Tribal Council approves PGE easement

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved an easement for Portland General Electric on its Hanson property at its Wednesday, May 28, meeting.

The 9.27-acre Hanson property, located in Sheridan, is the site of the Tribe’s Community Transitions Program’s residential treatment center and transitional housing. The Tribe purchased the property in 2023.

“It’s an awesome property and the perfect property for that program,” Tribal Lands Department Manager Jan Reibach said during a Tuesday, May 20, Legislative Action Committee meeting. “I’m here today to present a simple easement that’s going to improve the safety of the property by putting overhead power lines underground.”

Reibach noted that PGE is working to make upgrades to their systems in several counties by relocating power lines underground, which will reduce outages due to weather events or accidents.

The easement will cover the upgrades and grant PGE access to relocate and manage their systems on the property.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved final adoption of amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance that updates sections of the ordinance including: Membership criteria, genetic testing, application process, other changes to be consistent with the Tribal Constitution, duties of staff, the committee, Tribal Roll, application, proof of descendancy and publication; and add sections including a waitlist, 2025 open enrollment, enrolled-in-error, remove the blood degree correction and other unnecessary references to blood quantum. For more information about enrollment, see related story about the lineal descent application process;
• Approved appointing a new building official as per the Tribe’s building code ordinance. The Tribe contracts with a building code consultant to provide building department services, including providing a building official;
• And approved the enrollment of two infants and an emergency enrollment of two non-infant minors into the Tribe because they meet the requirements under the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

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