Have just read the article regarding
Foxwoods...let me advise you that having worked at Foxwoods for over 12 yrs. 50%
of the people DO NOT speak English. The housemaids, cleaning crews, and some
dealers DO NOT speak English. 50% of employees are of Asian descent in the lower
paying jobs. Approximately $8.25 for cleaning positions, $8.50 to $10.00 for
security, $4.25 starting for dealers (not including tips). Milford can expect an
influx of immigrants to do the cleaning positions. 21 yr. employees at MGM
recently dropped from full time to part-time...no benefits. Please don't believe
everything you told.
Take the time to go to Foxwoods and talk to employees. Get the real picture.
Take the time to go to Foxwoods and talk to employees. Get the real picture.
http://comments.telegram.com/assets/article_comments_html/308269876_ZA1.html
Monday, August 26, 2013
By Susan Spencer, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
MILFORD — Town officials last week released a draft casino host community agreement that, if approved, would bring in millions of dollars in town revenue, provide more than 5,000 jobs and commit the developer to make extensive road, water and sewer improvements.
Selectmen plan to discuss at their meeting on Monday the 123-page draft host agreement with Crossroads Massachusetts LLC, which under the name Foxwoods Massachusetts aims to develop a $1 billion, 660,000-square-foot resort casino on 187 acres off Route 16 and Interstate 495.
Selectman William D. Buckley, who chairs the board, said, "I'll be looking for consensus and votes on what parameters are important to each of the selectmen."
The Milford draft agreement is far-reaching, compared with the 21-page host community agreement with Wynn MA approved overwhelmingly by voters in Everett. The Everett project, along with a proposed development at Suffolk Downs in East Boston and Revere, is competing with Foxwoods for the Eastern Massachusetts resort casino license.
"The detail you're seeing reflects the fact that Milford doesn't need a casino to be economically in good shape. We're already there," Mr. Buckley said.
Geri Eddins, spokeswoman for Casino-Free Milford, which opposes the project, wrote in an email that her group is conducting an in-depth review of the host community agreement draft documents.
She said: "Due to the length and level of detail in both documents (contract and exhibits), we believe it will take us several days to adequately review this critical information. In the meantime, we encourage all of Milford's citizens to review the content of the documents for themselves. The files are available on the Milford town website, as well as on the Casino-Free Milford website. Once our review is complete, Casino-Free Milford plans to share our concerns and recommendations with the Board of Selectmen.
"This agreement represents a very lucrative, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people of Milford," Scott Butera, Foxwoods president and CEO, wrote in an email. "We're talking about millions of dollars paid directly to the town each year to use as it sees fit. We have proposed additional money to solve infrastructure improvements. We will create thousands of jobs and use local vendors. We have listened to the citizens and officials of Milford and are working very hard to commit to a binding agreement that will be of tremendous benefit to the community."
The draft agreement could bring in roughly $2.9 million annually in impact fees, in addition to a minimum $18 million in property taxes, plus up-front payment of $15.8 to $17 million.
Plus, local businesses, regional services and cultural organizations would be eligible for more than $50.1 million in purchased services or contributions from the casino.
Not all the details have been agreed to. However, the document outlines specific mitigation measures for local and highway traffic; water system improvements; new sewers and sewer line improvements; storm water improvements; and noise, lighting and air-quality standards.
According to the document, the town would not issue an occupancy permit for the casino until the required local improvements had been made.
A building permit would not be issued until a collector/distributor road along Interstate 495, bringing exits from Route 85 and Route 109 to Route 16, had been substantially through the permitting process and the developer had entered into a construction contract.
Negative impacts that the developer couldn't directly mitigate would be paid for through a variety of fees paid to the town.
Under the draft agreement, before the casino's opening Foxwoods would be required to pay the town up-front direct community impact fees including: up to $1.7 million to the Fire Department to cover equipment for nine new hires, vehicles and fire station rehabilitation ($1.3 million in these related costs are under negotiation); and $338,500 to the Police Department to pay for equipment for nine new hires, vehicles and construction of a firing range.
In addition, Foxwoods would pay $15 million to establish a community development fund and an annual percent of gross revenue, which hasn't been determined, to address indirect community impacts.
The community development fund would be administered by the town to eliminate or reduce any other negative impacts in connection with the project, besides the several outlined in the agreement; compensate home owners for any decrease in their home's property value upon resale; award grants to owners of multifamily buildings to pay for improvements; project compliance; and the general betterment of the town and its residents.
Annual direct impact payments, which would be adjusted each year, would include: Fire Department, $1.1 million for personnel costs of nine new hires; Police Department, $1.4 million for 13 new hires and vehicle maintenance; School Department, $121,000; and town administration, $200,000.
The draft agreement also specifies that no casino structure would be located closer than 600 feet from the nearest residence. The proximity to neighborhoods in East Milford became a point of contention in June after developers changed the location from a half-mile away to 600 feet from homes, based on environmental assessments.
Foxwoods would "use its best efforts" to create at least 2,500 construction jobs and 3,000 operations jobs, 2,000 of which would be full-time positions.
The draft agreement calls for employment priority given to Milford residents, with 95 percent of positions going to residents and the surrounding area — which hasn't been defined — for operation jobs.
To prevent hiring illegal immigrants, Foxwoods would be required to enroll in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's IMAGE program and verify employees' immigration status through an Internet database.
Also, all Foxwoods employees must be fluent in English, a provision the developer has said is standard in its hiring practices.
HUH????
Mr. Buckley said that in addition to getting selectmen's input, data still need to be gathered. For example, if Milford's balance sheet changes significantly with casino revenue, it could cut its state aid for schools by $2.5 to $3 million.
"The consultants didn't address our formula for state aid," he said. "Obviously a $2.5 million hit to school services would be devastating. We have to make them whole."
