BAY MILLS — The Executive Council met May 10 with all members in attendance. Randy Touchtone requested permission to continue renting equipment from the tribe. Touchtone said he does little weekend jobs, such as hauling sand, on the reservation weekends when the equipment is generally not being used. He makes money, the tribe makes money from the rental, and the tribal members save money. He already had five or six calls requesting jobs. Touchtone added that he can charge less when the rent isn't high.
Tribal Chairman Jeff Parker said the council would talk it over and call Touchtone with a decision.
The council appointed Leah Jahnke to the Donation Committee seat vacated by Vice Chairman Allyn Cameron, who commented that he has been on the committee for a number of years and wanted to give others the chance to participate.
After considerable discussion, the council approved Boys and Girls Club of Bay Mills Board of Directors recommendations to appoint Sharon Teeple, Pat Shannon, Pat Egan, Carolyn Dale and Mark Karzon to its board. Two of the 3-year seats were vacated by Allyn Cameron (due to time constraints) and Aaron Tadgerson (who was hired by the club), and three were new seats to finish filling the board. The terms are for three years and are staggered.
Already sitting on the board is Mickey Parish as acting chairman, Steve Yanni, Phil Jones, Norma Bennett, Kathy Adair, June Kennedy and Jennifer Dale, making the new board composition four tribal members, and eight non-tribal members, although some of the eight are Native or Bay Mills tribal employees or both.
Vice Chairman Allyn Cameron wanted it noted that he thinks there ought to be greater tribal member representation on the Club's board. Club Executive Director Ken Hopper explained that the board function was to set policy and raise funds. The Club needs more funding opportunities and to establish an endowment. Dale said she made her own selections based on tribal membership mixed with non-members who could bring new contacts and expertise to the Club, and that there is lots of opportunity for leadership positions within the club committees.
Electrician Ron Surrette, a Bay Mills member, came before the council to disagree with some of the outsourcing for tribal projects. He thought he ought to have been awarded some of these projects. He wanted to know if there was a policy of tribal preference or Native American preference, if any, on upcoming tribal projects. Chairman Parker said there is a tribal preference. The council noted his position, and recommended he request letters from satisfied customers.
The following phone votes were reaffirmed en masse: a gaming waiver, Resolution No. 04-05-03 Support for Housing Preservation Grant; and, Resolution No. 04-5-04 Amendment to Gaming Ordinance.
A tribal parent requested funding from the council after being denied by the Donation Committee. The parent desired funding for two children to attend a FCCLA national event along with classmates. The Family, Career, and Community Leaders of American, Inc., FCCLA, is a family-oriented national and career organization with a chapter at Pickford School.
Donation Committee Chair Kathy Carrick said the reason for the denial was that the funding request included a lot of entertainment, and the same children had already received several fundings for the same type of request, one of them just a few months ago.
Treasurer Diane Teeple said she would not mind authorizing registration and other directly-related costs. But, Chairman Parker said a member was just funded for the same kind of trip. He added that he prefers challenge grants as part of leadership building. Individuals should also come before the committee or council when making this type of request, he added.
Al Easton said the group is raising money at school, too. Chairman Parker said if he were to make a recommendation, it would be to fund the group so all kids could go.
“It's two-way support,” he said, “A chance to give to local communities who contribute to us.”
Cameron noted that, at one time, the council worried that if the whole request wasn't funded, the individual wouldn't be able to go. Since, the tribe has been inundated with requests that have become bigger and bigger while the individuals did less and less to gather funds. So the council backed away because some burden has to be accepted by the people, too. Supporting the program itself seems to be more positive, he added.
A motion to give $1,000 to program, the FFCLA of Pickford for its trip to nationals, passed.
The council also approved the 2004 General Fund; a liquor license request for a Memorial Day weekend benefit tournament; a liquor license and raffle license request; Brimley High School junior class request; and a Donation Committee recommendation to sponsor a $100 hole of golf for Brimley School golf team and education foundation.
