THE NEW GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER

ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2008, SIX TRIBAL MEMBERS TOOK THE BUS TOUR TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER CONSTRUCTION SITE.

ON THE RIDE TO THE SITE, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DIRT PORTION OF CROW HILL ROAD, I SAW TRENCHES BEING DUG THAT WILL CARRY OUR ELECTRIC AND SEWER LINES TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING. THERE WERE PILES OF DIRT AND ROCKS (A TYPICAL CONSTRUCTION SITE DEBRIS.)

WE WENT AROUND THE SITE, TO THE SOUTH END WHERE WE LOOKED IN AT THE CONSTRUCTION. THERE IN FRONT OF US, WAS TWO LEVELS OF STEEL BEAMS, THAT IS GOING TO BE THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING. TO THE EAST WAS THE FORMS FOR THE EAST FOUNDATION. TO OUR SOUTH WE WERE TOLD WILL BE THE FIELD THAT CAN BE USED FOR SPORTS BY TRIBAL MEMBERS. I BELIEVE THE AREA IS SOMETHING LIKE 75' X 150' ( A NORMAL FIELD IS SOMETHING LIKE A 100' X 300'. THE TOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE TOLD THAT THEY WILL WORK ON THE EAST WING AND THEN GO BACK TO THE CENTER SECTION AND THEN MOVE OVER AND WORK ON THE WEST WING. THE BOTTOM SECTION IN THE CENTER WILL HAVE PARKING SPACES FOR ABOUT 16 OR 17 CARS. WHOSE PARKING SPOTS ARE THEY GOING TO BE?

WHEN WE GOT BACK, I WENT AND FOUND A GOVERNMENT WORKER WHO I ASKED ABOUT THE BOND ISSUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER. I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS SET BUT THE GOVERNMENT WAS WORKING TO GET THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE. I ASSUME WE ARE WAITING TO GET A BETTER INTEREST RATE. I THINK IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE BONDS YET.

ALTHOUGH THE WORK IS PROGRESSING ON SCHEDULE, THE FINANCING EVIDENTLY IS NOT IN PLACE YET. THEREFORE, THE TRIBE COULD HAVE OUR GOVERNMENT STOP THIS CONSTRUCTION, IF WE SO DESIRED. CAN WE AFFORD IT? SHOULD WE DO THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WE ARE RAISING THE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT DEBT FROM ABOUT AN ESTIMATED $102 MILLION TO AN ESTIMATED $200 MILLION. WE ARE DOUBLING OUR DEBT. IN TWELVE YEARS WE WENT FROM NO DEBT TO $102 MILLION AND NOW IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES WE ARE DOUBLING THE DEBT WITH THIS ONE PROJECT.

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2008 AFTER THE QUARTERLY MEETING, YOU CAN TAKE THE BUS AND VIEW THE NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SITE.