Town officials are looking at the impact on state highway money and other aid as well.
Mr. Buckley wouldn't predict a time frame for finalizing the agreement.
"It's really when the majority of the selectmen are satisfied and Foxwoods has an agreement they're satisfied with," he said. "It's a very high hurdle."
http://www.telegram.com/article/20130826/NEWS/308269876
Monday, August 26, 2013
Milford draft host agreement details revenue, infrastructure, jobs
By Susan Spencer, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
MILFORD — Town officials last week released a draft casino host community agreement that, if approved, would bring in millions of dollars in town revenue, provide more than 5,000 jobs and commit the developer to make extensive road, water and sewer improvements.
Selectmen plan to discuss at their meeting on Monday the 123-page draft host agreement with Crossroads Massachusetts LLC, which under the name Foxwoods Massachusetts aims to develop a $1 billion, 660,000-square-foot resort casino on 187 acres off Route 16 and Interstate 495.
Selectman William D. Buckley, who chairs the board, said, "I'll be looking for consensus and votes on what parameters are important to each of the selectmen."
The Milford draft agreement is far-reaching, compared with the 21-page host community agreement with Wynn MA approved overwhelmingly by voters in Everett. The Everett project, along with a proposed development at Suffolk Downs in East Boston and Revere, is competing with Foxwoods for the Eastern Massachusetts resort casino license.
"The detail you're seeing reflects the fact that Milford doesn't need a casino to be economically in good shape. We're already there," Mr. Buckley said.
Geri Eddins, spokeswoman for Casino-Free Milford, which opposes the project, wrote in an email that her group is conducting an in-depth review of the host community agreement draft documents.
She said: "Due to the length and level of detail in both documents (contract and exhibits), we believe it will take us several days to adequately review this critical information. In the meantime, we encourage all of Milford's citizens to review the content of the documents for themselves. The files are available on the Milford town website, as well as on the Casino-Free Milford website. Once our review is complete, Casino-Free Milford plans to share our concerns and recommendations with the Board of Selectmen.
"This agreement represents a very lucrative, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people of Milford," Scott Butera, Foxwoods president and CEO, wrote in an email. "We're talking about millions of dollars paid directly to the town each year to use as it sees fit. We have proposed additional money to solve infrastructure improvements. We will create thousands of jobs and use local vendors. We have listened to the citizens and officials of Milford and are working very hard to commit to a binding agreement that will be of tremendous benefit to the community."
The draft agreement could bring in roughly $2.9 million annually in impact fees, in addition to a minimum $18 million in property taxes, plus up-front payment of $15.8 to $17 million.
Plus, local businesses, regional services and cultural organizations would be eligible for more than $50.1 million in purchased services or contributions from the casino.
Not all the details have been agreed to. However, the document outlines specific mitigation measures for local and highway traffic; water system improvements; new sewers and sewer line improvements; storm water improvements; and noise, lighting and air-quality standards.
According to the document, the town would not issue an occupancy permit for the casino until the required local improvements had been made.
A building permit would not be issued until a collector/distributor road along Interstate 495, bringing exits from Route 85 and Route 109 to Route 16, had been substantially through the permitting process and the developer had entered into a construction contract.
Negative impacts that the developer couldn't directly mitigate would be paid for through a variety of fees paid to the town.
Under the draft agreement, before the casino's opening Foxwoods would be required to pay the town up-front direct community impact fees including: up to $1.7 million to the Fire Department to cover equipment for nine new hires, vehicles and fire station rehabilitation ($1.3 million in these related costs are under negotiation); and $338,500 to the Police Department to pay for equipment for nine new hires, vehicles and construction of a firing range.
In addition, Foxwoods would pay $15 million to establish a community development fund and an annual percent of gross revenue, which hasn't been determined, to address indirect community impacts.
The community development fund would be administered by the town to eliminate or reduce any other negative impacts in connection with the project, besides the several outlined in the agreement; compensate home owners for any decrease in their home's property value upon resale; award grants to owners of multifamily buildings to pay for improvements; project compliance; and the general betterment of the town and its residents.
Annual direct impact payments, which would be adjusted each year, would include: Fire Department, $1.1 million for personnel costs of nine new hires; Police Department, $1.4 million for 13 new hires and vehicle maintenance; School Department, $121,000; and town administration, $200,000.
The draft agreement also specifies that no casino structure would be located closer than 600 feet from the nearest residence. The proximity to neighborhoods in East Milford became a point of contention in June after developers changed the location from a half-mile away to 600 feet from homes, based on environmental assessments.
Foxwoods would "use its best efforts" to create at least 2,500 construction jobs and 3,000 operations jobs, 2,000 of which would be full-time positions.
The draft agreement calls for employment priority given to Milford residents, with 95 percent of positions going to residents and the surrounding area — which hasn't been defined — for operation jobs.
To prevent hiring illegal immigrants, Foxwoods would be required to enroll in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's IMAGE program and verify employees' immigration status through an Internet database.
Also, all Foxwoods employees must be fluent in English, a provision the developer has said is standard in its hiring practices.
HUH????
Mr. Buckley said that in addition to getting selectmen's input, data still need to be gathered. For example, if Milford's balance sheet changes significantly with casino revenue, it could cut its state aid for schools by $2.5 to $3 million.
"The consultants didn't address our formula for state aid," he said. "Obviously a $2.5 million hit to school services would be devastating. We have to make them whole."
Town officials are looking at the impact on state highway money and other aid as well.
Mr. Buckley wouldn't predict a time frame for finalizing the agreement.
"It's really when the majority of the selectmen are satisfied and Foxwoods has an agreement they're satisfied with," he said. "It's a very high hurdle."
http://www.telegram.com/article/20130826/NEWS/308269876
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