Tribal Council approves cost-of-living increase

Tribal Council approved a 2.1 percent cost-of-living increase for its nine members during its June 11 meeting.

The increase will be retroactive to Jan. 1.

According to an authorization to proceed, Tribal staff received a 2.1 percent cost-of-living increase at the beginning of the year, but Tribal Council members did not.

The total amount of the increase is not to exceed $26,000 and will be funded from the existing budget within Tribal Council's department.

The increase was approved by a 7-0 vote.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved the use of a Tribal General Services Administration credit card by the Procurement manager to pay for pre-approved airfare and hotel expenses for Tribal members while receiving health care services outside of Oregon;
• Approved the Tribe's application for $126,571.43 in Indian Health Service Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative funding;
• Approved the Tribe's application for a $62,500 Oregon Emergency Management Performance grant;
• Appointed Sarah Ross and Eirik Thorsgard (honorary) to the Culture Committee;
• Appointed Mel Holmes and Shonn Leno to the Timber Committee;
• Re-appointed April Campbell, Wink Soderberg and Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno to the Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors;
• Approved the ROW Logging Unit timber sale as presented by Natural Resources Department staff;
• Approved amendments to the Employment Action Review Ordinance. The proposed amendments eliminate "on the record" reviews of employment decisions, provide a method for conducting employment hearings in Tribal Court, include provisions for mediating employment claims and provide additional remedies for employees;
• Approved the enrollment of three infants and six adults into the Tribe.

Jade Unger, Eirik Thorsgard, Jan Looking Wolf Reibach and Tribal Council member Jon A. George provided the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting.

Other authorizations to proceed included in the June 11 Tribal Council packet:

• Named the Grand Ronde Community Garden "mek mek-ili?i," which translates to "food place" in English.
• Appointed Emergency Operations Coordinator Jamie Baxter to serve as the Tribal representative on the local Emergency Food and Shelter/Federal Emergency Management Agency board.