Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTribal-County Relations Committee - Agenda - 5/20/2024 Bayfield County Administrator 117 E 5th Street, PO Box 878, Washburn, WI 54891 Ph: 715-373-6181 Fx: 715-373-6153 Mark Abeles-Allison, County Administrator Kristine Kavajecz, Human Resources Director Kim Mattson, Finance Director Gail Reha, Bookkeeper Paige Terry, Clerk III COUNTY-TRIBAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE Nicole Boyd, Tribal Council Chair Rick Peterson, Tribal Council Vice-Chair Mary Dougherty, Bayfield County Supervisor Steve Sandstrom, Bayfield County. Supervisor Dear Committee Members: This letter is written to inform you of the Bayfield County Tribal-County Relations Committee Meeting scheduled for MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. (breakfast at 8:30am). This meeting will be held in- person at the Legendary Waters Resort & Casino Building located at 37600 Onigamiing Dr., Bayfield, WI 54814. The agenda for this meeting is as follows: AGENDA 1. Call to Order and Introductions, 9:00am 2. Election of Chair and Vice Chair 3. Motion to Approve Minutes of February 19, 2024 4. Public Comment 5. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Law Enforcement Collaboration and Tribal County Law Enforcement Grant Agreement 6. Tribal / County Health Update and Opioid Education Plans in the Schools & Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Tribal County Health Board Appointment 7. Discussion Regarding Amended Tribal-County Lands MOU and LCO v. Evers Lawsuit and Tax Implications 8. Discussion Regarding Pigeon Lake 9. Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Broadband Expansion Efforts and Digital Connectivity Initiative and Red Cliff Library 10. Discussion regarding next Joint County Board / Tribal Council Meeting 11. Reports from Committee Members 12. Proposed Next Meeting Time and Date, Monday, September 16, 2024, in Washburn 13. Adjournment Should you have any questions in the meantime, please contact mark.abeles-allison@bayfieldcounty.wi.gov. Sincerely, Mark Abeles-Allison Mark Abeles-Allison Bayfield County Administrator MAA/pt cc: Lynn M. Divine, Bayfield County Clerk Bayfield County Board of Supervisors Bayfield County Department Heads Any person planning to attend a Bayfield County meeting that has a disability requiring special accommodation should contact 373-6100, 24-hours before the scheduled meeting, so appropriate arrangements can be made. May 20, 2024, Tribal County Relations Committee Narrative Item 2: Election of chair and vice chair Item 5: Attached is a Tribal Law Enforcement Update together with a copy of the 2024 Tribal County Law Enforcement Agreement. The application to the state is due in November. We discussed agreeing on terms early in the year to facilitate passage before the due date. Item 6. Updates from both health departments are in the packet together with an Opioid Education Update and a proposal regarding tribal appointments to the Bayfield County Health Board. Item 7. Attached please find the previous County Tribal Lands Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) together with a DRAFT amendment/revision. Many of the goals of the previous MOU were accomplished. The revised draft continues the focus on repatriation of tribal lands and addresses the LCO v. Evers lawsuit and resultant tax implications. Specifically, loss of tax base and discussion regarding past taxes paid by tribal members. Item 8. Pigeon Lake Camp on County Highway N in the Town of Drummond is owned by the State and is being prepared for sale. The Tribe is discussing possible locations for a youth treatment site and the County is discussing possible housing opportunities. Item 9. State and Federal Broadband initiatives are focused on increasing digital literacy in communities. The Digital Connectivity Grant program offers funding for digital navigators, lending libraries and housing authority Wi-Fi. Bayfield County is assembling an application for libraries in Bayfield County interested in participating. A link to the grant is here: https://apps.psc.wi.gov/ERF/ERFview/viewdoc.aspx?docid=495808 Item 10. The Committee has discussed another Joint Tribal Council / County Board meeting. November 12, 2024 might be an option. Bayfield County Administrator 117 E 5th Street, PO Box 878, Washburn, WI 54891 Ph: 715-373-6181 Fax: 715-373-6153 Mark Abeles-Allison, County Administrator Kristine Kavajecz, Human Resources Director Kim Mattson, Finance Director Gail Reha, Bookkeeper Paige Terry, Clerk III MINUTES OF THE: Bayfield County Tribal Relations Committee Meeting 9:00am, Monday, February 19, 2024 Meeting was held at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Annex Building, Washburn, WI Members Present: Tribal Chairwoman Nicole Boyd, Supervisor Jeff Silbert, Supervisor Steve Sandstrom, Tribal Vice-Chair Rick Peterson (virtually) Members Excused: Others Present: Red Cliff Tribal Police Chief Jess Hall, Bayfield County Chief Deputy Andy