Council Dispatch #180     July 27, 2023

 

Tribal Council

 

  • Mike Dolson asked if the Election Committee will be dealing with the electioneering that was happening at Tuesday’s meeting. Chairman McDonald advised they will take it under consideration.

 

  • Chairman McDonald presented a request for a support letter for the Governor’s disaster emergency declaration. It was consensus of council to approve the support letter.

 

Division of Fire

 

  • Council received an update on local fires. The Big Knife fire is now approximately 415 acres in size and is 0% contained. The Missoula smokejumpers were called in. Their primary objective is to protect life and property at the toe of the slope under and above the S Canal between the areas of Blodgett Creek and Big Knife Creek. They are trying to prevent the fire from spreading north and south. There was a community meeting in Arlee last night. The Division of Fire will develop a meeting schedule to keep the community updated. The incident command post will be at the Arlee Pow Wow grounds. The weather remains hot and dry and lightning is forecasted. Council received a copy of the incident action plan. Planning meetings are held at the Arlee Pow Wow grounds at 7:30 a.m. and the morning briefings are at 7:00 a.m. There will be a fire restrictions meeting next Tuesday. The Tribal Cultural Preservation staff provided a culture sensitivity briefing with the history of that area. It was the consensus of council to go with the plan as outlined. The Mission Dam fire is now 100% contained.

 

Department of Human Resources Development

 

  • Shawn Swaney, Tribal Member, informed council that his car was caught on fire in Missoula and was impounded. Mr. Swaney requested assistance to get his car out of impound. He has new tires on the vehicle.  He wants to salvage what he can and does not want to surrender his car.  Patricia Courchane requested a waiver of the Dire Need policy in order to assist Mr. Swaney since he has already exceeded the amount of assistance allowed by policy.  The $360 fee for impound is not covered by insurance. No action taken.  Patricia Courchane will obtain further information to find out if Mr. Swaney can access to his belongings in the car without paying the impound fee and report back to council.

 

Financial Management

 

  • Council approved a resolution providing new signature authority for the Tribal Investment accounts established at TD Ameritrade due to staffing changes.

 

  • Council approved a resolution providing new signature authority for the Tribal Investment accounts established at LPL Financial due to staffing changes.

 

  • Council approved a resolution authorizing setup and signatory authority for the bank account at Eagle Bank in Polson called CSKT IHS Assisted Living Facility.

 

  • Council approved a resolution providing new signature authority for the Tribal Investment accounts established at Charles Schwab Corporation due to staffing changes.

                    

  • Council approved a resolution providing new signature authority for the Kerr FWIS Escrow Account established at First Interstate Bank due to staffing changes.

                    

  • Council approved a resolution changing authorized signatures on the Tribal Accounts at Eagle Bank.

 

  • Council approved a resolution changing authorized signatures on the Tribal Accounts in Glacier Bank.

                    

  • Council approved a resolution authorizing Tribal Officials to initiate disbursements, provide investment instructions to the Bureau of Trust Fund Administration.

                    

  • Greg Spahr informed council that the retirement fund is transitioning to Empower today. Chairman McDonald will reach out to Greg about Empower.

 

  • Martin Charlo is having many people reaching out about ADP. He hopes the program can track how many people do not submit their timecards correctly. Martin is worried that people will not get paid because they did not do it correctly. Staff is confused about the new payroll system. Martin did not know if Greg communicates regularly with timekeepers, but there seems to be very little communication. There needs to be communication to alleviate the stress employees are having. There is some uncertainty whether or not employees will receive a paycheck. The ADP rollout needs to be communicated to staff. Greg Spahr responded he will do better.

 

 

NOTE:  The official Council Minutes will contain more complete details about lengthy discussions and should be considered the official record of Council. Dispatches are written from notes taken live and may occasionally contain partial information, over-simplified characterizations or an occasional error. Council reviews and corrects the draft minutes before approving as the official record.  Comments (both affirmations and concerns) are part of change and are expected and encouraged. Along with any specific comments, please also share what you would like to hear more about in upcoming communications. The email address for comments is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..