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Sault Tribe Board of Directors holds regular meeting Feb. 21 in Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Sault Tribe Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Kewadin Casino and Convention Center in Sault Ste. Marie. The meeting will be preceded by Matters from the Membership at 5 p.m.
 
Under Resolutions, the board will consider: Amending Substance Abuse Policy, Authorizing Purchase of Lands Fisheries Access Road, FY 2012 Cellular Phone Services, and Budget Modifications for Strategic Alliance Health/Transformation, and Cultural Division - Ojibway Language.
 
Under new business, Unit I nominations will be considered.

Sault Tribe Board of Directors holds regular meeting Feb. 14 in Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Sault Tribe Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. at the Kewadin Casino and Convention Center in Sault Ste. Marie. The meeting will be preceded by Matters from the Membership at 5 p.m.

Under Resolutions, the board will consider: Support for International Bridge Authority; 2012 Native American Library Services Grants; Amending Ch. 21: Daily Catch Limits; Amending Ch. 82: Appeals; Enactment of Bereavement Policy; and budget modifications for Manistique Health Center, Munising Health Center, St. Ignace Health Center, ACFS - ARC Building Renovations, Indirect Cost, Midjim Sault/Midjim St. Ignace, ACFS - Victim’s Assistance, Accounting Services, Head Start BIA, and Tribal Gaming Commission.

Under New Business, the board will consider committee appointments, an enrollment request and Unit I nominations.

Change in February Board of Directors Meeting dates

The Feb. 28, Board of Directors meeting has been changed to Feb. 21, due to Board members attending the United Tribes meeting on Feb. 28-29, 2012.

Tribal members: Join a committee!

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has openings on the committees below. Tribal members interested in joining a committee should send one letter of intent and three letters of reference to: Tara Benoit 523 Ashmun Street, Sault Ste. Marie. Please call 635-6050 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.
— The Great Lakes Conservation Committee has one vacant seat for a Small Boat Captain License Holder.
— The Special Needs/Enrollment Committee currently has three vacant seats.
— The Election Committee currently has one vacant seat.

Kewadin Lansing: Meetings scheduled in lower Michigan

Now that the public announcement has been made and the confidentiality period ended, Sault Tribe is working to get information out to its membership concerning the proposed Lansing Kewadin:

Feb. 19-26, Tribal Board members are traveling to five locations in lower Michigan to meet with members:

• Cheboygan – Feb. 19, 1-3 p.m., Inverness Township Hall, 734 VFW Rd., Cheboygan
• Midland – Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m., Grace Dow Memorial Library, W. St. 1710 Andrews, Midland
• Grand Rapids – Feb. 25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., CrossRoads Conference Ctr., 6569 Clay Ave. SW
• Lansing-Okemos – Feb. 25, 4-6 p.m., Nokomis Learning Ctr., 5153 Marsh Rd., Okemos
• Detroit-Dearborn – Feb. 26, 12-2 p.m. Hyatt Regency Dearborn, 600 Town Center Dr.

Tribal members! Please join us at a meeting near you.

Other communications:
• A blog site is now available at www.lansingkewadin.wordpress.com. ( http://www.lansingkewadin.wordpress.com./ )
• A letter was recently sent out to each tribal household concerning the proposed casino along with meetings throughout the tribe’s seven-county service area.
• The latest board meeting video on the tribe’s website reads the complete resolution approving the project.
• The tribe’s board of directors held a community question and answer period before its Jan. 24 meeting.
• The Feb. 17 issue of Win Awenen Nisitotung will include a special section detailing the project.
• Throughout February, members of the Board of Directors will be hosting meetings throughout our seven-county service area to answer questions.

Lansing Kewadin Community Meetings

Now that the public announcement has been made and the confidentiality period ended, Sault Tribe is working to get information out to its membership concerning the proposed Lansing Kewadin:
• A letter was recently sent out to each tribal household concerning the proposed casino along with meetings throughout the tribe’s seven-county service area.
• The lastest board meeting video on the tribe’s website reads the complete resolution approving the project.
• The tribe’s board of directors held a community question and answer period before its Jan. 24 meeting.
• The Feb. 17 issue of Win Awenen Nisitotung will include a special section detailing the project.
• Throughout February, members of the Board of Directors will be hosting meetings throughout our service area to answer any questions you might have.