Runice, Bayfield County Sheriff Tony Williams, Bayfield County Board Supervisor Mary Dougherty, Bayfield County Public Health Nurse Holly Weber, Red Cliff Public Health Services Administrator Diane Erickson, Assistant Tribal Attorney Wade Williams, County GIS Technician Carmen Novak, Bayfield County Administrator Mark Abeles- Allison, and Bayfield County Clerk III Paige Terry. Called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Board Supervisor Steve Sandstrom. Introductions: Introductions of committee members and attendees were made. The committee held a moment of silence for the two officers and paramedic that lost their lives during a shooting in Burnsville, Minnesota over the weekend. Sandstrom informed everyone in attendance that it would be Silbert’s last meeting as he will not be running for another term on the County Board. Sandstrom commended Silbert for his work during his term and stated that Silbert has been an inspiration to him during his time on the board and described Silbert’s work as exemplary. Silbert stated it has been an honor to serve on the committee and work with the tribe. Minutes of December 18, 2023, County-Tribal Relations Committee Meeting: Motion by Boyd, seconded by Silbert to approve the minutes of the December 18, 2023, County-Tribal Relations Committee Meeting. Motion carried, 4-0. Public Comment: None. Tribal-County Law Enforcement Agreement, 2025 DOJ Grant Timeline and County / Tribal Law Enforcement Topics: Bayfield County Sheriff, Tony Williams, informed the committee that he would like to set aside some time in late spring/early summer to sit down with Tribal Police Chief, Jess Hall, to discuss the 2025 Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement/DOJ Grant. Hall stated that she has set aside two weeks in the month of May to work on the grant for 2025. Bayfield County Administrator, Mark Abeles-Allison, asked how collaboration efforts are progressing between the two agencies as the topic is mentioned several times in the agreement. Boyd stated that she would also like to see an evaluation of the goals outlined in the current agreement and the impact they have had. Sandstrom said the evaluation should be conducted before discussions on the new agreement take place. The committee agreed. Silbert asked if the funds for the 2024 grant have been received. Hall replied yes. The committee reviewed all the goals outlined in the current agreement and Boyd stated that the first two goals have been achieved but raised a question regarding the third goal, explaining that she was not sure if it was being achieved or not. T. Williams informed Hall that he would be willing to review the Schedule Anywhere program with her to help with sharing schedules between the two agencies and reviewed the Sheriff’s Office officer coverage breakdown and schedule. Chief Deputy, Andy Runice, suggested that the Red Cliff Police Department’s Sergeant collaborate with one or two of the Sheriff’s Office Sergeants on a Field Operations Plan. Sandstrom and Boyd agreed that the topic should be added to the future agreement as an additional goal. T. Williams encouraged Hall to reach out to the Sheriff’s Office for anything she or the department may need. Hall reported that the police department provides 21-hour a day coverage with officers rotating on 10-hour shifts. Silbert stressed the importance of positive collaborations, stating that they should be the primary focus of the agreement instead of the dollar amount. The committee members discussed the next committee meeting date and agreed to meet again at the end of May. Boyd informed the committee that there will be some variables that will affect the fiscal year 2025 and gave the example of the new Police Station that is being built. Opioid Settlement Fund Plans in the Schools and Health Update: Bayfield County Public Health Nurse, Holly Weber, reported that she has spoken with all the schools in Bayfield County and explained that the Health Department is pursuing the Botvin program as the selected program to administer in the schools. The Bayfield school staff will also be trained on the program through in-person training offered by the county. Boyd asked if the Red Cliff club staff would also be able to participate in the training. Weber explained that the training session could hold a maximum of 20 people, so staff would be able to be trained if there was room available. Weber gave a review of the program curriculum to the committee. Discussion took place regarding the approval and implementation of the program in the schools. Abeles-Allison gave a brief history of the opioid settlement funds to the committee. Red Cliff Public Health Services Administrator, Diane Erickson, reported that the tribe is nearing finalization of its Tribal Action Plan and deepening prevention efforts is one of the goals of the plan and one of the objectives if to choose a curriculum at the school level. The tribe’s wrap around team may recommend an expanded choice