Formal agreements made by the Cowlitz Tribe
The Cowlitz casino developers have worked extremely hard to establish formal agreements with local governing bodies, but their efforts have been largely unsuccessful. Their most important agreement—with Clark County—was invalidated in 2007, and the City of La Center has repeatedly rebuffed their overtures.
Tribal casino developers seek these agreements for a number of reasons. In this case, because the Cowlitz Tribe has never had a presence in Clark County, it has tried to attach itself to local institutions in order to strengthen the appearance of a long local history.
Also, agreements with local jurisdictions can be used as leveraging tools. Indian tribes are sovereign nations and are not subject to many local ordinances. Because this causes local concern, tribes seeking to develop lands often negotiate agreements that make concessions to local laws. When the documents are sent to federal decision-makers, the casino developers claim that they demonstrate local support and tacit approval for the project. Unfortunately, that often is not the way the co-signers intend for these documents to be read.
Clark County
On March 2, 2004, before the Cowlitz Tribe formally declared its intended use for the La Center junction site owned by Cowlitz developer David Barnett, the Clark County Commission signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tribe. The resolution to approve the MOU included a disclaimer stating that it should not be considered evidence of the county's support for a casino. In the end, the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board invalidated the MOU for lack of public participation. The casino developers appealed the ruling, but it was upheld in Thurston County Superior Court.
For more information, see CARS’ MOU Fact Sheet.
La Center
Despite heavy pressure in February 2006, the City of La Center refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding proposed and presented by the Cowlitz Tribe and its attorneys.
Ridgefield School District
The Ridgefield School District signed an MOU with the Cowlitz Tribe on May 25, 2004, that primarily addresses the Tribe’s commitment to paying school impact fees to the county if the Tribe builds housing within the RSD service area.
Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Cowlitz Tribe has agreed to pay the current Tourism Promotion Area fee of $2 for each bed occupied at its proposed casino-resort and in turn would receive the same marketing benefits as other Clark County hotels.
Mohegan Tribe
The Cowlitz Tribe, via Cowlitz casino developer David Barnett, has formed a partnership with Connecticut's Mohegan Tribe and California’s Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians to develop and manage the proposed Cowlitz casino. The Mohegan Tribe owns and operates the Mohegan Sun, the second-largest casino in the country, located in Uncasville, Conn. The Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians owns and operates the Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, Calif.
<Back to "What's happened" home page |
