Milpitas council approves bingo license for Barbara Lee Senior Center; city outlines reporting, security expectations

The Milpitas City Council approved a bingo license for the Barbara Lee Senior Center on April 1, 2025, allowing the center to resume regular bingo games after a pandemic-era lapse.

City Clerk Suzanne Scusetta presented the application and told the council the senior center has exempt status under the IRS and previously held a license that lapsed due to COVID-19. Staff recommended conducting a public hearing and approving the license, and the council voted to grant the license.

Under the proposal, the senior center sought authority to run bingo within operating hours set at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff explained that the broader window allows flexibility but that actual sessions would likely be shorter: “We would probably do a 3‑hour session and pair that with the open hours of the senior center,” the recreation director said, describing an anticipated 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. session when the program starts quarterly.

Police Chief Jared Hernandez described the department’s oversight responsibilities. “There is an ordinance that requires a couple things on the bingo provider,” he told the council, saying licensees must report changes in management or procedures and must provide annual reporting to the city, including gross receipts, operational costs and amounts given to charity. The chief said that while the city does not send police officers as on-site security, the ordinance allows the chief to recommend security if a location’s operations grow to the point that security would be advisable.

Clerk Scusetta explained the renewal process: licensees submit an annual report to the city clerk’s office, and, once accepted, the clerk issues a bingo license renewal. The council heard that the Barbara Lee Senior Center proposed starting with quarterly bingo marathons and that the estimated net revenue for the city would be small. City staff estimated roughly $500 to $750 in revenue for the fiscal year under the quarterly schedule, noting that the majority of collected funds are returned to winners and that excess funds may flow to the city’s general fund.

Public comment included remarks from longtime participants and local seniors who said they welcome a return of bingo as a social activity.

The council voted to approve the license with all members present voting aye.

What the council approved

- Action: Approval of a bingo license for the Barbara Lee Senior Center allowing regular bingo games at the senior center location. The city clerk will accept an annual report as part of the renewal process.

Regulatory and oversight notes

- Licenses for bingo are subject to annual renewal; the licensee must file an annual report with the city clerk showing gross receipts, operational costs and charitable distributions. - The Milpitas Police Department receives copies of annual reports and oversees compliance; the police chief may recommend on-site security if operations scale up. - The proposed operating window (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) grants flexibility; staff indicated initial sessions will likely be 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and held quarterly.

Vote tally

All council members present voted to approve the license (unanimous).