Tribal Council approves grant application to ODOT

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved an application to the Oregon Department of Transportation for a grant of up to $500,000 during its Wednesday, Oct. 28, meeting.

If approved, the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund two-year grant would be used by the Tribal Public Works Department to support operating assistance for its transit program, which provides bus service to neighboring cities and Spirit Mountain Casino, as well as Lincoln City via the Coastal Connector, for both Tribal and community members.

The Tribe has received these funds for more than 10 years, Tribal Grants Program Manager Wendy Sparks said during a Tuesday, Oct. 27, Legislative Action Committee meeting. 

“Thanks to these funds, the Tribe has been able to provide transportation to an average of 1,000 riders per month,” she said.

The Public Works Department keeps a list of ridership numbers and Sparks said she looked through the last several months. The lowest number was 842 and the highest was 1,400 riders in a month.

In other news, council:

• Approved agreements with the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Washington Department of Transportation for cultural resources work in Grand Ronde’s homelands with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office;
• Approved amendments to the Tribal retirement plan to comply with the federal CARES Act, SECURE Act and Secure Act 2.0 dealing with retirement savings regulations;
• Approved a memorandum of understanding between the Tribal Police Department and the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office to set standards and procedures for each department when jointly responding to emergencies;
• Approved a purchase and sale agreement for the Butte Creek property acquisition through the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program. The 76.75-acre property is located northeast of Salem;
• Approved an amendment incorporating a 2027 funding agreement of $3.733 million into the Department of Interior self-governance multi-year funding agreement with the Tribe;
• Approved the sale of the 75-acre liskwis ston logging unit to Round Valley LLC, which will net the Tribe approximately $1.7 million after various fees have been deducted;
• Appointed Tribal member Jake McKnight and Tribal Elder Jack Giffen Jr. to the Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors with terms ending Sept. 30, 2029;
• And approved enrolling five infants and four noninfants into the Tribe because they meet the enrollment requirements in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

Council also set the agenda for the General Council meeting. It will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, on Zoom and in-person in Tribal Council Chambers and feature the 2027 draft budget hearing in executive session.

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