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MARCH 1, 2024
Tribal Council approves Department
of Justice grant application
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council approved a
$390,000 grant application to the
Department of Justice for a Tribal
community policing grant at its
Wednesday, Feb. 21, meeting.
The Community Oriented Polic-
ing Services Coordinated Tribal
Assistance Solicitation three-year
grant will be used to purchase one
new patrol vehicle, a utility terrain
vehicle, necessary equipment for
the vehicles, offi cer training and
outreach materials.
“This is a competitive grant that
we successfully received $217,000
in 2023 for two police vehicles,”
Grants Management Assistant
Dana Morfi n said during a Tues-
day, Feb. 20, Legislative Action
Committee meeting. “This op-
portunity allows us to prevent
or reduce drug crime and use,
increase patrolling capacity and
allows us to enhance our domestic
violence (prevention) program,
Missing and Murdered Indigenous
People efforts, sex traffi cking and
stalking efforts, and to help with
outreach about our available pro-
grams.”
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Added new General Manager
Angie Blackwell as an authorized
signer on Tribal accounts and au-
thorized her use of a Tribal credit
card;
• Approved amending a contract
with Northwest Professional
Consortium Inc.;
• Approved fi nal drafts of the Trib-
al Transportation Improvement
Program and the Long Range
Transportation Plan;
• Approved an application to the
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications
and Information Administration
for a four-year Tribal Broadband
Connectivity Program grant to-
taling $2.8 million;
• Approved entering into an agree-
ment with the city of Salem to
assist the Tribal Police Depart-
ment in providing administrative
support services on evenings and
weekends;
• And enrolled one infant into the
Tribe because they meet the re-
quirements outlined in the Tribal
Constitution and Enrollment
Ordinance.
Tribal Council also set the agenda
for the next General Council meet-
ing. It will be in a hybrid format at
11 a.m. Sunday, March 3, on Zoom
and in Tribal Council Chambers,
with a report about capital im-
provement projects.
To watch the entire meeting, visit
the Tribal government’s website at
www.grandronde.org and click on
the Videos tab. n
5
Shelter in place
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
CG Contractors LLC employees Dylan Larson, left, Buddy Gleason, back,
Juan Esparza, right, and Mike Sylvia, driving the skid-steer, guide a
bus shelter as it’s placed on the concrete pad during installation in
Tribal housing on Thursday, Feb. 22. The bus shelters were used at
Spirit Mountain Casino when shuttle service was in place transporting
people to the casino. Many years ago those shuttles were stopped
and the shelters were no longer needed by the casino. They have
been repurposed with one bus shelter being installed in front of
the Community Center on the Tribal campus, one at Creekside Elder
Housing, and three in Tribal housing. Six bus shelters were supposed to
be installed, however one of them suff ered some storm damage and was
not safe to reuse, so only three were installed in Tribal housing.
Tribal nonemergency text line
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department has a nonemergency text
line at 541-921-2927.
“If you have a nonemergency situation or question, feel free to contact
my offi cer via text through this line,” said Grand Ronde Tribal Police Chief
Jake McKnight. “When one of my offi cers receives the text, they will call
you back when they have time.”
McKnight said that emergency situations still require calling 911.
For more information, contact McKnight at 503-879-1474. n
CG Contractors LLC employee Todd Fitzgerald secures a bus shelter to a
concrete pad while installing it in Tribal housing on Thursday, Feb. 22.