Annual Report for the year 2021 (2022)
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2021
ANNUAL
REPORT
The Strong People
Annual Report for the year 2021
VISION
To achieve the full potential of the Port Gamble S’Klallam
Tribal sovereign national to be self-sufficient, proud, strong,
healthy, educated, and respected.
MISSION
To exercise sovereignty and ensure self-determination and
self-sufficiency through visionary leadership. We will ensure
the health, welfare, and economic success of a vibrant community through education, economic development, preservation, and protection of the rich culture, traditions, language,
homelands, and natural resources of our Tribe.
Port Gamble S’Klallam
LEADERSHIP
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Chairman
Chris Tom
Vice Chairman
Renee Veregge
Donovan Ashworth
Matthew Ives
Amber Caldera
Jeromy Sullivan
Council Person II
Council Person I
Council Person IV
Council Person III
ENTITY DIRECTORS
Kelly Sullivan
Destiny Oliver
Nic’cola Armstrong
Greg Trueb
Troy Clay
Joan Garrow (retired 2022)
Tamara Gage
Sam Cocharo
Executive Director
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
CFO
Administrative Director of
Tribal Government
Administrative Director of
Tribal Services
CEO, Noo-Kayet
General Manager
The Point Casino
Executive Director
Tribal Gaming Agency
Executive Director
Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation
Kara Horton-Wright
Executive Director
Port Gamble S’Klallam
Housing Authority
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Table of Contents
Council & Tribal Leadership
3
Tribal Council Community Goals
5
Letter from the Chairman
6
8
Employee Stats
10
PGST Lands
11
Financial Report
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Department Reports
Accounting
Career & Education
Child & Family Services
Court Services
Cultural Resources
Early Childhood Education
Grants
Health Services
Housing
Human Resources
Information Technology
Legal
Natural Resources
Maintenance
Planning
PGS Foundation
Public Safety
Special Projects
Tribal Gaming Authority
Utilities
PGST Members Lost in 2021
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12
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15
19
20
22
24
26
28
29
30
31
32
33
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36
37
38
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TRIBAL COUNCIL COMMUNITY
GOALS
To help guide decisions and activities of all leadership and departments serving the Port
Gamble S’Klallam community, Tribal Council has set forth these goals. They are reviewed annually to ensure that they still represent the values of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and the needs of community.
1 Increase educational opportunities for Tribal members of all ages.
2 Manage growth in a manner that ensures the future generations have adequate
land and housing; that needed infrastructure and Tribal facilities are well planned,
coordinated, and developed; and that the costs of growth are considered.
3 Diversify the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal economy in order to be less dependent
on governmental funds and gaming revenues.
4 Preserve and restore S’Klallam Tribal history, language, and culture within the Port
Gamble S’Klallam community, our partners, and surrounding communities.
5 Enhance the health and wellness of the Tribal community.
6 Assure public safety on the reservation and in treaty rights areas.
7 Protect and enhance treaty rights in all of our usual and accustomed areas and all
traditional hunting and gathering grounds for Tribal members of all ages.
8 Create more job opportunities for Tribal members.
9 Maintain high standards in the administration of Tribal government and the conduct
of Tribal business enterprise.
10 Maintain and develop financial systems for the Tribe to ensure financial security,
stability, and growth into the future.
11 Create an environment that supports and encourages staff engagement with the
Port Gamble S’Klallam community outside of the office.
12 Assure the reservation public spaces are clean, safe, and well maintained.
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Letter from the Chairman
Chairman Jeromy Sullivan and PGST Executive Director Kelly Sullivan
at the Grand Opening of the Community Health Center
infectious, it has been less severe, especially for the vaccinated.
From the start of the pandemic, decisions regarding COVID
As we entered the second year of the pandemic, there was a have been directed by our Emergency Response Team, which
lot to feel hopeful about: a highly effective COVID vaccine has been led consistently by Jolene Sullivan, Kelly Sullivan,
was introduced, and, by the end of March 2021, we were able Misty Ives, Dr. Luke McDaniel, and Dr. Scott Lindquist. We
to make it available to every adult community member who thank them and everyone else involved for their good and
wanted to take it. This was two months ahead of the timeline tireless work.
set by the state. By late spring, the vaccine became available to
youth aged 12 and above. We celebrated by partnering with The severity of Delta and the uncertainty of the ongoing panSuquamish on a series of Youth Vaccination Clinics here on demic pushed us into issuing a vaccine mandate for all staff,
which went into effect on November 1. We know that there
our Tribal campus.
was disagreement on this decision, and we did lose a few talIn early summer, we cautiously emerged from mask mandates ented individuals because of it. Tribal Council continues to
and shutdowns. Unfortunately, COVID wasn’t quite done stand by the mandate, which was a decision that didn’t come
with any of us. With the emergence of the Delta variant, many easily, but was necessary to further the continuing goal of
minimizing illnesses and death among our community memrestrictions, lifted just weeks before, went back into effect.
bers and staff.
At the end of 2021, Omicron brought a surge of cases all over
the world, including to our community. All throughout the Our Health Center staff has been on the front lines of
holidays, our Health Center staff set up special testing clinics, COVID from the beginning, taking care of our community
sometimes coming in on their days off, to keep our commu- and answering questions and concerns. In 2021, they finally
nity safe. The good news is that while Omicron has been more moved into their new home. After a construction delay due to
2021 was a year of ups and downs.
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the start of the pandemic, the new Health Center opened in
August. The new facilities bring together all health services—
including dental and wellness—under one roof to better support every community member at all stages of life.
Initial infrastructure on Warrior Ridge began in 2021 and
Phase One will include 30 units, all of which are specifically
designated for a mix of Elders, low-income families, or those
in need of transitional housing. A case manager will work onsite with families and individuals to facilitate other services
During our celebrations for the Health Center grand opening, as needed. Additional phases of the project will include more
Governor Jay Inslee visited to tour the facility and recognize housing and a community center. The first units at Warrior
Jolene Sullivan as ‘Washingtonian of the Day’ for her work as Ridge are expected to be move in ready by fall 2023. More
our Health Director. While there are a lot of people to thank, details should be available soon.
over the course of many decades, for the expansion of health
services on the reservation, Jolene and her team worked hard 2021 also saw a new chapter in the life of Noo-Kayet Point,
to create a Center that will keep us healthy for many, many also known as the former mill site at Port Gamble. In Auyears to come!
gust, we closed on the sale of a conservation easement for
18.4 acres at the site. For a long time we worried about housThroughout the past year, our Tribe has had access to feder- ing, tourism, and boat traffic removing us further from this
al COVID relief funds, which we have used to improve ser- piece of ancestral land. Those days are over. Development at
vices and, in as much as possible, alleviate the financial strain Noo-Kayet Point is now restricted.
on our Tribal families. This has included covering household
utilities, costs associated with missed work due to illness or As a part of this agreement, some soft development that foquarantining, and a one-time payment of $5,000 to every cuses on cultural and public access is allowed. Our Natural
PGST member over the age of 18.
Resources department is working with an environmental consulting firm on concepts that prioritize land restoration, while
This assistance came at a time when many started feeling the making room for amenities like trails, gathering spaces, native
pinch of rising costs. Inflation is at its highest rate in more plant gardens, and a canoe landing. The process of choosing
than 40 years, raising the price of many goods and services by a final design will take years and there will be several opporan average of 7% from 2020 through 2021.
tunities to provide feedback. I encourage you to take part in
these gatherings and make your thoughts known as we shape
Inflation is having an impact everywhere, including in Tribal a positive future for Noo-Kayet Point.
government. Our money isn’t going as far as it did even just
a few years ago. Costs of materials and supplies are rising, Throughout this report, you will find information from each
and project bids have skyrocketed. For example, the remodel of our departments, including their successes in 2021. The
of the old Wellness Center (which will eventually house the last two years have been the most trying of my lifetime and I
Courts department) is now estimated to cost twice its original am constantly impressed by our staff and what they have been
budget. We’re seeing these price increases across the board, able to accomplish under constantly shifting circumstances.
which is eating away at any revenue gains we’ve made and
then some. This is affecting decisions about which projects I am also impressed by all of you. This community has shown
move forward and shifting timelines for completion. We’re up, even in the darkest moments, with resilience and kindhaving to be even more strategic and thoughtful about what ness. We may not always agree, but that doesn’t stop us from
we take on and how we spend money.
taking care of one another.
