Tribal Council holds first readings on two proposed amendment changes

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council held first readings of possible amendments to two ordinances – the Fiscal Management and Public Records ordinances – during its Wednesday, May 6, meeting.

The proposed amendments to both ordinances would allow for distribution of audited financial information materials to Tribal members and also make various technical amendments.

However, during the May 5 Legislative Action Committee meeting, several Tribal Council members expressed concerns about the amendments.

Currently, Tribal members can view the Tribe’s audited financial information by visiting the Governance Center in Grand Ronde. Copies are not allowed. Under the amendments, the Tribe would send that information out to adult Tribal members.

Tribal Council Secretary Toby McClary said he would support sending the proposed amendments out to Tribal members for comment, but that he will not vote for them when official adoption comes before Tribal Council because of his concern that proprietary Tribal financial information could be leaked by someone who inappropriately comes into possession of the information.

McClary’s concerns were endorsed by Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno, Vice Chairman Jack Giffen Jr. and Tribal Council member Ed Pearsall.

Tribal Council member Denise Harvey said the amendments are an attempt to provide more information to Tribal members, especially those who live too far away from Grand Ronde to make the trip, and that the Tribe needs to trust its membership to understand and respect the confidentiality of the information.

Tribal Council member Jon A. George said he would favor a middle ground where Tribal members who live far away could access the information electronically, but the Tribe would not run the risk of sending out hard copies of the information in the mail.

The amendments will be published twice in Smoke Signals seeking Tribal member comment before returning to Tribal Council for a formal decision.

In other action, Tribal Council:

•        Approved a request for a limited waiver of sovereign immunity for its master custody agreement with Northern Trust. Co.
•        Approved the enrollment of two infants and one non-infant into the Tribe and corrected the blood quantum of one Tribal member.

Also included in the May 6 Tribal Council packet were authorizations to proceed that appointed Harvey as the Tribal representative to the Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights Bureau Advisory Committee and authorized Leno to sign a cultural significance letter to the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program as presented by staff.

The meeting, in its entirety, can be viewed on the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, under the News tab and then click on the Video link.