which would lead to the tribe stepping in to train staff beyond the 20 spaces the county has available for training. Boyd urged that the Health Department and Red Cliff Public Health look at focusing on a collective effort rather than programs that may overlap and cause confusion. Weber also informed the committee that Essentia Health has funds available to assist with the opioid prevention efforts that can be used for the prevention program start up costs but a budget for the project would need to be prepared and submitted. Erickson stated that the committee can expect to see an updated version of the Tribal Action Plan and explained the goals in the plan did not change. Erickson reviewed the Tribal Action Plan goals with the committee. Bayfield County Health Board: Weber informed the committee that the new Public Health Director is exploring having a designated spot on the Board of Health for tribal representation and was wondering if the tribal representative could be someone nominated by the Tribal-County Relations Committee which would be approved by the board. Boyd stated that she was unsure if the nomination should come from the committee but said she was willing to ask the Tribal Council to recommend an individual to the Board of Health. Bayfield County Board Supervisor, Mary Dougherty, stated that it would be beneficial for Red Cliff to have a designated seat on the board instead of their representation being lumped in with the community members. Discussion took place regarding the appointment process for the board of health. Peterson recommended that the committee take action in the form of support of the appointment before it goes before the Board of Health. The committee agreed to add the item to the next agenda as it was not listed as an action item. Land Records Program Update and Collaborative Opportunities: Bayfield County GIS Technician, Carmen Novak, gave a review of current Land Records projects to the committee, which include; address and road sign inventory, consolidated dispatch and NextGen9-1-1 implementation, modernization plan update, countywide imagery with 2025 being the tentative next collection date, acquiring historic imagery for the whole county for 1938, the UAV program, web map updates, and data sharing. Boyd stated that the tribe would have more information to give to Land Records after the tribal census is conducted. Abeles-Allison informed the committee that there are areas throughout the county in which individuals are able to text 911 and may send pictures and videos to 911. Novak concluded her update stating that there should be LiDAR data available in the next six months and reviewed the UAV program with the committee. Tribal County Lands Discussion: Abeles-Allison explained that tribal lands have been a key focus in the Lands MOU but stated that the county no longer owns any land on the Red Cliff reservation. Abeles-Allison expressed concern stating that private property owners on the reservation lands that do not pay their property taxes may cause the property to default back to Bayfield County. Silbert stated that it is the county’s goal to not obtain anymore land on the reservation and asked if there was any way to prevent the county from getting ownership of these parcels. Assistant Tribal Attorney, Wade Williams, replied that the county would work on a title transfer for the properties that they acquire due to the tax foreclosure process, or the tribe could try to make a deal with the property owners before the county obtains ownership of the property. W. Williams and Abeles- Allison agreed that collaboration is key, and the easiest solution would be if the property did not come back to the county in the first place. Abeles-Allison asked that the Tribal Lands MOU be added to the next agenda as it is due for review and update. The committee agreed. Reports from Committee Members: Silbert stated that he has greatly enjoyed working with and learning from the tribe during his tenure on the committee. Silbert spoke positively on his experience working with Walt Bressette and Joe Rose and stressed the importance of teaching the topics of treaty rights and sovereignty. Sandstrom stated he had spent several years working with Joe Rose at Northland College and agreed that Joe was a very impactful individual. Abeles-Allison reported that the State of Wisconsin has received approximately $1 million in Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding and stated that Bayfield County has good connectivity, but more steps can be made towards improving connectivity and internet availability. There are five topics that will be addressed over the next year: 1. Underserved Areas 2. Digital Inclusion and Adoption 3. Good Service Quality 4. Economic Development 5. Cyber Security and Privacy Hall gave Abeles-Allison two resources regarding BEAD, one being her spouse Theron with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the other being Jim Stromberg with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Hall