Committee Meeting Information

August 20 and 21, 2007

Joint Tribal Business Council Chambers

15 North Fork Road

Fort Waskakie, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Senator Cale Case, Co-Chairman

Representative Del McOmie, Co-Chairman

Senator Wayne Johnson

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Rodney "Pete" Anderson

Representative Patrick Goggles

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

Alex Kean, Associate Research Analyst

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

 

 

Call To Order (Monday, August 20, 2007) 

Co-Chairman Case called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. and asked the Committee and attendees to introduce themselves  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda. 

 

Executive Summary

The Committee heard updates and discussion on various topics, including water, health, education, law enforcement, probation, parole, vocational rehabilitation services. solid waste. family services and transportation.  The Committee continued planning for the state services data collection report due to the legislature June 30, 2008 and planning for the State-Tribal Summit to be held in October, 2007.

 

Approval of Minutes

Senator Vasey moved approval of the June minutes with no changes.  The motion was seconded and passed.

 

Tribal Concerns and Issues

Ivan Posey, Chairman of the Shoshone Business Council and Richard Brannan, Chairman of the Arapaho Business Council welcomed the Committee to the Joint Business Chambers and presented issues of concerns to their respective tribes.  Scott Ratliff, with Senator Enzi's office, Orville St. Clair with the Eastern Shoshone Business Council and Edward Lonefight, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent addressed the Committee.  Chairman Brannan introduced Gary Collins, the new Tribal Liaison for the Northern Arapaho Tribe.

 

Public Service Commission

Mary Byrnes, Public Service Commissioner presented information requested from the last meeting [Appendix 3]. 

 

Education - Contract Status Update and Reporting Requirements

Joe Simpson, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mary Kay Hill, and Christine Steele with the Wyoming Department of Education and Michelle Hoffman, Superintendent of Wyoming Indian High School provided a regional snapshot of student performance.  The Department of Education presented their technical assistance approach [Appendix 4].  Michael O'Donnell updated the Committee on the status of the contract regarding the St. Stephens funding.

 

Law Enforcement/Probation/Parole

John St. Clair, Chief Judge with the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Court, Ed Newell, Fremont County Attorney and Roma Jimerson, Tribal Prosecutor discussed juvenile services, supervision and probation on the Wind River reservation.  Donna Trosper and Elizabeth Salway with the Northern Arapaho - Wind River Tribal Youth Services, Leslie Shakespeare with Eastern Shoshone Juvenile Probation and David Snyder with Eastern Shoshone Juvenile Protection center explained the limitation of juvenile beds, the limitations of dealing with youth on the reservation and caseloads.  Carol Justice with the Northern Arapaho Tribe discussed how the juvenile's are treated in the tribal child protection services and funding streams for the programs.  Dr. Leon Wakefield with Eagle Wings discussed various treatment services. 

 

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Jim McIntosh, Division Administrator with the Wyoming Vocational Rehabilitation, Pamela Rodriguez with the Northern Arapaho Vocational Rehabilitation and Bob Rowan, Administrator of the Red Feather Eagle Program explained their programs, their caseloads, funding, cooperation with other programs and program successes [Appendices 5 through 13].  

 

Solid Waste Issues

Don Connell and Dale Groutage with Fremont County Solid Waste and Don Aragon, Director, Wind River Environmental Quality Commission updated the Committee regarding their services, collections, and problems affecting the Reservation and the County, including unauthorized dumping [Appendices 14 through 16]. 

 

Health Services – Contract Requirements and Enhancing Reporting Formats

Ginny Mahoney, Chief of Staff with the Department of Health, Elizabeth Antone, Arapaho Tribal Health Director, Harmony Spoonhunter, Shoshone Tribal Health Director, Michelle Antone, Indian Health Services Administrator and Cathy Keene with the new Community Health Center, explained their case management and disease prevention in the community, including an update on West Nile cases.  Following the update, they worked with the Tribal Liaisons and the Committee to expedite services to address mosquito control in the Ethete area in an attempt to curb the West Nile crisis in the area. 

 

Planning for Summit

Senator Vasey moved to hold the Summit at the Chief's Tech Center at the Wyoming Indian High School.  The motion was seconded by Representative Goggles and passed.  Representative Goggles moved to approve the draft Summit Agenda, subject to change as the Summit program is developed.  Senator Johnson seconded the motion and the motion passed.  Senator Vasey moved to approve the tentative budget, splitting the costs between the water and other sections.  Senator Johnson seconded the motion and the motion passed.

