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December 21, 2007
City Council Supports Gaming Compact Between Tribe, State
Cindy Uken, Palm Springs Communications Director
Reader Submitted
The City of Palm Springs has a valued and longstanding relationship with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and this week paid homage to that relationship, calling the tribe a "tremendous partner."
The Council voted 4-0 to adopt a Resolution of support for the Amended 2006 Gaming Compact between the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the State of California. Mayor Pro Tem Ginny Foat was not present at the meeting as she was participating in a tourism event in Los Angeles, which highlighted Palm Springs.
Mayor Steve Pougnet highlighted the fact that the Tribe has invested $100 million in downtown Palm Springs and is considering another major investment downtown.
"I'm proud to bring this forward because they are our business partners," said Pougnet. "There are a lot of Cities that do not have the type of relationship that we have with our tribe."
In 2007, the City received more than $1 million from the state's Special Distribution Fund (SDF), which is created from Tribal Casino contributions, to help pay for additional police, fire and paramedic services and equipment downtown. The new Amended Tribal-State Compact calls for Tribes to coordinate with local police and fire agencies to compensate them for any required local services to mitigate potential gaming impacts - a provision that replaces the SDF. Moreover, the current SDF appropriation will be the final provision, because of the governor's action earlier this year.
The City and Tribe have an ongoing partnership of cooperation that includes infrastructure projects, special events, cultural enrichment and education, public safety service delivery, and Joint Tribal Council/City Council meetings.