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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1995-05-08Mayor Robert Yee Council: Jack Drago Joseph A. Fernekes John R. Penna Roberta Cerri Teglia MINUTES City Council Martin School 35 School Street May 8, 1995 94 SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS DISCUSSION ON CARD ROOM PROPOSAL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 54956 of the Government Code of the State of California, that the City Council of the City of South San Francisco will hold Special Meetings for discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater site with all meetings beginning at 7:00 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m.: Monday, May 1, 1995, El Camino High School, Cafeteria, 1320 Mission Rd. Tuesday, May 2, 1995, Alta Loma Middle School, Multi Use Room, 116 Romney Ave. Wednesday, May 3, 1995, Ponderosa School, Multi Use Room, 295 Ponderosa Rd. Monday, May 8, 1995, Martin School, Multi Use Room, 35 School Street Tuesday, May 9, 1995, South San Francisco High School, Cafeteria, 400 B St. Tuesday, May 23, 1995, Westborough Junior High, Multi Use Room, 2570 Westborough Blvd. City of South San Francisco Dated: April 26, 1995 CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: AGENDA (Cassette No. 1) Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater site. ACTION TAKEN 7:10 p.m. Mayor Yee presiding. Council Present: Fernekes, Teglia and Yee. Council Absent: Drago and Penna. Mayor Yee stated Councilman Drago had a family commitment and was unable to attend tonight's meeting. City Manager Wilson related: about last August, maybe July, the City was approached by a develop- er, Bill Poland of Bay West Group, and representa- tives of Hollywood Park who had secured control of the Shearwater site; part of the proposal involved a gaming operation which raised a lot of questions 5/8/95 Page 1 AGENDA ACTIQN TAKEN ,._.Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ~te. in the minds of Council; Council asked for a due diligence study and these individuals and staff start- ed research to try to understand the state of the art in gaming in California and came back and informed Council of what to expect and, if they proceeded, what is needed to implement this proposal; the Police Chief and his staff went to Southern Califor- nia, Nevada and San Jose and went to a number of gaming clubs. He responded to questions from previous Town Hall Meetings: who paid for the trips - the City did; police went down and the rest of staff did their research through the phone or through correspon- dence with their counterparts; are there any other options for the project - one was from Neville Price and there was another with a variety of uses; why Hollywood Park, why not go out to bid - Hollywood Park was one of the two representatives that want to develop this site, the City did not go out to them, they came to us; why is the City in such a rush to initiate and have the project occur - this has been going on since last July, we are now in May and in public discussions on the primary tenants and the public has to determine if it is being rushed through; if it is allowed to proceed there is a laundry list and public hearings that this must proceed through; are there other cardrooms in the town - yes, two that are small operations located on Grand Avenue, have been around for many years, are less than ten tables each and are invisible except for the card players using them; what happens to the two clubs if the project proceeds; the operators are in negotiations with Hollywood Park for a partnership, if not they will be left alone to operate as they are; how big is Inglewood - their operation is about the same size and are twice our size with 120,000 people; why can't Hollywood Park be the operator of the casino - they can't under State law, they are prohib- ited; they become the owner of the building and supply all the auxiliary to the buildings, such as food service, liquor, housekeeping and support functions they will provide; who is Hollywood Park going to contract with to run the casino - a firm has not been selected; what age person is allowed in the facility, can someone under 21 be allowed to work - no one under 21 is allowed on the casino floor, however, they can work in maint- nance, accounting or non-gaming card activities; will jobs be union - that will be determined by the workers by a vote according to union representatives 5/8/95 Page 2 A~ENDA ACTIO_~ _TAXE_N Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater from the Hotel Workers Union, who are in support of the proposal; etc. He proceeded to highlight the site on maps for the public. He related: this is the former U.S. Steel Bridge Division site; the 6 acres with the GSA Building the City owns burned down some years ago and had been purchased from the U.S. Government; the site represents 45 acres of dry land and 110 acres of submerged land that goes to the bay; the site is now under the control of Bay West Group and is the one approaching the City; there is heavy contamination in the soils from heavy metals and leads with a number of