The schedule is as follows:

Feb. 1: 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.at Nokomis-Mishomis Place, Sault Ste. Marie
Feb. 2: 2 p.m.at Munising Tribal Center, Munising
Feb. 2: 5 p.m. at Marquette Holiday Inn, Marquette
Feb. 3: 6 p.m. at Kewadin Casinos, Sault Ste. Marie
Feb. 7: 6 p.m. at the Kinross Rec Center Room 6, Kincheloe/Kinross
Feb. 9: 7 p.m.at the community center, Sugar Island
Feb. 10: 6 p.m.at Willabees Restaurant, Brimley
Feb 8: 6 p.m.at Manistique Tribal Center, Manistique
Feb. 13: 6 p.m.at McCann School, St. Ignace
Feb. 16: 7 p.m.at the Willow Creek Building, Escanaba
Feb. 17*: 1 p.m.at Tribal Community Center immediately after the monthly Elder committee meeting, Newberry
Feb. 20: 1 p.m. at the Tribal Center immediately after the noon meal, Hessel
Feb. 29: 7:30 p.m. at community center after elder meal, Naubinway

* Please note the Newberry meeting date has been updated to Feb.17. Feb. 17 is the correct date.

Notice of Election

SAULT STE. MARIE TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS
NOTICE OF ELECTION
JANUARY 27, 2012

The Election Committee of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians would like to inform you that a tribal election will be held for the Tribal Board of Directors this year; with a primary held in spring and the general election held this summer. Below are important dates and information pertaining to the election.

The timetable for the election process is as follows: (All deadlines are 5 p.m. ET).

March 29   Deadline for voter registration. Last day to receive Letter of Intent for potential candidates. Roll of registered voters prepared and posted. Nomination petitions available.
April 18    Nominating petition deadline.
April 25    List of eligible candidates available.
April 30    Deadline for contests relating to nominations and voter registration.
May 2       Blank primary ballots mailed to voters.
May 24     Primary election date.
May 29     Deadline for contests relating to vote count.
June 6      Blank ballots for general election mailed to voters.
June 28    General Election day.
July 2       Deadline for contest relating to vote count.
TBA          Installation of Officers.

OFFICERS TO BE ELECTED
Tribal Chairperson
Unit 1: 3 members 
Unit 2: 1 member
Unit 3: 1 member 
Unit 4: 1 member
The term of all officers will be four years.

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
The election will be conducted by mail to the address shown in the Tribal Registrar's records. It is the responsibility of the tribal member to ensure that the address shown for him or her is correct. Please contact the Tribal Registrar’s Office for any changes: Tribal Registrar’s Office, 2428 Shunk Road, Mailing address: P.O. Box 1628, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 phone: (906) 635-3396 or 1 (800) 251-6597.

VOTING PROCEDURE
All ballots will be mailed to registered voters by first class mail. In order to be counted, ballots must be received by the Tribal Election Committee by 5 p.m. at the United States Post Office-Sault Ste. Marie location on May 24, 2012, for the primary election and on June 28, 2012, for the general election. A Post Office Box is provided by the United States Post Office for return of the ballots. The address of the box will be included on the ballot.

VOTER REGISTRATION
Tribal members who will be 18 years of age or older on the date of the election are eligible to vote. The Tribal Election Code states all Resident Members in an election unit shall automatically be registered and Non-resident Members can choose one of the five election units in order to vote in Tribal Elections. Registration is permanent unless you move in/out of an election unit. Registration forms must be received by the Tribal Election Committee, ninety (90) days prior to the general election, in order to vote in the upcoming elections.

