Mashpee Wampanoag leaders open Taunton "welcome center," say machines will sample gaming; council presses on pilots, PLA and unpaid obligations

Representatives of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and their private development partner briefed the Taunton City Council on Jan. 14 about a newly opened welcome center on the tribe’s reservation in Taunton and about next steps toward larger development.

The center — a roughly 2,000-square-foot, prefab structure installed by the tribe — is divided between exhibits on tribal history and a reception area with operable machines that the tribe described as a sampling of gaming activity. Tribe and partner officials said the facility is a temporary, phased effort intended to introduce residents and neighbors to the tribe’s plans; proceeds from the machines during the initial soft-opening period will be donated to local charities.

“Nu tomas — my blood and my bones is from that land,” said Brian Wheaton, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag, as he described the tribe’s long historical ties to the region and the purpose behind the welcome center. Vice Chairman Carlton Hendricks Jr. said the facility “is a welcome center … the tribe exercising our sovereignty” and that the tribe self-performed the opening work using local, often-unemployed union tradespeople.

Genting’s Kevin Jones, the tribe’s private partner, said the welcome center is not a full casino and is part of a phased approach to development the tribe has pursued for years. The tribe said the building includes multimedia exhibitions and ten operating machines; the first seven days of proceeds will go to the Ryan Hendricks Foundation (a tribal member’s memorial charity) and the next seven days’ proceeds, through the grand opening on Jan. 26, will go to a city-designated veterans’ charity, the tribe said. The city was told the center is staffed during opening hours and that tribal police coordinate with Taunton police for security.

Councilors raised questions about several topics: unpaid pilot payments under the city–tribe intergovernmental agreement (IGA), ongoing site maintenance and illegal dumping on reservation land, whether the welcome-center jobs were union or nonunion, and whether a project labor agreement (PLA) for future construction would be honored. Several councilors pressed the tribe to make good on pilot and other obligations to the city.

“Anything you want to do in the city of Taunton, if you wanted to build a shed, you have to be up to date on your taxes,” Councilor Coit said, urging the tribe to make outstanding payments that the council and administration view as a matter of good faith. The tribe’s representatives said the tribe has made millions in prior payments and that litigation and legal costs prior to 2015 required significant outlays; they said they now want to move forward but still face legacy obligations.

On labor, the tribe told councilors it is negotiating with unions and is “working from a nearly completed PLA dated back to 02/2016,” and said it remains committed to a PLA for future construction phases. Councilors said they expect union involvement and a PLA for major construction.

City officials said an MOA between the city and the tribe is likely in the coming weeks and that council review — including possible executive-session review with counsel — will follow. The tribe and its counsel also confirmed on the record that the land was placed into trust by the U.S. Department of the Interior (decision recorded in 2015–2016) and that the tribe is eligible to operate Class II gaming under federal Indian gaming law; tribal counsel said the tribe’s gaming ordinance and the negotiated state compact are in effect.

Operational details presented at the meeting included: the welcome center is currently open a limited schedule (reported at the meeting as Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.), the structure is a prefabricated unit assembled on site, and the machines are intended as a short, sample interaction rather than a full casino operation. Staff and tribal representatives described security arrangements, ongoing site cleanup and plans to deter illegal dumping, but councilors urged continued work to address recurring dumping and to bring unpaid obligations current.

Mayor Shawna O’Connell and council members thanked the tribal leaders for the presentation and said the administration will continue conversations about pilot payments, PLA language and a formal MOA; officials indicated those matters will move to committee review and, where needed, to executive session with legal counsel.