estimates to clean it upwards to $10,000,000 which would have to occur irrespec- tive of who develops it due to the Water Quality Control Board; he showed a rendition of the propos- al which in summary is a retail complex with a gaming component; there will be a cluster of one or more box stores, such as a K-Mart, Home Depot or a large store that sits by itself; so, this proposed 400,000 sq. ft. of retail and a restaurant will round out the mix; a gaming card room about 100,000 sq. ft. to handle upwards to 150 card tables; they will contract with a firm to actually run the floor and the money in the gaming component; all employees will go through a background check, including the owner and operator, by the Police Department; next would be the presentations by staff and then questions or comments by the public; staff will record any ques- tions they cannot answer and will incorporate them into the next meeting. City Attorney Mattas addressed the legal aspects of gambling: allowed forms of gambling/gaming; a city may impose more restrictive local regulations on gaming within that city; an election is required if the city did not permit gaming clubs before 1/1/84, however, this City has two existing and operating cardrooms since the 1960s; in reference to the City of San Mateo having to hold an election, that is because they had an ordinance, adopted before 1984, that would have prohibited gaming; process to amend the General Plan Policy 47, the land use element and public hearings required if the Council desires to go forward with the proposal; etc. Police Chief Raffaelli presented information gar- nered in Southern California and various gaming establishments and stated it was not an endorsement of the proposal, not for nor against it: Hollywood 5/8/95 Page 3 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN ,_..Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater itc. Park is different than Artichoke Joe's and other cardrooms and has valet parking, an interior that looks like a hotel lobby, large ceilings, restaurants and banquet moms; a player does not play against the house, he plays against the other players; the player is renting space from the house, not playing against the house; Hollywood Park has 100 individ- ual plain clothes security officers with very high tech equipment; calls for service - gaming clubs 200, S.S.F. Kaiser Hospital 250, Price Club 160, Century 8 76, Hillsdale Mall 450, Tanforan 2,300, Serramonte 890; the types of calls are similar - burglaries, assault; what is not similar is loan sharking, money laundering, follow-home crimes, extortion, asian games and cheating and skimming, with the last two being against the card club; some of these are situations where the victim is a participant; loan sharking ends up with extortion if they don't pay it back; money laundering is bringing money in and the money goes out clean; personnel requirements - 6 officers and one clerical position; controlling factors through the Municipal Code - background checks, surveillance, IRS reporting, security by club, cheating and fraud statute, no subcontracting of Asian games, no campaign contri- butions, non-transferable gaming license, City has power to revoke local gaming licenses; City should use the revenue for financial diversity. He responded to questions from the prior meeting: about Bay 101 and the Garden Club in San Jose having five homicides - he contacted the San Jose police and there were two homicides they could not identify, but they think they were the victims of an extortion attempt which happens with loan sharking; can crime activities be eliminated with six officers - no, we cannot, but we can show control and deter the activities; if the design and construction phase of the building comply with the security codes that will also be a deterrent; etc. Interim Director of Economic & Community Devel- opment Beyer addressed the social and economic impacts: social impacts - gambling activity can change behavior, similar to other activities such as smoking, eating, drinking or drugs; changed behav- ior affects others; an estimated 300,000 compulsive gamblers in California, industries creating these activities also provide funds to assist organizations dealing with addictive behavior; economic impacts - new jobs 1,100-2,000 persons, estimated payroll 5/8/95 Page 4 A~ENDA ACTION TAKEN Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater itc. Councilman Penna Arrived at the Meeting: $24,000,000, business to business purchases $13,000,000 and a ripple effect (1.5) in the commu- nity $55,500,000. Councilman Penna arrived at the meeting at 8:04 p.m. Assistant City Manager Martel addressed community revenues and regulatory requirements: card club operation will generate substantial new revenue - revenue to City could be $5,090,300-$6,015,806, sales tax could increase $88,750 + or -, property tax increment would increase $233,000 through development of Shearwater and City owned proper- ty; retail center comprising 4,000 square feet will contribute additional revenue stream for providing city services - sales tax potential estimated at $1,000,000 to $1,600,000, property tax increment would increase $287,000, combined development could produce $1,688,750 in new sales tax and nearly $500,000 in tax increment for future rede- velopment activity; minimize reliance on speculative gaming revenue as a means to balance budget for on-going city services by establishing a policy that directs funds to specific purposes - card club desig- nated fund will be created to budget and account for all expenditures related to the gaming operation, administrative oversight activities involving police and audit/revenue collection, one-time expenditures for building renovations and improvements, street repairs, park improvements, property acquisition, capital outlay projects and equipment, increases or decreases in gaming revenue do not impact on-going City services, only one-time expenditures; strong administrative and auditing controls are necessary to insure the integrity of financial transactions arising from card club operations; card club business regu- lations will be established by ordinance and define the City's and card club's responsibilities for finan- cial activities and auditing. City Manager Wilson stated that the General Plan amendment could be site specific. He covered other questions raised: when will this Council consider the subject or go to an election - it would not be done until all of the public meetings are concluded. He stated the City and the Police are drafting the security and gaming ordinance they are recommending be in place. He stated the draft ordinance is at the libraries and in his office for 5/8/95 Page 5 A~ENDA Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ~-'-te. AQI!Q~ !A_X_E_N public review. Mr. Al Dimminger stated the City of S.S.F. is in a financial bind and there is no money available for parks, street repairs nor median strips. He feels the one time expenditures for renovations for the park are a good thing. He has seen bootlegging, robber- ies and murders and he does not think that is going to increase the amount of crime or the bad things because we will have better protection by the securi- ty and police. He feels the City would be more than helped by these monies. Mr. Pedro Oonzales stated the City cannot stop gaming activities. He questioned if Council thought gambling stops crime or increases crime. We should think before we add more cost and take care of the crime we have right now. He stated for years the tobacco industry used to help addicts with mone- tary assistance to promote the products, and as time went on the people learned of the health dangers from tobacco. Do you think this is a good deal - it brings blood money for broken homes, suicide, divorce, prostitution and robbery. If this is the kind of money the City wants to recycle, then the City is promoting crime. Would you want the children to attend this kind of entertainment and see prostitutes in the cardrooms. At this time you cannot be for this issue and he was expressing his feelings. Mr. Neil Harmon stated he moved to S.S.F. to be in a quiet area, which will not be the case. Most of his objections were addressed, however, he felt he was only hearing the good stuff not the bad. Are we trading a toxic site for a toxic moral environ- ment. How long will it be before the "Industrial City" sign is replaced with a "Gaming City" sign. He feels the best way to address this is to put it on the ballot. He stated with all of the talking about the good from this casino nothing can be backed up. He stated there will be arguments on both sides on the ballet measure. He stated with Artichoke Joe's and the two Pasco operations there are many opportunities for people to gamble, but we don't need a red light district. Mr. Bob Martin stated he was concerned about the common good of such a use and questioned if there would be benefits to the community, such as a walk- ing path from the Oyster Point Marina to the Bris- 5/8/95 Page 6 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ~-"te. bane Marina for hikers so that people who do not gamble may use it. Could Hollywood Park also help the Boys & Girls. Club by renovating that facili- ty so the young people can find a place to go and enjoy themselves. Could the empty lot of PG&E be convened from that of an eyesore. He felt only these three items would be a boon to the working class, the youth and seniors of this community. He felt that Hollywood Park, as a new member of this community, would be more welcome through these contributions to the community. Mr. Jim Dupont stated he represented the Hotel and Restaurants Employees Union and spoke in favor of the cardroom. He stated gaming is complex and his Union deals with the industry which is coming up all across the country. There will be a big card club on the peninsula in the next few years and it will be either in S.S.F. or in Colma. He stated the Union only opposes eardrooms that are against unionism and Hollywood Park will not fight it. He stated with unionism they can represent the workers to get health and other benefits. He stated casinos in Las Vegas are 809[ union organized, the casinos are making lots of money and the workers find it