CC_Minutes_2016_1024 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, October 24, 2016 Page 38 Mayor Roe welcomed April Borash, Gambling Manager for the Roseville Area Youth Hockey Association and Leah Vogelsong, Assistant Manager; along with Tom Howarth, representing Joe Senser’s Restaurant. Ms. Borash reviewed the Association’s mission statement; and rationale for re- questing this additional location, and working relationship with the restaurant, and desire to support them as a family restaurant and safe environment in which to conduct lawful gambling, and shared mission goals. Ms. Borash noted that the current operator at the restaurant was not Roseville-specific; and in an effort to grow their Association and its efforts, spoke in support of this request. Ms. Bo- rash noted their current annual budget was approximately $400,000 and included approximately 500 families; opining that the Association’s track record should speak for itself and its partnership with Roseville. Mr. Howarth advised that they were looking to make a change in their charitable gambling partner and this made the most sense for them. Councilmember McGehee stated, while she wasn’t opposed to the Association at this location, she would not support three places for one organization in Roseville. Councilmember McGehee stated she also wasn’t enthusiastic about removing Minnesota Brass for the purpose of replacing them with the Hockey Association at the restaurant, even though they were clearly not sports-affiliated, but still ac- tive in the Roseville community. Councilmember McGehee opined that the city’s rationale in laying down the original ground rules in the first place was to allow reasonable participation; but by seeking a third location for one organization, she didn’t find reasonable or appropriate. Councilmember McGehee offered her sup- port for the mission of the Youth Hockey Association, and the obvious link with Joe Senser’s Restaurant; but reiterated that she could not support removing the es- tablished organization to insert another one. Ms. Borash responded that it was similar to buying from the U.S.A. compared to something made in another country; opining that the Youth Hockey Association was a homegrown charity from Roseville that wanted to continue growing in Ro- seville. Ms. Borash noted their organization had proven that all of their money goes directly back into the city, where they wanted to continue growing, and us- ing other vendors in the community to achieve that growth. At the request of Councilmember Etten, Mr. Howarth confirmed that their restau- rant would have only one non-profit gambling organization on site, and not the Minnesota Brass organization. With the goal of the Youth Hockey Association to fund youth hockey so as not to overburden parents, and considering their sizable generation of money annually, Councilmember Etten asked how much remained not funding hockey.