Tribal Council approves contracts for two new buildings

Two new buildings will be going up in Grand Ronde now that Tribal Council approved the contracts to build them at its Wednesday, June 25, meeting.
Tribal Council approved a contract with Gerding Builders to construct a new Employment Services building on the Tribal campus next to the Community Center. The building will be a "one-stop shop" for Tribal members seeking employment with the Tribal government or Spirit Mountain Casino, as well as those seeking employment assistance from the Tribal Employment Rights Office or 477 and vocational rehabilitation programs.
The contract is not to exceed $2.4 million.
Tribal Council also approved a contract with Dan Kaufman Excavating (Whisler Construction) to build a food bank building on the Curl property on the west side of Grand Ronde Road across from the Tribal Housing Authority office.
The contract is not to exceed $620,000 and construction should be completed by November.
In other action, Tribal Council:
• Approved the Tribe's application to Spirit Mountain Community Fund for a $150,000 Education category project;
• Adopted a resolution disbanding the Personnel/Human Resources Planning Group;
• Approved the Salvage Logging Unit timber sale contract with Round Valley LLC as presented by Natural Resources Department staff. The sale is estimated to be worth $104,939;
• Approved a loan to Illihi, LLC, for use by MicroGREEN Polymers of Arlington, Wash.
• Approved increasing the Tribe's line of credit from TriState Capital Bank;
• Approved applying to the Oregon Youth Development Council for a $175,000 grant. If received, the grant would fund services and activities to help motivate youth at risk of being disconnected from education, and include family coordinator services and educational assistance;
• Approved the correction of a Tribal membership roll number and the enrollment of one infant into the Tribe.
Education Department Manager Eirik Thorsgard, Land and Culture Department Manager Jan Looking Wolf Reibach and Tribal Council member Jon A. George opened the meeting with cultural drumming and singing.
Authorizations to proceed included in the June 25 Tribal Council packet:
• Directed staff to proceed with an assessment of the Risseeuw property at Highway 22 and Grand Ronde Road to determine the feasibility of leasing approximately one acre to the Lighthouse Recovery Services Group;
• Directed the Finance Officer to conduct a supplemental budget process to establish the appropriation for the Employment Services building construction project;
• Approved the General Manager's Office transferring $30,000 from contingency to pay for an upcoming socio-economic assessment;
• Appointed Tribal Council member Kathleen Tom as the representative to the Governor's Regional Solutions Advisory Committee;
• Approved sending a Declaration of Partnership to the British Museum, which houses the Summers Collection;
• And established a summer internship program for a high school- or college-aged Tribal member in Tribal Council.