stated that Stromberg would be speaking to the Tribal Council later in the day and invited Abeles-Allison to attend the meeting. Discussion took place regarding the importance of internet access throughout the county. Weber asked for an update on the proposed cell tower in the Town of Russell. Sandstrom stated that he had not heard anything else regarding the tower and all communications appear to have stopped. Boyd reported that the tribal census should be wrapping up this month and informed the committee that the State of the Tribe Address will be held at 10:00 a.m. on February 22, 2024, in Madison. Abeles-Allison what impact the tribal census may have. Boyd replied that she did not have specific examples but stated that it may have a significant financial impact. Discussion regarding the population growth seen throughout the county and its stability. Boyd stated that the tribe is waiting for the weight restrictions to lift so they may continue with some of their large construction projects which include the EMS facility, Cultural Center, and a maintenance building. Abeles-Allison informed the committee that the weight restrictions were temporarily lifted effective February 16, 2024. Abeles-Allison raised a question regarding veteran healthcare and asked if the veterans would be able to be seen by Red Cliff clinic staff for their annual appointment. Erickson stated that she did not have the answer but said that she would work on getting the specific answer to the question and let Abeles-Allison know. Proposed Next Meeting Time and Date and Joint Meeting Date: • Tribal-County Relations Committee Meeting: May 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., Legendary Waters • Joint Tribal Council-County Board Meeting: October 29, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., County Board Room Adjournment: There being no further business to discuss, a motion was made by Boyd, seconded by Sandstrom to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried, 4-0. Meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m. Respectfully Submitted, Paige a. terry, Clerk III, Bayfield County Administrator’s & Clerk’s Offices On behalf of the Bayfield County-Tribal Relations Committee PAT Tribal – County Relations Red Cliff Law Enforcement CURRENT Juvenile Behavior/Mental Health Crises ISSUE ▪ Parental engagement ▪ Juvenile Emergency Detentions STRATEGY ▪ Meetings with Tamarack Health to ensure new officers are advised of Hospital policies and procedures. ▪ Continued communication and collaboration with Northland Counseling for critical behavioral health incidents ▪ Multi-agency meetings have been very successful so far and informative. ▪ Wrap-Around Care approach for each prioritized case has seen success when parents commit to being involved. Drug Use & Drug Trafficking ISSUE ▪ No hard data on the breadth of community impact of non-fatal fentanyl overdoses STRATEGY ▪ Wrap-Around Care is beginning to develop a data collection strategy to capture the scope of overdoses that are not reported to EMS or LE ▪ Beginning to develop strategy to address drug trafficking and drug dwellings on lease sites in conjunction with the same in Housing Authority residences. POTENTIAL COLLABORATIONS Youth Engagement ▪ Highschool o Consider readdressing an MOU between Bayfield PD, Red Cliff PD and Bayfield Schools ▪ Red Cliff officers may perform regular visits to the school coordinated with Bayfield PD ▪ In the event that LE is needed while Red Cliff is there without Bayfield PD, the MOU may address this as a standing mutual aid scenario ▪ There used to be an MOU in place, but it has not been addressed in several years. ▪ Youth engagement during regular patrols o Officers stop and play basketball with the kids during regular patrol of Red Cliff housing areas. Tribal – County Relations Red Cliff Law Enforcement K9/Drug Interdiction Operations in Red Cliff ▪ A more structured inter-agency drug taskforce? o Appointed or volunteer members from all Bayfield County LE Agencies (structured similarly to DHS/LE meeting with focused cases discussed and next steps, or barriers to next steps) o Regular meetings to share and coordinate intel and investigation updates as applicable and appropriate. Tribal and County Relations Committee May 2024 Meeting Red Cliff Health Division Report EMS • Red Cliff EMS has recently partnered with Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU), to be a training center. Several Red Cliff EMTs signed up with the school as instructors. The first Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) class, hosted in Red Cliff and taught by Red Cliff instructors, was completed on May 2nd. The class had 10 Students, 5 from Washburn EMS, 4 from Red Cliff EMS and 1 from the National Park Service. The class had a 100% completion rate resulting in four new EMRs joining the Red Cliff EMS Service. This is a huge accomplishment bringing EMS education to the underserved parts of our area