Tribal Council OKs Ackerson Road pump station contract

Tribal Council approved a contract at its Wednesday, Sept. 24, meeting that will eventually end the Grand Ronde campus' reliance on the local sewer district and save the Tribe money.

The contract with Pacific Excavation of Sherwood, which is not to exceed $304,535, will install a new pump station at Ackerson Road. The new pump station will send all wastewater effluent from the Tribal campus to the family housing treatment plant.

"The system will operate more efficiently and be more cost effective, saving the Tribe money in the long run," said Tribal Council member Toby McClary during the Sept. 23 Legislative Action Committee meeting.

Tribal Engineer Jesse White said the project was budgeted for $400,000 in the 2014 budget.

In other action, Tribal Council approved removing former Tribal Council members Kathleen Tom and June Sherer and adding new Tribal Council members Chris Mercier and Tonya Gleason-Shepek as signers for Tribal accounts and credit cards.

Tribal Council also approved the enrollment of one infant into the Tribe and approved two voluntary relinquishments.

Also, Tribal Council approved amendments to the Public Safety Ordinance that, among other things, transfers enforcement authority for public safety violations to the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department, incorporates provisions for permitting concealed carrying of firearms on Tribal lands and establishes a process for obtaining restraining and protective orders.

Tribal Attorney Rob Greene said at the Sept. 23 Legislative Action Committee meeting that no comments were received from Tribal members about the Public Safety Ordinance amendments.

Tribal members Travis Stewart and Bobby Mercier led a group that performed the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting.

A video of the meeting can be viewed in its entirety at the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, under the Video tab.

Also included in the Sept. 24 Tribal Council packet were authorizations to proceed that:

• Allowed the Tribe's Natural Resource Department to accept a $25,250 Bureau of Indian Affairs Invasive Wildlife Program grant to conduct active mechanical treatment to reduce invasive species and protect the Nelson's checker-mallow reserve on the Bode property;
• Approved applying to the National Park Service for a $36,876 Maritime Heritage grant to create a canoe exhibit, which will include a carved canoe, carving tools, spears, nets, exhibit cabinets and panels.