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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW It's been a wet winter — but not a record-setter ... Fierce winds delay Mt. Ashland opening; snow falling on passes ... Harper Lee, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author, has died at 89 ... It's been a wet winter — but not a record-setter ... Fierce winds delay Mt. Ashland opening; snow falling on passes ... Harper Lee, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author, has died at 89 ... FROM THE COUNCIL From the Council: The pros and cons of a tribal casino in Medford Comment By Dick Gordon MailTribune.com By Dick Gordon Posted Feb. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Dick Gordon Posted Feb. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News In 2012, the Coquille Indian Tribe purchased 2.42 acres of commercial property along Highway 99 in south Medford. The property is currently the site of the Roxy Ann Lanes bowling alley. The Coquille Tribe has submitted an application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the transfer of this land into federal trust for the development of a restaurant and gaming facility with a community outreach center for tribal members. Under the U.S. Termination Act in 1954, the Coquille tribe was terminated by the federal government. In 1989, the tribe regained its federal recognition. Each Oregon tribe terminated had to negotiate their restoration with the federal government. With restoration came tribal sovereignty, which gave the tribe authority to form its own government and have jurisdiction over tribal lands, businesses and its tribal members in those communities. Along with restoration, the federal government designated Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson and Lane counties as service areas. The Coquille proposal is for a Class II gaming facility. A Class II facility offers games known as electronic bingo games or, in my terms, slot machines. The Cedars at Bear Creek project, as it is known, cannot legally offer table games such as roulette, craps, 21 or poker. For an Indian tribe to have land they own change from fee land to trust land, a lengthy BIA process must occur. There are two ways to accomplish this: a two-part determination under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, or the “restored” lands exception under the Coquille Restoration Act. Like all other terminated Western Oregon tribes who have casinos on trust land, the Coquilles applied under the “restored” lands provision. The Medford City Council supports the two-part determination process because the City would have more input into the approval process through the Oregon governor. The Coquilles are facing resistance in their Medford casino proposal from many folks, including the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Shasta Indian Nation. Some conflict results from the Cow Creeks' position that a tribal casino must be situated on native land and not on identified service area land. To my knowledge, other Oregon tribal casinos are on trust land, which was part of their native lands. Under the restored land process, sole approval is made by the BIA. The city has applied for and been granted Cooperating Agency status by the BIA. To date I am unsure if this is an effective way for the City Council to have input. The BIA Coquille project initiation and scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act is a complicated five-step process beginning with publishing a notice of intent in the Federal Register. That notice was published late in 2014, and the first public hearing was on Feb. 3, 2015. The next step is development of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, followed by publishing the DEIS and asking for written and oral comment from the public and other interested parties. A public meeting will then be held to take testimony that is submitted to the BIA. Upon evaluation of all the data from the DEIS, a final Environmental Impact Statement is published. I am concerned about the loss of regulatory jurisdiction over city land, as well as potential losses stemming from the placement of the 2.42-acre parcel into trust for the Coquille tribe. The city has identified concerns about mitigating the impacts of the proposal, ranging from the loss of significant revenue to environmental and traffic impacts. The council has been assured by the Coquille tribe that they are willing to negotiate an agreement to enter into what is known as a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, which could pay for many impacts the casino operations would have on the city. While there are concerns associated with this proposal, the council would be remiss if we did not look at the potential positive economic impact to the city and region. Using information supplied by the Coquille tribe, they project a total of 233 full-time equivalent jobs, with payroll and benefit costs estimated at $9.65 million per year. With construction of a remodeled building estimated at 30,000 square feet, the possibility of a new business coming to Medford is very attractive. Not everyone agrees with the information the Coquille tribe has provided to the city or with the casino project itself. But the BIA is the final arbiter and the final decision maker. If the request is approved by BIA, your City Council will lose regulatory jurisdiction over the land. —Dick Gordon ([email protected]) represents Ward 1 on the Medford City Council. The views expressed in this piece are the individual's and do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of the City Council. By Dick Gordon MailTribune.com By Dick Gordon Posted Feb. 14, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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