Concerns about CSKT strategic planning aired at Arlee District meeting

By B.L. Azure

CSKT Council members Chairman James Steele, Jr., Arlee District Councilman Jimmy Malatare and Pablo District Councilman Ernest “Bud” Moran listen to the tribal public’s concerns about the water compacting and reorganization issues. (B.L. Azure photo)

ARLEE - Representatives from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council, the tribal legal department and administration got plenty of advice from the nearly 50 people who turned out for the Arlee District meeting last Wednesday. They were on hand at the meeting hosted by Arlee District Tribal Councilman Jimmy Malatare and Chairman James Steele, Jr.

Other Tribal Council representatives at the meeting included Polson District Councilman Steve Lozar, Pablo District Councilman Ernest "Bud" Moran and Dixon District Councilman Terry Pitts. Executive Treasurer Vern Clairmont and Executive Secretary Jane Clairmont were also there.

Tribal Legal Department attorneys Rhonda Swaney and John Carter gave an update on and answered questions about the ongoing water compact negotiations with the State of Montana. The Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission, federal authorities and the CSKT compact negotiating team had met hours earlier at Pablo in a regularly scheduled negotiating meeting.

Swaney told the folks that the Tribes were preparing for legal battles in case a water compact agreement is not hammered out before the end of June 2009. She said it could take 20-40 years in the courts to settle the issue and it would cost millions of dollars to adjudicate the Tribes', individual tribal members' and more than 4,000 non-Indian individual water right claims.

The Tribes in essence would have to mount a legal argument for or against each individual claim. That would be a very expensive effort, Swaney said but the Tribal Council is preparing for that scenario.

Teresa Wall-McDonald presented the tribal reorganization plan to those gathered at the Arlee District meeting last week. (B.L. Azure photo)

Teresa Wall-McDonald gave a presentation on the Tribes strategic planning effort and proposed reorganization of the tribal administrative structure.

Wall-McDonald said the Tribes have been doing some sort of strategic planning since the 1970s although not as a formal process as the present one. It is an important process because the Tribes have to anticipate what is coming down the pike and plan for it, she said.

The tribal system has grown immensely over the years and the cost of growth is stretching tribal revenues. The Tribes have to look at ways to conserve funds as well as generate funds. Some of that savings may come with reorganization of the tribal staff. And that is creating fear and apprehension among staff concerned about the future of their jobs.

McDonald said the tribal government wants an efficient organization that will best service the needs of the membership. However, she added that the reorganization of staff and duties is only a "concept" at this time and that the Tribal Council is considering it.

"The number one goal of the elected leadership is an organization design that preserves services and plans for the future," Wall-McDonald said.

Charlene Petet wondered if the reorganization plan was only a concept why were two new positions being advertised.

"The tribal employees and membership need to know what exactly is going to happen," Petet said. "The membership and employees aren't getting any information. All of us want the best for the Tribes but we worry about what's going to happen."

"That's why we want public comment to advise us on what to do with these positions," Chairman Steele said, adding that decisions about reorganization will be based on the tribal membership input. "In the past there was no public input. We're here to listen to your concerns. We want to know what you want."

In the reorganization plan there is a proposal to create four offices that answer directly to the tribal council. Presently there is the Executive Treasurer Office and Executive Secretary Office. All departments, programs and services under the existing structure are under the Executive Secretary position.

The new administrative plan creates four offices that oversee the various departments, programs and services.

There is the Office of Legislative Services that provides the Tribal Council with legislative support and policy work.

The Office of Tribal Services provides supervision over the department heads.

The Office of Financial Management (formally the Executive Treasurer Office) provides financial and budget management.

The Office of Administration (formally the Director of Administration and Budget) provides administrative support services.

Steele said the previous organizational structure that had all programs and departments under the Executive Secretary was not an efficient way to administer them because the tribal organization has grown so large. There are approximately 1,600 employees and that is too large of a job for one person to administer effectively and timely, Steele said.

"I think there has to be changes made," Steele said. "It can no longer be one person, it can no longer be two persons (managing tribal programs)."

"I don't think you have the people on board with this and I don't think you have your staff on board with this," said Kevin Howlett, director of the Tribal Health and Human Services Department. "I think the appropriate thing is to put the brakes on, put this on ice and sit down and think more about this."

Howlett said that there are a lot of duplicating and competing services that should be addressed. But he wondered about the Tribal Council's role in overseeing the administration of tribal services. "You can't be on top of everything," he said. "There is just too much coming at you."

Steele said that is why the tribal government is looking at putting oversight duties in the hands of four offices instead of one.

"There are just too many things going on," Steele said. "By creating the four positions it is an attempt to break up the bottle neck that presently exists with the one (Executive Secretary) office."

He assured people worried about losing their jobs that the Tribal Council is doing all it could to avoid that scenario.

"It is not the intention of the Council to cut positions," he said. But added that the tribal government has to look at ways to raise revenues to fund the staff. The war in Iraq makes for slim pickings for all federal programs and tribal nation funding has always been less than needed and it has gotten worse.

The tribal government has asked department heads to find ways to enhance their budgets by grants and other ways so they can continue to provide the services to the membership.

"Anything we come up with will be imperfect," Steele said.