Tribe pledges $4 million to help fund Newberg-Dundee bypass

MCMINNVILLE -- To a standing ovation, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy pledged $4 million in Tribal money to help fund the first phase of construction on the Newberg-Dundee Bypass at a McMinnville City Club noon luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The Tribal funds, originally designated in its gaming compact with the state of Oregon to help build a new interchange at the convergence of state highways 18 and 22, will help Yamhill County and three of its city governments fund their $20 million share of the bypass project.

The Tribe's $4 million pledge will account for 20 percent of the required local match that Newberg, Dundee, McMinnville and Yamhill County must commit to fix the "transportation nightmare" in Newberg and Dundee that is negatively affecting every Oregon community westward along Highway 18.

 "The Tribe is allocating money to a top priority of the Oregon Department of Transportation," Kennedy said. "It will affect a lot of local communities. The Tribe is being a good partner in helping fund this project with other local governments. … We are genuine about our efforts, and pleased and proud to be part of this endeavor."

 "This is another example of the true spirit of the government-to-government relationship," said Tribal Council member Chris Mercier, who represents the Tribe on the Bypass Advisory Committee. "Whether we are working with governments at the local, state or federal level, we are consistently looking for ways to collaborate as partners to find solutions that benefit our shared communities and all citizens of Oregon."

Other Tribal Council members who attended the City Club meeting were Kathleen Tom, June Sherer and Steve Bobb Sr.

In 2009, the Oregon Legislature adopted an almost $1 billion transportation package and the first phase of the Newberg-Dundee Bypass is its $257 million crown jewel.

McMinnville attorney Dave Haugeberg, who chairs the Bypass Advisory Committee, told about 100 City Club attendees that the 3.5-mile first phase will be funded with $192 million from state government, $45 million from the federal government and $20 million from local governments. It will create a transportation corridor with only two stoplights between McMinnville and Interstate 5, bypassing the currently congested downtowns of Newberg and Dundee.

Haugeberg said the bypass will take 1,500 trucks a day off the roadway through Newberg and Dundee and more than 10,000 cars off the road daily in Newberg and Dundee.

"This is a critical component," Haugeberg said, adding that the Oregon Department of Transportation hopes to break ground on the project in the summer of 2014 and finish it by 2017.

Haugeberg said he found the Grand Ronde Tribe's interest and participation in bypass funding "extraordinarily refreshing," especially since the Tribe could have sat back and done nothing because it was under no legal obligation to participate.

"We have always been observing and watching what was going on," Kennedy told City Club attendees. "These are our ancestral homelands …. and we are very interested in what is happening with our neighbors. Another principle that we hold dear is planning for seven generations. We have been following what has been happening and participating, and wondering, 'When is this going to get done?'

"When we see an opportunity that we are able to assist with, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde wants to step up and do what we can to help. This contribution will not only assist the Tribe, but it certainly will help the economy of Oregon as well.

"We're very pleased we are able to partner with the local governments, county government, state of Oregon and all of the interested citizens. This is a wonderful effort to get behind and make sure we are a part of it."

"I think the Tribe always has to jump at opportunities to be a good partner," Mercier said. "There is value in government-to-government relationships and I am glad that the Tribe sees that."

 "The $20 million match just became $16 million for a local match," said Haugeberg at the conclusion of the City Club meeting.

Tribal Attorney Rob Greene said the Tribe will receive a credit from the Oregon Department of Transportation regarding the highways 18 and 22 interchange for re-allocating the $4 million to the Newberg-Dundee Bypass. The Tribe's contribution cap for the highways 18 and 22 interchange is $9.45 million adjusted annually for inflation, according to the compact.