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To assist with the pitch, the tribe asked officials from Porterville to attend the meeting, The Porterville Recorder reported. The city council agreed to send member Monte Reyes and Dave LaPere, the city's fire chief, to the upcoming meeting. The two officials will be going to D.C. to "advocate for the relocation of the casino and see if they could get any assistance from McCarthy’s office in that regard,” the city's administrator said at a public meeting on Tuesday, when the lobbying trip was approved, The Recorder reported. Porterville isn't the only local government in support of the relocation. The city council in Lindsay voted unanimously last Thursday to back the tribe, The Recorder reported. The tribe is pursuing the relocation under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The process requires approval first by the BIA and then by the state governor. If the state governor concurs with the BIA's determination, the 40-acre site for the casino must still be placed in trust. A separate decision is required at the federal level. But the tribe must still return to the table as part of its Class III gaming compact. An amendment to the existing agreement calls for further negotiations to address the off-reservation casino. Despite the many hurdles, the tribe remains optimistic. A draft environmental impact statement is expected in July, though the BIA is under no obligation to make a decision under any deadline. The new site is near the Porterville Airport Industrial Park. Eagle Mountain is currently about 20 miles away. Read More on the Story:
Tribal council head to D.C. (The Porterville Recorder March 22, 2018)
Council supports relocation of EMC (The Porterville Recorder March 22, 2018) Federal Register Notice:
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Tule River Tribe's Proposed Fee-to-Trust and Eagle Mountain Casino Relocation Project, Tulare County, California (December 30, 2016)
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