What this means is that some projects—even those that are As we come into 2022, there are a lot of reasons to be caua part of our Master Plan—will take longer to complete. It tiously optimistic about the future. What we do know is that
might even mean start delays or cancellations. We are work- whatever comes our way, we will handle it together.
ing to ensure little to no impact to services and programs,
while continuing to make the best decisions we can for the
community.
One Master Plan project that has gotten underway is the
Warrior Ridge housing complex. Warrior Ridge represents Jeromy Sullivan
our commitment to increasing housing on the reservation, Chairman, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
which is sorely needed.
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Financial Report
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CFO
Greg Trueb is PGST’s Chief Financial Officer.
He joined PGST in 2021 from the Suquamish
Tribe where he most recently served as their
Finance Director.
Greg took over for Betty DeCoteau, who retired recently.
I’m happy to report that Fiscal Year 2021 was a very successful one for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe.
You can review details on the opposite page, but, in general, Tribal hard dollar revenues exceeded budget,
while expenditures were on track or under budget.
The Tribe received $17,734,404 in Fiscal Recovery Funds. This money was used, in part, to help fund
the Warrior Ridge housing project as well as a first-of-its-kind financial assistance payment of $5,000 to
all adult Tribal members.
At the end of 2021, Tribal Council approved a Fiscal Year 2022 budget with a surplus of $4,228,354
compared to a budgeted deficit in Fiscal Year 2021 of $813,165.
The circumstances of Fiscal Year 2021 were extraordinary and do not necessarily predict future performance. For example, we cannot depend on or anticipate additional Fiscal Recovery Funds.
We need to work hard to preserve the resources we have while funding growth in a sustainable way. To
do that, we will need to work collaboratively within Tribal government as well as with Noo-Kayet Investments to ensure that the Tribe’s resources are utilized in a way that maximizes the short and long-term
benefits to the membership. We have already started to do this through strategic planning and ongoing
assessment of our financial policies and systems. You can read a bit more about this in the Accounting
department report later in this document.
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Employee Stats
325
379
Total employed
during 2021
139
Employees at end of
2021
32
Port Gamble S’Klallam
Tribal Members
28
Member of tribe other
than PGST
Non-Tribal Parent of
Enrolled PGST Member
199
124
5
years
Misty Bowechop
Brandon Halsey
Miranda Halsey
Donna Jones
Dominic Pierce
15
years
Jimmie Bidtah
Jackie Kucharski
Jolene Sullivan
10
years
Roma Call
Mickey Fulton, Jr.
Alena George
Melissa Hill
Traci Ives
Leanne Tom
30 Kathleen Jones
years
10
Non-Tribal PGST
Community Member
No gender
identified
20
years
Richard Adams
Kimberly Freewolf
Joseph Sparr
Hans Daubenberger
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EMPLOYEE
ANNIVERSARIES
Charin Roberts
Keith Smith
Carilla Trevathan
Diana Tyree-Eddy
James Wion
Non-tribal Employees
2
Female
Male
147
Eric Nelson
Debrah Purser
Ralph Purser
Bruce Youngberg
25
years
Melody Bidtah
Scott E. Moon
Robert Jones, Jr. Jeromy Sullivan
Karen McBride
PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM LANDS
RESERVATION
Converted
to Trust
June 16, 1938
Proclaimed
as Reservation
June 16, 1938
Uplands (1938 boundary)
1,229.75
Acquired
by Tribe
March 12, 1936
Tidelands (1938 boundary)
67.20
March 12, 1936
June 16, 1938
June 16, 1938
Warrior Ridge
390.28
January 6, 2005
February 29, 2012
June 22, 2016
Pope 20-trust
20.24
Sept. 26, 1989
July 31, 2014
June 22, 2016
Land Area
Acreage
TOTAL RESERVATION: 1,707.47
OFF RESERVATION TRUST LANDS
Converted
to Trust
July 15, 2014
Proclaimed
as Reservation
n/a
Heronswood
14.97
Acquired
by Tribe
July 12, 2012
Blue House
35.63
May 7, 2003
October 12, 2016
n/a
Foxglove
9.20
Nov. 21, 2016
January 3, 2018
n/a
Land Area
Acreage
TOTAL OFF RESERVATION TRUST: 59.80
OFF RESERVATION FEE LANDS
Converted
to Trust
Proclaimed
as Reservation
n/a
Pope 20-fee
20.08
Acquired
by Tribe
Sept. 26, 1989
Simonsen Property
1.07
Dec. 23, 2011
n/a
n/a
Kountry Korner
1.11
July 31, 2017
n/a
n/a
South Kountry Korner
1.34
March 6, 2020
n/a
n/a
Hansville Block
924.91
Dec. 16, 2019
n/a
n/a
Land Area
Acreage
n/a
TOTAL OFF RESERVATION FEE: 948.51
TOTAL ACREAGE TRIBAL LANDS: 2,715.78
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Accounting
Director: Alice Bundalian
Mission: Provide accurate and meaningful financial statement that accommodate the needs of the Tribe, ensure compliance with
requirements set by state and federal funding agencies, and establish adequate controls to safeguard and manage the Tribe’s financial assets and liabilities
Budget Considerations: As of November 30, 2021,
department expenditures were $83,000 below budget. This
favorable variance was mostly due to lower costs connected
to salaries, business travel, payroll fees, and IT consulting.
2021 Major Struggles
• During the remodel of the Finance/Accounting offices,
we were in 3 different satellite offices making communication between staff very challenging.
Staff Changes
•
• Hired Andrea Boyd as the rover Accountant. Her primary role is in assisting with month-end and financial
statement preparation for separate entities, such as the •
Foundation, TGA, and Early Childhood Education.
Shortages in staff due to absenteeism is challenging for
staff, since those remaining must absorb the workload.
Accounting software is complicated and really requires
dedicated IT staff to ensure optimum functionality.
•
Hired an Asset Management Technician, starting in ear- • Stoppage of draft paperless solution to transition to a
ly 2022. This role will track the purchase of all assets,
broader ERP solution. Many hours were invested on
inventory, and depreciation. They will also collaborate
this project but it was cancelled due to cost and viability.
with directors on the current status of the assets in the
departments.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
• The Accounting & Finance offices were remodeled to
2021 Major Accomplishments
include better walk-up options.
• Separate entities (TGA, ECE, HWC, Foundation) are
now using the same account segmentation as PGST for Looking to the Future
easier consolidation of financial statements.
• Streamlining processes such as capital purchases using
the Fixed Assets module, automate Travel Advances for
• Indirect Cost Proposal for 2022 was submitted to Intereasy retrieval of balances.
nal Business Center, The Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
• Consulting with Arctic IT streamline financial reportAgreement for 2022 is 62.28%.
ing with the use of Financial Reporting Tree, same as
• Automatic check approval process and digital check sigin FRX. This will reduce the amount of time running
natures went into effect on January 27, 2021. This was
financial reports.
a major improvement and eliminated the need to search
for authorize signers when checks were printed.
• Working on semi-automation of SEFA.
•
2020 A-133 Audit is in final review with the CLA partners. Will be submitted to Clearing House before the
due date of March 31, 2022.
•
Made accommodations for credit cards fees reimbursements for customers using CRF funds.
•
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Requesting and coordinating tribal wide debts notices
during the FRF community support assistance disbursements.
•
Leverage PowerBI visual financial and managerial reporting.
•
Assess, plan, and implement a new ERP software system
to replace GP.
•
Streamline internal credit cards processing and reconciliation.
Career & Education
Director: Kari DeCoteau
2021 Staff Changes
• There have been several new appointments, including John Perkins, Education Clinic Teacher; Morgan Veregge, Elementary Academic Coach; and Sharee’ Vebber, Receptionist.
•
Brooke Wellman has been hired as a S’Klallam Language Intern/
Teacher. This is a temporary, part-time position made possible through a joint grant with the North Kitsap School District •
(NKSD).
ing Phase 2, which is being pursued through a
joint grant with the NKSD. We are planning the
course description with the NKSD curriculum
team and will be bringing Klallam Language
classes to Wolfle, Kingston Middle School, and
Kingston High School.
Celebrated the graduations of six Tribal members from college and 22 from high school.
