Agenda - Council - 09/14/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PC CASE #: 4 RAMSEY FACILITY USAGE RENTAL POLICY By: Joyee Pruitt Hottinger, Administrative Services Manager Background: On August 24'h, City Council tabled taking action on the facility usage policy due to the length of the Council Agenda. On July 27th, the Personnel Committee tabled action on the proposed facility usage policy in order to research the issue of lawful gambli.ng within City facilities. Since that time, Staff contacted the Minnesota Gambling Board and the League of Minnesota Cities for further assistance in researching the gambling issue. The League of Minnesota Cities could not locate any statute prohibiting gambling in municipal buildings. All lawful gambling, including bingo and raffles, may only be conducted by licensed organizations. Non-profit organizations m~y only apply for such licensure; municipalities cannot apply for gambling licenses. Section 3.49.166 of the Minnesota Statute provides a bingo license exclusion for nursing homes, senior citizen housing projects or a senior c~tizen organization if: The prizes for a single bingo game do not exceed $10.00; Total prizes awarded at a single bingo occasion do not exceed $200.00; No more than two bingo occasions are held by the organization or at the facility each week; Only members of the organization or residents of the nursing homes or housing project are allowed to play in a bingo game; No compensation is paid for any persons who conduct bingo; A manager is appointed to supervise the bingo; The manager registers with the Gambling Control Board. The organization must maintain all required records of excluded for gambling activity for 3-1/2 years. Thus, if a non-profit senior organization received approval from the Gambling Control Board for an exclusion fi'om the gambling license provisions, then the senior group would be able to offer gambling to members in City Hall. It is important to note that the senior group would be responsible for obtaining the exclusion from the Gambling Control Board; the City cannot apply for such an exclusion. The Gambling Control Board stated that applications for gambling licenses are only provided to organizations requesting licensure, that municipalities are not provided with the authority to disseminate gambling license or exclusion application materials. The Gambling Control Board said this restriction is in place to ensure that the appropriate checks are conducted through the State to verify the organization is a non-profit in good standing for the past three years, and other required background checks. The attached Ramsey facility usage policy does not prohibit gambling in the municipal center. Chapter 349 of the Minnesota Statute requires any lawful gambling to be conducted only by a licensed organization. Thus, only licensed organizations, or those groups, who have been Agenda Case for Facilities Usage Policy September 14, 1999 Page I of 2