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KBIC approves 2M for casino

Vanessa Dietz/Daily Mining Gazette Ojibwa Casinos General Manager Don Wren convinced the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Council Thursday to hire consultants to help maximize the tribe's planned casino expansions. Seated are councilmen Rodney Loonsfoot and Fred Dakota.

BARAGA — The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community authorized spending another $2 million Thursday to support its $40 million casino projects.

Last year, KBIC voters approved spending $6.5 million on the Ojibwa Casino in Baraga and $33.5 million on the Ojibwa II in Marquette to renovate and expand both facilities.

In addition to those costs, KBIC will borrow about $2 million more to cover infrastructure improvements at its hotel, restaurant, casino and the Press Box – all deemed necessary so the new complex functions well.

One of the biggest issues identified in the additional costs centers on enlarging and coordinating plumbing in the new facility, said CEO Larry Denomie.

The details will be covered in a change order to the contract with Gundlach Champion, the contractor for the Ojibwa Casino project in Baraga.

“The community may not understand,” said Councilman Rodney Loonsfoot, since the tribal constitution demands voters approve expenditures above $500,000. Each of the four areas will cost less than the limit, but together total almost $2 million.

Chairing the meeting in the absence of KBIC President Chris Swartz, Vice-President Jennifer Misegan said because costs for each of the four areas are under the spending limit, voters will not be asked to weigh in on the new expenditures.

To ensure the tribe’s investments pay off, the council gave Ojibwa Casinos General Manager Don Wren the go-ahead to hire consultants Brad Worthley International for $250,000 to develop core values, standard policies and training techniques.

“We see what’s going on, we hear what’s going on and this is what we’re going to do about it,” Wren said, explaining how the consultants will address persistent problems with high turnover rates and low morale.

“It creates a great recruiting tool,” Denomie said. “That’s so critical here, I don’t know how we can wait any longer.”

Said Misegan, “This is really giving them the tools to succeed.”

The Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College will work with the consultants to develop programs to help staff members succeed at work for years to come.

In related action, the council liquidated three Superior National Bank accounts to free up funds for the casino project.

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