Commission Meeting

December 1, 2014

Conference Call

Approved at the 2/25/15 meeting

Commissioners in attendance:  Jamie Bissonette Lewey (Chair), Roy Partridge (State), Bert Polchies (Penobscot), John Banks (Penobscot), Gail Dana-Sacco (State), Joan Nass (State),Richard Gould (State) Staff: Executive Director John Dieffenbacher-Krall Regrets: Linda Raymond, Brian Reynolds, Matt Dana, Vera FrancisNotes recorded by John Dieffenbacher-Krall.The meeting took place without a quorum.

Consideration of minutes for the 10/21/14 meeting

Jamie Bissonette Lewey brought up the minutes for the 10/21/14 meeting requesting any potential changes or suggestions.  None were identified.  Action on the minutes was tabled as the Commission did not have a quorum.

Review of MITSC Strategic Planning Document

The Commission considered the Vision Statement, Guiding Principles, and Responsibilities.  Additional work was identified as needed for the Guiding Principles and Responsibilities. Jamie said she will take all of these comments, reshape them, invited Commissioners to send any comments they might have, and a revised version of the document will be on the 1/28 meeting agenda.

Adding a designated Wabanaki seat to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees

Jamie Bissonette Lewey invited John Banks to address issue.  John Banks relayed that the intertribal criminal justice group sought this same change in 2013 (see LD 140 An Act To Create a Permanent Wabanaki Law Enforcement Seat on the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy).  John Dieffenbacher-Krall shared the history of LD 140.  It passed the House (engrossed on 4/30/13), but failed in the Senate.  Jamie asked Commissioners for their approval to defer further discussion of the bill until the January Commission meeting.

MITSC inquiry into sustenance fishing

Jamie Bissonette Lewey stated that we opened this discussion at the MITSC retreat.  John Dieffenbacher-Krall has been reviewing the MITSC files and posting documents in a MITSC Dropbox.  Jamie asked for volunteers to review the primary documents working with her and John Dieffenbacher-Krall.  John Banks, Dick Gould, and Bert Polchies volunteered to work with Jamie and John D-K.  Jamie stated all Commissioners should be invited to the new Dropbox dedicated to sustenance fishing.  

Implementation of the recommendations of the Assessment of the Intergovernmental Saltwater Fisheries Conflict between Passamaquoddy and the State of M

Jamie Bissonette Lewey reported that the committee charged with developing a plan for advancing the recommendations outlined in the report has met once since the October retreat.  In that meeting, the group focused on the importance of educating legislators.  The Commission missed participating in the official new legislator orientation as it had intended to do.  In light of that development, the Commission is seeking to have input during the Maine Development Foundation bus tour in January.  The idea emerged of sending a letter to all members of the 127th Legislature.   Commissioners approved the idea of sending a letter both to make them aware of the report and to include the executive summary, findings, and recommendations.  John Dieffenbacher-Krall reported on an 11/21 meeting held with Suzanne Gresser, Revisor of Statutes.  

Final approval of MITSC Annual Report 2013-2014

Jamie Bissonette Lewey observed it has been out for some time.  She asked John Dieffenbacher-Krall to contact each Commissioner for approval.  Commissioners agreed to this approach.  Jamie suggested that the State Commissioners might want to get together about how they present an item for which MITSC wants State Government’s opinion or position.  State Commissioners need a process for doing this.  (The State Commissioners agreed to meet during the morning prior to the1/28 Commission meeting to initiate the discussion.)

Consideration of MITSC budget for FY 2015

Jamie Bissonette Lewey asked John Dieffenbacher-Krall to do a succinct presentation on the budget.  John reviewed a proposed FY 2015 budget anticipating $94,219 in income, $110,510 in expenditures, and the application of a balance from the previous year of $8,661 for a deficit of -$7,630.  Jamie asked how to deal with the deficit.  John Dieffenbacher-Krall responded that probably some limited savings can be realized in a few expenditure lines.  The FY 2015 budget deficit is something that should be raised between the State of Maine and Tribal Governments.  They should discuss a potential State of Maine supplemental budget request.

Overview legislative leadership 127th Legislature

Jamie drew attention to the document that John Dieffenbacher-Krall had emailed out as part of the MITSC meeting packet.  She asked that the document be edited to include contact information once that is available.

Scheduling

The first meeting for 2015 will be January 28 from 10 – 2:30, likely in the Augusta area.  John Dieffenbacher-Krall announced upcoming meetings with the Motahkmikuk Tribal Government 12/4, Sipayik Tribal Government 12/8, and Penobscot Tribal Government 12/9 (later rescheduled to 12/17).

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