LAKEPORT — County, city and tribal representatives met Monday morning to discuss applications for Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund money.
Members of the county”s Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee voted on funding amounts for the more than $400,000 available to local jurisdictions to mitigate the impact of casinos.
In Lake County, the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians (which operates Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport) and the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (which operates Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino in Nice) pay into the state fund.
The available funding is divided into specific categories, with some open only to county government projects and some to other local agencies.
The Lake County Sheriff”s Office, which had its requests denied last year, received committee approval for nearly $290,000 combined for services in the Northshore, Big Valley area and South County.
The Lake County Probation Department received approval for $30,426 and the Lakeport Fire Protection District for $33,792 — the full amounts those agencies requested.
The Lakeport Police Department (LPD) was approved for $7,242.75 to mitigate service impacts because of Konocti Vista Casino.
Robinson Rancheria representatives supported giving $10,000 to LPD and $34,833.74 to the Northshore Fire Protection District to mitigate the impact of their casino.
The county”s public defender program also received funding approval. The committee voted in favor of allocating money to the Lake County Water Resources Department and the jail medical program, pending support by the Big Valley tribe.
