Placer Supervisors OK Casino-Impact Proposal
By Art Campos - Sacramento Bee
After listening to eight hours of staff reports, legal opinion and public testimony, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement Tuesday it says will provide protection against impacts from a proposed Indian gaming casino.
Despite urging by many speakers to delay a decision for at least 30 days, the supervisors gave approval by a 4-1 vote, saying they were taking responsible action, given that gambling will likely come to their county anyway.
Supervisors James T. Williams, Rex Bloomfield, Harriet White and Chairman Robert Weygandt voted for the agreement. Voting no was Bill Santucci, who opposes gaming in Placer County.
About three-fourths of the 40 speakers during the marathon meeting in Auburn sought a delay or a rejection of the agreement.
They argued that a casino will bring drugs, drunken driving, thefts and other crimes into their neighborhoods, which are about five miles from the proposed 56-acre gambling site in an industrial are at Athens and Industrial Avenues, between Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln.
Other opponents claimed they had just learned of the proposal by the United Auburn Indian Community and they demanded more time to study the agreement or to look for alternative sites.
But in the end, supervisors went along with the recommendation made by their staff attorney, Tony LaBouff, who said, "I feel I have brought you a document that protects the interests of Placer County – both fiscally and environmentally."
The document features many concessions by the tribe, although the Indians are under no obligation to offer benefits or mitigations to the county.
The Indians have agreed to pay for a new road segment west of Industrial Avenue, extending Sunset Avenue to Athens Avenue. Another includes the improvements for Fiddyment Road.
The tribe also will pay $458,089 annually so that the county can add five new deputy sheriffs to patrol in and around the casino area and will pay another $450,000 to build a fire station and to hire a fire captain and one firefighter. The tribe would then pay that sum annually for fire services.
By federal law, the tribe, which consists of about 160 Maidu and Miwok Indians, has the right to build a casino on land placed in a federal trust, which the tribe is seeking for the Placer County site.
About 200 people attended the emotional meeting, with 80 sitting on folding chairs set up under trees outside and listening on a public address system.
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