CC MINUTES 09231986 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

-4- The fund raiser added that, even with nine sessions a week, it was very probable that the charities might need some flexibility towards the back end of their , lease which calls for an escalation of rental cost over the period of lease. _Mr. Wheeler suggested a review of the state laws_ governing charitable gambling would _ show the Council that it had been the stringent laws the state imposes on such activities which had forced these charities to join together in this endeavor because the economics were just not there for them to make any profit after sharing the costs of leasing 9,000 square feet of space in Apache. The charities had not really required that much space but that had been the only condition Mr. Cavanaugh would lease to them. Mr. Wheeler said, and the charities, unlike non-profits, had no facilities of their own from which these activities could be conducted. The fund raiser then pointed out the need for charities like the applicants and the success of a similar activity in St. Cloud. Mayor Sundland stated that he perceived neither.- the good these charities do or precedents for successful project elsewhere were relevant to the intent of the Council's motion or another motion to follow which would convey to the state board regulating charitable gambling that "the City intends to meet the minimum requirements of the law by allowing four gambling occasions in this facility per week but wants to go no farther than that minimum". Councilmember Ranallo agreed, adding that it was only under "duress" that he was willing to approve any occasions at all because he had interpreted the "spirit of the law" had been "to only allow bingo games in buildings owned by the charities themselves" . The Mayor said he had also expected- no enlargement of what the City was already comfortable with at the Legion club and church. • John Hearn, Commander of the Tri-City American Legion Club was present for an appearance later in the agenda and confirmed that when the Legion post had been in -St.. Anthony they had only conducted two bingo sessions a week in their club rooms. Councilmember Marks commented that he had seconded the motion because he also perceived the type of charitable activity which was now being proposed was not in the "spirit" of the Charitable Gambling Law and said he had never expected that letting the state regulate that activity for the City would result in "stacking of charities". Mr. Wheeler's reaction was that he perceived the law had been written to "overcome the handicap the charities, who don't have assembly halls in which to conduct these games, have because non-profits, who do have halls, have always been able to maximize their returns through pull tabs". Ms. Aipperpatch, Director of Development for the March of Dimes, said that although other charities were doing well running pull tabs in bars, the March of Dimes had "a problem with alcohol because of the horrendous effects of "fetal alcohol syndrome" and preferred a location like St. Anthony, which offered a clean, alcohol--free environment to generate the funds the charities need to continue their services to the community. The Development Director said the March of Dimes is very concerned about its name and its image but also realizes that there's a great deal of prof it to be made in pull tabs. Mayor Sundland told her many of the local service organizations who make large donations to the community had attempted to contact the City regarding pull tabs but the City's • position up until now had always been to avoid even discussing the possibility of that type of fund raiser in the City. He said, as documented in the Commission