Voter registration is open and tribal members who need to register (all previously registered members are considered permanently registered) can contact the Tribal Election Committee at the address given below or call the Executive Assistant at (906) 635-6050 or 1-800-793-0660 or the Tribal Registrar's Office. In order to register, you must complete and return a voter registration form to the: Tribal Election Committee, P.O. Box 102, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 49783, before 5:00 p.m. on March 29, 2012. Registration forms received after that time or not completed will be deemed unregistered for this election.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Nomination Of Candidates: Any tribal member who meets the requirements detailed in The Tribal Election Ordinance is eligible for election to office. A candidate for nomination must be eighteen years of age or older by June 28, 2012, a qualified voter, and have established one year residency within the Election Unit which they seek to represent. Any member; who holds appointed/elected position in another unit of government, has been convicted of election fraud, misdemeanors involving gambling, theft, dishonesty or fraud, or a felony offense is ineligible for election to office. Any person elected shall voluntarily resign employment position and/or surrender any rights under any contract with the Tribe prior to assuming office. To be nominated, a candidate must file a letter of intent, background investigation forms, nominating petition, campaigning financing forms, etc. with the Tribal Election Committee in accordance with the Election Ordinance. A nomination petition must bear the original signatures of the proper number of registered voters from the unit to be represented. A voter may sign only as many petitions as there are offices to be filled from their unit. Petitions must be submitted on the forms provided by the Election Committee obtained at the designated offices.

Campaign Finance Reporting: The Election Committee requires candidates and others who expend money on the election to file reports on campaign fundraising and spending. If you plan to spend money on the election, you must contact the Election Committee to obtain the proper forms before doing so. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in criminal prosecution.

Election Contests & Complaints: Any tribal member may raise election disputes before the Election Committee. All disputes must be stated in writing, addressed to the Chairperson of the Election Committee, contain the original signature and received under procedures provided in the Election Ordinance. The Election Committee will review disputes according to the Election Ordinance. Specific procedures will be available upon request.
 
Election Ordinance: This letter is a narrative statement of the requirements of the Election Ordinance and the Constitution. The Ordinance and Constitution are controlling, and may be examined at any tribal office. Questions regarding the election should be directed to the Tribal Election Committee.

Designated Offices: Designated Offices are the tribal offices as to which additional election material is available and for delivery of correspondence. Each designated office is defined in the Election Ordinance. Please note: Unit 1 the designated office shall be The Tribal Court Office, located at the George Nolan Judicial Building, and Unit 3 shall be the Human Resource Office, located at 3015 Mackinac Trail.

_________________________________________
Michael McKerchie, Election Committee Chairman

Lansing Update Community Hour Jan. 24

The Sault Tribe Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Kewadin Casino and Convention Center, Sault Ste. Marie. The 5 p.m. Community Hour preceding the meeting will be used as a Kewadin Lansing update for our membership.

Mayor Bernero, Sault Tribe Chairman Announce $245 Million Downtown Lansing Casino

Project Would Create 2,200 Jobs, Support Sault Tribe Member Programs and Services, Fund the Lansing Promise Scholarships

LANSING, Mich. — Mayor Virg Bernero and Michigan’s largest federally recognized Indian tribe today announced plans for a $245 million downtown Lansing casino to be built in the heart of the city’s entertainment district.

The 125,000-square-foot Kewadin Lansing Casino, to be owned and operated by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, would create an estimated 1,500 permanent jobs at the property and more than 700 construction jobs. A temporary casino would open in advance of the opening of the permanent facility.

The Tribe will use the casino revenues to improve programs and services to members, including health care, education, housing, elder care, social services, and more. In addition, 10 percent of the revenues will be deposited into the Tribe’s Self Sufficiency Fund that benefits elders and future investments.

The City of Lansing will use its annual revenue payments from the facility to create the Lansing Promise, a program to fund four-year college scholarships for Lansing School District graduates.

“This exciting project is a game-changer for downtown Lansing and will provide another major boost to our efforts to revitalize Michigan’s capital city,” Bernero said. “It will create thousands of good jobs, attract tens of thousands of tourists to the region, and generate enough revenue to allow our city to send all of our school district graduates to college.”

“Kewadin Lansing Casino will generate significant economic benefits for Sault Tribe members in addition to creating thousands of good jobs,” said Sault Tribe Chairman Joe Eitrem. “We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to join with the city and people of Lansing as we seek to exercise our sovereign government’s legal right to develop Kewadin Lansing Casino.”

Construction on the casino, to be located at Michigan Avenue and Cedar Street on property adjacent to the Lansing Center, will begin as soon as a development agreement and land transfers are approved. A development agreement between the City of Lansing, Lansing Economic Development Corp., and the Sault Tribe’s Kewadin Gaming Authority was to be filed today for consideration by the Lansing City Council. The Sault Tribe’s Board of Directors is expected to formally consider the agreement tomorrow.

