Tribal Council OKs preschool addition grant application

A 1,800-square-foot addition to the Tribal preschool was approved by Tribal Council during its Wednesday, Oct. 14, meeting as the Tribe’s submission for a $500,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Indian Community Development Block Grant.

If awarded, the grant would help construct a preschool addition to the Early Childhood Education building and renovate the current kitchen, expanding it by 200 square feet. The addition would include two classrooms -- one for 20 3 and 4 year olds and the other for eight 2 year olds.

The Tribe would provide a minimum of $166,667 in matching funds.

The addition is needed because there is a long waiting list with additional families needing services and the Early Childhood Education building is at capacity.

The Indian Community Development Block Grant Program is a competitive program to benefit low-moderate income people.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Appointed Spirit Mountain Casino General Manager Stan Dillon, Human Resources Director Patrick Dempsey, Tribal General Manager David Fullerton, Risk Administrator Pattie Mercier and Health & Wellness Director Tal Moore to the Tribal Workers’ Compensation Board;
• Approved the purchase and sale agreement for acquisition of the Chankawan property, a 411-acre parcel of forested conservation land fronting the North Santiam River in Marion County. “The Tribal Lands Department is performing due diligence for the purchase of the property, which if the Tribe takes ownership, will be funded 100 percent by the Bonneville Power Administration’s Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program,” said Tribal Lands Department Manager Jan Looking Wolf Reibach;
• Authorized Finance Officer Chris Leno to negotiate account control agreements with TriState Capital Bank and Northern Trust Co. and approved a fourth loan modification agreement with TriState that, among other things, increased the Tribe’s line of credit;
• Denied the enrollment of one infant into the Tribe and approved the enrollment of three infants and one non-infant into the Tribe because they meet the enrollment requirements of the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

Also included in the Oct. 14 Tribal Council packet were authorizations to proceed to:

• Demolish and remove the Public Works modular on the Tribal campus;
• Bring a proposed re-enactment and amendments to the Marriage Ordinance forward to Legislative Action Committee for possible approval;
• Bring forward amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Ordinance to Legislative Action Committee for final approval;
• Transfer $3,000 from contingency to the Nutrition Program budget for purchase of holiday food boxes for the Grand Ronde Food Bank;
• And bring forward proposed amendments to the Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance to Legislative Action Committee for final approval.

Tribal Council member Jon A. George joined Reibach and Tribal Artisan Travis Stewart in performing the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting.

The meeting, it its entirety, can be viewed at the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, by clicking on the News tab and then Video.