and other tribal and rural communities in northern Wisconsin. • Building construction is nearly complete on the new EMS Building. • Recently another EMS service in the area reached out to ask for assistance in policy review and organizational setup. We are planning a meeting with this service and assist where we can. Public Health • Data reporting indicates a lag in preventive services such as well-child checks and immunizations. Red Cliff Health is working with Early Childhood and Bayfield School District to strategize on best ways to address the situation. • The public health vending machine and supplies (Narcan, fentanyl strips, gloves, education) were delivered to Red Cliff. The vending machine is slated for the new EMS building which will be completed in June. We will discuss alternative locations should there be delays. Behavioral Health • Tribal Action Plan was approved by the Tribal Council in March – excerpt below: ➢ Improve cohesive response through implementation of “No Wrong Door” model. o Increase cross-county/jurisdictional collaboration by 25%. o Develop comprehensive, singular resource guide. ➢ Expand and strengthen services to address gaps. o Improve timely access to services in crisis situations. o Increase tribal member use of MOUD, including jail setting. ➢ Deepen prevention efforts. o Support student success by achieving high rate of attendance. o Expand Peer Specialist program to add focus on parenting, veterans, etc. o Increase number of sobriety events by two per year. ➢ Strengthen workforce development efforts within Wrap Around Care program. o Increase workforce development opportunities for people in recovery. o Evaluate staff/programming to ensure consistent, compassionate response at all levels. Healthy people, communities and environment for a superior Bayfield County. Bayfield County Health Department 117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109 Fax: 715/373-6307 Anne-Marie Coy, REHS/RS, MPH Director of Public Health/Health Officer Tribal and County Relations Committee May 2024 Update Environmental Health • Health Department is working with the Wisconsin DNR and corporate council to develop a best practice guidance ordinance for protecting artesian wells throughout the county. The ordinance was a recommendation developed by the Wisconsin Geological Survey in the final report from the 2023 Artesian Well study. • Additional staff are starting on Monday to help with the 2024 beach monitoring season. We have gotten requests to handle samples from other areas as a result of the possible closure at Northland College and unknowns on how their realignment proposal will affect their laboratory capacity. For now we are helping by taking in additional sampling and assisting Douglas County for training staff on how to collect samples and beach management activities. Public Health • At the May Board of Health meeting, the board moved forward to revise the Health Department’s policy on how to fill community representative board of health vacancies to establish a permanent position for tribal representation. The draft will be sent to the board at the next meeting. • A shared grant for increasing vaccination rates and accessibility was received between department of Human Services and the Heath Dept. We will be working with Human Services to offer mobile vaccination services at senior meal sites during the summer and events throughout the fall months. We will also be working to identify transportation barriers and adults who need homebound vaccination services. • We are working on a suspect case of Powassan Virus. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Powassan virus disease. The disease is transmitted through tick bites and can cause severe disease, including inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or the membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). We are working to create a best practice guidance document for staff on tick bite prevention and reporting, as well as public education documents if the suspect case is confirmed. • Opioid Settlement Project: Holly Weber met with both the Bayfield School and the Red Cliff Community Health Center to discuss projects related to opioid prevention activities and projects in the Bayfield and Red Cliff communities. It was determined that while project goals align between the county, tribe, and school, the project activities do not overlap. RCCHC is interested in a copy of the curriculum to keep abreast of what the program entails, and the health department can supply them with that. Bayfield County will continue to communicate and collaborate with the Bayfield School, CESA 12, and the tribe to support the implementation of the Botvin Lifeskills Prevention curriculum. • Public Health Vending Machines: The vending machine that is to be placed in Red Cliff has been delivered. RCCHC is looking at an interim location for placement until the EMS hall is Healthy people, communities and environment for a superior Bayfield