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Chelsea Duncan The Roseburg News-Review November 29, 2005
Emergency services: Roseburg City Council, tribal agreement will pay city for services provided on tribal trust lands.Just because the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians is placing some downtown Roseburg property into tribal trust, it doesn't mean the tribe will get free city services.
The City Council agreed Monday night to enter an intergovernmental agreement with the tribe so that the city is reimbursed for the services it provides on tribal trust land.
"This is indicative, I think, of the positive relationship that the city has with the Cow Creeks," said City Manager Eric Swanson.
The agreement expands on previous agreements to now include reimbursement for police and fire services. The tribe has paid for water and storm drainage services for its administration building on Northeast Stephens Street since 1997 and building plan review and inspection services since 2001.
For building services, the tribe pays the same as a private developer would pay. For police and fire calls, however, the tribe will pay the actual costs for each response to tribal properties such as salary, fringe benefits and indirect associated costs — more than the city receives from any nonprofit or governmental agency.
Police Chief Mark Nickel said this morning the Douglas County Sheriff's Office provides police services to the Cow Creek facilities in Canyonville, but the tribe doesn't often need those services.
He expects local facilities will be like any other businesses in which the tribe will call when needed.
"If you own a business in town, you want to maintain the integrity of the business," he said.
The service agreement essentially makes up for the loss in property taxes that comes with taking land off the tax rolls and placing it into tribal trust.
"We are a service organization and it costs money to provide those (services)," Swanson said at the meeting.
Council President Tim Freeman thanked the council and Mayor Larry Rich for allowing him to help with the negotiations.
"It was a very educational experience for me," he said.
Wayne Shammel, attorney for the tribe, said he appreciated the goodwill of the city for entering into this agreement. The negotiations, he added, went more smoothly than past experiences with other tribes and city governments.
"I look back on that and I think it's just a pleasure," he said.