Tribal Council approves elder housing agreement with Indian Health Service

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

With only one week passing since its last meeting, Tribal Council had a light agenda on Wednesday, Sept. 14, dealing with only one action item.

The shorter one-week period between meetings occurred because Tribal Council traditionally holds a meeting after new members are sworn in to office.

Earlier in the day, incumbents Denise Harvey and Kathleen George and former Tribal Council member Brenda Tuomi were sworn in for new three-year terms after taking the top three spots in the Sept. 10 election. Jack Giffen Jr., who served 18 years on Tribal Council, officially became a former Tribal Council member.

The one action item saw Tribal Council approve a memorandum of agreement with the Indian Health Service that will bring the Tribe an additional $156,614 to fund sanitary and water services at the Creekside Elder Housing Phase III project at the southwest corner of Grand Ronde and Hebo roads.

The development will feature 24 two-bedroom, one-bath, energy efficient units with approximately 1,120 feet that will include all appliances. The homes will have solar panels, unit specific batteries to store the solar energy and plug-ins for emergency use of generators. The expected completion construction date is spring 2023.

With Tuomi re-elected to Tribal Council, for the first time Tribal Council now has a 6-3 female majority. Tuomi, Harvey and George will serve through September 2025.

The next Tribal Council meeting will be held 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28.