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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2020)
6 OCTOBER 1, 2020 Smoke Signals Tribal Council OKs permitting state to use Blue Heron property to help control sea lions at Falls Grand Ronde Housing Department By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Opportunity for comment on the Grand Ronde Housing Department 2021 Indian Housing Plan (IHP) Under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determi- nation Act (NAHASDA) of 1996, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will provide grants to Indian Tribes/Indian Housing Authorities for the development and operation of low-income housing in Indian areas. Grants are made to eligible recipients under the Indian Housing Block Grant Program. To be eligible for the grants, respondents must submit an Indian Housing Plan that meets the min- imum requirements of the Act, and also submit an Annual Performance Report to HUD and maintain records for HUD monitoring. The Grand Ronde Housing Department (GRHD) has received multiple grants under this program that were active during 2020. Comments on the Indi- an Housing Plan are welcome and copies of this report can be obtained at the GRHD office or by calling 503-879-2401 or 1-800- 422-0232 ext. 2401. Comments must be submitted in writing to GRHD no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. All comments will be incorporated into the final report submitted to HUD. TRIBAL HOUSING ORDINANCE OPEN FOR COMMENT The Tribal Council adopted, on an emergency basis, amendments to the Housing Ordinance at the Sept. 2, 2020, Tribal Council meeting. The primary purposes of the amendments are (i) to allow the Tribe to reassign a lease when a tenant is in default on a HUD guaranteed mortgage; (ii) to update the necessary definitions; (iii) to recognize federal court jurisdiction in HUD foreclosure proceedings; (iv) to provide eviction procedures when tenants don’t comply with the terms of a federally insured loan; and (v) to clarify Tribal and federal government references throughout the Ordinance. The Tribal Council invites comment on the amendments to the Tribal Housing Ordinance. For a copy of the amendments, 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, Oregon 97347, or by e-mail to legal@grandronde.org. Comments must be received by Oct. 31, 2020. St. Michael’s offers brunch St. Michael’s Catholic Church offers an open house brunch every Sunday following Mass. The brunch is free to the community. Brunch begins at about 11:30 a.m. following the 10:30 a.m. Mass. Mass attendance is not required for brunch attendance. For more information or for kitchen and hall rental, contact Janelle Justen at 503-550-0923. Tribal Council approved a services agreement with the Oregon De- partment of Fish & Wildlife during its Wednesday, Sept. 30, meeting that will assist state efforts in the capture of sea lions that prey on endangered salmon, lamprey and sturgeon at Willamette Falls. Tribal Fish & Wildlife Program Manager Kelly Dirksen said during the Tuesday, Sept. 29, Legislative Action Committee hearing that the state has been successful in removing California sea lions from the falls. However, a new, larger predator has moved in – Steller sea lions. “Steller sea lions are larger and re- quire substantially bigger traps and support equipment,” Dirksen said. Because the state Department of Fish & Wildlife is limited in where it can store equipment, boats and other items, it has requested to po- tentially use part of the 23-acre Blue Heron property, which the Tribe purchased in August 2019. Dirksen said the Tribe and state Department of Fish & Wildlife are joint parties to the latest permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that provides for control of the sea lion population at Willamette Falls. “ODFW has documented positive impacts to Native fish populations through sea lion removal and these efforts are scheduled to continue for the foreseeable future,” says a staff report seeking approval of the agree- ment, which will last through 2022. “I was looking at ways to help and to build and maintain our partner- ship with ODFW while staying ac- tive managers at the site,” Dirksen added. In other action, Tribal Council: • Appointed former Spirit Moun- tain Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson Sneed and cur- rent Community Fund Program Coordinator Angela Sears to the five-member Editorial Board, which supervises the editor of Smoke Signals. Sneed’s term will expire in March 2023 and Sears’ term will end in March 2022; • Appointed Tribal Council Secre- tary Jon A. George as the Tribe’s principal delegate to the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and approved the payment of $7,500 in annual dues; • Approved a management plan for the Tribe’s 425-acre Chankawan conservation property located on the North Santiam River. The Tribe used Bonneville Power Ad- ministration funding in 2016 to acquire the property in Marion County and the management plan was developed in conjunction with the Power Administration and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife; • Authorized Finance Officer Chris Leno to resume payments on Tribal loans made to Spirit Moun- tain Gaming Inc. The payments were suspended during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandem- ic in March, but now that Spirit Mountain Casino has been re-open for four months, the SMGI Board of Directors has informed Tribal Council that payment suspension is no longer necessary due to im- proved cash flow; • Approved applying for a $50,540 Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs grant that will help fund outreach efforts by the Tribe’s new Veterans Services Officer Ramona Quenelle; • Approved applying for a $500,000 COVID-19 Response Equity grant from the Oregon Health Authority that would pay for eight items, including separations in the Tribal dental clinic and supplies for an ambulance at the Grand Ronde Fire Station; • And approved numerous enroll- ment-related issues, including three blood quantum adjustments, an emergency non-infant determi- nation, two infant determinations, 17 non-infant determinations and one non-infant re-enrollment. Tribal Council approved the agen- da for the 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, General Council meeting that will be held virtually over the Zoom tele- conferencing program. The annual Baird financial update of Tribal in- vestments will be the presentation. To view the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Government tab and then Videos. cultural education A re you missing out on what Cultural Education has to offer? Follow us on Facebook to get detailed class information, photos from events, and updates. Plus, check out the tribal calendar for a quick glance of upcoming events and classes. Open to Tribal and Community members. Join us! Paid ad