Pomo Indian Casino Faces Trouble

SANTA ROSA, CA-Members of the Pomo Indian tribe will meet with officials from the state Attorney General’s office next month regarding alleged building and safety code violations and environmental concerns at the site of its casino construction project.

The casino site is located in the Alexander Valley near Healdsburg. The casino faces opposition by the Alexander Valley Association and wineries in the area. Opponents say the bucolic, rolling-hill wine country is no place for a casino. It will put a strain on the area’s water and sewage systems, they say, and create traffic on narrow country roads. Sonoma County’s Board of Supervisors also opposes the casino.

Both sides met for several hours in Santa Rosa on Thursday during a meet and confer’ process as required by the Tribal-State Gaming Compact. Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman with the attorney general’s office, says the talks progressed well and another session is scheduled for Aug. 14, probably again in Santa Rosa.

The state attorney general’s office this month informed the tribe it has 60 days to “cure alleged material compact breaches” prior to the state seeking declaratory relief before terminating the compact.

The tribe plans to open a large tent containing slot machines until a more permanent structure is built on the 75-acre site. Tribe members say the River Rock Casino on the Dry Creek Rancheria will provide needed jobs, education and medical care financing and housing.