PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribal Council tabled action related to the tribal administrator, election board appointments and other business Thursday night and scheduled a special meeting next week to address the matters.
The move was made after council members agreed to move up the “election of officers and committee chairs” portion of the agenda to the beginning of the meeting. Once the officers and committee chairs were elected, Jan Lowery, a District 7 representative, made a motion to postpone business involving committee reports on Constitution and Ordinance, which included the tribal administrator position; Health and Human Services; Finance; and Ethics until a future council meeting.
Since there was no discussion of those issues during the November meeting because of a lack of a quorum, the process was being rushed, Lowery said. She wanted newly elected council members, who took their seats on the council for the first time Thursday, to have the chance to study up on the issues.
“Why is it so urgent?” she said. “Because it wasn’t so urgent in November.”
Janie Oxendine-McFarland, a District 2 representative, agreed with Lowery.
“They (new council members) need to be brought up to par about what’s on the agenda,” she said.
Lowery’s motion passed on a 15-5 vote.
The council then decided it will meet Friday at 6:3o p.m. at Lumbee Tribal Complex to go over the committee reports. The council will have to wait five days before taking any action on the committee items, through a special called meeting. The council set that meeting for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25.
Lumber Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. was a bit disappointed the council did not take action on the committee reports, including the tribal administrator position.
“There are some things on the agenda that were critical to the people,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll get this passed within a week’s time.”
Tribal Administrator Freda Porter’s performance and the position itself have been under scrutiny.
Ricky Burnett, the District 13 and the council’s new speaker, said although he voted against postponing discussion of the committee reports, he’s fine with the council’s decision. The new council members have a right to get the information they need, he said.
Despite the delay, Frank Cooper, District 11 representative, was optimistic about the new year and the new council.
“I’m excited and it’s a new day,” he said.
Council officers elected Thursday were: Tribal Council speaker, Ricky Burnett; vice speaker, Corbin Eddings; secretary, Wendy Moore; treasurer, Sharon Hunt; and parliamentarian, Larry Chavis.
Committee chairs elected Thursday were: Constitution and Ordinance, Reginald Oxendine Jr.; Education and Culture, Frank Cooper; Housing, Ted Woodell; Health and Human Services, Marshil Locklear; Finance, Jarrod Lowery; Federal Recognition, Jarrod Lowery; Ethics, Carvicous Barfield; and Lumbee Nation Tribal Programs, Ricky Burnett.
In other business, council member Sharon Hunt said she had several roof tarps available for anyone whose roof was damaged by Hurricane Florence. Anyone interested in getting one should call her at 910-259-6954.
David Pollard can be reached at 910-416-5165 or dpollard@robesonian.com.