Supervisors Tuesday appointed a committee that has a little more than two months to decide how $400,000 of Indian gaming money will be spent in Tulare County.
Seven representatives were appointed to sit on the county's first Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee Tuesday during the board's weekly meeting.
Tulare County is just one county throughout the state that is forming such committees as a result of Senate Bill 621.
The bill established the method of calculating the distribution of money from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund for grants to local government agencies affected by tribal gaming.
Two committee members are representatives from Tulare County, two were selected by the Tule River tribe -- which operates Eagle Mountain Casino east of Porterville -- and three were mutually selected by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and the tribe.
"It's a chance to have some input," said Tulare County Fire Chief Dave Hillman, one of the committee's seven appointed members. "As money becomes available in the future, I'd like to see some go into the county's infrastructure for fire protection and services in some fashion."
Other appointed committee members include:
•  Tulare County Undersheriff David Whaley
•  Porterville city councilman Cameron Hamilton
•  Tulare County supervisor Lali Moheno
•  Porterville resident Neil Smith
•  Tribal Chairman Neil Peyron
•  Shannon Alto, of the Tule River Indian Fire Department
A total of 13 people submitted applications to the county, said Kristin Bennett, the county's assistant chief administrative officer. Hillman and Whaley were ap-pointed by the board, while Peyron and Alto were selected by the tribe. Hamilton, Moheno and Smith were mutually selected by the board and the tribe.
Tulare County's committee won't meet face-to-face until April 22.
It will have a little more than two months to establish bylaws and develop application policies for distributing grants to groups with relationships to gaming, Bennett said.
At this point, Tulare County has $400,000 from a fund of $25 million to spend. That's money that will go back to the county to make up for effects of the gaming operation on law enforcement, fire services and emergency medical services and to remedy any environmental effects.
But depending on how well the casino does next year, the county could get a larger amount, Bennett said.
Neil Smith, a Porterville resident, said he was asked by the tribe to serve.
"It's an honor," he said. "I think it's important to Tulare County right now because of a lack of funds. Anything that can help Tulare County directing funds to appropriate use is a good thing."
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Originally published Wednesday, April 14, 2004