Tribal Council approves design contract for Tumwata Village infrastructure improvements

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals assistant editor/staff writer

Tribal Council approved a contract with David Evans and Associates, Inc. of Portland for infrastructure improvement design services for its Tumwata Village development during its Wednesday, June 28, meeting.

The $669,301 contract will include the design of roads, sidewalks, utilities and environmental aspects, according to Tribal Engineering and Planning Manager Ryan Webb.

“This is the initial phase of redevelopment work at Tumwata Village,” he said during a Legislative Action Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 27.

According to its website, David Evans and Associates includes engineers, surveyors, planners, hydrographers, landscape architects and natural resources scientists who are, “working together to improve the quality of life while demonstrating stewardship of the built and natural environments.”

Since purchasing the property for $15.25 million in August 2019, the Tribe has released its vision statement for the site in March 2021, started environmental remediation, launched the first phase of demolition in September 2021, secured federal support by obtaining an $800,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant in May 2021 and $2 million in federal funding included in the appropriations bill signed into law in March 2022, and began a third round of demolition work in March of this year.

Tribal Council also approved five sponsorship requests. These included $5,000 for the Columbia Land Trust, $2,500 for the Lakota Oyate Ki Cultural Club, $1,250 for Red Lodge Transition Services, $5,000 for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and $1,500 for the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved final adoption of three Enrollment Ordinance amendments removing the previous loss of membership moratorium, limiting involuntary loss of membership to fraud and dual enrollment, and removing the language regarding loss of membership for failure to meet enrollment criteria and provide a definition of fraud;
• Approved final adoption of Safe Stay ordinance governing the temporary tiny home shelters, parking spaces and any other building, camper or cluster of buildings that provide shelter on a temporary basis and provides a process for when the safe shelters are abandoned or if eviction is necessary;
• Approved re-appointing Daniel Strobel to the Election Board with a term ending on March 31, 2025;
• Approved a credit card for Gaming Commission Interim Executive Director Michael Boyce with a $5,000 credit limit;
• Approved an application to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management for a 5-year grant of $62,500 per year;
• Approved a government-to-government agreement between the Tribe’s Warriors of Hope Program and the Oregon Department of Human Services Survivor Investment Partnership for a two-year, $453,000 grant to support its domestic violence shelter, other program operations and staff;
• Approved a grant agreement with the Oregon Department of Education’s Early Learning Division for $133,440 to support the Tribe’s involvement with the Tribal Early Learning Alliance;
• And enrolled 26 non-infants into the Tribe because they meet the enrollment requirements stated in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

During other business, several items were included in the June 28 Tribal Council packet.

The first was a first reading of amendments to the Tribe's Gaming Ordinance to change definitions of high security and primary management official gaming licenses, and revise license application and background investigation requirements to better reflect information currently necessary to safely operate the gaming facility.

The second item was adopting a resolution approving the Northern Trust Company's terms and conditions for online usage. Northern Trust is custodian of the Tribe's investment portfolio.

The third was to transfer ownership of a $5,000 unused fire protection vehicle to Rural Fire Protection District 5, which provides services to the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw.

The fourth was to approve a $31,380 Oregon State Fire Management wildfire season staffing grant.

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