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NOVEMBER 15, 2021
Smoke Signals
Tribe distributes premium pay to government employees
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde distributed $6.2 mil-
lion in premium pay wages to its
approximately 600 governmental
employees on Friday, Nov. 5.
“We’re happy to announce that
the Tribe is issuing premium pay
wages to all those in the Tribal
government whose hard work, ded-
ication and flexibility has allowed
the Tribe to continue services and
expand programming to Tribal
members and the Grand Ronde
community over the course of the
COVID-19 pandemic,” the Tribe
announced on its webpage www.
grandronde.org.
The American Rescue Plan Act,
which was passed into law in March
of this year, stipulates that premi-
um pay wages can be awarded to
employees who worked and contrib-
uted throughout the course of the
pandemic that began in mid-March
2020 because the employees faced
a greater risk of exposure.
The Grand Ronde Tribe received
$27.544 million in American Rescue
Plan funds in May and another
$23.547 million in August, bring-
ing the Tribe’s total payment to
more than $51 million. In 2020, the
Tribe also received $45.56 million
in CARES Act funding.
The Treasury Department issued
guidance in May that stated Amer-
ican Rescue Plan funds should be
used for public health response,
water, sewer and broadband in-
frastructure and premium pay for
essential workers “who have and
will bear the greatest health risks
because of their service in critical
infrastructure sectors.”
The Tribal announcement said
that the Tribe’s executive staff
worked closely with department
managers to determine the appro-
priate premium pay level for every
governmental employee and calcu-
lated the premium pay accordingly.
Based on the amounts received
by Smoke Signals staff members,
employees received anywhere from
$15,000 for those who averaged
32 hours or more a week in the
office to $1,750 for those who pri-
marily worked from home during
an 18-month period that began in
mid-March 2020.
“Whether they’re one of our ded-
icated clinic staff working on the
frontlines, someone interacting
with Tribal members to provide
services, processing emergency
or COVID-19 relief payments for
Tribal members or a temperature
check station employee, this service
has been invaluable and the Tribe
wanted to recognize that effort,” the
statement said.
The premium pay sparked debate
on social media by Tribal members
who primarily criticized Tribal Coun-
cil members for reportedly receiving
$20,000 each in premium pay.
Tribal Council members defended
providing and receiving premium
pay during the Tuesday, Nov. 9,
Legislative Action Committee
meeting.
Tribal Council member Lisa Leno
said the premium pay amounted to
about 6 percent of the federal funds
received by the Tribe during the
pandemic. “This was always about
our employees,” she said, adding
that Tribal Council members did
not participate in determining the
premium pay tiers, the amount of
premium pay and where they indi-
vidually fell in the tier structure. “It
was about our wanting to show our
appreciation for our employees and
thank them for the tremendous sac-
rifices that they have made for our
people for the last year and a half.”
Tribal Council member Denise
Harvey defended, at times emotion-
ally, her colleagues for diligently
working to ensure the Grand Ronde
Tribe received its fair share of fed-
eral funds that were distributed
through 2020’s CARES Act and this
year’s American Rescue Plan Act.
“Historically, we have this time
and it’s one of the first times ever
that we have been equally included
in those funds,” Harvey said. “It
was a lot of work. Tribal leaders
had a certain responsibility that
they had to do. … This council did
everything they could to ensure
that not only us, but Indian Coun-
try was going to get the benefits
that we were allowed.”
Tribal Council member Kathleen
George said that Tribal Council has
been focused on helping the mem-
bership and employees during the
pandemic.
“It seemed like a narrative that
was trying to be developed was this
was something about Tribal Coun-
cil trying to get something,” George
said. “I just want to assure the
membership that throughout this
entire pandemic, over 18 months
now, Tribal Council has been 100
percent focused on supporting our
people … and our people also in-
cludes our employees. … Did the
people on Tribal Council receive
some benefits? We did, so I guess
we’re guilty of that, but we’re also
guilty of putting the people first and
that’s what this effort had really
been all about.”
