IRWINDALE : Council OKs Legal Action to Fight New Card Club Initiative

For the second time in a year, the Irwindale City Council voted Tuesday to file a lawsuit rather than allow a card club initiative to go on the ballot.

City Atty. Andrew Arczynski said the wording of the ordinance put forth by card club promoters gives the council too little control over the proposed casino, which would be built on Live Oak Avenue near the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway.

The card club developers already had obtained enough voters’ signatures to put the measure to a vote, but the proposal still had to go before the council to be placed on the ballot.

The 4-1 vote marks the second time in a year that the council has decided to fight the proposed ordinance.

The developers had gathered signatures for a similar ballot measure in 1994, and the city sued over the same issue of language. In the earlier case, a judge agreed with the city that the language was unclear and kept it from going on the ballot, leading to the new initiative drive.

Developers Frank Santin and Michael Meczka on Monday filed their own lawsuit against the city. In that suit, Santin and Meczka claimed the city gave up its right to decide the issue because council members took longer than the required 30 days to consider putting the issue to a vote.

But Arczynski said the city had 10 days beyond the 30-day period to take action on the measure.

Meczka and Santin declined to comment specifically on the council’s action. Meczka called it “a speed bump” in getting the card club issue before voters.

Only Councilwoman Jacquelyn Breceda voted against filing a lawsuit against the card club developers. Breceda said she opposes gambling. But she said the city has spent more than $55,000 in legal fees fighting card club promoters in court. People should have a chance to vote on the issue, she said.

As it has in some neighboring communities, the issue of whether to permit casino gambling in this city of 1,050 residents has divided the town in recent months. Only a handful of residents, both for and against the proposed card club ballot measure, attended Tuesday’s special council meeting.

Supporters of Irwindale’s card club proposal say the casino could generate $2 million to $3.5 million in revenue for the city. Opponents say a casino will attract people and crime to the small city.