Highway 18 from there. That’s why realigning Highway 22 at Kissing Rock is one of the mid-range proposed projects for the upcoming Tribal Transportation Plan, with completion projected in seven to 12 years. Mercier spoke to 24 Tribal, com- munity and staff members, as well as transit planners at the Tribe’s transportation program public involvement meeting held at the Tribal gym on Wednesday, Nov. 28, to gauge public input on the Tribe’s future transportation priorities. Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier also was in attendance. Employees from various transit agencies and Tribal departments were available to answer questions. Copies of the proposed local roads safety plan and long-range trans- portation plan were available for review and comment. The Tribe receives federal transportation funding of which a percentage must be used for transportation planning. Two of the biggest projects completed with these funds have included adding a sidewalk to Grand Ronde Road and Map created by George Valdez the reconstruction of eight miles of Agency Creek and Yoncalla Creek roads. Transportation program funds have increased from $589.755 in 2012 to $1.12 million in 2018. “We have to plan out how to use these funds by having a Transpor- tation Improvement Plan,” Mercier said. “We update this on an annual basis.” The final plan will be complete by January. Once adopted by Tribal Council, the Tribe will prepare a Transportation Improvement Pro- Cherry appointed to casino board of directors MEETING continued from page 7 in 2012 through the Bonneville Power Administration’s Willa- mette Wildlife Mitigation Pro- gram. • Granted signing authority on Tribal bank and investment ac- counts to Assistant Controller Amy Gallant, who is replacing Jody Jerger. Jerger will be retir- ing at the end of December. • Approved the appointment of Spirit Mountain Community Fund Executive Director Mychal Cherry to the Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors with a term ending in 2021. • And approved the enrollment of an infant and one minor into the Tribe because they meet the en- rollment requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance. Also included in the Dec. 12 Trib- al Council packet were approved authorizations to proceed that: • Approved new sponsorship guidelines that will take effect on Jan. 1; • Approved spending $2,763 per year for three years to put up Christmas lighting at the Gov- ernance Center and one tree in Tribal Housing. The amount will be added to the Facilities Depart- ment budget in 2019 and 2020; • Approved Uyxat Powwow Grounds arbor grass replace- ment and the IT/Procurement/ Mailroom building design as two projects to proceed with in the 2019 capital improvement proj- ects budget; • Approved a letter of support for changing the name of Squaw Creek to Nestucca Bobb Creek in Tillamook County; • And approved appointing Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier to the Marion-Polk Food Share Board of Directors to serve as the Tribe’s representative, replacing former Tribal Council member Brenda Tuomi. The entire meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribal website at www.grandronde.org and clicking on the News tab and then Video. gram for implementing high-prior- ity projects. The Tribe is working with the Na- tive American-owned professional services firm Akana, which is based in Portland. It has been developing Tribal transportation plans since the mid-1990s. “Access to Tribal facilities, ser- vices and housing is always a big part of any plan,” Vice President Dennis Petrequin said. “Transit, traffic safety and road maintenance are other issues. We also wanted to update the 190 miles of roads and trails that make up the Tribal system.” Based on discussions with the Tribe, short-term proposed projects over the next six years include phase three of Elder Housing road- ways and various traffic safety improvements, such as lighted crosswalks and speed feedback signs on Grand Ronde Road, and school bus warning signs on High- way 22. Other short-term projects in- clude creating a wetlands trail, forest trails and Eade Subdivision Loop Road, upgrading the Railroad Station access road, upgrading Murphy Road and continuing transportation planning and main- tenance. Mid-range projects include a Grand Ronde Road overlay, High- way 22 realignment at Kissing Rock, extending Tyee Road east, upgrading Hubert Road, and cre- ating new Spirit Mountain Casino access roads and an RV park road. Long-range projects include ex- tending Andy Riggs Road and McPherson Road West, upgrading North and South streets, and wid- ening Coast Creek Road. Mercier said that he continues reaching out to different Tribal programs and Tribal Council to see what projects are in the works so that adequate transportation can be provided. “We are coming up with an agree- ment and recommendations for the best way to make improvements,” he said. “We want to support a safe community and provide equitable access. … We try to establish those relationships.” The Tribal Transit Plan also is up for review. Transit goals include providing increased access through adding local routes and stops, as well as growing partnerships with area transit agencies to provide increased services. A transit rider survey indicated that a majority use public transit for employment purposes, followed by recreation and leisure trips, shopping and medical appoint- ments. Survey respondents indicated that they desire improved bus fre- quency and longer service spans, as well as service into Dallas. Proposed short-term recommen- dations for future transit services include adding Dallas as a stop on existing service from Grand Ronde to Salem, adding a local circulator through Grand Ronde, introducing Dial-A-Ride within the community for seniors and people with dis- abilities, and working with Spirit Mountain Casino to allow employee access to its shuttle, as well as re- vise transit arrival and departure times from the casino to correlate with employee shifts. To give final input on the trans- portation or transit plans, contact Mercier at 503-879-2117 or john. mercier@grandronde.org. GUARDIANSHIP AND CONSERVATORSHIP ORDINANCE OPEN FOR COMMENT Tribal Council adopted, on an emergency basis, amendments to the Guardianship and Conservatorship Ordinance at the Nov. 28, 2018, Tribal Council meeting. The purpose of the proposed amendments is to protect the assets of disabled Tribal children who are wards of state court by allowing the Children and Family Services Program to file for conservator- ship in Tribal Court for children in state court dependency care and to provide that in such cases, the appropriate state department is included in the definition of “Interested Persons.” Tribal Council invites comment on the amendments to the Guard- ianship and Conservatorship Ordinance. For a copy of the amend- ments, please contact the Tribal Attorney’s Office at 503-879-4664. Please send your comments to the Tribal Attorney’s Office, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347, or by e-mail to legal@ grandronde.org. Comments must be received by Jan. 15, 2019.