Specific Program Accomplishments
We have several contract positions, including Isniati Ishak, Distant
Learning Support Center Teacher; Rachel Flores, Summer School
Teacher; Eddie Flores, Summer School Teacher; Suzanne Herman- Higher Education
son, Summer School Teacher/Special Needs Teacher; and Suzanne • Awarded 58 college scholarships totaling over
$142,880 worth of assistance with application,
Schippers, Summer School 1-to-1 Special Needs Teacher.
testing, and other fees that could interfere with
graduation. Scholarship award amounts were re2021 Major Accomplishments
viewed and adjusted to accommodate increases
• Modified all services so every Career and Education program could
in college costs.
continue during COVID closures and restrictions. This included
providing technology and supplies for remote work and school.
Career Support Services
• Maintained consultation with NKSD and Central Kitsap School • Provided employment assistance to 195 clients.
District (CKSD) as a part of our government-to-government MOU.
• The Successful S’Klallam Futures program continues to grow as it assists with career planning
• Completed Phase 1 towards our goal of establishing Klallam
and building by providing tools and guidance to
Language as a World Language course offered at Kingston High
set and meet career goals.
School. Brooke Wellman taught a Language Class at David Wolfle
Elementary while obtaining her Tribal Certification. She is prepar• The Summer Youth Program had 44 applicants
and 36 youth complete the Summer Youth
Work Readiness Program.
•
•
Personalized the Summer School/Summer
Youth Job Readiness Program to meet the special needs of one of our youth. This was very
successful with training and meeting our program goals of inclusion with our special needs
Tribal members.
K-12 Programs/Services
• Served a total of 312 students.
•
Obtained 56.5 retrieval and original credits
through the Education Clinic, plus 72 earned
credits through the two high school summer
school sessions.
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Career & Education
Continued
•
Statistics include 1639 student contacts, 244 students •
participating in academic planning, six GED test prep
service contacts, and 948 parent contacts.
Academic Coach statistics
• Served 90 Elementary students with 3,287 student contacts and 1,765 parent contacts. We had 64 students
enroll in Summer School.
•
•
•
•
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•
Our Reading Specialist works in schools and on Tribal
campus, enhancing all programs with seasonal, cultural,
and current event literacy activities and materials.
Studies show that academic success and music are connected. Our Musical Instrument Program has allowed
us to provide all interested students with musical instruments, including guitars, pianos, drums, flutes, saxophones, clarinets, and violins.
Served 74 Middle School students with 2,869 student
contacts and 978 parent contacts. We had 14 students 2021 Major Struggles
• COVID restrictions and its impact on in-person supenroll in Summer School.
port was our greatest challenge.
Served 103 High School students with 3,600 student
contacts and 2,500 parent contacts. We held two Sum- • Meeting equipment and training needed to provide sermer School sessions with 72 credit courses completed.
vices on-line.
Academic Support Zones supported 14 students who •
enrolled during school closures. This space will continue to provide academic support with an additional academic coach on-site for students.
•
Summer School was a major success with 64 Elementary and 14 Middle School students enrolled.
Finding ways to engage students with on-line support
after a day of virtual schooling.
The transition to in-person learning presented the need
for social/emotional supports as well as addressing academic regression.
Child & Family Services
Director: Cheryl Miller
Staff Changes
• Our department lost two of our beloved staff members:
Grandma Rose Purser passed away in February 2021 •
and Lena Tunkara died unexpectedly in August 2021.
These were extraordinary women and their loss is still
being felt by staff and clients.
•
Ciarra Hanna, who was an interim Foster Care Coordinator, has been moved permanently into the role.
•
Sonja Redbird is the new CFS Case Aide.
tion services provided to families.
With the Funding Certainty Grant through Title IVE,
we are finalizing policies to provide licensed foster
homes with a pool of sick leave so they can care for ill
children or go to scheduled appointments.
2021 Major Struggles
• The loss of Grandma Rose and Lena as well as two of
our long-time parents has been difficult for staff.
•
The transition to virtual meetings has continued to be
difficult, but our staff and clients have found ways to
make it work.
2021 Major Accomplishments
Each of our programs had their own accomplishments for
2021 (please see next several pages for program reports).
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
Department accomplishments include:
• CFS staff worked together to continue to provide com- • PPE supplies for staff and clients
munity services during the pandemic.
• A rain cover around our building to keep clients being
served at the CFS window dry during COVID restric• Continuing to develop our Family First Plan for Child
tions.
Welfare, which will allow to provide additional services
and get reimbursed for these and other services we’re
• Two new vehicles for the department. These are being
already providing.
funded by the Maternal Home Visiting Program.
• Substantially lowered ICW court cases through preven-
CFS: Child Welfare
2021 Major Accomplishments
• We currently have 13 children in care under a Dependency of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Court, 15 in court •
appointed guardianship, reunited one child with their
parent, and placed two kids into permanent guardianship. In addition, four of our teens aged out of the
Child Welfare Program, but continue to receive services
through the Independent Living Program.
•
•
clothing, iPads, laptops, and other items.
Our team completed a two-day training with our PGST
Police department and Natural Resources Enforcement, along with the Vulnerable Adult Program and the
Crime Victims Coordinator. This allowed us the opportunity to learn from one another, share our policies/procedures, and discuss how to work best in conjunction
with one another.
We worked with the Kinship Navigator program to assemble a manual for the Kinship program, which in- 2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: Through a grant
cludes process mapping, forms, needs-assessment evalu- from the Casey Family programs, we were able to purchase
winter clothing, duffle bags, food, household items, and
ation, and a software database system.
gifts of appreciation for each of our families. The money
To help our families deal with the ongoing COVID also provided for the completion of a three-day training and
pandemic, our department continues to offer preventa- an all-staff appreciation day.
tive services to our families and supplies, such as beds,
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CFS: Child Support
2021 Staff Changes: In August 2021, we welcomed
Meredith Harris as our new CFS attorney.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• For fiscal year 2021 (10/1/2020 to 9/31/2021), we collected $227,162, a 14% increase over 2020. We passed
through $3,454 to families receiving Tribal TANF.
•
•
•
Staff training was stifled due to travel restrictions connected to COVID.
2022 Department Goals
• Get all cases entered into the Access database, which
will be used for all federal reports.
We have approximately 350 cases. We have been able
to close cases and concentrate more of our efforts on •
collections.
•
Full services continued to be offered to families during
pandemic restrictions. We had to learn to be innovative
•
in how we met with clients.
Go paperless by having all case files scanned.
Offer more services and outreach opportunities to families.
Offer in-person training to staff.
•
Court proceedings continued in person or over Zoom.
•
•
An access database system was built specifically for our
program.
Request another match waiver for budget fiscal year
2022.
•
Amend Title 21, Family Code.
•
A match waiver of $137,760 for our Child Support •
Federal grant was received, providing additional program funds.
•
Applications and court documents were emailed to clients for digital signatures.
•
Clients received COVID supply bags, which includes
masks, hand sanitizer, wipes, a thermometer, and
gloves.
2021 Major Struggles
• The transition from Excel spreadsheets to our new database doubled the workload for a time.
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be an obstacle.
•
Concerns related to COVID continued around large,
in-person events such as the Strong Family Fair and the
Job Fair.
•
The impact of last year’s COVID closures continued
through this year, including low court case numbers
and case managers attempting to catch up with workloads.
•
Communication with clients who do not have access
to email, computers, or other technology continued to
Develop new policies and procedures to better serve
our clients and families.
CFS: Family Assistance
2021 Major Accomplishments
Managed COVID funding sources and two new programs
to help Tribal families: Low Income Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) and Pandemic Emergency Assistance Funds
(PEAF). In just one month, we were able to provide 20 low
income families with $40,000 of assistance via PEAF.
2021 Major Struggles
• Keeping pace with fund source changes, while maintaining staff required to follow DSHS duty requirements and
staying on top of training and IT needs to support and
administer new programs appropriately.
•
Maintaining core relationships with federal agencies, who
have experienced turn over with special projects and new
funding sources.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
We provided $500 per household to assist with groceries in
2021; resulting in approximately $350,000 worth of assistance directly to Tribal households.
CFS: Financial
CFS: Elders Services
2021 Staff Changes
No changes, although we had one staff member suffer an adverse reaction to the COVID booster requiring medical leave.
2021 Major Accomplishments
Distributed 17,198 fresh and frozen meals, as well as 5-day
food boxes to any Elder who was interested. The CHR department was vital to the success of this project.
