Tribal Council adopts Enrollment Ordinance amendments

Tribal Council adopted amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance during its Wednesday, Jan. 23, meeting.

The amendments outline the Enrollment Committee’s role, changing it from a board to a committee, and state that the board’s regular meetings occur quarterly to review enrollment applications. Special meetings still are permitted, but with the permission of the Tribal Council Chief of Staff.

The amendments also set deadlines for submitting enrollment applications.

Tribal Attorney Brooks Wakeland said that the Tribe received three membership comments when the amendments were sent out for a first reading.

At the Tuesday, Jan. 22, Legislative Action Committee meeting, Tribal Council member Denise Harvey asked that the amendments be tabled for additional discussion, but her motion failed to receive a second.

Enrollment Committee Chair Ann Lewis said during the Tribal Council meeting that she is concerned that the new restrictions will not allow committee members to do their job effectively.

“We will have serious problems in fulfilling our duties meeting quarterly,” she said.

Tribal Council member Jack Giffen Jr. said the amendments do allow for additional special meetings. “We’re not eliminating that. We are just attempting to establish a standardized process,” he said.

Tribal Council member Michael Langley concurred with Giffen, asking for cooperation and patience from Enrollment Committee members as the new process is implemented and evaluated. He added that if Enrollment Committee members request additional meetings that he believes they will be approved by Tribal staff.

Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier, who chaired the meeting, said Tribal Council is currently evaluating all boards and committees regarding how often they meet and their effectiveness.

The amendments were approved 6-1 with Harvey casting the lone dissenting vote.

Tribal Council also voted to send proposed amendments to the Election Ordinance out for a first reading, which will allow Tribal members 30 days to comment.

The amendments would revamp how Tribal members vote every September for Tribal Council candidates by providing for the use of ballot boxes and allowing the processing of ballots cast by voters who walk on before Election Day.

The amendments were developed following work sessions with the Election Board, Audit Services and Legal.

The amendments would allow Tribal voters who are casting their ballot absentee to deposit their ballot in a ballot box that will be located in the Tribal Governance Center. The box will be under constant camera surveillance.

Another ballot box will be located where voting is taking place on Election Day between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The amendments also stipulate that a voter who cast their ballot absentee and then walked on before Election Day will have their vote processed as if they were still living.

The amendments also would eliminate the requirement that voters who have a 5-year-old or older signature verification form on file with the Election Board have to fill out a new form for an updated signature.

Notices soliciting input on the proposed Election Ordinance amendments will appear in two issues of Smoke Signals before returning to Tribal Council for possible adoption.

Tribal Council also approved the agenda for the Sunday, Feb. 3, General Council meeting to be held at the Monarch Hotel & Convention Center in Clackamas. The program report will be by the Cultural Resources Department and a program report will be given by the Natural Resources Department regarding Willamette Falls and the ceremonial fishery.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved four Tribal credit cards, including two generic credit cards for Procurement and credit cards for Wildland Fire Single Resource bosses Dustin Hawks and Michael Graham;

• Approved a renewed contract with the Oregon Judicial Case Information Network that allows the Tribe access to filings and information for cases in Oregon courts. The Tribe uses the network when conducting background checks on potential employees;

• Re-appointed Harvey as the Tribe’s primary delegate to the National Indian Gaming Association and approved paying $25,000 in annual membership dues;

• And approved the enrollment of three infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

Also included in the Jan. 23 Tribal Council packet was an approved authorization to proceed that authorizes the Tribal Attorney’s Office to notify the Native American Rights Fund that Grand Ronde wants to be a signatory Tribe to a friend of the court brief in the Brackeen v. Zinke Indian Child Welfare Act case.

Tribal Council member Kathleen George made the cultural presentation to open the meeting. She discussed the Chinook Winter Gathering held in Ridgefield, Wash., on Saturday, Jan. 19. “It was just a wonderful day,” she said, adding that Mercier and Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George also attended the event.

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