Tribal Council approves additional apartment complex construction

Tribal members seeking to return to the Reservation and live in an apartment will have eight more options in the near future.

Tribal Council approved a maximum $1.675 million contract to construct the second phase of the Wind River apartment complex during its Wednesday, Dec. 26, meeting.

Seabold Construction Co. of Beaverton was the low bidder out of four bids received.

The 20-unit first phase of the Wind River Apartments was completed in May 2015. The second phase will include eight more units housed in two separate buildings, Housing Department Manager Shonn Leno said.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved applying to Polk County for a $6,000 Justice Reinvestment grant that will support domestic violence and sexual assault program efforts in the community;

• Approved applying to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a $500,000 Indian Community Development Block Grant that, if received, would help build a Language & Culture building for the Chinuk Wawa language immersion program. The current plan would locate the new building to the west of the Adult Education facility;

• Approved applying for a U.S. Department of Justice Tribal Victim Services grant that would bring the Tribe $618,601 over a three-year period to help prevent domestic violence, Elder abuse and human trafficking in the community;

• Approved a $22,790 agreement with Arctic Information Technology Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, to help the Tribe create a centralized database. Work on the project will begin in January;

• Approved a $550,000 capital contribution to the first phase of development for Chemawa Station LLC, which is a project co-owned by the Grand Ronde and Siletz Tribes. The Tribes broke ground on the 15.7-acre parcel in the summer of 2005 and have installed the infrastructure for developing the site. The Siletz Tribe also will contribute $550,000 toward the first phase of development as well.

• Approved a restated 401K document with two amendments;

• And approved the agenda for the 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, General Council meeting that will be held in the Tribal Community Center. The Health & Wellness Center will make the program report.

Also included in the Dec. 26 Tribal Council packet were approved authorizations to proceed that:

• Authorized staff to evaluate participation in the Strategic Energy Management Program for the Natural Resources, Governance Center and Housing Department buildings;

• Allocated $20,000 in Royal Cup sponsorship funds evenly between the Veterans and Contest powwows;

• Nominated Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy to serve on the Oregon Heritage Commission as the Tribe’s representative;

• And approved Tribal staff helping the Burns Paiute Tribe near Burns in gathering flooring estimates for an armory building the Tribe recently acquired.

Cultural Resources Department Manager David Harrelson made the cultural presentation to open the meeting, discussing the tradition of storytelling during the dark, cold winter months. He also read “Coyote Builds Willamette Falls and a Magic Fish Trap” that was originally recited by Clackamas Chinook storyteller Victoria Howard.

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