By Matt Youngfrau
MONTICELLO — April 24, 2001 – During the Sullivan County Legislature's Executive Committee meeting on April 19, Chair Rusty Pomeroy offered an update on Park Place Entertainment.
Park Place is looking to open an Indian gaming casino at Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello. Park Place has already filed an application for the casino with the United States Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And last week, the Town of Thompson passed a resolution supporting their casino at Kutsher's.
Pomeroy related that Park Place has expressed some level of frustration over how long the process is taking. Pomeroy admitted he was surprised to hear that and was prepared to try to expedite the process.
So on May 1, a special Executive Committee meeting will be held. The purpose of that meeting will be for legislators to meet with Indian gaming attorney John Jacobson. The meeting will mainly be a strategy session. On May 2 and 3, the sides will again meet in an attempt to hammer out a casino agreement.
However, there is yet another hurdle in the process. Park Place, late last year, established a $25,000 escrow account to pay for Jacobson's services. Pomeroy announced that that fund is exhausted. For the process to continue, Pomeroy explained that Park Place will have to provide more money. As of Thursday's meeting, there was no response from Park Place.