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Cow Creek Umpqua Indians donate $37,500 to the City of Roseburg for economic development and $37,500 to UCC for its training program for employees for the new Roseburg Dell Computer Corporation Call Center.
Economic development: Other half of $75, 000 grant given to Umpqua Community College for its part in Dell Computer projectBy Stacy D. Stumbo
With an ambitious convention Center in downtown Roseburg on the horizon, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians strengthened its ties to Roseburg Monday night by giving the city $37,500.
The check is half of a $75,000 Community Economic Development and Recovery (CEDAR) Fund grant, The other half of the grant was awarded to Umpqua Community College for its part in the Dell Computer Corp. project. The award represented a portion of the $150,000 the tribe committed for Dell employee training at the school.
The grant is intended to help the city's economic development efforts, tribal representatives said at Monday's council meeting.
"Everything we've done, we've done with a purpose," said Sue Shaffer, tribal chairwoman. "The tribe never felt we should just help ourselves. We felt that we could be a community tool. We are, and we can do more to help people."
"It's a present from the tribe," said Wayne Shammel, attorney for the Cow Creek. "It's our way of showing our appreciation."
Shammel said the tribe supports programs such as the Umpqua Economic Development Partnership, which was influential in bringing Dell Computer Corp. to the community.
The tribe gave the partnership $70,000 in CEDAR funds in 2001. Although the city is under no obligation to use the grant to support UEDP, Shammel said he hopes some of the money might make its way to that organization.
"We are trying to encourage businesses to come in here and help us create jobs," Shaffer said. "With the economic situation such as it is, we're going to have to work together to accomplish that goal."
Randy Wetmore, Roseburg's city manager, said the gift was unexpected but greatly appreciated.
"We're always happy to receive funding," Wetmore said. "Especially in these hard economic times:"
The donation coincides with the tribe's recent purchase of several properties on the South Umpqua River waterfront near the Oak and Washington Avenue bridges, including the Douglas County Farmers Coop, Surplus Center and Holiday Motel buildings
Most Cow Creek businesses are headquartered in Canyonville, where the Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort got its start 20 years ago.
Though a conceptual design for development of the property won’t be available for another two months, Shammel said the tribe as narrowed the scope of the plan. A restaurant, lounge, convention center and business office will ultimately occupy the property
Shaffer said the decision wasn't arbitrary.
"We saw the need," she said. "Even if this (a Roseburg convention center) were counterproductive to our resort business (in Canyonyville), it's still something that's needed. And we think its success would spin off to other businesses and really energize downtown.
Because of the tribe's sovereign status, once the federal government puts the land in trust, it cannot be taxed. Tribes without designated reservation lands can buy property privately and seek government approval that would distinguish it as reservation land. Shammel said it can take up to a year, but he believes the process is close to completion.
The 1,200-member Cow Creek Tribe is the third-largest employer in the county with more than 1,000 employees. The tribe operates more than a dozen businesses and has an annual Payroll in excess of $30 million.
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