Tribal Council Secretary Michael
Langley said that Spirit Mountain
Casino employees were not eligible
to receive the premium pay funded
through the American Rescue Plan
Act. However, casino employees re-
ceived $1,300 bonuses on Oct. 29, as
well as continued to receive wages
during the casino’s 74-day closure
that occurred between March and
May 2020.
“It is about the employees, and
not about us,” Langley said.
The statement said that the Tribe
also has distributed more than $37
million in direct payments to Tribal
members, including eight monthly
payments that were sent between
April and November 2020 to help
offset financial hardships caused
by the pandemic, and started more
than $5.7 million in new programs
to help Tribal members during the
pandemic.
A frequently asked questions
posted at www.grandronde.org
stated that Tribal members have
received almost 38 percent, or
$8,400 per adult Tribal member, of
all federal pandemic funds received
by the Tribe while employees re-
ceived slightly more than 6 percent.
One ramification of receiving
premium pay, however, means that
Tribal employees will not receive
the usual Christmas bonus this
year. “We used that budget to en-
sure all employees were included in
some level of premium pay,” Gener-
al Manager David Fullerton said.
Tribal Council OKs grant application to provide veterans with new building
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Tribe’s Veterans Ser-
vice Office and the veterans
it serves will have a new
home in 2022 and the Tribe
is seeking a grant from the
Oregon Office of Veterans’
Affairs to help convert the
building.
Tribal Council approved
applying for a $51,888 grant
that would help renovate
the Procurement building
across Grand Ronde Road
from the Tribal Housing
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Department office for Ra-
The Tribe’s current building housing the Procurement Department off Grand Ronde
mona Quenelle, who start-
Road is slated to be converted into the new home of the Tribal Veterans Service Office
ed working as the Tribe’s
Veterans Service Officer in in 2022. Tribal Council approved applying for a $51,888 state grant to help with that
conversion during its Wednesday, Nov. 10, meeting.
July 2020.
The budget includes pro-
viding for a handicapped ramp and
Police Station on the west side of
project would include mechanical
purchasing computers, tables and
Grand Ronde Road.
and chemical control of invasive
chairs, new blinds and carpeting.
In other action, Tribal Council:
species and replanting of grasses
The current garage would be con-
• Approved the enrollment of five
and shrubs;
verted into a gathering area and
infants into the Tribe because
• Approved Friday, Dec. 10, as the
the conference room would be used
they meet the requirements out-
next per capita payment date.
for program conferencing, training
lined in the Enrollment Ordi-
Finance Officer Chris Leno said
and confidential meetings.
nance and Tribal Constitution;
that the per capita amount will
Veterans would be able to use the
• Approved the Tribe’s Natural
not be determined until early
computers to check on their federal
Resources Department applying
December;
Veterans Affairs benefits and ac-
for a maximum $17,000 in fund-
• Authorized a Tribal credit card
cess forms electronically.
ing from the Natural Resources
for new Human Resources Man-
Procurement soon will be vacat-
Conservation Service to improve
ager Sarah Harvey to pay for
ing its current location for a new
habitat for existing elk and deer
recruiting posting fees on web-
building south of the Grand Ronde
meadows on the Reservation. The
sites, special job boards and
professional associations, as well
as myriad other recruiting and
departmental expenses;
• Sent a new Fuel Tax Ordinance
out to the membership for a
first reading. The new ordinance
would allow the Tribe to impose
a motor vehicle fuel tax at the
same rate as the state, which is
currently 36 cents per gallon. The
Legislature amended the state
statute to allow for the tax effec-
tive Jan. 1, 2022. Tribal members
will have 30 days to comment on
the proposed ordinance;
• And appointed Kalene Contreras
to the Housing Grievance Board
with a term expiring in March
2024.
Also included in the Nov. 10 Trib-
al Council packet was an approved
authorization to proceed to distrib-
ute $730 timber revenue payments
to Tribal members. The payment is
being sent out early to accommo-
date Tribal members who might
have to shop earlier for Christmas
because of national supply chain
difficulties, Tribal Council Secre-
tary Michael Langley said during
the Tuesday, Nov. 9, Legislative
Action Committee meeting.
To watch the entire meeting, visit
the Grand Ronde Tribal govern-
ment website at www.grandronde.
org and click on the Government
tab and then Videos.