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JUNE 1, 2023
5
Polk County OKs repaving
Grand Ronde Road
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council approved purchasing the Sheridan Country Inn property,
located at 1330 W. Main St. in Sheridan, during its Wednesday, May 17,
meeting. The $1.8 million sale is expected to close by June 18.
Tribal Council approves
purchase of Sheridan Inn
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer
Tribal Council approved pur-
chasing the 3.5-acre Sheridan Inn
property during its Wednesday,
May 17, meeting.
The $1.8 million sale is expected
to close by June 18 and the property
is located at 1330 W. Main St. in
Sheridan.
During a Legislative Action Com-
mittee meeting on Tuesday, May
16, Tribal Lands Department Man-
ager Jan Reibach said the purchase
was part of a Health & Wellness
Department project and completely
funded by a grant.
Health Services Executive Direc-
tor Kelly Rowe said the property
will be used for programming and
housing for Tribal members suffer-
ing from behavioral health diagno-
ses. The property has 20 rooms and
a common area with a kitchen.
At the same meeting, Tribal
Council Chairwoman Cheryle A.
Kennedy said the project is essen-
tial.
<I just want to express my grat-
itude to Jan and his team for the
good work that they've done, not
only through this property but the
many properties that have been
worked on and all the increased
acreage that has been added to
our Tribe because of this work,=
she said. <This project speciocally,
I know that I9ve said this before,
but it is so essential to meet the
needs of our membership (who) are
caught in the web of addictions and
the lifestyle that they've been try-
ing to deal with and overcome. This
is a step in the recovery (process).
I'm so pleased that we9re able to
address these kind of issues.=
In other action, Tribal Council:
" Approved a contract amendment
with GBD Architects of Portland
for $622,000 for master planning
and design services for the Tum-
wata Village project in Oregon
City;
" Approved applying for an En-
vironmental Protection Agen-
cy Performance Partnership
Grant for $375,960 in 2024 and
$370,063 in 2025;
" Approved a credit card for the
Social Services Department with
a $2,500 credit limit;
" Approved a professional services
agreement with MCA Architects
of Portland for the design of a
20,000-square-foot resident and
recreation center across from Trib-
al Housing Department ofoces;
" Approved a resolution declaring
Friday, June 9, as the quarterly
per capita payment date;
" Reappointed Jerri Schmidt to a
three-year term on the Grand
Ronde Gaming Commission that
expires in June 2026;
" Approved a resolution for a con-
struction phase amendment to
allow Scholten Construction of
Willamina to complete the work for
the $8.8 million Grand Ronde Fire
Station remodel and expansion;
" Approved a limited waiver of the
Tribe9s sovereign immunity to
allow the city of Salem to litigate
if any action arises out of an
emergency reporting systems ser-
vices contract so that the Tribal
Police Department can enter into
a contract with the city for 911
services;
" Approved a cash out and credit
consent decree and authorized
a limited waiver of the Tribe9s
sovereign immunity to allow
any litigation resulting from the
Portland Harbor confidential
settlement be conducted in U.S.
District Court;
" Approved re-appointing Richard
VanAtta to the Veterans Special
Event Board with a term ending
on March 31, 2025;
" Approved an agreement with the
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife for off-reservation and
non-trust land hunting, oshing,
trapping and gathering, and for
cooperative management of nat-
ural resources between the Tribe
and state of Oregon;
" And enrolled four infants into the
Tribe because they meet the en-
rollment requirements outlined
under the Tribal Constitution
and Enrollment Ordinance.
One approved authorization to
proceed also was included in the
May 17 Tribal Council packet to
conduct a supplemental budget
process to establish $2 million in
additional funding for the Tribal
Sponsorship Program (Tribal mem-
ber grants), which will be funded by
the gaming dividend.
To watch the entire meeting, visit
the Tribal government9s website
at www.grandronde.org and click
on the Government tab and then
Videos. þ
Grand Ronde residents and governmental employees will be facing
a summer of repaving work on Grand Ronde Road now that the Polk
County commissioners have approved a $2.27 million contract with
K&E Excavating of Salem during its May 17 meeting.
The 1.5-mile stretch of Grand Ronde Road between highways
18 and 22 will be repaved starting around June 15 and last until
mid-October.
Polk County Public Works Director Todd Whitaker said the project
is a <full depth= reconstruction that will clear away the entire old
roadway surface and lay down six inches of new asphalt, two more
inches than was laid down during the last repaving that occurred
in 2009-10.
The Grand Ronde Tribe is paying for about 50 percent of the project
with Yamhill County paying for about 7 percent while Polk County
is accounting for the other 43 percent. The northern end of Grand
Ronde Road is in Yamhill County.
Whitaker said that one lane will remain open with nagger control
throughout the project, which is being managed by Polk County
Public Works.
On April 19, Tribal Council approved a memorandum of under-
standing between Polk County and the Tribe to fund the engineering
design and an intergovernmental agreement authorizing up to $1.5
million for the Tribe9s portion of the project. þ
4 Includes information from the Polk County Itemizer-Observer
GRAND RONDE
PADDLE PRACTICE DATES
Saturday, June 10 -10 a.m.-2 p.m. at East Devil's Lake State Recreation Area
Wednesday, June 14 - 3-5 p.m. at Huddleston Pond Park in Willamina
Wednesday, June 28 - 3-5 p.m. at Huddleston Pond Park in Willamina
For more info contact Jordan Mercier
503-879-2185 | CulturalEducation@grandronde.org
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND RONDE
Portland Office Food Distribution
Thursday, June 8
10:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
CTGR Portland Office Parking Lot
4445 S.W. Barbur Blvd.
Portland, OR 97239.
503–879–1881
Ad by Samuel Briggs III