County. Bayfield County Health Department 117 East Sixth Street - P.O. Box 403 - Washburn, WI 54891 Phone: 715/373-6109 Fax: 715/373-6307 Anne-Marie Coy, REHS/RS, MPH Director of Public Health/Health Officer completed. The second machine has not been delivered yet. Northwest Lung Health Alliance has asked about providing nicotine replacement therapy in the machines and were told that if they have the funding to purchase supplies that we can look at including it in the offerings in the vending machine. • The Alliance for a Safe and Healthy Bayfield County: Sponsored the Queer Prom this year that was held in Washburn. We provided transportation from Red Cliff, Bayfield, and Ashland to and from the event. We had 8 Bayfield students utilize that. A total of 60 kids attended the event, 21 of those from the Bayfield School District. We would like to create a space in the budget to be able to support this event in the years to come. We continue to work with the Red Cliff AODA Prevention group and support their projects. Next on the horizon for them is the Safe and Sober Graduation project and the “Ink Your Voice” competition. There was only one submission for that competition this year and they will receive $1,500.00 for their submission. The fund for this was granted to the group from the BCEF. Next on the table will be discussion of the potential to do another mock crash demonstration next spring. • Social Connectedness: Bayfield County Health is working with Bayfield School on a volunteer/service project for students K-12 to help them feel more connected and of service to their local and surrounding communities. Health has been in discussion with multiple partners on potential volunteer activities and service opportunities. We are surveying staff on existing volunteer activities that they might already do and looking for their ideas of ways they might want to incorporate service learning into their instruction or classwork. Page 1 K:\Tribal County Meetings\Agendas\2024 AGENDA\MAY 20 2024\TRIBAL APPOINTMENT TO HEALTH BOARD.doc Rev. 6/4/2019 BAYFIELD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT Policy: Appointed Board of Health Citizen Member Terms Approved By: Board of Health Effective: January 4, 1999 Reviewed & Revised: 2/2000, 6/2001, 6/2002, 2/2003, 2/2004, 3/2005, 2/9/2017, 6/4/2019, 5/15/24(draft) Policy: To comply with WI State Statute 251.03(1): A local board of health shall consist of not more than 9 members. At least 3 of these members shall be persons who are not elected officials or employees of the governing body that establishes the local health department and who have a demonstrated interest or competence in the field of public health or community health. In appointing the members who are not elected officials or employees, a good faith effort shall be made to appoint a registered nurse and a physician. Members of the local board of health shall reflect the diversity of the community. Procedure: The Bayfield County Board Chair appoints 5 elected officials to the Board of Health. The remainder of the Bayfield County Board of Health consists of up to 4 appointed citizen members. The appointed citizen members will have staggered 3-year terms except for the Medical Director whose term is unlimited. The Medical Director is exempt from the reapplication process. A good faith effort shall be made to appoint a registered nurse and a physician or other person with a public health background to the remaining 3 appointments. One of the appointments shall be reserved for a tribal representative of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa sovereign nation. When a citizen member’s term is about to expire they will be notified their term is about to end. The Office Manager will maintain a working document “Tracking Sheet for Citizen Member Terms” on citizen member terms. Citizen members may be appointed to succeeding terms. If they wish to continue serving on the Board of Health, the member will need to send a written or email request to continue serving on the Board of Health. When a citizen member’s term expires, and they do not wish to be reappointed to another term or they resign before the end of their term, a notice of vacancy is placed in area newspapers and on the Bayfield County website. When the tribal representative’s term expires, and they do not wish to be reappointed to another term or they resign at the end of their term, the notice of vacancy will be sent to the County Tribal Relations committee and the Tribal Chairperson to nominate an applicant for the position. All citizen member applications will first be reviewed by the County Administrator and the Bayfield County Board Chair. Citizen member applicants who have not or are not currently serving on the Board of Health will meet with the Board of Health Chair and the Department Director who will explain the role and responsibilities of the citizen members on the Board of Health. The Board of Health will review citizen member applicants