55 Casinos Com
Second Round of Fights Over Mechoopda Casino Begin
A proposed Mechoopda casino to be built at the intersection of Highways 99 and 149 is opposed by Butte County. The Chico City Council will again discuss letting the city manager negotiate with the tribe for those services.
A second round of fights started over again between Butte County and the City of Chico over a proposed Mechoopda Indian casino.
On July 11th the Chico City Council met with Butte County for the first round of fights. The negotiation is about providing police and fire protection at the proposed casino. The council voted to continue the discussion in the second round.
Paul McIntosh, Butte County's chief administrative officer, had a litany of reasons why he thinks Chico should not get involved in dealing with Mechoopda.
McIntosk warned in his letter, "Jurisdictions all over California and the United States continue to struggle with negotiation agreements with tribes because of the complexity of the law and the process governing Indian gaming and the profound effects casinos have on a local community. Considerable resources will be needed to be brought to bear to ensure an enforceable agreement that benefits the city and protects the taxpayers."
Chico City's manager Greg Jones urges the council to grant him permission to open negotiations with the Mechoopda. In his agenda report, if he is given permission to begin negotiations he would seek preferential treatment for Chico residents in hiring for services to the casino.