 

Water

Orville St. Clair  provided a copy of the Tribal Water Code and a copy of a bill from Senator Baucus [Appendices 17 and 18] and gave a brief history of tribal water use and issues.  Mr. St. Clair, Bill Russell, Tribal Engineer, Sandra C'Bearing, Arapaho Co-Chairman of Wind River Water Resources Control Board, Mitch Cottenoir, Shoshone Co-Chairman of Wind River Water Resources Control Board and Water Development Commissioner, Jon Wade, Administrator of Planning with the Wyoming Water Development Office and Loren Smith, Division III Superintendent with the State Engineer's Office discussed current water issues on the Wind River Reservation and in Fremont County.  They identified additional persons to be included for the water portion of the State Tribal Summit.

 

Meeting Recess

The Committee recessed until Wednesday morning.

 

Call To Order (August 21, 2007)

Co-Chairman McOmie called the meeting back to order at 9:00 a.m. 

 

Intertribal Education and Community Center

Jo Anne McFarland, President of Central Wyoming College updated the Committee on the status of the Intertribal Education and Community Center [Appendices 19 and 20].  Senator Vasey moved for the Chairmen to write a letter of support to Senator Enzi.  Representative Goggles seconded the motion and the motion passed.

 

Senator Vasey moved to draft a bill to appropriate $1.1 million to complete the center.  Following a second by Senator Johnson the motion passed.

 

Family Services

Tony Lewis, Director of the Wyoming Department of Family Services, George Moss, Director of the Northern Arapaho Nation Department of Social Services, John Wadda, Director of the Eastern Shoshone 477 Program, Velma Rhodes, Director with the Northern Arapaho Child Protection Services, Lori McLeod, IIM Manager/Acting Director, Eastern Shoshone Child Protection Services and Tom Kennah, State Department of Family Services consultant and liaison for Indian Social Services presented information on child protection services, juvenile services and economic assistance available to citizens on the reservation and in the county [Appendices 21 and 22]. 

 

Transportation Issues

Delbert McOmie, Chief Engineer and Dan Cline, Tribal Liaison with the Wyoming Department of Transportation and John Smith and Howard Brown with the Tribal Transportation Department discussed partnerships, planning and projects on the reservation  [Appendices 23 through 26]. 

 

State Services Data Collection

The Committee will continue to work on the report they are to present to the legislature June 30, 2008

 

Meeting Adjournment

Representative Anderson moved to sign a resolution to thank the Joint Business Council for the use of their chambers.  The motion was seconded by Representative Goggles and Passed.

 

The next meeting will be the State-Tribal Summit to be held October 2-4, 2007 at the Wyoming Indian High School, Ethete, Wyoming.  There being no further business, Co-Chairman McOmie adjourned the meeting at 12:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Representative Del McOmie, Co-Chairman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix		Appendix Topic		Appendix Description		Appendix Provider
1		Committee Sign-In Sheet		Lists meeting attendees		Legislative Service Office
2		Committee Meeting Agenda		Provides an outline of the topics the Committee planned to address at meeting		Legislative Service Office
3		Public Service Commission		July 13, 2007 Memorandum		Public Service Commission
4		Education		School Districts Results Packet		Wyoming Department of Education
5		Vocational Rehabilitation		School to Work Transition		Red Feather Eagle Vocational Rehabilitation
6		Vocational Rehabilitation		Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Report
7		Vocational Rehabilitation		What does the Red Feathered Eagle Program Do?		Red Feather Eagle Vocational Rehabilitation
8		Vocational Rehabilitation		Client Assistance Program		Protection and Advocacy Program
9		Vocational Rehabilitation		March 30, 2007 Memorandum		Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
10		Vocational Rehabilitation		Working on the Dream		Northern Arapaho Vocational Rehabilitation Services
11		Vocational Rehabilitation		Services Offered - PowerPoint		Red Feather Eagle Vocational Rehabilitation
12		Vocational Rehabilitation		Eastern Shoshone Recovery Youth Program  - PowerPoint
13		Vocational Rehabilitation		Clients' Guide to Vocational Rehabilitation Services		Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
14		Solid Waste		August 8, 2007 Letter		Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District
15		Solid Waste		PowerPoint		Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District
16		Solid Waste		Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan		The Wind River Tribes of Wyoming
17		Water		March 28, 2007 Letter and Wind River Water Code		Eastern Shoshone Tribe
18		Water		Press Release		Eastern Shoshone Tribe
19		Intertribal Education and Community Center		Central Wyoming College Brochure		Central Wyoming College
20		Intertribal Education and Community Center		PowerPoint		Central Wyoming College
21		Family Services		August 8, 2007 Letter		Wyoming Department of Family Services
22		Family Services		August 2, 2007 Letter		Eastern Shoshone Tribe
23		Transportation		17 Mile Road Project		Wyoming Department of Transportation
24		Transportation		Long Range Transportation Plan		Wyoming Department of Transportation
25		Transportation		PowerPoint		Wyoming Department of Transportation
26		Transportation		Interchange Brochure		Wyoming Department of Transportation