The Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of Enterprise Rancheria in Northern California is eyeing a spring of 2017 opening for its Fire Mountain Casino, which that has been in the works for 15 years, near Wheatland.
The tribe, which is based in Yuba County, does not yet have a Class III gaming compact with the state but is going forward with a Class II casinos.
Tribal Chairman Glenda Nelson commented, “We think that we’ll be able to open in April or May of next year, and hopefully by then everything will be resolved.” She added, “We’re going to build and we’re going to open.”
Meanwhile the tribe is negotiating service agreements with the local fire authority to provide services. It plans to treat its own wastewater.
One negotiation is with the Wheatland Fire Authority. According to Chief Joe Waggershauser, “The goal is to try to provide excellent protection for them without adversely impacting the district that we already serve.”
It is also talking with the Olivehurst Public Utility District Fire Department but has not advanced as far as it has with Wheatland.
Nelson told the Oroville MR News: “We want to come to an agreement with all of the fire authorities so everybody is on board and we’re not leaving anybody out,” Nelson said. “What we’re saying is you guys figure out how to do this and we’ll work it out.”