2021 Major Struggles
Understaffing, which occurs when any of our full-time or
part-time staff are out, especially for illness. This creates a significant challenge to our ability to operate, get meals prepared
and delivered, while meeting the other needs of our Elders.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
We were able to purchase a freezer—a much-needed appliance allowing us to accommodate additional food storage.
CFS: Together for Children
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Child Support program’s new software will allow for the
extraction of better data.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Our program was awarded a Supplement and Extension
Amendment, which provided a year of funding.
•
Working towards the possible expansion of the 477 Program and new TANF plan in 2022.
•
•
All reporting to state and other required agencies was
completed on time.
•
Finished high in the reference survey completed by BlueStone Group in comparison to other departments.
Through $130,900 allocated by the Department of
Health and Human Services’ Tribal MIECHV ARPA
Supplemental Funding, we were able to purchase two vehicles (@ $40,000 each) for departmental use. This has
been a program goal for some time and it is rare to be able
to do this within the confines of grant rules.
•
Successfully distributed COVID assistance and holiday
gift cards for Tribal members.
We completed our annual Program Assessment of Improvement Measures and excelled in all areas.
•
During the calendar year, staff conducted 311 TFC visits
with 281 completed virtually. As all clients in the program were deemed low risk, the recommendation is for
one visit per month. All received at least this many, if
not more. In 2021, seven clients exited the program were
not expected to receive the recommended number of 12
annual visits.
•
2021 Major Struggles
• Loss of staff members due to COVID caused hardships
to remaining staff.
•
Lack of availability of mental health resources.
17
CFS: Foster Care
CFS: Vulnerable Adult
2021 Major Accomplishments
• At the end of 2021, we have a total of 11 licensed foster
homes and two families that are working on receiving
their licenses.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Subcontracted with six private caregivers and served
seven Elders in need of in-home support.
2021 Staff Changes: After the untimely passing of Lena
Tunkara, Ciarra Hanna, who served as the interim coordinator, was promoted permanently to the position.
•
•
•
Throughout COVID restrictions, we continued to offer
parent groups over Zoom as well as counseling upon
request from mental health professionals.
All our families received PPE equipment. We also kept
safety equipment on hand for licensed providers, kinship families, and our client families. This included fire
extinguishers, safety ladders, smoke detectors, carbon
monoxide detectors, and more.
We continue to offer services for families and provide
beds, clothing, iPads, laptops, and food cards to families
and children in need.
2021 Staff Changes: Katerina Kreiger has announced her
resignation, effective at the end of 2021. We are recruiting
for her position.
•
Established guardianships for three young adults and
one Elder.
•
Working to set up a formal Protective Payee Program,
which will be of great benefit as our program continues
to expand.
2021 Major Struggles
• Certification of caregivers certified through the state.
For example, we have two Elders who were assessed a
year ago and still have not had caregivers approved and
assigned.
•
Approval of payees through the Social Security Administration. PGST has reopened, but many DSHS programs and officers are still working remotely. It is very
difficult to speak to someone in person and, despite our
offices following procedures, closures have caused significant slowdowns.
•
Received a grant to fund six months of internet assistance to young people from 4th grade to aged 24.
•
Completed several health initiatives, including youth/
young adult fitness challenges, a healthy youth survey,
and bike tune-up/safety classes.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: We were able
to purchase a fingerprinting scanner, along with the corresponding software and training, to be able to fingerprint
clients, parents, and providers on site.
CFS: Youth Services
2021 Staff Changes
• We had to terminate the employment of two staff members due to the vaccine mandate.
•
18
Karleigh Gomez was promoted internally to Prevention
Coordinator and Casey Jones was hired in December as
a Youth Services Worker.
2021 Major Struggles: Reopening after-school programs.
2021 Major Accomplishments
Youth struggle with adhering to mask mandates, especially
• Held several community and staff virtual townhall train- after wearing them all day at school. In addition, COVID
ings as well as retreat sessions related to mental health, has made many youth more used to being home. While
suicide prevention, 2SLGBTQ+, Elders, conscious dis- youth continue to express interest in trips, limitations on
cipline, parents, and teens.
stopping for food during trips have limited us to local outings only.
• Distributed weekly snack bags in collaboration with the
food bank, activity kits for families, parent and teen re- 2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: A cement floor
treat kits, prevention kits in collaboration with the pre- and fenced carport has been built next to the batting cages.
vention team, and cultural gathering kits for all K-12 This was funded through Appendix X and will be used to
store kayaks and paddleboards.
families.
Court Services
Director:Christina Barone
in maintaining its Tribal hard dollar requests at the same
or at minimal request levels as in prior years.
•
Awarded a two-year (2021-2023) grant for the Tribe’s
Welcome Home Program for Reentry Services to maintain the Kitsap county-wide reentry program with Kitsap
County jail.
•
Finished preparation of transitional housing site for delivery of homes. This will happen in early 2022.
2021 Major Struggles: We did not face any significant barriers to department programming. Our space in the Blue
House has alleviated space constraints. We continue to work
collectively with law enforcement to ensure we can meet all
due process requirements for those individuals who are impacted by the criminal justice system.
2021 Staff Changes: Two department staff positions went
unfunded this year due to lack of available funding opportunities and the program’s inability to maintain a suitable
client load. The eliminated positions included:
• Healing to Wellness Court Coordinator: the program
had minimal community participation (4 years, 3 clients) and was not viable for continuation.
•
Reentry Specialist: Was not funded due to a lack of
funding opportunities and declining program participants.
We continue to incorporate leadership curriculum and team
building into department management. This tracks key performance indicators for staff, ensures defined programmatic
benchmarks are met, meets grant goals, and addresses the
needs of the community.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Continued to evolve and adapt programs, services, and
outreach efforts through the continued COVID-19 crisis. In this way, we have been able to continue to restore
hope, connections, and opportunities for people directly impacted by the criminal legal system.
•
One area where we have experienced some struggles is adapting to the challenges related to COVID-19. While there have
been challenges, this has also given us the opportunity to become more creative in how we work with and for the community. We continue to improve service delivery to PGST
members by:
• Looking outward for innovative ways to improve services
and provide personal accountability from staff.
•
Continuing to clarify departmental values and align our
actions to ensure PGST values.
•
Continuing to work towards high levels of competence
and skill sets by providing training opportunities to staff,
as well as encouraging staff to make choices about how
they do their work and serve the community.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases:We purchased
two transitional housing units in late 2020/early 2021, which
will be placed in early 2022 on the prepared site at the Blue
House property.
Sustained program funding for reentry, transitional
housing, community court, and special domestic criminal jurisdiction. These grant awards aid the department
19
Cultural Resources
Director:Laura Price
2021 Staff Changes
•
• In July 2021, Marie Hebert retired after 30 years of
service. The Tribe and various departments celebrated
her work with a retirement celebration.
•
• A Cultural Specialist will be hired in early 2022.
•
Hosted a formal ceremony at Point Julia and the
Longhouse to honor the gifting of a canoe from the
Stillaguamish Tribe.
Continued reinternment of ancestral remains and
THPO/NAGPRA consultations.
Changes were made in the organizational structure, • Continued Cultural Committee meetings, which have
which included the Tribal Historic Preservation Offiprovided important input on recent road sign and
cer (THPO) position moving from under Natural Repark naming proposals.
sources to Cultural Resources. Stormy Purser resigned
from this position in 2021. Laura Price is managing 2021 Major Struggles
these activities in an interim role until a new THPO • We have been short-staffed due to unexpected delays
can be hired in 2022.
in the hiring of new positions. This has created disruptions in organizing community engagement activity.
Laura has been filling in and keeping up with ongoing
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Continued participation in and providing TA support
demands to the best of her ability.
for the two-year Advanced Klallam Language Class.
As of the end of 2021, there are seven Tribal members • The Cultural Resources building, and offices need a
in this class.
remodel. Plans have been drafted for the construction
of walls to provide privacy to staff as the department
• Hosted House of Tears Red Road to DC Totem Pole
grows.
Tour. The semi-public portion of the event was held
at the beach with a private event with PGST’s Early
Childhood Education Program.
20
Cultural events from 2021
Top: scenes from the House of
Tears Red Road to DC
Bottom: the gifting of a canoe
carved by PGST member Brian
Perry from Stillaguamish Tribe
21
Early Childhood
Education
Director:Jackie Haight
Vision: Every child and adult who is part of ECE is a caring, responsible, and important individual of this world.