and make a recommendation to the Bayfield County Board Chair who will make the citizen member committee appointment. Citizen committee member applications can be found at: http://www.bayfieldcounty.org/821/Application-to-become-a-Citizen-Committee. DRAFT DRAFT TRIBAL COUNTY LANDS AMENDED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING MAY 2024 Memorandum of Understanding entered into this day of , by and between the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of 88385 Pike Road, Bayfield, Wisconsin, 54814, a federally recognized Indian Tribe exercising powers of sovereignty (hereinafter “Red Cliff Tribe”) and County of Bayfield of Post Office Box 878, 117 East Fifth Street, Washburn, Wisconsin, 54891, a body corporate, organized under the laws of the State of Wisconsin (hereinafter “Bayfield County”). RECITALS Whereas, Bayfield County is a geographical neighbor to the Red Cliff Tribe. Both parties are located within the boundaries of the tribe’s ceded territory, and there is a historic working relationship between Bayfield County and the Red Cliff Tribe that recognizes the governmental authority of one another; and Whereas, the Red Cliff Tribe and Bayfield County work together cooperatively, have sought to avoid and resolve conflicts wherever possible, and have sought mutual solutions to common issues that benefit the citizens of the Red Cliff Tribe and Bayfield County alike; and Whereas, the Red Cliff Tribe and Bayfield County held their first ever joint full County Board and Tribal Council meeting in December of 2015 with two more joint meetings held since then; and Whereas, the Red Cliff Tribe’s reservation land base consists of approximately 14,000 acres, with 8,500 of which are now held by the Red Cliff Tribe or its members; and Whereas, the Red Cliff Tribe originally possessed all of its reservation land base as part of the original reservation boundary, held by the United States in trust for the Red Cliff Tribe; and Whereas, since establishment of the original reservation boundary in 1854, the Red Cliff Tribe has lost a majority of its lands; and Whereas, recovery and retention of Red Cliff Tribal lands is vitally important to the economic, spiritual, and cultural well-being of the Red Cliff Tribe and its members; and Whereas, in 2000 the Red Cliff Tribe initiated the Tribal Land Recovery Project for the purpose of returning lands within the original reservation boundary back to tribal and/or federal ownership and control; and Whereas, Bayfield County recognizes the central importance of land, its underlying role in the Red Cliff community, and supports the Red Cliff Tribe’s efforts; and Whereas, Bayfield County owned approximately 1400 acres of land on the Red Cliff Reservation; and Whereas, in 2022 Bayfield County and the Red Cliff Band formally agreed to transfer all County lands to the Tribe; and Whereas, the Red Cliff Tribe is dedicated to preserving and enhancing Red Cliff Tribal lands for generations to come; and Whereas, one of the County Tribal Relations Committee goals is to facilitate the repatriation of lands to the Red Cliff Tribe while fostering mutual respect and cooperation; Now therefore be it resolved, that the parties hereby agree as follows: A. Bayfield County and the Red Cliff Tribe pledge to work with each other towards total repatriation of all tribal lands on the reservation to Red Cliff. B. Historically, reservation parcels have reverted to Bayfield County as a result of tax delinquency. Bayfield County and Red Cliff agree that they will maintain close contact with each other regarding tax delinquent properties on the Red Cliff Reservation to avoid this from happening. C. Bayfield County will advocate for tax payments to local units of government from the State of Wisconsin and the United States Government for tribal properties removed from the tax role. D. Bayfield County and Red Cliff will dialogue and develop strategies regarding the reimbursement of taxes paid by tribal members. ADDITIONAL TERMS 1. This Memorandum of Understanding shall continue in force and effect for an initial term of five (5) years and shall automatically renew for an additional five (5) year term, unless thirty (30) day advance notice of termination is provided by either party. 2. This MOU is not intended to alter the existing authority, rights, or claims of any party, and parties acknowledge legal limitations under Wisconsin Statute 75.69 or other statutes that may apply. 3. This instrument contains the entire agreement between the parties, and no statements, promises or inducements made by either party or agent of either party that are not contained in this written contract shall be valid or binding; this contract may not be enlarged, modified, or altered except in writing, signed by the parties, and endorsed on this agreement. Dated this day of , BY THE PARTIES: XXX XXX Tribal Chair Chair, Board of Supervisors Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Bayfield County Chippewa Indians