Temecula's City Council reached out this week to the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians in hopes of repairing a relationship damaged by its recent lawsuit against the tribe.

In an interview Thursday, Mayor Ron Roberts said that at the council's direction he and Councilman Chuck Washington personally delivered a letter to the Pechanga Tribal Council in hopes of re-establishing cordial ties with the sovereign tribe, which runs a casino, hotel and golf course on a reservation bordering the city.

"The Temecula City Council is committed to working diligently to rebuild a strong, cooperative working relationship with the Pechanga Tribal Council and its members," Roberts wrote in the letter dated Tuesday.

A federal judge last month dismissed a city lawsuit against the tribe. At issue was how much the tribe should pay for the effects the Pechanga Resort & Casino has on city infrastructure and services.

Roberts said Thursday that tribal officials accepted the city's apology and both sides are moving forward.

In an emailed statement, Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro said while the tribe appreciates the city's desire to rebuild the relationship, "a reality that must be overcome is that had the lawsuit been successful, it could have jeopardized the economic engine that has provided many opportunities for our tribe and thousands of community members."

"Nevertheless, we are mindful of the mutual successes our governments have achieved through collaboration, which is why we stand willing to find ways to work with the city to repair the relationship for the benefit of the broader and shared community."

NO APPEAL
In his letter, Roberts wrote the lawsuit was based on a "different legal interpretation" of the city's rights under the tribe's 2008 compact with California.
"It was never our intention to personally harm the Pechanga Tribe or any of its members, but rather, to protect what we thought were our legal rights until the tribal-state compact," Roberts wrote. He added the city would not appeal the lawsuit's dismissal.

Roberts, who said he has been the city's tribal liaison for 16 years, wrote that the city is willing to work with Pechanga to revise a city/tribal agreement negotiated over two years and ratified by Temecula's council in March 2010.
The 21-year agreement called for the tribe to pay Temecula $2 million annually, with the amount rising after six years to account for inflation. City officials expected Temecula could have received as much as $65 million through the agreement.

The tribe also agreed to pay $10 million or secure federal dollars in the same amount for improvements to the Interstate 15/Highway 79 South interchange, which frequently is used by casino-goers.

PATH TO COURT
Problems arose last summer after city officials said the tribe missed a deadline for the first payment. The tribe maintained the agreement could not be finalized until Pechanga concluded talks with Riverside County over the casino's effect on county services.

The city responded by suing. At the time, Macarro blasted the lawsuit as "absurd" and needlessly confrontational. Judge Dale S. Fischer on April 11 ruled that the city needed specific permission from the state/tribal compact to sue.
After the ruling, Macarro said "little to no desire exists to hand over millions of dollars to a City Council that would seek to cause our tribe, our employees, our business partners, and the charitable causes which we support such harm."
"As a result of (the lawsuit), there was hard feelings -- not from us but from them and rightfully so," Roberts said Thursday. "Legally, our city attorney thought that we could win. We pretty much decided after (the dismissal), there's no more appeals, we lost and let's get the relationship back if we can."

There have been signs of improved city/tribal relations in recent days. On Monday, the tribe guided the allocation of $4.2 million from a statewide gaming fund to Temecula, including $4 million for the Interstate 15/79 South interchange and money for additional police patrols. Macarro's statement Tuesday indicated the tribe was working to secure the money for Temecula even while its lawsuit was pending.

Tribal and city leaders also are united against the proposed Liberty Quarry between Temecula and San Diego County. Macarro and City Council members spoke against the quarry at an April 26 Riverside County Planning Commission hearing, and the tribe and city want to offer further testimony from experts to refute the technical studies supporting the open-pit mine.
Reach Jeff Horseman at 951-375-3727 or jhorseman@PE.com