Mission: We commit to provide a healthy, nurturing, and safe learning environment that promotes cultural values for
children, expectant parents, families, and our community.
A Year in Pictures (from left to right): teachers demonstrate weaving, kids enjoy the outdoors, and the annual Children’s Honoring in the Ball Field.
Opposite page: images from the Red Road totem pole visit to ECE.
2021 Staff Changes
• Two ECE Preschool Classroom Assistants left their positions.
lum for preschoolers and older toddlers. This program
is being supported by grant funds.
2021 Major Struggles
2021 Major Accomplishments
• The continuing global pandemic has focused all atten• Reopening the Center on January 21, 2021 with retion on health and safety issues and created trauma reduced childcare services. On April 27, 2021, we restarted
sulting from the stress and isolation faced by enrolled
in-center services three days per week, four hours per day
children, families, and staff.
for all enrolled children. Virtual learning continued to be
an option for enrolled families. We continue to strive for • During the 2020-2021 school year (ending August 18,
excellence in all areas of service.
2021), our program struggled to fill staff vacancies due
to COVID restrictions. We have 37 employees with
• Staff Year 2021-2022 began on September 13, 2021 with all
some staff members under several program funding
enrolled children offered in-center services at a level of 1020
sources.
hours for preschoolers and 1380 hours for infants/toddlers.
• 97% of ECE staff were fully vaccinated in advance of the Turnover—which is at approximately 18%—affects the
November 1, 2021 mandate deadline.
supportive environment for teaching staff. Recruiting, hiring, and new staff orientation takes time and valuable re• Worked on development of an outdoor learning curricu- sources, while adding stress to teaching and management
22
staff who are faced with picking up additional
responsibilities. The pandemic limited opportunities to replace staff due to closures and limited HR
systems in place.
In late March 2021, we hired five Tribal members,
including three in permanent positions and one in
a substitute role. In addition, Tribal leadership approved the hiring of two rover positions to assure
the staff-to-child ratio in classroom allowed for
necessary health and safety protocols, professional
development activities, and on-going assessment
tasks.
A requirement for background checks to include
fingerprints delays on-boarding of staff for up to
21 days.
As of the start of 2022, there are five vacant positions.
•
On September 13, 2021, we returned to fulltime, in-center services. Of the 28 enrolled
preschoolers, 25 are attending in person; of the
40 infant/toddlers enrolled, 31 are attending
in person. During the first six weeks of in-center services, ECE reported four separate incidents involving COVID to the Tribal Health
Authority. This resulted in 44% of children,
50% of teaching staff, and 38% of management staff being out with symptoms. These
absences increase the burden on teachers for
them to accomplish all their duties, including
lesson plans, on-going assessment documentation, home visit preparation/completion, and
professional development activities.
There have been no positive cases of COVID directly linked to the PGST ECE Center. All contact tracing has indicated outside community
links. Our Family Health Advocate assists in all
contact tracing in partnership with the PGST
Health Center.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: In
April 2021, we purchased a NuvaWave Device in
partnership with the PGST Health Center. This
coincides with our focus on innovative methods to
disinfect the bus to ensure the health safety of the
children and staff during transporting.
23
Grants
Director:Roxanne Hockett
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Completed internal analysis to identify needs, gaps, and
possibilities, which was useful in creation of the Department’s Strategic Plan and the 2022 Budget. This extended to analysis of our work with other departments and
agencies and resulted in some changes in our work processes and policies.
•
•
Worked on further developing our internal infrastructure. Several hours were spent on creation, set-up, and
move into our new space, which we love and are immensely grateful for. We also improved our recordkeeping systems, so that staff and grant writers in the future
have more ready access to old grant applications.
•
We consider optimizing our processes to be crucial, so
that we are efficient and effective, but we are also fo- •
cused on providing the best possible services and outcomes to those that we serve. This remains one of our
primary foci as we move into 2022.
•
Increased our inter-departmental, inter-entity, and
inter-agency efforts. All Grants Department staff are
participating in work with outside agencies, councils,
committees, task forces, et cetera, to increase our awareness of funding opportunities, collaboration opportunities, and our ability to call on partners for letters of
recommendation for our grant-funded proposals when
needed. This has included sitting on panels where we are
providing feedback about the grant packages, access to
needed funding, and the grant process. The Department
of Commerce, Department of Justice, and Washington
State Recreation and Conservation Office have all specifically requested our input, most on an ongoing basis
noting the value of the detailed input that we gather and
provide. This also has the long-term benefit of increasing our access to funding that we need for specific types
of projects, without the exclusions that have prevented
our access to them in the past (e.g. funding for a dock
without the requirement that it be open to the general
public).
•
24
The Grants Department team started getting more deeply involved within departments and with their programs
and projects, to the great benefit of each department and
the grant application process. Understanding a project
•
or program more intimately, by being hands-on where
appropriate, is proving beneficial on many levels and
we intend to continue cultivating 1) relationships with
PGST departments’ staff and 2) better understanding of
the work that they do.
Continued researching potential training programs
that we and directors might attend in order to make
the grant process both more efficient and more successful, as well as more enjoyable (e.g., Project Management
Certification, Decision-Matrix Training, Logic Model
Training, Evidence-based Decision-Making, et cetera).
We are developing what training we can provide internally, and we are identifying resources to provide those
that we cannot.
Attended NGMA’s Annual Grants Training and GMBoK training to keep current on changes in policy and
guidance at the federal grant level, and to expand our
knowledge of the grant field as a whole. These trainings are also a crucial resource for our grants staff as we
prepare to test for certification as Grant Management
Specialists (CGMS), a recognized and valued credential
within the agencies that we receive funding from.
Attended many webinars and other training as provided
by the agencies from whom we seek funding, and we
share this information with the relevant departments as
well. When they are unable to attend, we provide the
department staff with the resources and instruction provided, so that they have the benefit of that information
as we build grant applications.
2021 Major Struggles
• Our office was displaced at the beginning of 2021 because of the Admin/Accounting remodel. Because of
this, our staff had to work from home for a few months
before being able to move into our new space in April
2021.
•
Continuing to explore ways to track match obligations
and assess program compliance.
Grants by the Numbers
$8.67 million
Grant dollars won from 2021
applications as of 4/5/2022
$12.74 million
Grant dollars applied
for in 2021
2
$1.48 million
82%
Grant dollars still pending
from 2021 applications
Success rates with current awards*
Number of PGST grant writers
3
1
PGST Grant Director
Number of staff in Grants department
Departments that collaborated with Grants and amounts
awarded from 2021 applications:
Children & Family Services: $140,900
Housing Authority: $3.91 million
Court Services: $1.67 million
Information Technology: $443,321
Culture: $82,609
Natural Resources: $1.48 million
Early Childhood Education: $779,209
Noo-Kayet Investments: $142,000
Health Services: $15,000**
*additional money may be awarded from pending applications
**Health Center applied for significantly fewer funds this year because of
COVID Relief money and focus on COVID care
25
Health Services
Director:Jolene Sullivan
26
Photos: Scenes from the Health Center Grand Opening.
Clockwise, opposite page: Joe Sparr and Jolene Sullivan share a hug; Joe Price and Donna Jones with the S’Klallam
Singers; Governor Jay Inslee greets Dinae Sullivan
Below: Governor Jay Inslee addresses the community with Jolene Sullivan
2021 Staff Changes
Terminated or resigned staff positions, included:
• MH Counselor
• Continuous Quality Improvement Specialist
• Dental Assistant
• Receptionist/Scheduler (2 positions, 1 transferred to
Dental)
• Massage Therapist
• RN
• BH Manager
• Dental Manager (retired)
• Lead Substance Abuse Counselor (retired)
•
Along with other members of Emergency Operations,
helped manage Tribal response to the COVID pandemic. This included community education, testing efforts,
and medical guidance.
•
Added Physical Therapy as a new service provided inhouse and available to community members.
New staff/hires included:
•
Dental Assistant (transfer from Health Services front desk)
•
Receptionist/Scheduler (3 total; 1 on call)
•
Behavioral Health Consultant
•
CMA
•
Lead Dentist
•
Billing Specialist
•
A/P Technician
•
Young Adult Ambassador
•
RN/Triage Nurse
•
ARNP Medical
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
• The completion of the Community Health Center. This
was a multi-year project.