desir- able, stay there and make money. However, in Reno there is only one union house with a transit work force that does not have benefits; etc. Mr. Jake Jones stated he lived in Old Town as a teenager and saw many of his old friends in the audience. He stated this proposal gives the City a chance to do something for our kids by using the money to help the kids get off the streets and engage in recreation. There is gambling all around us so why not get the money, because we do have a capa- ble police force. He stated he knows Mark Raffaelli, the Police Chief, and knows he is going to make sure that none of the activities that will go on out there will be detrimental to the City. Let's take advantage of this, otherwise some day this City will have to pay for the cleanup of the toxic area. Mr. Manny Madriaga stated he is against the casino for several reasons, but he was going to forget about the ethnic thing because it creates adversity and confuses the issue. He wants to put a human face to the people whose lives are disrupted and to the victims, the mothers and sisters and little babies. He presented an article which he said describes the human side, one is the revenue the other is the 5/8/95 Page 7 A_aENr A Acx!_o_ xaI{_ ,__.Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater tragedy for those who cannot control their gambling. He stated that, aside from the main issue of the casino, he thinks the other bigger issue is the citizens' right to vote on whether to have or not have a casino. It has been said that it is in writing in two places that the citizens have the right to vote and taking away that right will have an impact, the affects of the decision would be too long lasting and there will be after shocks felt long after the decision is made and the current City Council is out of of- flee. He spoke in detail of San Mateo County or the Federal Government paralleling this decision by telling the people you no longer have the right to vote and we will make the decision for you. He felt the only logical thing is to let the people decide the issue by a vote. Mr. Bill Poland, Bay West Group, feels the casino is very good for the citizens and very timely. The reason they are trying to push along without a vote is because this is a window of opportunity and it is important to get the permits because of proposals in other cities for casinos. He hears a lot of knee jerk reactions to prostitution and people getting sucked into gambling and losing their checks, however, that is not the case. He has read reports that people have a predilection to gam- bling and have already done it for there is no wall around S.S.F., everyone is mobile to go where they want to go. The key to the people he is working with is that they are a public company and are no different than the Holiday, the Hilton or Apple Corporation. The Holiday is the old Harrah's Club and they have river boats. They cannot have prosti- tution and skimming for it has to be kept as a clean operation and well run and will always be different than cardrooms that are not public corporations. Michelle Madriaga stated she is concerned as a young person about an issue affecting the City she calls her home. She is a senior graduating from Cornell in New York and is looking to come here and start her professional life after having worked for Tom Lantos, Congressional Human Rights and Senator Feinstein in her sophomore year. She related why she is opposed to the cardroom: she believes the Government role and duty is to take an 5/8/95 Page 8 AGENDA ACTIQN TAKEN 102. r_l~iscussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ' te. active role and maintain order in society; this cannot be done without a vote of the people; she is con- cerned about the compulsive gamblers and the Gov- ernment should not allow them to act in ways that harm themselves or others; concern over the victims and those at risk; she is concerned with the moral issues, young people dealing with stress; she urged the Council to consider the harmful affects of a gaming establishment. Mr. Emmet O'Brian stated, after hearing the presen- tation, he felt the people should vote on this issue which is a constitutional privilege. He is sure the developer has some good ideas, however, this will have long felt effects on this community, long after this Mayor and Council are gone. Mr. Charley Ross stated he was born and raised in S.S.F., does not know the mechanism by which the project is to be approved, but is in favor of the project and if it goes to a vote he will be hack to vote after his trip to China. Ms. Joy Ann Wendler stated she had not made up her mind, does not know whether she is in favor or against it. She does not gamble and uses her "risk" money elsewhere. She believes this issue is intel- lectual, which she had mentioned the other night, for it is weighing the risks, the pros and cons and look to see if the City has adequately covered those risks. She is very concerned when she hears individuals stating what is best for her when it is legal. This she strongly resents, for they are saying she is not able to decide because they feel it is wrong for