BAY MILLS — Topping a relatively short agenda, Administration for Native Americans Grant Administrator Michelle Willis addressed the Bay Mills Executive Council members on April 26 to update them on the status of Bay Mills Ojibwe language programs.
Willis recounted the events that led to the Stewart and Livonia Bennett leaving Bay Mills, saying that Stewart Bennett was having difficulty teaching to children. After a series of miscommunications, Willis said that she and Stewart mutually agreed that he was not comfortable with the position requirements and it would be better for him to return to his previous involvement with Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Willis also said that Livonia Bennett stayed on briefly with the Bay Mills Child Development Center, continuing her work as a language instructor, but she soon wanted to return to her home with her husband.
Now without language programs being taught through the ANA grant, Willis said that most of the materials used for the programs at the charter school and the child care center have been boxed up and moved to her office in the Waishkey Center.
After a brief recess, the council returned to address the only other issue that garnered significant discussion at the meeting — expansion of the Bay Mills Resort and Casino customer parking lot and the use of gravel for that project.
Chairman Jeff Parker presented the proposal to the council, saying that the parking lot to the south of the Resort would be expanded to add an extra 100 to 150 new parking spots and a new customer entrance would be added to that side of the building. Instead of having to pay for gravel to be shipped to Bay Mills, Chairman Parker recommended that the needed gravel be drawn from the gravel lot on the corner of Lakeshore Drive and Plantation Road.
Secretary Greg Parker said that he believed the tribe was still owed gravel from Payne Dolan, and he would look into the matter to see if that was the case. Chairman Parker said that he believed that Bay Mills has received all the gravel contracted to the tribe, but he agreed that the issue should be verified.
The gravel lot was originally intended to be used for overflow parking, but since the fabric lining that was supposed to be installed under the gravel was never put in place, the lot would not be able to be used for anything substantial without taking all the gravel up and putting the lining down.
Gravel is presently being drawn from the lot to patch spots in the adjacent RV Park to prepare it for opening.
Also at the meeting, the council approved future membership for Janine Napoletano and BIA Roads Project No. F60-945, which grants a right-of-way to Plantation Road in order to facilitate future improvements.
Six phone votes — a lease cancellation, the Fisheries Marketing Project, Coastal Zone Management Grant, two gaming and a resolution designating Geraldine Parish and Rebecca Munz as representatives on the Michigan Indian Elders Association — were reaffirmed en masse by the council.
The final action before adjournment was to approve the Donation Committee's recommendations for a $3,300 tribal member donation for the Down Under Hoops Classic and a $1,500 donation for the March of Dimes Walk America campaign.
The council was short one member during the meeting, as Vice Chairman Allyn Cameron was absent.