2021 Major Struggles: Significant challenges related to
providing services during the COVID pandemic, including
maintaining staffing, managing department growth, building staff morale, and managing staff burnout.
•
The Grand Opening celebrations for the Health Center
were paid for in whole by sponsorship partners.
As 2021 ended, there were several vacant positions, including:
•
Continuous Quality Improvement Specialist
•
Mental Health Counselor
•
LPN/RN
•
CMA
•
ARNP Psych Provider
•
CHR (2 on call)
2021 Major Accomplishments
• In August 2021, we moved into our new community
Health Center, which brings all health and wellness services
available to the community under one roof. To commemorate the opening, community members, staff, and health
leaders were invited to tour the facility and participate in
various celebrations, including a blessing. WA Governor Jay
Inslee attended community celebrations and named PGST
Health Services Director Jolene Sullivan “Washingtonian of
the Day” in recognition of this momentous achievement.
27
Housing
Director: Kara Horton-Wright
2021 Staff Changes
• Hired three additional Maintenance staff and a Project
Manager.
•
Kara Horton-Wright was promoted to Executive Director.
•
One staff member was promoted to Assistant Director.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Awarded a Housing Trust Fund Grant from Department of Commerce for $2.8 million to benefit Warrior
Ridge.
•
Awarded AHP grant for $750,000 to benefit Warrior
Ridge.
•
Awarded ICDBG-ARP grant for $1.03 million. The
money will construct one unit at Warrior Ridge, and
was also used to replace the roof and additional improvements/construction of a community home in
need of repairs.
•
Updated the Indian Housing Plan, which is under
review.
•
Submitted Housing Assistance Fund through Department of Treasury on time.
2021 Major Struggles
• Understanding the various grants and their commitments made by the former Housing Director has
proven to be time consuming.
•
Assigning work to the three new Maintenance hires
based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.
•
The resignation of the department’s Project Manager
soon after being hired. We are in the process of locating a replacement.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
• Construction of five new homes on the reservation
using CARES Act and IHBG CARES Act funds.
•
One new home is planned for construction in 2022.
Warrior Ridge Site Plan + Floor Plan of a Single Family Home
28
Human Resources
Director: Lisa McDonald
2021 Staff Changes
• Melody Bidtah was promoted to HR Manager, recognizing more than a decade of experience and knowledge
with the department. Melody will work alongside the
HR Director on high level issues.
•
Filled 52 positions through
December 8, 2021. Of these
hires: 35% were enrolled
PGST members and 17%
were either descendants,
parents of Tribal children, or
members of another tribe.
This equals a total of 52%
tribal preference hires.
Malissa Purser was hired as Benefits Coordinator at the
end of 2021. She brings experience that includes work
on the Tribal enterprise level and at the Northwest Indian College site on the PGST campus. The Benefits
Coordinator is dedicated to addressing benefits-related
issues with work supervised and reviewed by the HR
Manager.
The HR department continues to be fully staffed by PGST
members.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Filled 52 positions through December 8, 2021. This
represents a combination of new and replacement hires.
Of these hires: 35% were enrolled PGST members and
17% were either descendants, parents of Tribal children,
or members of another tribe. This equals a total of 52%
tribal preference hires.
•
•
•
•
Presented to Tribal Council a signing bonus policy,
which was ultimately approved. The signing bonuses offered in 2022 will make PGST more competitive than
other organizations within our region.
Began processing fingerprint background checks for
Early Childhood to enhance screening procedures and
meet agency requirements. A fingerprint kiosk was ordered, and electronic submittal of these prints will begin
in 2022.
Partnered with IT to create ID badges on key cards for
employees. IT purchased materials and equipment and
trained HR staff to create ID badges for off-campus clients and agencies.
Conducted research on increasing the amount of dependent insurance premiums for enforcement officers.
After presenting the information to Tribal Council, it
was decided to increase the Tribe’s portion of enforce-
ment dependent’s premiums from 22% to 60%. HR
staff worked with our broker to ensure we meet federal
requirements when the change is implemented in 2022.
•
Worked with the Executive Team to implement a merit increase range for 2022. HR then updated the performance evaluation back to a 5-point system to make
room for a score-based performance merit increase in
2022.
2021 Major Struggles
• The vaccine mandate and competitive job market made
recruiting more challenging.
•
COVID related tasks and tracking took time away from
other projects.
•
Employee satisfaction across all areas of Tribal Government has been affected by the stress of the continuing
pandemic.
•
Efforts to bridge the Learning Management System
with our network sign-on hit roadblocks and delayed
the launch.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: Purchased a
fingerprint kiosk.
29
Information
Technology
Director: Jimmie Bidtah
2021 Staff Changes
The IT department has added two staff members:
•
Quyen Ho is our new Windows Systems Administrator. He maintains and manages our Windows domain.
•
Kyle Green was added as our Computer Network
Technician. He replaced XXXXX when he was promoted to
Director.
These hires bring us to five on the Tribal side and two assigned to the Health Center.
In addition, as we closed 2021, we had Darius Cole as our
IT trainee, who is able to support Tribal staff with support
tickets.
2021 Major Accomplishments
•
Upgraded our primary Internet connection from
1GB to 10GB allowing faster speeds to all Tribal entities, including on the Tribal campus, at Noo-Kayet, and throughout the PGST community.
•
Completed major software updates on all staff computers.
•
Moved locally hosted email to Exchange Online to
take advantage of calendaring and a host of other cloud services.
•
Replaced and upgraded many of our primary servers
to improve overall network stability and performance.
•
Applied for a grant that, if awarded, will be used
to run fiber optic to every household on the reservation to
provide high-speed Internet.
2021 Major Struggles: Over the years, the mindset of the
department has been to work reactively, fixing and patching
the network to keep it going. There were few plans for future upgrades.
30
Upgraded our primary Internet
connection from 1GB to 10GB allowing faster speeds to all PGST
entities, including Tribal campus,
at Noo-Kayet, and throughout the
PGST community.
We have been working to shift this mindset and put into
place a plan for future upgrades and improvements that
would help PGST staff for the work faster and more efficiently.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: This past year,
we did not make any major capital purchases. Rather, we
spent our time working to upgrade all computers and revamp our Active directory in preparation for the move to
Exchange Online.
Legal
•
PGST Community Court ruled that it has
jurisdiction over Noo-Kayet Development
Corporation and PGST’s COVID-related
insurance claims and the insurance companies, against the insurance company’s efforts
to dismiss the lawsuit for lack of jurisdiction.
•
Quickly analyzed and applied the interim
final rules for the Fiscal Recovery Funds so
the Tribe could distribute funds and ensure
compliance with federal law.
•
Helped sponsor ceremony to receive the gift
of a canoe from Stilliguamish and artist R.
Brian Perry.
•
Represented the Tribe on the Leadership
Kitsap Board and Kitsap Regional Library
Board of Trustees. Also presented about the
Tribe to numerous colleges, universities,
and external entities.
•
Worked with Ted George family and the
PGS Foundation to implement a Ted
George Scholarship Award program.
Director: Gina Steiner
Kara Horton-Wright honors Brian Perry with a cedar hat she wove.
Perry carved the canoe gifted to PGST by Stillaguamish. Legal helped
to sponsor the gifting ceremony.
2021 Staff Changes
• Meredith Harris began as a full-time Children and Family Services Attorney in July 2021.
•
Julie Van Winkle was hired as our full-time Legislative
Attorney in August 2021.
The addition of these two attorneys has helped us keep pace
with the high-volume of work, create more accurate records,
and improve efficiency.
•
Helped the Tribe navigate the complex statutory framework of the American Rescue Plan Act and CARES Act
to determine eligible uses of the Tribe’s Fiscal Recovery
Funds and Coronavirus relief Funds.
•
Aided in the speedy implementation of the Tribe’s $5,000
Community Support Assistance to all eligible Tribal
members, including preparation of a related policy, application, and resolution.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Helped win a preliminary injunction in federal court to
stop the sale of the Sandpoint Archives.
2021 Major Struggles
• Continuing to improve department efficiency with two
new attorneys. This includes learning how we distribute
workload, share records, and avoid attorney shopping.
•
Provided legal analysis and guidance to implement
mandatory vaccines for all PGST employees.
•
•
Helped the Tribe acquire an 18.4-acre conservation
easement at the former Port Gamble Mill site. The easement permanently protects the area from development,
allows habitat restoration, and provides low-impact recreational access.