her to do what she wants to do with her money as an adult. She feels people have the right to pursue happiness as long as it is legal. She stated Mr. Madriaga has stated his opposition, does not want to make this an ethnic issue, but he has done that. She stated she would be insulted if someone said she was a victim by going to a cardroom because she chose to play cards. She stated Mr. Madriaga is a Director of another worthwhile organization and that organization raises money in no other way than bingo, which raises thousands of dollars. She feels it is hypocritical for him to say cardrooms are a moral issue and the people are victims when on the other hand he works and volunteers for an organization that raises 5/8/95 Page 9 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN .__Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater itc. money from bingo games. If gambling is a moral issue then Mr. Madriaga needs to stop doing bingo in the organization where he belongs. She stated there was another person who also came to a neighborhood meeting and said they were op- posed to the cardrooms and belongs to another organization that has bingo games for the benefit of children. She has spent her life volunteering for kids and sees nothing wrong with that, but sees something wrong saying its all right over there but not over here. She does not feel this is a moral issue, but an intellectual issue. She stated this pro- ject would clean up the toxic waste, which is not a small issue for the Chronicle says it is one of the most toxic areas and is on the Superfund list. She stated this is a large benefit to the City and makes her feel the benefits outweigh the risks. She stated everyone knows that Las Vegas is the tinsel town of American, has the most gambling and is one of the fastest growing cities in American. She stated they cannot build enough houses there for people who are moving in and most of the people will probably not become gamblers. She urged everyone to weigh the pros and cons and see wheth- er S.S.F. will come out ahead, but not to make this a moral or ethnic issue, for it is not. Mr. Paul Tognetti stated that this discussion is what the veterans of all wars fought and gave their lives for, so people could freely express themselves with- out heckling or shooting. He spoke in detail of having lived here all his life. He stated the residents have seen politicians come and go, some good and some bad, some could light up your heart because some had a touch of statesmanship which is different than a politician. A statesman says he is here to find out what is good for all of the town's people irrespective of his own opinion. He stated prohibition had only brought in more gangsters, crimes, guns and bodies in the river. Politicians said people will be people and they helped people who were addicted because you can- not tell them not to be addicted. Twenty years ago he would have been against a casino in that area, today there is a lot of toxic waste out there and no one in his right mind is going to build there with the cost of a clean-up. We are not going to get a dime from the Government so, looking at the facts, we 5/8/95 Page 10 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ~te. are not going to change people's habits if they are going to lose their jobs and homes from the addiction. He did not feel the Council should be concerned about the 2 % or 3 % of the people who are addicts. He was convinced from the presenta- tion that the City was going in the right direction, they will have full control and can shut down the casino and he is in favor; etc. Mr. George Bugnatto stated he is a life time resident and lives in the house in which he was bom. He will speak for himself, even though he is one of the founders of the Old Town Homeowners Assn. - for they have not polled the members and no one is authorized to speak for the Association on this mat- ter. He stated he was in support of the project and want- ed to focus on the positive and benefits to be real- ized: a new source of revenue; increased sales tax; a new basis for a restructured property tax; new taxing for the City and, as a result of the tax, a fresh start for the Redevelopment Agency; the re- moval from our mist of toxic waste at a cost of $10,000,000 which will not be a cost to the City. He related: originally citizens bore intense, passion- ate objections to the project; he was going to suggest it be put on the ballot, but this would only confuse the people; he does not believe a public mandate is needed and recommends the project go forward. Mr. Joe Valcazar stated he feels there is a big con- troversy about the cardroom, with more and more questions popping up. These questions make him wonder what is going on: is this going to divide our community; is this going to drive us to quarrel and dispute; can this mean we are heading for a divided community which leads to anger and hate and he hopes it not be so. He related: it seems, because of statements made by the promoters, the City and others in favor of the card club, there is information that is hard to be- lieve; maybe they are misleading