In California, the Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe Of Enterprise Rancheria has begun work on its new 140,000 sq ft Fire Mountain Casino near Yuba City following 15 years of delay.

According to a report from the Marysville Appeal-Democrat, large earth-moving equipment has started creating the groundwork for the venue a stone’s throw away from the 18,500-seat Toyota Amphitheatre with casino operations expected to begin in April of May of next year.

The Oroville tribe is additionally negotiating service agreements with local agencies including the Wheatland Fire Authority for emergency coverage at the site. Fire chief Joe Waggershauser, told the newspaper that this process should be completed over the next couple of months with a deal currently dependent on finalizing a contract that would help support staffing and equipment costs.

“The goal is to try to provide excellent protection for them without adversely impacting the district that we already serve,” said Waggershauser.

The Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe Of Enterprise Rancheria has not yet obtained a Class III license but revealed that its Fire Mountain Casino is expected to open as a Class II gaming facility offering primarily bingo alongside non-banked card games.

“We think that we’ll be able to open in April or May of next year and hopefully by then everything will be resolved,” Glenda Nelson, Tribal Council Chairperson for the Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe Of Enterprise Rancheria, told the newspaper. “We’re going to build and we’re going to open.”

Nelson additionally told the newspaper that the tribe wants to pay its fair share and make sure its service agreements are done properly.

“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,” said Nelson. “What we’re saying is you guys figure out how to do this and we’ll work it out.”

As for wastewater, Nelson declared that the casino is to utilize its own treatment facility until the proposed nine-mile OPUD pipeline to the nearby Beale Air Force Base is built, which is a process that could take many years.

“I’m sure it will be built but we don’t know how long that will be,” said Nelson.