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FEBRUARY 15, 2021
Tribal Council OKs grant application
to purchase firefighting apparatus
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council approved a
$213,095 grant application to the
U.S. Department of Homeland Se-
curity during its Wednesday, Feb.
10, meeting to purchase 25 self-con-
tained breathing apparatus for the
eventual Tribal takeover of the fire
station on Grand Ronde Road.
The Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde will be responsible
for fire and emergency medical re-
sponse in the community by 2025,
according to a five-year transition
plan approved by Tribal Council in
July 2020.
Fire suppression and emergency
medical response responsibilities
for the community are currently
supplied by the West Valley Fire
District in Willamina.
As early as December 2019, the
Tribe expressed its desire to add
fire to its growing list of sovereign
nation public safety responsibilities
that currently include operating its
own police department and emer-
gency management office.
Tribal Council approved an au-
thorization to proceed that in-
structed General Manager David
Fullerton to renegotiate a memo-
randum of understanding with the
West Valley Fire District to include
a “comprehensive transition plan”
for the Grand Ronde Tribe to as-
sume operations of the fire station
at Grand Ronde and McPherson
roads.
Fullerton also was directed to
oversee the transition plan and
re-organize the Emergency Man-
agement Program now located at
the Grand Ronde Tribal Police
Department to assume fire station
operations.
The Tribe and West Valley Fire
District signed an intergovern-
mental agreement in July 2009 to
build and operate the fire station
in Grand Ronde. The $1 million fire
station opened in June 2010, sub-
stantially reducing response times
for fire and medical emergencies in
the Grand Ronde area.
The Tribe has already applied for
several federal grants that would
help purchase firefighting equip-
ment and an ambulance for the
local fire station.
The latest grant application
seeks funding for 25 self-contained
breathing apparatus. Planning and
Grants Manager Kim Rogers said
during the Tuesday, Feb. 9, Legis-
lative Action Committee meeting
that the fire station currently has
breathing apparatus, but they are
reaching their end of use.
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Sent an amendment to the Buri-
al Fund Ordinance that would
increase the benefit from $6,000
to $7,000 out for a first reading.
It will allow Tribal members 30
days to comment on the proposed
amendment before it returns to
Tribal Council for final adoption;
• Approved the enrollment of one
infant into the Tribe because he
or she meets the requirements
outlined in the Enrollment Ordi-
nance and Tribal Constitution;
• Approved a change in the list of
Tribal managers overseeing the
401(k) plan for employees. The
move drops the Economic Devel-
opment director and Tribal con-
venience store general manager
from the list of directors on the
Plan Administrative Committee,
which now consists of the Tribe’s
general manager, finance officer
and Human Resources director
and Spirit Mountain Casino’s
general manager and finance
director;
• Approved a resolution of support
for the Riverwalk project in Or-
egon City. The Willamette Falls
Legacy Project endeavor will
eventually connect the historic
downtown area with Willamette
Falls and requires Tribal support
because it purchased the former
Blue Heron Paper Mill site along
the Willamette River in August
2019;
• And approved a new five-year
Conservation Stewardship Pro-
gram contract for three of the
Tribe’s conservation properties:
the 426-acre Chankawan and
the 461-acre Chahalpam prop-
erties in Marion County and the
667.5-acre Noble Oaks property
in Polk County. The agreement
with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Natural Resources
Conservation Service will fund
habitat enhancement work on
42 acres split among the three
properties and the Tribe could
receive a maximum of $70,000 to
fund that work.
Also included in the Feb. 10 Trib-
al Council packet were approved
authorizations to proceed that OK’d
a 2 percent cost-of-living increase to
Elders pension payments and for-
mally established June 19, known
as Juneteenth, as an official Tribal
holiday and incorporates it into the
Personnel Management Ordinance.
To watch the entire meeting, visit
the Tribal government’s website
at www.grandronde.org and click
on the Government tab and then
Videos.
Police Department has
non-emergency text line
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department has created a
non-emergency text line at 541-921-2927. “Even though this is
mostly designed for children, I don’t want adults thinking that
they can’t use it as well.” said Grand Ronde Tribal Police Chief
Jake McKnight.
McKnight said that emergency situations still require calling
911. For more information, contact McKnight at 503-879-1474.
7
LIHEAP program open in service area
The Tribal Social Service’s LIHEAP – Low Income Home Ener-
gy Assistance Program – is open to eligible Tribal members in the
six-county service area and Clackamas County.
This is a first-come, first-served program and income criteria ap-
plies.
LIHEAP is federally funded through the Department of Health and
Human Services and is designed to help low-income households with
home heating costs.
For more information, contact Social Services at 503-879-2034.
CTGR TERO Announcement
TRAFFIC CONTROL
FLAGGER
Due to COVID restrictions
TERO is putting on two 5 hour
Flagger Certification Classes
Classes Feb. 24-25. 10am-3pm.
9 person max per class. Mask required.
CTGR Employment Service Center
9615 Grand Ronde Rd.
Grand Ronde, OR 97347
(Building C, Rooms A & B )
No cost for Tribal members and
$100 for non-Tribal members.
Register with the TERO office by calling
503-879-2139 or 503-879-2188
You can also e-mail us at
tero@grandronde.org
TRIBAL EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OFFICE
Ad by Samuel Briggs III