Cooperation with the Cowlitz Tribe of Washington is costing the city of La Center, Washington, a lot of money.
The tribe reached a $14 million agreement for the city to provide sewer service to the Cowlitz Casino and Entertainment Resort. Opponents, however, have tied up the matter for nearly four years.
The city is defending the agreement to the tune of $16,000 a month, The Battle Ground Reflector reported. So far, $105,000 has been spent on legal fees this year, the paper said.
At issue is whether the extension of sewer service to the reservation violates the state's growth management regulations. A county superior court judge is set to rule on the matter on August 28, the paper reported.
The tribe has faced legal fights of its own. But significant progress was made in March when the Bureau of Indian Affairs placed 152 acres in trust for the tribe's reservation.
Opponents -- including a rival tribe in neighboring Oregon -- are fighting that decision in federal court.
Get the Story:
Legal costs stress La Center’s sewer budget
(The Battle Ground Reflector 8/19)
$P Federal Register Notice:
Land
Acquisitions; Cowlitz Indian Tribe (May 8, 2013)
DOI Solicitor Opinion:
M-37029: The
Meaning of "Under Federal Jurisdiction" for Purposes of the Indian
Reorganization Act (March 12, 2014)
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