the public; tonight, so far, there have been twelve speakers, six for and six against; the first meeting had 30 in attendance with seven speakers, one for and six against; at Alta Loma there were 40 plus in atten- dance, seven for and six against; at Ponderosa there were 42 plus in attendance, six for, four against and 5/8/95 Page 11 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN 105 Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ~te. some did not want to commit themselves; it was clearly evenly divided; a lot of p~ople, in their comments, appear to know what a cardroom is all about; he showed a book on gambling from Arti- choke Joe's and says people have said there is no crime at Artichoke Joe's; that is not true; he was hoping to have the information to give Council tonight about some problems that have been reported at Artichoke Joe's; Artichoke Joe's was established in 1916, has about 35 tables and has grown with the City of San Bruno; this project is proposing 150 card tables sprout up in this community; it has been said several times that this, the proposed casino of 150 card tables, will be the largest cardroom in Northern California; he made reference to the Police Chief's memo saying that large cardrooms are positioning themselves for the California movements for the legalized Class 3 gaming with all amenities and games, including slot machines offered in Neva- da casinos; so that is what we may run into - big town gaming, not a Grand Avenue or an Artichoke Joe's, but big time gambling; a person can gamble on Grand Avenue or at Artichoke Joe's with his check and not lose it all in a week; if the Asian games are played at Artichoke Joe's a check can be lost immediately with the huge amount of money that is bet on each hand; why do you think S.F. does not have a cardroom; Mr. Poland brought up the issue of prostitution at these card clubs and at a previous meeting a young girl stepped up and made statements that there is prostitution at these big card clubs; she did say she was one, a prostitute, in one of these big card clubs; it was asked at a meeting by the Council whether we trusted them to make the right decision; this community includes those who did not vote for those on the Council, yet does not the Council serve those people also; some who voted for the Council people have doubts about how this proposal is being handled. He went to City Hall and asked for the transcript of these meetings and was told they were not available because the tapes were blank. These tapes are important because you can refer to them and point out some of the things that were said at the previous meetings. Unless we get these transcripts there is always a question, so he wants an update tomorrow night at S.S.F. High School. He asked the Council to trust the people of this City and let them decide whether the proposal should be 5/8/95 Page 12 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater te. approved. Mr. Tony Khorizian stated he spoke last week at a meeting but tonight will speak as a businessman. He owns a gas station on El Camino and Hazel- wood. Yesterday at 7:00 a.m. he saw a gentleman 70 years old waiting for him to open the door and he wanted to play keno. He asked him to wait a minute for him to open the gas station, which he did, and then he took his picture to show Council the 70 year old man who could not wait to buy his keno ticket. Now, in talking about gambling, there is gambling in our churches and schools, it is every- where so how are you going to get rid of it all. He stated there is not a City without prostitution, crime and gambling and, if the business is coming here, it is for our children, because we are getting tight in positions and City workers are in fear of being laid off or having their hours cut. So, there is great need for revenue in the City. He stated that San Jose is growing with all kinds of benefits from having casinos and we are sitting here backwards rather than going forward with the casi- no. Who is coming to build this land when anybody wanting to build has to have the $10,000,000 for the toxic waste clean-up. He stated that no one is taking anyone's rights away for we have trust in each of the Council people and we should tell them to do what is best for the City. He stated people will come for miles to the casino and will bring needed money into this City. He stated no one cares about Artichoke Joe's busi- ness for we will do better business and it will be cleaner and good for the City. Let the Council decide, let them vote and we will do it right. Mr. Lou Dell'Angela related: he attended most of the meetings and felt they were helpful to the com- munity but they are not a substitute for an election; the law of this City says specifically that if a new cardroom comes in there shall be an election; when someone trys to short circuit or bypass the dem- ocratic way, it makes him start to believe there is something wrong; there is an election six months away and the community should have the right to say yea or nay on the casino and the Council should not take that right away and pretend their wisdom is better than the