1984-02-01 Char-Koosta News

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NEWSPAPER OF THE SAUSH, PEND cTOREILLE
AND KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION, WESTERN MONTANA
VOLUME 12 NUMBER 18
THE COLDEST MONTH
FEBRUARY I, 1984
The 1984 reorganization of Tribal operations begins
A special Council meeting January 17 had one item on the agenda: reor-ganizatioa
Two things of particular note were decided First, the Tribal Council chairman received a specific job description - "History has been made," Ron
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Therriault said - which is published on page two.
Second, all of the 30-plus Tribal programs were given 30 days to submit written reports to the Council outlining department goals, staff, and funding, among other things. The reports will be published in the Char-Koosta during the next several months, and will be used to draft a plan to "streamline and cut the fat" from Tribal operations, in Kevin How-lett's words. The plan should be finished by budget-planning time this summer, and may be well on its way to being implemented by the start of the next fiscal year.
The January 17 meeting began with a review of some 20 Tribal committees, boards, task forces and advisory groups: Which ones devised policy and had significant oversight authority, and which ones were advisory? Each was reviewed briefly, with some getting different representatives.
As the day progressed, a lot of ideas were shared about
Counciimen's civic duties - Kevin Howlett said each councilman should be involved with his community. Vic
Stinger noted that he is on Pablo's water board and until recently was active with the volunteer fire department Bob McCrea is a volunteer fireman in Ronan.
Availability to the Tribal public -There has to be a way to increase it Howlett said Hot Springs' Mickey Pablo said he's put up a suggestion box in that town's senior citizens center and has plans "to break bread there once a month."
Informing the Tribal public -- The membership has the Char-Koosta and the Council minutes, Howlett noted, but evidently felt that wasn't enough. Other media - T.V. and radio, for example - could be used to help inform the public about Tribal affairs and increase the membership's confidence in its government
Howlett who could be said to have dominated the meeting, summed up the discussion about reorganization by saying he didn't see any reductions in the staff, necessarily, but there will be reassignments.
"I see more services delivered and more accountability built in," he said
INSIDE-
Jump dances....................Page 3
Road closures...................Page 4
BLA questionnaire..........Page 15