The project will be built on City of Lansing-owned land to be purchased by the Sault Tribe. The Tribe will file an application with the U.S. Department of the Interior to take the land into trust as tribal lands under a specific provision of the federal Land Claims Act that gives only the Sault Tribe the legal right to the process. The Tribe’s intent is to open the casino after receiving federal approval.

Bernero said the casino would generate about $6 million or more a year in revenue sharing payments to the city, enough to create the Lansing Promise to guarantee four-year college scholarships for every graduate of the Lansing School District who resides in the district. The Lansing Promise will be modeled after the highly successful Kalamazoo Promise. Bernero said former Lansing Mayor David Hollister will chair a steering committee of community leaders, which will report back in six months on a recommended structure and process for the scholarship program.

“I can’t think of a better way to put casino revenues to good use than to offer our graduates from the Lansing School District scholarships to attend college,” Hollister said. “And I’m delighted to chair this extraordinary effort.”

Plans for the Kewadin Lansing Casino include up to 3,000 slot machines and 48 table games, and assorted bars and restaurants in an urban modern-themed property. Bernero and the Sault Tribe said the casino would be built by union trade labor and the casino staffed by union employees who are paid competitive wages and benefits. The project will include two parking decks with about 2,900 total spaces. It is estimated the casino will generate about $250 million a year in gross revenues.

The Sault Tribe has successfully operated Indian casinos in the state since 1984 and currently owns five Kewadin Casino properties in the eastern Upper Peninsula. With more than 40,000 members, the Sault Tribe is the largest federally-recognized tribe east of the Mississippi and one of the largest job providers in Northern Michigan with 1,900 employees at its casinos, other businesses, and tribal government agencies. Chairman Eitrem said he and the tribal Board of Directors are “thrilled by the enthusiasm for the project from Mayor Bernero and his team and the cooperative spirit we have found throughout the City of Lansing.”

“We have a true partnership in Lansing,” Eitrem said. “We have found in Mayor Bernero and his team people who are committed to developing a first-class gaming facility in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation. They sincerely want jobs and opportunities for their citizens and students just as we seek to provide jobs, services and a better future to our tribal members through gaming.”

As the Sault Tribe seeks approval for the project from the federal government, Bernero and Eitrem said they expect challenges to the application.

“We know this will be a difficult process, but anything worth fighting for is seldom easy,” Bernero said. “Many Michigan cities and their casinos have enjoyed the economic benefits of gaming for years, even decades. We believe Lansing has the same right to those benefits. We believe thousands of good jobs for Lansing and college degrees for thousands of Lansing students are worth fighting for.”

Kewadin Lansing Casino
At a Glance …
• Temporary casino: about 15,000 square feet of gaming space (350 to 500 slot machines)
• Permanent casino: about 125,000 square feet of gaming space (up to 3,000 slot machines and 48 table games)
• Total project footprint: about 279,000 square feet (to be built adjacent to the Lansing Center at Cedar Street and Michigan Avenue, downtown Lansing)
• Total project budget: about $245 million ($135 million for the casino, $65 million for parking decks, $45 million for slot machines/tables/related equipment and technology)
• Estimated annual revenues: $250 million
• Estimated 1,500 full-time jobs at the casino
• Estimated 700 construction jobs
• Construction timeline: 14-18 months to build the casino and the parking decks after groundbreaking
• About 2,900 parking spots in two decks (400-space garage to be built along the east side of the Lansing Center at Michigan and Cedar; 2,500-space garage to be built north of Cooley Law School Stadium)
• Design theme: urban modern
• Assorted bars and restaurants
• “Comp” program to support existing local restaurants, bars and other possible partners

Sault Tribe Board of Directors holds regular meeting Jan. 24 in Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Sault Tribe Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Kewadin Casino and Convention Center, Sault Ste. Marie. The meeting will be preceded by Matters from the Membership at 5 p.m.

Under Resolutions, the board will consider Approving Contract: Bruce R. Greene; Comprehensive Development Agreement; seven Trust Land Leases; and budget modifications for Cultural-NPS Grant, Cultural-Museum/Library Services, Family Violence, Child Care Development Fund and Community Services Block Grants.

Under New Business, the board will consider a committee appointment, changing meeting date, and Unit I nominations.