Tribal Council approves design phase of Health & Wellness Center upgrades

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved a contract for the design phase of a planned upgrade to the aging Tribal Health & Wellness Center during a Wednesday, April 8, meeting.

The design will cost approximately $20,000 and is funded by Health & Wellness Center revenue.

“At this moment, we’re asking for approval to move forward with the design phase, where they’ll be working with a contractor that has already secured an architect, Anderson Shirely Architects,” Project Manager in Training Andrew Freeman said during a Tuesday, April 7, Legislative Action Committee meeting. “After that phase, then we’ll move on to develop the maximum price based on the design and we’ll have a lot better idea of the actual project costs there. Then, we’ll do a construction phase amendment to this contract.”

The construction phase will be done by Triplett Wellman Contractors of Woodburn and will include an upgrade to building systems as well as improving interior areas for better functionality. Triplett Wellman was also the contractor during the original construction. More recently, the company was the general contractor for the Tribe’s Early Care and Education building. 

Construction of the Health & Wellness Center started in October 1996. Design began in August 1995 and the construction budget for the 29,000-square-foot, two-story structure was approximately $4 million. Future expansion of the building would be easy, architect Frank Whalen said at the time, because of the design in the shape of a medicine wheel with four separate wings.

Ground-breaking occurred in August 1996 with then-Health & Human Services Director Cheryle A. Kennedy mounting a backhoe to move the first clump of dirt.

“As we’ve grown and done several expansions to the clinic and grown different programs into it, we’ve kind of exceeded the space,” Tribal Executive Director of Health Services Kelly Rowe said. “Each program has pushed against the space that’s allowed because each program gets bigger and bigger, and each time that happens, what was put into place in 1997 is not supporting what is there now. What we’re trying to do is upgrade it and make sure that we’re moving into the next generations of the community. So that’s what this expansion is about.”

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved an application to the U.S. Department of Education, Indian Education 2025-27 Tribal Languages Revitalization & Education Grant for up to $200,000;
• Approved an application to the Oregon Department of Human Services Family Support and Connections grant for up to $250,000;
• Approved an application to Oregon Housing and Community Services for its Tribal Housing Grant Fund for up to $1.375 million;
• Approved a construction contract with Risseeuw’s Excavation and Septic LLC of Sheridan for $342,930 to construct eight electric vehicle charging stations on the Tribal campus;
• Approved a construction contract with Emery & Sons Construction Group, LLC of Salem for civil improvements at the Tribe’s tumwata village property in Oregon City. The work will include the first phase of infrastructure improvements such as roads, sidewalks and underground utilities;
• Approved reappointing Jonathan R. George, Mel Holmes and Jerry George to the Timber Committee with terms ending March 31, 2028; reappointing Shelby Maerz to the Education Committee with a term ending March 31, 2028; and reappointing Terri Warren to the Election Board with a term ending March 31, 2028;
• And approved enrolling seven infants and 13 non-infants into the Tribe because they meet the enrollment requirements in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

To watch the entire meeting, visit www.grandronde.org and click on the Videos tab.