S moke S ignals
MAY 15, 2019
7
General Council briefed on economic development, housing
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Economic Development Director
Bruce Thomas briefed General
Council on current and future op-
portunities for the Tribe to build
its income and assets during the
Sunday, May 5, meeting held at the
Tribal Community Center.
Thomas, a Tribal member, was
hired in November 2018 as the new
Economic Development director, a
position that had been vacant since
2016. He previously served the
Tribe as the chief executive officer
of Spirit Mountain Casino from
1993 to 2000.
“I came back to find business
opportunities for the Tribe and to
put systems into place for the Tribe
to make sound decisions,” he said.
Thomas said his first objective
was to develop a business plan in
conjunction with the Tribe’s execu-
tive team and Tribal Council.
“A business plan requires sever-
al things,” he said. “It defines the
Tribe’s vision and goals, sets mini-
mum standards of investment size
and acceptable risk, and describes
basic criteria for investments. We
want to partner with industry
leaders if (the Tribe) does not have
a competitive advantage.”
Thomas said that while it’s easy
to weed out the opportunities that
are not a good fit, the difficult part
is finding new projects for the Tribe
to invest in where it has an advan-
tage over other industries.
“Going into a business head-to-
head with people who are experi-
enced in an industry, that is a very
difficult thing to do and something
that should be avoided,” he said.
“So, we tried to identify businesses
that by virtue of our sovereignty or
status as a Tribe we have a special
opportunity.”
Thomas said the best example is
a Tribal casino.
“Other businesses can’t do a full-
blown casino, but we can. It’s a
Tribal advantage and has proven
to be very successful,” Thomas said.
“There are others, too, so those are
the things we tried to identify. …
Some of the projects we are working
on, a lot I can’t go into much detail
on due to third parties (involved)
and nondisclosure agreements,
or it’s sensitive and we need to
keep quiet until we are ready to
a week, and designed for
commercial fleet vehicles.
Card lock stations have
easy accessibility for larg-
er commercial trucks.
“We’re still in the ear-
ly phases of considering
whether to advance that
project,” Thomas said.
Although Thomas’
presentation at Gener-
al Council was only 12
minutes long, audience
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
questions consumed an
Economic Development Director Bruce Thomas
additional 35 minutes and
talked about Tribal investments and took
included suggestions from
questions during the General Council meeting
timber investment to RV
held at the Tribal Community Center on
parks to purchasing a wa-
terpark.
Sunday, May 5.
“We should have a di-
announce.”
verse portfolio of investments,”
Some opportunities in the works
Thomas said. “The endowment
include the medical field due to
funds we have are a diverse port-
favorable reimbursement rates
folio and we need to follow that ap-
from the Indian Health Service, a
proach with economic development,
major real estate investment firm
and look for long-term investments
partnership, a high-interest real
and property resale. With timber,
estate asset-based loan, negotiating
you may not get your money back
with a company to do a Section 8A
for 40 years, but we can take a long-
business with bid credit advantag-
term view.”
es, solar development on Tribal
Regarding the suggestion to pur-
trust land and marketing the Wood
chase Wings & Waves Waterpark
Village property for an opportunity
in McMinnville, Thomas said that
zone project.
these are largely dependent on local
An opportunity zone can deliver
population use.
significant tax savings on me-
“My initial thought is that if it
dium- to long-term investments
doesn’t reach the profit margin
in economically disadvantaged
threshold, we don’t pursue it,” he
communities. In 2018, the U.S.
said.
Treasury made opportunity zone
However, something like an
designations across the country to
RV park as an amenity at Spirit
encourage long-term investments
Mountain Casino is something that
through a federal tax break.
is feasible.
“The best benefits under the op-
“I feel that project will be built,
portunity zones is if you hold the
but it’s a question of timing,” he
property for 10 years, so that would
said.
argue for projects such as assisted
Tribal Council and Spirit Moun-
living and apartments are highest
tain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors
and best use,” Thomas said. “We’ll
member Kathleen George agreed.
try to enhance the Tribe’s profit on
“We do have the decisions yet to
that property.”
make yet on timing and financing,
Current Tribal economic develop-
but I think it’s something Tribal
ment projects are Chemawa Station
Council is very positive on and re-
in Keizer, the Cherry City Shopping
ally wants to do,” she said. “In addi-
Center in Salem, the Portland
tion, Tribal Council, in response to
building, SAM Medical in Wilson-
last year’s advisory vote on casino
ville and Shasta Administrative
amenities, is getting ready to put
Services in Redmond.
out an RFP (request for proposal) to
A new business opportunity in
look at additional resort-style ame-
Grand Ronde may be a card lock
nities to enhance Spirit Mountain
service station, which is an unat-
Casino. There will be more to come
tended fueling site that is typically
on this as well.”
open 24 hours a day, seven days
After questions concluded for the
Economic Development presenta-
tion, lunch was served. Following
the meal break, the membership
heard from Housing Department
Manager Shonn Leno about the
department’s mission, grant pro-
grams, services, prior and new
construction, partnership projects
and ongoing challenges.
One frequent topic of discus-
sion in housing has been more
home-ownership opportunities in
Grand Ronde in addition to rentals.
There will be a community meeting
on that topic at 6 p.m. Thursday,
June 13, at the Tribal Communi-
ty Center. An initial survey and
housing information handouts will
be available.
“I’m excited about the new apart-
ments and Elder housing, and the
home ownership kick-off meeting,”
Leno said. “Do we want workforce
housing with a few houses or full-
sized neighborhoods?”
One of the biggest challenges in
housing is the increasing number
of meth-contaminated rental units.
In 2018, six out of 27 units – 22
percent – that were vacated were
meth-contaminated and required
cleaning. Leno said it cost $109,000
to renovate those six units for an
average cost of more than $18,000
each. The Tribe pays for the cost of
cleanup, then bills the renter for
the full amount. However, recover-
ing the money is very challenging.
“It costs a minimum of $5,000 to
renovate even a small amount of
contamination,” Leno said. “This
creates a longer wait time and
wait list stagnation. We are hav-
ing discussions about how to solve
this problem and work with other
departments.”
Housing applicants are drug-test-
ed before applications are approved,
but not one of these tests has caught
meth users due to the relatively
short time – three days – it takes
the drug to leave a user’s body. The
Tribe is considering using hair tests,
which are much more accurate and
keep a record of drug use for months.
Leno fielded 10 questions from the
audience, many of whom supported
stricter policies for those caught
using drugs while living in housing.
Simone Auger, Isabelle Grout,
Julie Duncan, Lise Alexander and
Valerie Alexander won the $50 door
prizes. Brenda Tuomi, Peter Grout
and Linda Brandon won the $100
door prizes.
Auger and Peter Grout donated
their winnings to Isabelle Grout’s
class fundraiser for Doernbecher
Children’s Hospital. Tuomi donated
her prize to the Veterans Special
Event Board.
The next General Council meet-
ing will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday,
June 30, at the Tribal Community
Center to conduct Tribal Council
nominations.
The entire meeting can be viewed
on the Tribal government’s website
at www.grandronde.org by clicking
on the News tab and then going to
Video. n
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