Identified a need to implement internal controls to ensure staff comply with contract review and review consistency. Controls will be implemented as a part of our
strategic plan.
•
Maintaining morale through the mandatory vaccine process.
31
Natural Resources
Director: Paul McCollum
•
A new hatchery building was proposed in Spring 2021
2021 Staff Changes
• Jason Haveman is our new Shellfish Biologist. He replaces
Tamara Gage who was hired internally to another position
within Tribal government.
•
Worked to optimize final land-based cleanup at
mill site.
•
Negotiated settlement of Western Harbor
NRDA in Port Angeles.
•
Continued technical and policy work on Port
Angeles NRDA.
•
Multiple shellfish and finfish fishery achievements through co-management and Treaty
Rights.
•
Early detection sampling for harmful algal blooms,
like PSP
• Secured $4 million in state funding to test measures designed to mitigate the impact of the Hood Canal
Bridge on juvenile salmon. This was completed in coordination with our assessment team partners.
•
Abby Welch has moved on to a new position. A new Finfish
Manager will start in January 2022.
•
Reviewed forest practice applications for 5,600 acres within
PGST U&A.
•
Shallee Baker resigned.
•
•
The Tribal Historic Preservation Office was moved to Cultural Resources.
Sampled Brownfield sites on reservation for presence of contamination and hazardous materials.
•
Began nutrient monitoring in streams on reservation.
•
Closed on the acquisition of a conservation easement for 18.4
acres on the former mill site.
•
Completed PGST Coastal Hazards Analysis for Shoreline
Management Study for PGST Shoreline.
•
Completed Wetland, Stream, and Fish and Wildlife Habitat
Inventory Report.
•
Completed 30% design draft of Port Gamble Shoreline Conceptual Restoration.
•
We lost two Natural Resources Enforcement officers due
to the vaccine mandate. Another officer moved over to the
PGST Police department.
•
New hires: Megan Rohrssen as Environmental Outreach
and Education Coordinator; Marla Power as Environmental Planner.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Maintained programs throughout COVID pandemic.
•
32
and programs.
Worked towards finalizing Port Gamble Bay
NRDA settlement.
Worked with Noo-Kayet Development Corporation and Point Casino to create process for value-added fisheries product.
•
Oversaw major improvements to the Hatchery program.
•
Received several new grants to help support various efforts
2021 Major Struggles: COVID pandemic restrictions and staff
turnover has been difficult.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: We completed major
improvements to the hatchery and purchased an outboard motor.
Maintenance
Planning
2021 Staff Changes
• Two employees were terminated, including a custodian and a maintenance worker.
2021 Staff Changes: Abby Welch was hired in a new position, Environmental Planner/Project Manager.
Director: Bruce DeCoteau
•
Three employees resigned: one left for another position, another for personal reasons, and a custodian
left connected to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
•
Replacement hires included a maintenance worker
and a custodian.
•
New hires include two new groundskeepers. These
are full-time positions.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Installed individual heating and cooling units in each
office in the Human Resources building.
•
Installed card reader automatic door mechanisms in
the majority of the Tribal buildings on campus.
2021 Major Struggles
• Dealing with the ongoing COVID crisis. Ensuring
that employees tested as needed and practiced social
distancing and other protocols took a tremendous
amount of time. In addition, we had a difficult time
acquiring supplies and materials from vendors who
were faced with shortages.
•
Keeping up on all the work to ensure the complex is
one we can all be proud of. The Facilities department
is an important asset to the Tribe. We are responsible
for keeping buildings clean and sanitary as well as
maintaining the grounds and buildings themselves.
Our Maintenance crew—especially during the increased responsibilities during COVID—has had
difficulties keeping up with the grounds work while
taking care of daily work orders.
We are looking at ways to create more training opportunities for staff, including Facilities managers. A succession plan is being drafted as the current Director is hoping to retire within the next few years. The goal is to have
current managers be able to move up in leadership roles.
Director: Joe Sparr
2021 Major Accomplishments
Several ongoing projects were completed or saw significant
progress, including:
• The new Health Center was completed and opened in August.
•
Red Cedar Lane subdivision was substantially completed.
•
Administration building remodel completed.
•
Transitional Housing project site work completed with
housing units on schedule for delivery and installation in
early 2022.
•
Assisted Housing Authority with project management of
Warrior Ridge’s infrastructure construction.
•
South boat ramp design completed and permit issued by
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Project is going to bid soon.
•
Plans are complete and bidding is underway for Courts
remodel of old Wellness Center.
•
Plans are complete and permitting is underway for hatchery and Point Julia improvements.
•
Feasibility study underway for North Kloomachin subdivision.
•
Fisheries freezers to be installed soon at The Point Casino.
2021 Major Struggles
• Keeping up with drainage issues at the Red Cedar Lane
subdivision.
•
While we were glad to help, working on the Warrior Ridge
construction and Administration remodel projects was unanticipated and put a strain on completing scheduled work.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: We worked on/
completed several capital projects, including the Health Center, Red Cedar subdivision, Administration building remodel,
transitional site improvements, campus shelter site improvements, and new freezers for The Point Casino.
33
Port Gamble
S’Klallam Foundation
Director: Joan Garrow (retired early 2022); report prepared by new Director Andrea Dolan-Potter
2021 Staff Changes
• Transitioned from a contracted accountant to a “roving
accountant” employed by the internal PGST Accounting
department.
($13,840)
Garden Membership fees brought in over $70,000
•
20 booked weddings brought in a $250,000 funding
split between Noo-Kayet (event management, catering,
hotel) and Heronswood (venue).
•
47 revenue generating classes (online and in-garden)
with 1,627 attendees
2021 Major Accomplishments
Despite the pandemic, we have been able to increase dollars
raised for Heronswood and other Tribal programs through
increases in Garden Memberships, grants, scholarships,
Garden Entry income, garden tours, and individual donor
support, as well as online and in-person class and lecture
fees. Highlights include:
• $30,500 in sponsorships for the PGST Community
Health Center Grand Opening
•
Over 30 lectures to garden clubs, horticultural societies, and other interested groups given by Patrick
McMillan, Ross Bayton, and Dan Hinkley.
•
More than 8,000 visitors to Heronswood in 2021
•
Almost $16,000 in public support from donations
made through Kitsap County’s annual “Great Give”
and Washington State’s “GiveBIG WA”
•
$22,500 grant awarded through WA Department of
Commerce/Arts Fund
•
•
$25,000 grant award through WA Equity Relief for
Nonprofit Organizations
In consultation with S’Klallam language bearers, Klallam names were given to all primary parts of Heronswood Garden. The names are included in signage and
printed materials, as well through vocal pronunciations
accessed through QR codes used on signage.
•
$196,694 Native American Agriculture Fund grant for
S’Klallam Resiliency Expansion Project
•
•
$25,000 value stock gift from a major individual donor
to benefit Heronswood
•
$10,000 major individual donor donation for the
Raining Wall in the Renaissance Garden
Construction began on the new Travelers Garden at
Heronswood. This includes the S’Klallam Connections
Garden, which is interpreted and designed by Tribal
staff members and features indigenous plants of cultural significance. A convening are in the Garden for
outdoor activities and gatherings will host S’Klallam
cultural programming in 2022.
•
34
•
Foundation Executive Director Joan Garrow announced her retirement in fourth quarter of 2021.
Andrea Dolan-Potter was promoted to the Executive
Director position, effective January 1, 2022.
•
$10,000 major individual donor donation to cover
the cost of new flooring in Heronswood’s education
building
•
Two special fundraising events brought in over
$30,000, including the Lytton BC Fundraiser
($17,252) and the Ted George Scholarship Fund
2021 Major Struggles
• We’ve continued to deal with significant impacts as a
result of the ongoing pandemic. This includes being
unable to hold large revenue-generating public events
and gatherings, which greatly impacts our ability to
raise funds for Heronswood. For example, a high-end
gala that was planned for Labor Day weekend had to
be cancelled due to the rise in Delta variant cases.
•
•
The Foundation operates with only two full-time
employees and a part-time contracted accountant. In
2021, we felt an increased strain in workload due to
Heronswood’s income-producing activities increasing
as well as our accountant having to decrease hours for
three months due to medical reasons.
