Uniting against casinos

Uniting against casinos
Towns join forces to address impact


Western suburbs started planning last week to join forces to address concerns about casinos.

Known for their rigid independence and fierce sovereignty, Massachusetts communities are usually suspicious of regionalization. But the possibility of a resort-style casino in Milford, or Marlborough, has communities thinking there is power in numbers.

“If I were even to support some expanded gambling bill, I believe it’s critical there be some regional acceptance. It has to go beyond just the host community,’’ said state Senator Karen Spilka, a Democrat from Ashland, who, as Senate chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, held Beacon Hill hearings this fall on multiple bills that would expand gambling. “It will have regional impacts. There has to be regional acceptance and regional mitigation as well.’’

Residents and officials from several towns, including Natick, Wellesley, Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, Milford, and Framingham, gathered at the Ashland Public Library on Wednesday for “Regional Casino Contingency Planning: Collaborative Preparation for a Potential Gaming Destination in 495/MetroWest,’’ the meeting organized by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the 495/MetroWest Partnership, and other groups.

Participants talked about strategy with two Monson residents who have been successful in harnessing their region’s powerbrokers to air concerns about a possible casino in their area, and also got an update from Spilka on the state’s view of expanded gaming.

“The House is working on a bill now,’’ she said. “That will maybe come out in February or March. There will be a hearing on the bill, I assume. The House will take it up and then it will come to the Senate. . . . I honestly don’t know at this point what will be in it.’’

The Legislature could legalize resort casinos, with a limit on the numbers for either the entire state or for particular regions, said Spilka. There are also bills for “racinos,’’ she said, which would allow slot machines at racetracks.

She emphasized that although the governor, speaker of the House, and Senate president have all voiced support for casinos, no one really knows yet what the mood is in the rest of the Legislature.

Spilka said that because the Legislature is in the second year of a two-year session, everything has to be resolved by July 31, or the entire process starts over in the next session.

The Western Massachusetts Casino Task Force has already organized 15 towns, which together submitted a list of 23 concerns to legislators that organizers hope will figure into any final law.

Edward Harrison, chairman of the task force and a Monson selectman, said the effort began in 2007 after Mohegan Sun, a giant casino in Uncasville, Conn., optioned some land in nearby Palmer.

Harrison’s task force wants to establish a regional mitigation fund so that surrounding towns can be compensated for any negative effects from casinos. He urged the audience to talk to their legislators, because once legislation is passed, there probably won’t be much chance for amendments.

“We probably only have one bite at the apple,’’ said Harrison.

Among the 23 concerns, the task force asks that enrollment costs for new students who are children of casino workers be paid from tax and license revenues.

A regional ballot vote is also requested so that approval of a new casino would include not only the host community but also neighboring communities.

Other points seek to mitigate social and public health costs, infrastructure expenses, and environmental impact.

The task force also wants a cost-benefit analysis. Spilka said it appears that the House and Senate have already agreed to an updated study since the governor’s study predates the recession.

Kathleen Conley Norbut, a founding member of the task force and president of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, fielded a question on education costs. She said the task force learned from the Connecticut experience, where surrounding towns had to expand English language programs in their schools.

Another important lesson, she said, is that towns have to understand the approval process just as the casino developers do. State environmental regulations, for example, could be triggered when no one expects it.

“We also found that the process is not necessarily a smooth decision-making process,’’ said Norbut.

Dennis Giombetti, a Framingham selectman who moderated the meeting, said the next step is for regional groups to write their own letters to the Legislature.

“I think the casino issue needs to be discussed from a regional perspective,’’ he said before the meeting. “Obviously the host community will have some jurisdiction, but the actual casino will have a major regional impact.’’