FORT PECK — Less than two years after a previous Tribal Executive Board committed $250,000 toward purchasing and starting up a Brockton business, the current council has voted to put that same property up for sale.

During the Aug. 24 full board meeting, the Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board voted 11-0 to declare the Brockton Grill & Casino up for sale, with Councilman Charles Knowlton absent.

During discussion, Councilwoman Marva Chapman asked whether the resolution needed to specify that the property would be sold to the highest bidder. The motion approved by the board did not include that language.

The prepared resolution originated in the Economic Development Committee, where Chapman made the motion, seconded by Knowlton, to authorize the committee to declare the Brockton Grill & Casino up for sale. The committee motion carried 3-0.

The property is the same Brockton business the Tribes purchased in late 2024 as Fred’s Grill and Casino.

The 2024 purchase

The original purchase was approved during the Nov. 12, 2024 full board meeting under Resolution #32-1049-2024-11.

That resolution authorized the Tribes to purchase Fred’s Grill and Casino for $200,000 from the Tribes’ revolving loan account. The resolution was adopted on a vote of 9 for, 1 opposed and 2 absent.

But discussions about purchasing Fred’s had started before that vote.

According to Tribal Committee minutes previously reviewed by The Journal, Fort Peck Inc. had turned down the purchase of Fred’s Bar and Grill. During those discussions, Councilman Terry Rattling Thunder reported that the business had been appraised at $300,000, while the owners were asking $200,000.

Councilman BJ Johnson said at the time that he wanted the Tribes to purchase the business. He also raised two questions that would have to be answered if the Tribes moved forward: where the money would come from and who would run the business.

The Tribes ultimately moved forward with the purchase.

At the Nov. 12 full board meeting, Rattling Thunder and Johnson were proponents of the purchase, saying Fred’s was needed to keep jobs in Brockton and contribute financially to the Tribes.

Two weeks later, on Nov. 25, 2024, the council took another major step.

The TEB voted 11-1 to approve a $250,000 budget modification from the Fort Peck Tribes revolving loan fund. Of that amount, $200,000 was designated to purchase Fred’s Grill and Casino and another $50,000 was included for startup costs.

Budget modifications require a two-thirds majority vote of the council.

The 2024 motion also called for repayment to the Tribes with three percent interest, with the first payment due Dec. 31, 2025.

At the time, Councilwoman Stacey Summers, who supported the budget modification, said paperwork still needed to be completed and that the question of who would operate the business would be worked out before the final purchase.

From purchase to sale

The discussion surrounding Fred’s in 2024 focused on maintaining one of the few established businesses in Brockton, preserving jobs and creating a financial benefit for the Tribes.

Now, less than two years after those votes, the Tribal Executive Board has unanimously authorized putting the same business up for sale.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify that the approved motion did not specify that the Brockton Grill & Casino would be sold to the highest bidder. Councilwoman Marva Chapman raised the issue as a question during discussion.