BAY MILLS - The Bay Mills General Tribal Council met on Monday, April 10 at the Horizons Conference Center. Members of the Bay Mills Executive Council briefed the public while waiting for a quorum, which wasn't made until 6:54 p.m.
Chairman Jeffrey Parker informed the GTC that the council has been working diligently with four other Michigan tribes, the state and representatives from the federal government to resolve the inland hunting and fishing rights issue.
Parker said that two tribal members had accepted positions at the tribal plastics company and are currently being trained in the technology and production line. The company will be producing a green tape that will be used as a cufflink on black corrugated pipe. The business has sparked a lot of interest from other businesses and tribal organizations, Parker added.
Parker updated the GTC on the Charlotte Beach land claim. He said Bay Mills was having the same problem other tribes were having with their land claims. In order to disclose on the Charlotte Beach property it would take an act of Congress. Parker said the tribe has been attempting for years to get that language included in past bills, but to no avail. He said that very recently, in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal, Bay Mills learned that another tribe had spent millions of dollars to make sure this settlement didn't take place. Parker added that other congressmen have said they supported the project and said the council plans on a stand alone bill - The Bay Mills Land Claim Settlement Bill of 2006.
A tribal member asked if it would be plausible to "ruffle some feathers," so to speak, to speed up the settlement process. Parker said that if the tribe were to go that route, the only settlement the tribe would get would be cash and not land. Tribal Attorney Candy Tierney echoed Parker's statement, adding that the damages paid would be similar to a medical malpractice suit and that the compensation would be cash and not land.
Executive Council Secretary Richard LeBlanc took the floor thanking the membership for their support in the tribal election, saying it was an honor to serve his community. He jokingly compared his transition on the Executive Council to trying to jump on a merry-go-round at a high rate of speed, adding he had to run as fast as he could to catch up with all the issues the previous council had been working on.
LeBlanc said he has taken a very broad look at the various tribal entities and their expenses. While the casinos are doing well, revenue-wise, he said the increased costs of health care, gas prices, and utilities have hurt the tribe financially.
Vice Chairman Terry Carrick, Tribal Councilperson Alex Easton, and Treasurer Mike Willis also thanked the membership for their support in the tribal elections. Carrick and Easton reported they have been spending a lot of time working on resolving the inland hunting and fishing dispute with the state. As a history teacher and Director of Native American studies at Bay Mills Community College, which studies treaties, Willis added that he is very excited to be working on the inland hunting and fishing rights issue.
The tribe is still working on putting a new road up Plantation "Dump" Road to gain access to the tribal property on top of the hill, said Parker. The current road is on private property, so maintenance would be impossible, he explained. As far as future tribal housing on the hill, he said there is not money available like there was in the '80s and '90s. Instead, the tribe is developing a Community Development Financial Institution, which would allow the tribe to act as a bank and lend members money for housing and small business loans. Parker said it would take about two years before the CDFI is up and running.
Parker also notified the membership that the tribe recently learned they would be receiving funding for the development of a resource center, hopefully next to the Armella Parker Building. Parker said he is looking into moving all of the tribal offices on one floor so they are accessible for all. It would also likely be used for law enforcement, as well, so the Waishkey Building could be evacuated for the charter school. He said he would eventually like to get the tribal court, administration and human resources into one building and all of the physical fitness equipment and staff moved to the basement of the Ellen Marshall Building, so it is near the doctor's offices and the other health-related fields.
Carrick said that in June of 2003, the GTC authorized the tribe to borrow 14 million dollars to build a school. However, the school has never asked for a penny of that money because they wanted to establish a good track record first. The OCS board has spoken to the previous council to discuss other options, including the renovation of the Waishkey Building. He said an architect visited the site and they are waiting for his response to see if it is economically feasible to renovate the building, or if it would be better to build new. The school needs four additional classrooms for next year, Carrick added.
Parker told the GTC that the tribe does not have enough revenue right now to borrow 14 million dollars. He said there is a difference between authorizing and borrowing that much money and added that the tribe does not have the means to pay it back.
Carrick said that the school has five more years under their current Mosaica contract and are looking at ways to improve it, or to get out from underneath it. The board is not happy with the turnover at the management level at the school, he said, and is currently looking at self-management of the middle and high school level. To get out of the contract, however, Carrick said would cost the school a lot of money.
The only act of the GTC was to approve the recommendation made by the membership screening committee to adopt 39 children and 11 adult applicants into the tribe. One minor child applicant was tabled until the next meeting, pending the father's application for membership, and five applicants were recommended for conditional denial.
