Proposed assisted living facilty topic for third day of Nez Perce Tribe’s council

KAMIAH — At the conclusion of the Nez Perce Tribe’s fall General Council meeting, attendees got a breakdown of a to-be-built assisted living facility.

The tribe is set to begin construction in 2020 for a facility to house those 55 and older near Nimiipuu Health in Lapwai. There are several options that have been brought to the tribe from an Arizona-based design firm ranging from 10,600 square feet to nearly 11,000 square feet. The assisted living facility is a first step, with the tribe looking at what needs will be met initially and what gaps are present after construction if increased care options are needed, according to reports about the facility. As with other new projects taken on by the tribe, the facility will have a net-zero energy option with solar panels installed.

The tribe is also offering question-and-answer sessions for members who may be eligible for care at the facility. A Lapwai session is set from noon to 1 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Nimiipuu Health conference room. A Kamiah session is set from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 20.

After the facility is built next year, the tribe is looking at building an additional site in Kamiah.

Conscientious discussion about climate change was again highlighted at the meeting as it has the previous two sessions. Representatives from the tribe’s Enterprise Board and Executive Direction assured members that the tribe’s business interests are trying to remain eco-friendly. Recycling procedures and other sustainability measures are being utilized at the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge, said Enterprise Chairman Kermit Mankiller.

An attendee asked if solar panels or other alternative energies could be retrofitted to some buildings and infrastructure. Tribal leadership answered that newer facilities will indeed be viable for solar panels, but older infrastructure is not feasible for adding panels. Any future development will include an alternative energy piece in mind.

Mankiller said the tribe is also trying to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour in the next years to help its employees afford a living wage.

“I don’t know that $15 an hour is enough to raise a family and buy a house,” Mankiller said. “But that is our goal … and it’s gonna take a while to get there.”

He said a dramatic raise in minimum wage isn’t likely, and staggered increases will rely on increased revenue across the tribe’s signature businesses.

During a question-and-answer period, an attendee asked if the tribe was looking at banning vaping at its businesses and or restricting the sale of that type of tobacco. No action was taken, but some leadership said they were agreeable to banning the products at casinos.

Nez Perce Tribal Police Chief Harold Scott spoke to the assembly and said he is working to get funding for a centralized dispatch as well as a jail built on tribal land. Scott said the tribe outsources all incarceration to county jails in the region.

“It’s been a really challenging job, but I love to do it because I want to see progress for each and every one of our tribal members,” Scott said.

Holm may be contacted at (208) 848-2275 or tholm@lmtribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomHolm4.