Kansas Lottery Racing and Gaming Facility Review Board Chairman Matt All said he was less interested in hearing what people didn’t like about the casinos and more interested in who or where their support was for Sumner County – and after listening to dozens of area residents weigh in on the issue — All and the board were complimentary of the comments heard.
     The board had allotted 90 minutes for public comment on Friday afternoon in the Belle Plaine High School, but a significant number of signatures led the board to hear from over 70 residents in nearly three hours time.
     Although when signing up, speakers were asked to declare whether they would comment in favor of a certain casino developer or in general, one commenter aligned the casino sides in four ways – those who are for Exit 33, those against Exit 33, those for Exit 19, and those for the state. 
     Indeed, while the Sumner County Commissioners and their endorsement process took several criticisms,  as did the City of Mulvane and their annexation process, none of the speakers expressed an anti-Wellington sentiment.  In one unscientific count, 33 commenters spoke in favor of Exit 33 while 40 spoke either in opposition to Exit 33 while lending support to a centrally-located casino, or in favor of Exit 19.
    Leaders from many surrounding communities, including Oxford, Conway Springs and Caldwell, each expressed their support of a centrally-located casino site to decrease the drive time for future casino employees in their communities. Several of those speakers also said they hoped to attract new homeowners in their towns among the employees for a centrally-located casino who would be looking to locate around the new resort facility.
     Several Wellington community leaders took to the microphone as well, many relating the unity of the community in working towards a centrally-located casino — some stressing the work Wellington did even as far back as three years ago while Mulvane only recently became involved. 
     Although not in the number of Harrah's Entertainment, both Penn National and Marvel Gaming had expressed support for their specific developments among those favoring a centrally-located casino.
     Wellington City Manager Gus Collins said infrastructure at Exit 19 is assured for the casino developments, and also told the gaming board of the revenue-sharing agreement between Wellington and all incorporated cities of Sumner County approved by the Wellington City Council.
     Councilman B.J. Tracy later took to the podium, dropping his notes to say, “Under Senate Bill 66, which started this whole process, the most important thing is the will of the people, which is what prompted Sumner County to endorse the proposals they did.”
     State Rep. Vince Wetta, D-Wellington, also spoke to the board on the will of the people, and the votes which have counted leading to this point – in Sedgwick County, Sumner County, as well as in the House of Representatives where a vote of 90 to 35 were in favor of passing legislation against the type of annexation used by the City of Mulvane to endorse the Harrah’s proposal.
     “We have two developers who want to be in Sumner County and one who wants to be in Sedgwick County,” Wetta said.
     From Mulvane, city and community leaders also took the podium in support of the proposal for Harrah’s Entertainment.
     Mulvane City Administrator Kent Hixson said infrastructure needs for the casino would be paid 100 percent by the developer, who had proposed plans for public safety, drainage, water and other utility services.  Hixson said those plans included a new water treatment plant as well as buying a portion of their water from Mulvane.
     Mulvane Building Inspector Raymond Fleming responded to concerns expressed about drainage and runoff from the proposed Harrah’s site, and said the final development plan would have no additional drainage from the site after development than it has currently.
     Sumner County Road and Bridge Director Melvin Matlock also commented on this issue to the board, calling drainage issues the largest problem for Sumner County.  Matlock said there are flooding problems at the site proposed for Harrah’s.
     The annexation to the Harrah’s site was an issue taken up by several who commented, with one asking the board not to ignore litigation the Sumner County District Court has twice already said has merit.  That litigation is now in the discovery phase of the case, which is scheduled to end at the end of October, well after a decision has been made by the review board on a gaming facility manager.
     Interesting comments were made by the Sumner County Commissioners earlier in the day on this issue.  Following the presentation by Marvel Gaming, the Commissioners were given the opportunity to speak as the endorsing agency for that proposal.
     In taking questions from the board immediately after, they were asked what would happen if the board choose Harrah’s Entertainment.
     Commission Chairman Garey Martin said in the event of any decision by the board, they would assume the best developer had won.
     The Commissioners did not address what would happen if litigation on the annexation removed the endorsement of Harrah’s by the City of  Mulvane, but said the site had been approved special zoning use by the county prior to their endorsement process.
     Chairman All said although a tremendous amount of information had been presented to the board, there still remained some questions and a lot of work to do from the board's standpoint before a decision would be made.
     Steve Martino, executive director of the Racing and Gaming Commission, said the public comment on the Sumner County casino issue was broader than the public comments heard in Belle Plaine.  His office has received numerous letters, petitions and other correspondence, and all have been made available to the review board, he said.
     The board is scheduled to decide on a casino manager in meetings set for Aug. 21 and 22 in Topeka.