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Select Board creates Casino subcommittee

Date: 4/4/2013

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW — With the issue of gaming developments becoming more and more prevalent, the Select Board voted to create a Casino subcommittee at its April 1 meeting.

Select Board Chair Paul Santaniello indicated that while a task force was established by former Acting Town Manager Barry Del Castilho to address casino-related issues, he felt a formal committee consisting of at least two members of the Select Board should be created.

"Part of it is so it would give casino developers an official committee to talk to," he said.

Santaniello said the task force served a purpose in laying the groundwork and coming up with some initial figures, but a body that answers directly to the Select Board was necessary.

"I want someone who is responsible to us as opposed to the town manager," he said. "We are the ones who are going to make the pitch; it's not going to be the town manager. We're going to vote on the things that are proposed. Ultimately what's proposed rests on us."

Santaniello said he foresaw a casino development in Springfield or West Springfield as something that would have a direct impact on the citizens of Longmeadow as such, the town should have a plan in place.

"This is going to be a big issue for this town. They are talking about the viaduct down by [Interstate] 91, [a] $400 million [project] that needs to be addressed right now. That is going to have a serious impact," he said. "I don't want our residents sitting in traffic that is backed up during rush hour and say we didn't know about it."

The subcommittee would be the primary body to discuss legal issues involving the casino.

"We're probably going to have to hire counsel and that would be the group that would sit down with counsel, vet it out and bring it back to the board," he said.

The existence of a subcommittee would also afford residents a better understanding of what the town is doing in regards to a casino development, whether it be in Springfield or West Springfield, as it would be required to post all meetings and make them open to the public, Santaniello said.

He added that at this point, he didn't see much activity from the task force.

"In my opinion, the task force had only one member on it, so I don't think there was a lot of time devoted to it," he said.

While Santaniello said he would like to start the subcommittee with two Select Board members, he was open to having it expanded.

"I would like to have two Select Board members and if we choose to open it up to the public, we would do interviews for it," he said.

Which Selectmen would be on the subcommittee would be discussed at the board's April 16 meeting.