Heronswood operates with a small staff relative to the
work it takes to manage and operate the Garden. Medical and family leave absences increased the strain on
remaining staff.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
• Completion of the new Heronswood Visitor Center/
Administration Building in the first quarter of 2021
allowed for better and safer service delivery and programs during the ongoing pandemic. As visitor census
continues to rise, having infrastructure supporting staff
and guests is critical.
•
Development of Heronswood’s Rock Garden, Phase
I. This project began with the installation of a crevice
garden and included a convening space that serves as an
outdoor education pod. The Rock Garden is dedicated
to those who died of COVID. Plans are to expand the
Rock Garden beds in 2022 and incorporate plants from
the Siskyous, Olympics, Cascades, and Rocky Mountains.
Left, at top: Workers at Heronswood select and pack plants for
the 2021 Christmas display at the
Washington State Capitol Building.
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation oversees Heronswood Garden.
Left, at bottom: Gift bags for attendees of the PGST Health Center
Grand Opening in August 2021. The
Foundation raised over $30,000 in
sponorships for this event. Extra
funds were allocated to Health Center and other related programs.
35
Public Safety
Director: Domingo Almirol
2021 Staffing Changes
• Staffing level for the Police department is at 85%. For
Natural Resources Enforcement (NRE), it’s 50% due to •
officers leaving because of vaccine mandate.
•
age of 50 hours of continuous training.
Put into practice a new training program with Family
Services, Victim Advocate, and the Tribal Prosecutor to
provide annual training and updates to the Police department and NRE.
Tribal Council approved the merger of the Police department and NRE with both departments reporting
for Chief of Police Almirol.
2021 Major Struggles
• Retention of officers. It has been difficult to remain com• Moved forward with applications to fill three vacant
petitive when other agencies offer more pay and better
NRE positions. The candidates will be tested in early
benefits for families.
2022.
• Competing with benefits offered by other agencies. Some
departments have openly advertised signing bonuses to
•
Jeff Crippen was promoted to the rank of Sergeant,
providing a second supervisor to patrol shifts and eases the
any officer willing to transfer. For example, Seattle Popressure on Sergeant Hultberg to cover immediate queslice department offers $25,000 and Everett’s department
tions on his off time.
has an incentive of $15,000. While we cannot match
these numbers, we are exploring offering a signing bonus
and locking the officer into a contract to ensure a certain
• Ray Bessette retired. His salary and benefits have been
converted to cover a full-time officer position.
number of years of service.
•
Chris Jensen retired. His salary and benefits have been 2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases: We purchased
converted to cover a part-time clerk position.
two vehicles with CTAS grant funds.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Hired a PGS Tribal member to the department.
36
•
Responded to a significant increase in calls to
the Kitsap 9-1-1 Center.
For example, in 2020, the
PGST Police department
responded to 3412 calls.
In 2021, that number increased to 4608, a 35.1%
increase. NRE responded
to 430 calls in 2020 with
a jump of 88.1% in 2021
to 809 calls responded to.
•
PGST Police department
and NRE officers were
able to complete an aver-
Special Projects
Director: Renee Veregge
2021 Staff Changes: In September, Jodi Fulton was hired
as the new Event Coordinator. She transitioned internally
from Accounting where she was working as the Purchasing
Clerk.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Managed Elders’ Generator & Extension Cord program.
•
Coordinated and managed many drive-thru and
in-person events, including Elders Honoring, Easter
Egg Hunt, S’Klallam Days, General Council, Halloween, Veterans Day, Christmas, New Years Eve, Community PPE distributions, Elders Christmas Party, and
All-Staff Christmas Party.
•
Distributed air Purifiers and fire extinguishers to community members
2021 Major Struggles
• Lack of participation and support from other departments for the different events we held. In 2022, we are
requesting additional funding to resolve this problem.
•
Offered CPR classes to staff throughout the year.
•
•
Coordinated 13 funerals between January and October 2021.
Planning events around COVID restrictions, which
requires directions from EOC team before we were
able to proceed with hosting events.
•
Lack of cross training due to limited staff. We work together to make every program and event a success, but
understand the need for everyone to understand each
other’s areas of expertise. We are working on training
as a department in 2022 to resolve this problem.
•
Lack of storage space. As event planners, we are in
charge of storing decorations and other materials
that require quite a bit of space. Keeping these items
and using them year-after-year is far cheaper and less
wasteful than buying new. We are looking at getting a
trailer or storage container to hold these supplies.
•
Created a strategic plan.
•
Managed most productive year ever for the Community Garde. This included the distribution of produce to
Elders who were unable to gather on their own.
•
Awarded Appendix X funds for construction and appliance upgrades, as well as needed infield supplies, at
the Baseball Field.
•
Offered weekly COVID testing to PGST Government
and Noo-Kayet Enterprises.
37
Tribal Gaming
Authority
Director: Nic Armstrong
2021 Staff Changes
• Three staff members left the department, including
Justyn Purser (Tribal Gaming Agent), Jacob Ewing
(Tribal Gaming Agent), and Julie Weaver (Surveillance
Observer).
38
•
New hires include: Cody Schwitzer (Surveillance Observer), Matt Litzel (Surveillance Observer), Lawrence
Miguel (Surveillance Observer), and CJ Bucsit (TGA
Agent). Eric Kelly transferred from Surveillance to
become a TGA Agent.
•
At the end of 2021, there are three vacant positions,
including two as Observer and for a Surveillance Supervisor. In 2022, we plan to fill the open Surveillance
Supervisor position with someone with a leadership
style that compliments our existing PGST/TGA culture, and who has gaming experience in addition to a
forward-looking attitude.
•
ing Commission.
Added three additional full-time employees in the
Surveillance department to ensure that we have double
coverage during peak times of Casino operation.
2021 Major Struggles
• Unable to conduct continuing NIGC Commissioner
Training without impacting the day-to-day operations
at TGA. Moving forward, training will be planned
for Agents in pairs. We will use the same protocol for
Game Protection Training for Observers.
•
Unable to fill the Surveillance Supervisor position on
three separate occasions. The issue was finding candidates with the right balance of cultural fit, knowledge,
and experience.
•
Morale of team related to COVID. By luck, we were
able to stagger positive COVID cases to minimize
impact on Casino operations, but fear of an outbreak
caused much additional stress.
2021 Major Accomplishments
• Throughout the pandemic, the Casino maintained
functionality. This represents TGA’s commitment to
minimizing outbreaks and absences due to illness.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
• Rolled out the Merydian Pryme Software Suite.
•
Conducted Surveillance Training via Zoom for the
entire department in February 2020.
•
Expanded Surveillance System for the Bingo Operation
throughout the Boom Room.
•
Bingo in the Boom Room went live over Memorial
Day weekend.
•
Updated all work stations in Surveillance to allow for
software updates in Avigilon.
•
All TGA Agents have completed at least Level I Commissioner Training through the National Indian Gam-
Utilities
Director: Ashley Brown
2021 Staff Changes
Mikole Hendricks joined the department to cover
public works, maintaining parks and roads. He has
been a tremendous addition to this department.
2021 Major Accomplishments
This past year, we have been able to start and complete a few major projects, including:
• The third well has been drilled, cased, screened,
developed, disinfected, and quality tested. In
2022, the final design aspects will be completed
and the project will be underway.
•
Wastewater infiltration repairs were completed,
however there are a few outstanding due to accessibility issues, such as areas that need manholes
installed to replace cleanouts in the system. We
are working with IHS to accomplish this.
•
The Lift station projects have been started and
may be completed as soon as the end of 2021.
•
More progress has been made with the digital meter change out project. As of the end of 2021, we
are around 50% complete and should be finished
in 2022.
•
Two employees earned their water operator certification.
2021 Major Struggles
Equipment failure was a major obstacle. This hindered our ability to complete certain projects effectively. We also had issues with previously installed
field infrastructure.
2021 Capital Projects or Major Purchases
The Lift station project has been started and should
be completed by the end of 2021 or soon after.
Port Gamble
S’Klallam Members
Lost in 2021
Ellen Price
Brandon Nystrom
Luella Scheibner
Stan Purser Sr.
Rose Purser
Joshua Purser
Ted George
Mike Fulton
Stonechild Moran
Lena Tunkara
Don Jones
Louis Moran
Mike Sullivan
39
Port Gamble S’Klallam Entities
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
31912 Little Boston Rd. NE
Kingston, Washington 98346
(360) 297-2646
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.