Council supports relocation of EMC

Proposed move will be to tribal-owned land near Porterville airport

The Lindsay City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize Mayor Pamela Kimball to sign a letter of support for the relocation of the Eagle Mountain Casino from its current remote location on tribal lands southeast of Lake Success to a more accessible, tribal-owned and appropriately-zoned parcel near the Porterville airport.

The tribe is proposing a 105,000 square foot casino, approximately 250-room hotel, 36,000 square feet of food and lounges, administrative space, 29,000 square foot convention center, a 1,700 seat entertainment center, banquet hall and meeting space and associated parking, including a parking structure.

Kenneth Mcdarment, the vice chairman of the Tule River Tribe, said the tribe has owned the 40 acres in Porterville for nearly half a century and noted that the relocation of the casino would be a big benefit to the community.

“If we are successful with this project there is going to be a lot more jobs that come to the local areas,” Mcdarment said.

Mcdarment said one of the main reasons the tribe is asking for a letter of support is to ensure transparency with everything that they do “that way everyone knows up front what we are doing.”

City Manager Bill Zigler said city staff was recently approached by tribal representatives seeking support for the planned relocation of the Eagle Mountain Casino from remote tribal lands to a more accessible location near the Porterville airport.

Zigler said tribal representatives explained the benefits of relocation, which include better management of scarce water resources, both on the reservation and within the City of Porterville, better management of effluent, in collaboration with the City of Porterville, local and regional economic development opportunities (Mcdermont, the planned Sports Facility on Highway 65, local restaurants and gas stations), and additional construction and facility operations job opportunities.

Zigler said city staff agrees that local and regional economic development opportunities should arise from the relocation of the casino. He said staff agrees that additional construction and facility operations job opportunities should arise from the relocation.

Councilmember Esteban Velasquez said he has been in support of the casino relocation project since the beginning and is glad it is getting closer.

“I am 1,000 percent in support of this project,” Velasquez said, adding, “Thank you for continuing to pursue this and not being discouraged, I certainly give my support.”

Mayor Pro Tem Danny Salinas said he gives the project “a big thumbs up.”

Councilmember Brian Watson said there are a lot of pluses with the casino relocation project.

“As far as I am concerned we can start tomorrow [on construction of the casino relocation project],” Watson said.