Tribal Council approves purchase of two properties

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer

Tribal Council approved purchasing two properties to use for its Community Transitions Program during its Wednesday, May 31, meeting.

The properties are the 9.27-acre Hanson House Bed & Breakfast located at 23005 Yamhill River Road in Willamina and the 8.5-acre Sabey property, located behind the Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center in Grand Ronde.

 During a Legislative Action Committee meeting on Tuesday, May 30, Tribal Lands Department Manager Jan Reibach said the purchases are part of Health & Wellness Department Community Transitions Program projects and completely funded by the Project Turnkey grant with zero Tribal dollars being used. The property purchases are expected to close by mid-June.

“These properties will provide supportive housing options for Tribal members with safe, structured and supervised housing,” Reibach said.

According to a press release from the Oregon Community Foundation, which administers the state-funded grants, Project Turnkey was first approved by the state Legislature in 2020 and allocated $65 million to acquire motel and hotel properties for use as safe shelters for people experiencing homelessness, at-risk of homelessness or displaced by the catastrophic wildfires.

In less than seven months, Project Turnkey resulted in 19 new shelters in 13 counties, a 20-percent increase in the state supply of shelter beds. Each property is locally owned and operated by a local nonprofit organization or government entity.

Project Turnkey 2.0 was approved by the Legislature in March and allocated $50 million in new funding for more transitional housing around the state.

The Tribe’s Health & Wellness Department rehired former General Manager David Fullerton earlier this month to lead the new Community Transitions Program by ensuring the properties are developed and ready for occupancy, as well as developing program policies and procedures.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved the second supplemental budget increase in 2023 for $2 million in additional funding for the Tribal Sponsorship Program (Tribal member grants), which will be funded by the gaming dividend;
• Approved the Oregon Housing and Community Services homeownership development program grant for $1.5 million, which will be used to partially fund six new homes in the Tribe’s new homeownership development project for future ownership;
• Approved a grant application to the Trillium Community Health Plan 2023 community benefit initiative grant for $400,000, which will be used to fund a mobile opioid treatment unit;
• Approved a modification to the Arrow Thin Logging Unit contract to allow for removal of downed and damaged trees from an area near the Tribe’s disc golf course next to uyxat Powwow Grounds;
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to jointly manage the Fort Yamhill State Park property with the eventual goal of the Tribe taking over ownership of the property;    
• Appointed former Grand Ronde Gaming Commission Executive Director Michael Boyce to serve as interim director of the commission due to the resignation of director Tanner Fish, who is moving to Texas;
• And enrolled two infants into the Tribe because they met the enrollment requirements under the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

One approved authorization to proceed was also included in the May 31 Tribal Council packet, to draft a cultural significance letter for the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program for fiscal year 2025 project proposals.

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