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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2020)
sNok signflz OCTOBER 15, 2020 General Council briefed on investments in executive session By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The Grand Ronde Tribal mem- bership received its annual update on the Tribe’s investments during the Sunday, Oct. 4, General Council meeting held virtually using the Zoom teleconferencing app. About 45 Tribal members, Tribal staff and representatives from Rob- ert W. Baird & Co. Inc. attended the meeting. The 22-minute briefing was presented in executive session, which limits how much Smoke Sig- nals can reported on the content. Baird Directors Joseph Hoon and Patrick Cronin made the presenta- tion and fielded one question from the membership after they were finished. Tribal members who did not at- tend the meeting, but would like to see the presentation, should contact Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez at stacia.martin@gran- dronde.org or call 503-879-2304 to obtain a copy. In other action, Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy announced the Tribe’s intention to put the former Multnomah Grey- hound Park property in Wood Vil- lage into trust for gaming purposes. For more details, see the Smoke Sig- nals story on page 1 of this edition. Hernandez said that an update on the Tribe’s Blue Heron property at Willamette Falls in Oregon City will be scheduled in the near future. The next General Council meet- ing will review the draft 2021 Trib- al budget at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, using the Zoom teleconferencing application. The non-executive session portion of the meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and clicking on the Government tab and then Videos. 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. Self Care in the Changing Times Friday, October 23, 2020 Via Zoom 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Join Zoom Meeting www.Zoom.us Meeting ID: 874 2945 1514 Passcode: 267710 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87429451514?pwd=dFZHZDU4bEU1dTQ4S2EzUmg0OXhIUT09 Please feel welcome to log in and connect with others in the community, learn some self care tools, laugh, check-in and leave feeling uplifted. Tribal Council OKs Elder housing roof replacements By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Just in time for what is forecast to be a cold and rainy western Oregon winter, Tribal Council approved during its Wednesday, Oct. 14, meeting a $558,480 contract to replace the almost 20-year-old roofing on the first phase of the Elders housing de- velopment. Public Works Coordinator John Mercier said during the Tuesday, Oct. 6, Legislative Action Committee hearing that the roofing project will affect 38 housing units located in 14 multiplex buildings on the Tribal campus. The first phase of Elder hous- ing was completed in 2001 and the contract was awarded to Washington Roofing Co. in Mc- Minnville. The housing units have sheet metal roofing. “The roofs need replacement” states the staff report regarding the project. Mercier said the work will be- gin the week of Oct. 19. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved executing a li- cense agreement with Pacific Northwest Solar of Vancouver, Wash., to erect a solar farm on the 78-acre Risseeuw property at the northeast corner of Hebo and Grand Ronde roads once all permits are obtained and a lease is signed; • Approved the Tribe’s 2021 In- dian Housing Plan that will be submitted to the U.S. Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development. The $6.5 million plan, which outlines all eligible activities, will bring the Tribe $3.1 million in new funding, Housing Department officials said during the Tuesday, Oct. 13, Legislative Action Commit- tee hearing; • Approved applying for a $125,000 Oregon Department of Education grant for career technical education. The grant will pay for Baker Technical Institute to bring its simulator for heavy equipment train- ing and certification to the Tribe. Education Department Manager Angela Fasana said during the Tuesday, Oct. 13, Legislative Action Committee hearing that about 18 Tribal and community youth would be eligible for the training; • Approved applying to the Ore- gon Department of Education for a $150,000 grant that would fund two new academic adviser positions and an edu- cation/career coach for Tribal member students. The grant also would purchase three laptop computers; • Approved acceptance of a $35,000 Meyer Memorial Trust grant that would fund development of habitat res- toration alternatives at the Tribe’s 425-acre conservation property Chankawan located in Marion County; • Approved acceptance of a $15,000 Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board grant that would improve habitat conditions at the Tribe’s Rat- tlesnake Butte conservation property northwest of Junc- tion City in Lane County; • Approved acceptance of a $22,500 Marion County Soil & Water Conservation Dis- trict grant that will help to replant 29 acres of the 429- acre Chahalpam conservation property on the North San- tiam River in Marion County. The replanting will take the acreage out of agricultural use and return it to tradi- tional oak savannah, riparian vegetation; • And approved the enroll- ment of two infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance. Also included in the Oct. 14 Tribal Council packet were approved authorizations to proceed that OK’d Tribal in- volvement in the Indigenous Gardens Network being fa- cilitated by Southern Oregon University professor Dr. Brook Colley, approved the Natural Resources Department to pur- chase a track loader skid steer for a maximum of $180,000 to maintain Tribal conservation properties and directed General Manager David Fullerton to develop policies and procedures for a technology grant program designed for Tribal Elders to purchase computers so they can participate in remote meetings during the COVID-19 pandem- ic. To watch the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Government tab and then Videos. Sponsored by Social Services (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) Are you frustrated with your diabetes control? Do you have questions about diabetes? Do you need help managing your diabetes? If so… Call the Medical Clinic today at 503-879-2002 To schedule an individual diabetes education appointment Facilitated by the Native Wellness Institute www.NativeWellness.com 5