Tribal Council amends its own travel policy

Tribal Council amended the policy governing its members travel during the last meeting of 2014 held on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

The appendix to the Tribal Council Travel Policy allocates $9,000 annually for each Tribal Council member for business travel. However, travel expenses directly attributed to unavoidable travel delays caused by bad weather, mechanical issues, national disasters and any other cause outside of the control of a Tribal Council member will not be applied toward the travel allowance.

In addition, newly elected Tribal Council members who take office in September will have $6,000 for business travel from the date of their election until the end of the year.

If a Tribal Council member exceeds the annual limit and no additional funding is approved by the rest of Tribal Council, he or she will be billed for the expenses incurred.

In other action, Tribal Council approved the 2016-17 funding application for a Performance Partnership Grant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Fish and Wildlife Program Manager Kelly Dirksen said at the Dec. 30 Legislative Action Committee meeting that the Tribe has received the grant since 1999 and the funds help pay for a portion of the wages of four Natural Resources Department employees to ensure the Tribe is in compliance with federal environmental rules.

Tribal Council also approved the 2015 annual funding agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior, which will bring almost $4 million in federal funding to the Tribe.

In addition, Tribal Council approved the enrollment of four infants into the Tribe because they have been found to meet Tribal membership eligibility requirements.

Also included in the Dec. 31 Tribal Council packet was an authorization to proceed to continue the Tribe’s membership in the Oregon Tribal Gaming Alliance for 2015 and appointing Tribal Council member Chris Mercier as the delegate with all other Tribal Council members designated as alternates.

Bobby Mercier, Brian Krehbiel, Jan Looking Wolf Reibach, Tribal Council member Jon A. George, Leslie Riggs and Travis Mercier led a large contingent of Tribal members performing the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting.

The meeting, in its entirety, can be viewed on the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, under the “Video” shortcut.