Tribal Council makes numerous appointments to committees, special event boards

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council made its annual appointments and re-appointments to numerous committees and special event boards during its Wednesday, April 17, meeting.

Appointments and re-appointments included:

• Re-appointed Jade Unger and Guy Schultz and appointed Steven Rife and Martina Gilbert to the Ceremonial Hunting Board with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Francene Ambrose, Eric Bernando and Shayla Myrick-Meyer to the Culture Committee with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Mia Prickett and Monty Herron to three-year terms on the Editorial Board;
• Re-appointed Michael Cherry, Peter Grout and Christopher Mansayon and appointed Michael Herrin to the Education Committee with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Michael Mercier and Daniel Stroebel and appointed Joanne Mercier and Lori Sterling to the Election Board with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Debi Anderson and appointed Kalene Ainsworth, Angela Schlappie and Tracy Moreland to the Enrollment Committee with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Alan Ham and appointed Charlene Westley to the Health Committee with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Simone Auger and Shayla Myrick-Meyer and appointed Harris Reibach to the Housing Grievance Board for three-year terms;
• Re-appointed Dana Ainam, Molly Leno and Kalene Contreras and appointed Shannon Simi and Anthony Quenelle to the Powwow Special Event Board with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Re-appointed Diana George and Russell Wilkinson to the Tribal Employment Rights Commission for three-year terms;
• Re-appointed Lorraine Lash, Alton Butler, Richard VanAtta and Molly Leno to the Veterans Special Event Board with terms expiring in March 2021;
• Appointed Reyn Leno to the Timber Committee with a term expiring in March 2021;
• And appointed Shonn Leno to the Fish & Wildlife Committee with a term expiring March 2021.

Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez said one seat each on the Health Committee and TERO Commission remain vacant.

In addition, Tribal Council sent proposed amendments to the Election Ordinance out for a first reading, which will solicit comments from Tribal members. Tribal Attorney Rob Greene said the proposed amendments will ensure that accurate information is sent to Tribal members during Bureau of Indian Affairs-supervised constitutional amendment elections.

Tribal Council also set the agenda for the Sunday, May 5, General Council meeting that will be held in the Tribal Community Center. The Housing Department will make the program report.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Adopted the 2019-24 Transportation Improvement Plan;
• Approved the Natural Resources Department purchasing a new dump truck. Natural Resources Department Manager Michael Wilson said during the Tuesday, April 16, Legislative Action Committee meeting that the new Kenworth dump truck will replace one used by the excavation crew with more than 640,000 miles on it. The new dump truck costs more than $100,000, which requires Tribal Council approval per the Procurement Ordinance;
• Approved creating a Tribal Transportation Advisory Committee and bylaws for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund application. The new Tribal committee is a three-member subcommittee of the Elders Committee;
• Adopted the Tribal Transit Development Plan, which identifies starting transit service between Grand Ronde and Dallas and creating a local collector route within the Grand Ronde community as the top two priorities;
• Approved applying for $100,000 Tribal share from the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund, which could help fund the Transit Development Plan’s priorities;
• And approved the enrollment of one infant into the Tribe because he or she meets the requirements outlined in the Enrollment Ordinance and Tribal Constitution.

To watch the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the News tab and then Video.