Officials in Elk Grove, California, are meeting to discuss how to move forward with the casino proposed by the Wilton Rancheria. The tribe's $400 million project depends in part on a land agreement previously approved by the city council. But an opposition group that was financed by non-Indian gaming interests gathered enough signatures to bring the issue up again. As a result, the city leaders are meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to rescind the land agreement. Or they could schedule a June 6 referendum and let the voters decide, according to a document prepared for the council. The tribe previously announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the land-into-trust application for the 35.9-acre gaming site. The decision was made on the last full day of the Obama administration but an official notice has not yet appeared in the Federal Register, a step usually taken for similar casino land applications. The tribe was restored to federal recognition in 2009 after being illegally terminated in the 1950s. Read More on the Story:
City Council to review petition on casino (The Elk Grove Citizen 2/6)
Special Election For Elk Grove Casino Referendum Among Recommendations at Next City Council Meeting (The Elk Grove News 2/3) Federal Register Notices:
Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Revised Draft Conformity Determination for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 14, 2016)
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 29, 2015)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 4, 2013)
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