Tribal Council OKs grant applications, RFP, Housing agreement

Tribal Council approved two grant applications, a request for proposals and a Housing Department agreement during its Wednesday, Aug. 23, meeting.

The first grant application will seek $118,845 in federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding to help lower-income Tribal member households in the seven-county service area, which includes Clackamas County, and other Natives with heating and cooling assistance, weatherization projects and crisis assistance. Last year, the program served 166 households.

The second grant application will seek $57,885 from the National Park Service to help fund the Tribal Historic Preservation Office.

The request for proposal would allow the Health & Wellness Center to start the process to replace its Pharmacy data management system, which has reached its end of life in terms of practicality for the Tribe. The software being used dates back to the early 2000s. The request would cost between $19,000 and $45,000.

The Housing Department agreement is between the Grand Ronde Tribe and 10 other Tribes in Oregon and California to use Tribal enrollment data to determine annual Indian Housing Block Grant funding. By using enrollment data, the Grand Ronde Tribe gains $321,241 in housing funding.

In other action, Tribal Council approved the enrollment of one infant into the Tribe and OK’d paying up to $30,000 in annual membership dues to the National Congress of American Indians and re-appointed Tribal Council member Brenda Tuomi as the Tribe’s primary delegate.

Also included in the Aug. 23 Tribal Council packet were authorizations to proceed that:

• Authorized remodeling of the Tribal Cemetery Sanctuary storage area to add a restroom with an in-ground holding tank. Estimated cost is $35,000.

• Directed staff to move forward with an amendment to the Enrollment Ordinance to return final decisions on loss of membership cases to Tribal Council;

• Directed staff to move forward with an amendment to the Enrollment Ordinance that would allow Tribal members and applicants to view electronic versions of documents in their lineal ancestor’s enrollment files;

• And directed staff to move forward with an amendment to the Enrollment Ordinance that would allow Member Services to provide either a letter of descendancy or certificate of descendancy and let the descendant decide which one they want.

The entire meeting can be viewed on the Tribe’s website at www.grandronde.org by clicking on the News tab and then Video.