I. Response to the Flooding on the Reservation

Beginning on Oct. 22, the Reservation began experiencing heavy rainfall that affected the health and safety of Tribal members. To address the issue, the Tribe established an Emergency Operations Center that immediately began providing direct services to Tribal members and coordinating with other jurisdictions on emergency response efforts. On Oct. 24, in response to the flood, Chairman Sage signed a Proclamation of Local Emergency. This was followed up by a Tribal Council Resolution on Oct. 30, extending the Chairman’s Proclamation to protect life and preserve property and ensure response measures are in place. These actions will support the Tribe’s future application to receive disaster assistance. In the meantime, the Tribe has continued to render assistance to Tribal members and other Reservation residents. The Tribe has also been working with Sen. Hickenlooper, Sen. Bennet, and Rep Hurd to support the Tribe’s application for federal assistance.

II. Actions to Benefit Tribal Members

• On Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved a new homesite lease and homesite development plan for a Tribal member.
• On Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved an Application for Assignment of Tribal Lands and Homesite Development Plan for a Tribal member.
• On Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved the refinancing of existing home loans for three Tribal members, allowing for the construction of improvements.
• Oct. 20, Tribal Council approved secured home loans for three Tribal members for the purchase of primary residences.
• Oct. 20, Tribal Council approved a Resolution requested by TIS enrolling a new Tribal member.
• Oct. 20, Tribal Council approved a resolution amending the bylaws for the Sunshine Cloud Smith Youth Advisory Council, including updating qualifications for persons seeking to serve on the Youth Council and requiring the Youth Council to make recommendations to Tribal Council for the appointment of Youth Council members.
• Oct. 27, Tribal Council approved the reappointment of three Tribal members to the Southern Ute Gaming Commission.
• Nov. 3, Tribal Council approved an effective date of January 1, 2027, for the amended Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance.
• Nov. 3, Tribal Council approved continuing to provide financial support to Tribal member water users on both the PRIIP and Florida projects at a rate of $6.50 per irrigable acre for the next 10 years.

III. Protection of the Health of Tribal Members

• Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved a request from the Tribal Health Department to accept grant funding from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing’s Rural Health Transformation Program to, among other things, support chronic disease prevention and management.
• Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved a resolution supporting the request of the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board to receive funding from the Albuquerque Indian Health Service to address speech and hearing services and AIDS/HIV prevention.
• Oct. 20, Tribal Council approved a resolution recommended by the Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources for a land dedication to support the construction of a new wastewater lift station and associated infrastructure to serve the Ignacio Peak subdivision. This project will improve wastewater collections and treatment, protect public health by reducing reliance on older infrastructure, and support continued residential development in the Ignacio Peak area.

IV. Protection of Environmental and Cultural Resources

• Oct. 21, Tribal Council authorized a letter to the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, insisting on a meeting to express its opposition to the leasing of public lands within the Reservation for oil and gas development due to its impact on cultural and environmental resources and its violation of the federal trust responsibility.
• Oct. 21, Tribal Council approved working with Sen’s Bennet and Hickenlooper in seeking amendments to the Bipartisan American Affordability Jobs Act introduced in the Senate, which significantly limited Tribal authority under the National Historic Preservation Act and the Clean Water Act.
• Oct. 29, Tribal Council approved the submission of work plans negotiated with Enterprise Products that would substantially improve prospects for remediation of the Enterprise gasoline spill and provide greater protection for Tribal resources.

V. Business and Financial Matters

• a. Oct. 13, the Tribal Council approved a right-of-way for Red Cedar Gathering Company to install up to two gathering lines to access the Mancos Shale project. The Tribe exercised its authority granted under the recently approved Tribal Energy Resource Agreement, allowing the Tribe to enter into mineral leases and grant energy-related rights-of-way without review or approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• b. Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved an additional incremental investment in Panda High Plains Hemp, an industrial hemp fiber processing facility in Texas.
• c. Oct. 13, Tribal Council approved a Department of Justice grant application requested by the Justice and Regulatory Department, the Southern Ute Police Department, and Tribal Courts. If the grant funds are received, it would, among other things, help fund the purchase of police vehicles, support personnel costs for the Tribal Court, and provide support for drug and alcohol testing.
• d. Oct. 20, Tribal Council approved an application from the Tribe’s Environmental Programs Department for a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (“CDPHE”) to further monitor tribal wetland water quality at risk from pollution, development, and climate change impacts.
• e. Oct. 27, Tribal Council authorized the disposition of an industrial property in Wisconsin and an office facility in Kansas City to redeploy the proceeds to investments with stronger risk-adjusted return.
• f. Oct. 27, Tribal Council authorized the acceptance of Behavioral Health Safety Net Services funding from Rocky Mountain Health Plans to support behavioral health outreach, education, and engagement activities, including a Cultural Medicine Conference to be hosted by the Tribe, and to support planning and development of an Opioid Treatment Program through specialized consultation services.
• g. Oct. 27, Tribal Council approved an agreement with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the City of Durango and the ALP Water Conservancy District for the design and construction of a 200-foot pipeline extension from the base of Ridges Basin Dam. This is a beginning step which would allow the Tribe to access its ALP Project water.

VI. Meetings with Governmental Officials

• a. Oct. 6, Tribal Council met with Governor Polis on the Reservation. He pledged to assist the Tribe in its oversight of the Enterprise gasoline spill on the Reservation by hiring an outside consultant to analyze the spill size and remediation efforts.
• b. Oct. 18, Tribal Council met on the Reservation with Sen. John Hickenlooper, Attorney General (and future Governor) Phil Weiser, Secretary of State (and future Attorney General) Jenna Griswold, future Secretary of State Amanda Gonzalez, and future Treasurer Jeff Bridges.