04-14-10 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL APRIL 14, 2010 place the residency requirement. The Clerk reported that the goal at that time was to preserve charitable gambling opportunities for local non-profit organizations. 1•he Clerk indicated that the City's practice has been to limit lawful gambling to the Little Canada Bingo I-Tall as well as businesses with on- sale liquor licenses. It is her understanding that all available sites have lawful gambling operated by one of the City's local non-profit organizations, i.e. Canadian Days, Little Canada Fire Department, and Little Canada Recreation Association. There are a couple of businesses with on-sale licenses that do not have lawful gambling, but these sites have not been interested. John Wayne Barker, C)JO of Merrick, Inc., appeared before the Council and described his organization and the services that it provides to the developmentally disabled. He reported that a great deal of Merrick's funding comes fiom Medicaid dollars, and they supplement that funding with revenue raised through fund-raising and lawful gambling. Barker reported that Merrick operates a number of lawful gambling sites in the general area, and are looking to expand into Little Canada. McGraw asked the portion of dollars that comes from Medicaid and from lawful gambling. Barker replied that about 83% comes from Medicaid and 17% from other activities. Blesener asked if the profits from charitable gambling are used to serve Menick's clients. Barker replied that they do. Bob Liebel, Gambling Manager for the Little Canada Fire Department, reported that all the lawful gambling profits raised by Little Canada's three local charities go back into the community. Liebel indicated that while he felt Merrick, Iuc. was a very good organization, he urged the Council to maintain the ordinance as it is limiting lawful gambling opportunities to local charities. Liebe] also pointed out that there are currently no available sites. Ray Hanson, CEO of Canadian Days, agreed that Merrick was a good organization, but also urged the Council to maintain the ordinance as it is. Hanson noted that lawful gambling profits in Little Canada have been used to purchase parks, construct athletic fields, and purchased fire equipment. Hanson felt it was a quality of life issue, and without the lawful gambling proceeds, many of the improvements realized would have been at taxpayers' cost. Hanson also noted that there are on-going maintenance costs associated with the park improvements, and lawful gambling profits helps to subsidize those costs. Hanson also pointed the current difficult economy for lawful gambling. 12