Tribal Council approves contract to design Community Center expansion

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved a professional services agreement with Portland-based Akana on Wednesday, Sept. 8, that will employ the firm for architectural services to design an expansion of the Community Center.

The expansion will create an addition to the Community Center for the Warriors of Hope program within the Social Services Department. The program serves survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Akana has previously worked with the Tribe on the Creekside Elder Housing development that is currently beginning at the southwest corner of Hebo and Grand Ronde roads.

The Community Center opened in March 1992 and was the first permanent building constructed on the Tribal campus in Grand Ronde after 1983’s Restoration.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved two credit card authorizations for Torey Wakeland and Gabe Synegal as part of their work as single resource bosses for the wildland firefighting program;
• Approved a one-year contract extension with Industrial Economics Inc. so the company can continue to provide environmental consulting services to the Tribe regarding the McCormick and Baxter superfund sites at Portland Harbor;
• And approved the enrollment of two infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

Also included in the Sept. 8 Tribal Council packet were approved authorizations to proceed that established a $1 lease fee at the home ownership property on McPherson Road to create an infrastructure fund to supplement the cost of future repairs and upgrades, instructed Finance Officer Chris Leno to start the supplemental budget process to fund the recent increase in minimum wage and related wage compression rate increase in the amount of $486,000 and established the Sept. 15 per capita payment amount.

Tribal Council also approved the agenda for the 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, General Council meeting, which will feature an executive session presentation about Spirit Mountain Casino as well as Tribal Council election results.

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