The Placer County Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee (LCBC) has been allocated $288,000 from the State Controller to distribute in the form of grants for programs and activities designed to mitigate the impacts of gaming upon the community.

As required by state law, the committee was formed in 2005 to award grant funds to local government agencies from the Indian Gaming Distribution Fund (SDF) to help offset impacts associated with Indian gaming such as traffic enforcement and family wellness.

As provided for in the State law creating the LCBC, members of the committee include representatives from the Placer County Board of Supervisors, the City Councils of Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville and the United Auburn Indian Community. Current committee members are Placer County Supervisors Robert Weygandt and Jim Holmes, Lincoln Mayor Spencer Short, Rocklin Mayor George Magnuson, Roseville Mayor Pauline Roccucci, and United Auburn Indian Community representatives David Keyser and Gene Whitehouse.

Staff to the committee will announce the availability of grant funding opportunities in 2011, and release grant application forms, instructions and guidelines. The grant application period will open on April 1, 2011 and will remain open until 5 p.m. on April 22, 2011. The Committee will meet in May to recommend which grants will be funded and then notify the California State Controller’s Office of the recommended and approved grants.

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund Grant Program was created for local government agencies affected by tribal gaming. Only those applications that clearly identify and describe the effects from tribal gaming upon those agencies and propose projects designed to mitigate these impacts will be considered for funding by the LCBC. For additional information, please contact the Placer County Executive Office, 530-889-4030 or visit the LCBC’s website at http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/CEO/LCBC.aspx.