DeKalb County, tribe discuss bingo hall deal

BY KATE SCHOTT SHAW NEWS SERVICE DEKALB - The DeKalb County Board and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation are continuing to work on a deal that would outline how they would work together if a tribal gaming facility is built near Shabbona. Reservation status is needed for the Potawatomi to build the facility, and a federal land determination by the Indian Gaming Commission is pending. Board Chairwoman Ruth Anne Tobias said the federal government has told the county a ruling is unlikely to come before year's end. Board members are expected to vote on the proposed agreement Feb. 20. The deal centers on a 24-hour electronic bingo hall the Potawatomi want to build near Shabbona on 128 acres the tribe bought for $8.8 million in April 2006. The tribe claims the land is part of 1,280 acres given to Chief Shab-eh-nay in an 1829 treaty. The Potawatomi, descendants of Shab-eh-nay's band, claim their rights to the land never were extinguished, making the land a reservation. About 100 people attended a recent hearing on the subject, questioning the potential bingo hall's effect on quality of their small-town life and if a full-fledged casino could be in the future, something Potawatomi Tribal Chairman Ray Kitchkumme denied. The tribe wants to build a "modest bingo hall and community center," which hopefully will provide local businesses with new patrons, he said. Mike Rossetti, one of the tribe's lawyers, said an expansion of gaming would have to be negotiated with the state. Several speakers asked the county board to continue working on the proposed agreement, noting that this was the only time they would have a say in the matter and that the land determination decision is months away. Ed Leeney, who lives near the proposed gaming site, said an agreement could indicate to the federal government that there is public support for the facility. The county has been negotiating with the tribe since April 2007 on the intergovernmental agreement as an "insurance policy of sorts" that protects the county's interests, DeKalb County State's Attorney Ron Matekaitis said. If the federal government were to determine the land is a reservation and no agreement was in place, the tribe would be under no obligation to forge one, he said. If the judgment were that it's not a reservation, the agreement would become null and void, he said.