community's; a cardroom out in that area is going to be with this City for a long time; 5/8/95 Page 13 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater itc. 107 don't fool yourself that there are not social impacts, economic impacts, moral impacts that need to be discussed; and don't kid yourselves this is the same as bingo - this is big money; he spoke of the politi- cal influence this use brings forth; it is not an issue with the two existing cardrooms here; this is going to be the largest cardroom in the entire State and in Northern California; this location is the most prominent on 101 and, as people go by, this is going to be part of this City's image; Council should think twice on this issue and let the people decide; many people are talking about this being a Superfund site, but so what, the Gateway site was also contaminated and cleaned up by the developer and office buildings and hotels were built there; he feels the cost of the contamination is a factor in the sale of the property and, if it takes $10,000,000 to clean up the prop- erty, it is worth $10,000,000 less; he does not be- lieve a shopping center and a casino are compatible uses; he does not think anyone wants to go to a shopping center where there is a cardroom, if indeed the stores go in there for he felt it was just window dressing; the next six months could be used for a good plan; his understanding is that the retail shop- ping use has not come about in Bell Gardens nor in Inglewood and all that is at the sites are cardrooms; etc. He questioned why the rush by certain members of the Council to bypass the people on this important issue. He could not see how any member of Coun- cil could look in the eyes of the voters and say you don't have enough wisdom, Council is going to decide this for you. He feels that attitude is arro- gant and is not why they elected this Council. The previous man said trust the people, because they all have a stake in this issue. The developer says this is a window of opportunity and he must rush and when people rush they make mistakes and there is not the opportunity to go back and correct them. He suggested the Council call for a ballot measure on 5/24/95 and stop the idea the people want Coun- cil to bypass them. When people talk about bingo and the lottery they are not talking about apples and oranges, they are not talking about the major issue of casinos for the other is small time stuff. To put churches in a bind by saying they are all boxed together and if they don't accept a cardroom then they won't have bingo he felt was extortion. He feels the proponents of the development should 5/8/95 Page 14 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN ~ 08 Discussion on the cardroom proposal for the Shearwater ADJOURNMENT: not be scared of an election for if it will save the City then it should be sold to the citizens through promotion. Ms. Therisa O'Brien stated she head a lot of talk about a cardroom which mostly adults will frequent and we are old enough, but there has not been much discussion about the malls being the gathering places for the younger generation. Her concern is what is going to happen when you combine a mall with gambling, for teenagers are very impressionable on drugs and the like that the parents are indulging in. She would like research done before the two ele- ments are combined. She did not feel the casino should be compared to Reno and Las Vegas because people go there for vacations with their families. Mrs. Maria D'Alessandro stated Mrs. Wendler had referenced her as the person who has gone to all of these Town Meetings, was against the casino and was affiliated with organizations holding bingo games. She stated the proceeds of the bingo games go to the CCBE's fund for needed programs in the schools and does not mean this particular type of gambling could be excused and the other could not. There are people greatly against the casino, some in favor and some undecided who came here to listen to the facts. She stated her point: there are a lot of people out there who have not made up their minds, so, why not allow these people to vote on this issue and have a way to participate in the decision mak- ing. She is against the casino and does not feel it belongs here but does not say her opinion is better than the opinion of the residents of this City. Councilwoman Teglia stated a comment had been made earlier about a young woman being a former prostitute - that is untrue. She wanted to clarify the fact that the young woman cleaned house for a madam and the young woman had ties to a card- room. M/S Penna/Teglia - To adjourn the meeting. Carried by unanimous voice vote. Time of adjournment was 10:10 p.m 5/8/95 Page 15 AGENDA ACTION TAKEN RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, City of South San Francisco APPROVED. City of Sour3 San Francisco 10C& The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to dispose of an item. Oral communica- tions, arguments and comments are recorded on tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the Office of the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying. 5/8/95 Page 16