Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Open Board of Directors Meeting
Norton Event Center
1601 E. Third St., Suite 138
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Patti Arlt, Don Averill, Deborah Barmack, Peter Barmack, Carole Beswick, Tom Brickley, Ann Bryan, Mike Burrows, Rachelle Bussell, Ken Coate, Jennifer Cusack, Sandra Espadas, Ashley Gaines, Carrie Gilbreth, Louis Goodwin, Scott Hofferber, Jay Jimenez, Mark Kaenel, Lowell King, Temetry Lindsey, P.T. McEwen, John Mirau, Dan Murphy, Jerry Paresa, Michael Rivera, Elizabeth Romero, Kristine Scott, Paul Shimoff, Steve von Rajcs, Hassan Webb and Ray Wolfe.
Guests: Adam Eventov, Ron Freemont, James Gonzales, Sheriff McMahon, Boris Medzhibovsky, Beverly Powell, Arnold San Miguel, Anita West
Announcements: 1) Appreciation was expressed to Mike Burrows, IVDA for the new office and meeting space. 2) The third annual SBD Fest 2017, a combination airshow, car show and concert, will be held October 21 from 3p.m.-9p.m. and October 22 from 11a.m.-6p.m. at the San Bernardino International Airport. 3) The Waterman Gardens housing complex will have a grand opening on Thursday, September 28, 2017. 4) Inland Action will co-sponsor the Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce’s Washington, D.C. Report featuring U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein. The luncheon and program will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at the Riverside Convention Center. 5) The Inland Valley Development Agency (IVDA) has been proposed for membership. They will be represented by Mike Burrows. For more information about them go to their web site: http://www.ivdajpa.org/
M/S/P: Minutes from July 25, 2017
P.T. McEwen introduced Jerry Paresa, CEO, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Serrano people who are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains. They share a common language and culture with other clans of the Serrano people.
Established in 1891, the San Manuel Indian Reservation is a sovereign territory just north of the city of Highland and consists of approximately 1,150 acres and operates under its own system of government. The tribe has some 200 members and has a governmental system comprised of three bodies:
- General Council-the legislative body that acts as the tribe’s governing council.
- Business Committee-a seven-member body that oversees the day-to-day operations (elected for 2 yr. terms).
- Tribal Court-the judicial branch of the tribal government.
The tribe has established use of lineal rather than blood quantum assessment to determine ancestry and rightful members of their tribe. Tribal growth is 3-4% annually.
San Manuel is one of the largest employers in the Inland Empire area and has over 4,200 employees. In gaming they offer 4,700 machines, 140 table games and 10 restaurants/eateries. Competition with other casinos is great and name recognition is critical. The tribe’s future plans may include an on-site hotel as other facilities offer overnight accommodations. Traffic and parking has been a challenge with 20-30,000 visitors daily. The tribe continues to support of an off ramp from the I-210 on Victoria St. Seen as a regional improvement, the tribe invested $1M for a scope study and $1.5M for the environmental impact report (EIR).
Successful in the gaming industry, they have diversified with ownership of Marriott Hotels in Sacramento and Charlottesville. Additionally they have a mixed use retail and commercial space near the reservation called San Manuel Village. Other ventures include plans for the former Arrowhead Springs Resort, which they purchased in 2016. Many options are in review and they will seek the properties highest and best use.
Their philanthropy is based in the Inland Empire with projects focusing on health & education. They have donated back to the community $18.7M this year ($140M since 2007). Most recently:
- $10M Gateway College, a partnership with Loma Linda University Health in San Bernardino
The tribe has just announced a partnership with Goodwill of Southern California and the City of San Bernardino. The #SBWORKS launch event will take place on September 29, 2017. A substantial investment and commitment to put people back to work will be revealed at that time.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 a.m.