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46 Supplement to the OBSERVER • Saturday, March 24, 2012 VISION 2012 FUTURE Seneca Nation Continued from Page x interview. NEW RELATIONSHIP President Porter said the relationship with Chautauqua County began with a conference of Nation, county and development officials held at the Seneca Allegany Casino last summer. “I convened a meeting with county officials and IDA representatives from all of the counties where the Nation has territory but also the counties in Pennsylvania, McKean and Warren. The goal was just to start talking more about what everyone else is doing because it’s pretty clear to me the Nation’s businesses ... do have a regional impact — where not just patrons but also our workers and our vendors and of course also how we spend our money in terms of the benefit that we are providing for the regional economy. So it just made sense to bring everybody together. We had a series of discussions and so we’ve been trying to find different ways to pick up the dialogue around specific projects,” Porter said in a phone interview. Edwards said he sees the Nation’s economic expansion as positive and looks forward to working with them on future development opportunities. “When you have somebody like President Porter looking for those opportunities and looking for ways to appropriately grow their operations, it’s like virtually any other business that’s out there trying to increase their number of employees and their products that they’re producing. If they’re right focused and doing good work then we are going to find ways to work with them so that is very positive,” he said. IMPACTS Edwards said the Seneca Nation has a huge impact on Chautauqua County as an employer. “The Seneca Nation has already approximately 70 percent of its employees as non-Native Americans so they are a significant employer for our region. ... With that many people being non-Native Americans it means real jobs for people in Chautauqua County. So, number one they are a significant employer, number two they have significant impact because of that and other investments in their casino and places in Erie County for increased physical investment, physical plans in the region. While that’s not Chautauqua County, that’s Cattaraugus County and Erie County — all of us in the region benefit because as they invest more and grow their operation, they have to hire more people and again with that ratio of Native Americans to non-Native Americans obviously means more jobs for us here in Chautauqua County and Western New York,” he explained. Porter agreed, saying employment helps circulate regional dollars, but it is outside money being brought in by Seneca Nation businesses which really helps the regional economy. “Our businesses have been calculated to generate almost $1 billion in regional economic benefit. There are about 5,000 Nation government and casino workers and we pour about $250 million into the regional economy in terms of payroll. ... This isn’t just circulating Western New York dollars; this is bringing people in from Ohio. Every patron we have coming in from Ohio is coming through Chautauqua County by necessity due to geography. “So we are drawing people into the area from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Canada that otherwise would not be coming to Western New York. That kind of attraction is a starting point when you add in, in our case Allegany State Park and Holiday Valley. You have three feature attractions that are bringing in just about millions of people per year to our area. “How Chautauqua County can leverage that and partner with us, that’s the whole point of having discussions. I’ve been really pleased to have a relationship started with the County Executive and Mr. Daly and the whole legislature. ... I think it’s just about investigating relationships. You never really know where it’s going to head but if you keep talking and you have the ability to pick up the phone and see what the other is thinking, that’s the starting point,” he said. OPPORTUNITIES Edwards, Daly and Porter each mentioned the possibility of development along the county’s north border in the town of Hanover as a place where cooperation and development are planned. Daly explained with the project at the bridge on Routes 5/20 also comes a roundabout, which he said the Seneca Nation intends to help re-develop the area. This is important due to its proximity to Chautauqua County and the effects that could spill over the border. “They’ve kept us involved because this could have a major bearing on commerce on Routes 5 and 20 in Chautauqua County in the Irving area,” Daly said. Porter said the Nation is developing plans for the area in conjunction with the bridge project. “We are definitely looking at the potential for further economic development there because there is going to be a lot of money that the state is going to be putting into it with the bridge and the highway and we think that that could serve as the impetus for us to dig through a more consolidated development plan for that whole area, both within the Nation but also off the territory as well,” he Latest Settlement 100K! WALTER SEEGERT 716.363.6000 Wealth Strategies For Your Settlement • Motor Vehicle Accidents • Construction Accidents • Injury on Property • Dog Bites • General Practice Appointments available in Dunkirk & Silver Creek. wseegert@bouvierlaw.com Call For A Free Consultation
VISION 2012 Supplement to the OBSERVER • Saturday, March 24, 2012 47 FUTURE explained. The Seneca Nation also owns 112 acres of property in the town of Hanover off of the Thruway exit on Route 5/20, which is also being eyes as a potential site for development. “It’s in the very early stages of imagining what we may do there but it is something that we are looking at and we want to be able to have a consolidated development plan working with the county ... It is prime for studying and planning and what we are trying to do right now is really identify the highest and best use for our property,” Porter said. Daly said development of the property would have a huge impact on the county. “The Senecas have been discussing potential developments that they might do on that land which would Seneca Nation Continued from Page 47 have an enormous impact on Irving and Silver Creek in Chautauqua County,” he said. Edwards said they have had conversations about the property and its potential for economic growth. “We had a very specific conversation about what we could do by way of partnership to grow economic development and opportunities in the 25 miles surrounding the Seneca Nation territory. I am absolutely committed to economic development and growth so when he said he was interested in finding ways for us to partner to help make that happen ... it was clear to me that this was a guy that is really focused in the right direction to develop great opportunities for all the right reasons. We have been having a series of conversations and working in partnership and finding ways to do that and certainly the property the Seneca Nation does own in Chautauqua County is a prime opportunity to do that,” Edwards said. Edwards added any development that may go forward in Chautauqua County will follow the Chautauqua 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. Although the Seneca Nation is know for its gaming and tobacco industries, Porter said the Nation is considering its options in moving beyond that. “We haven’t gotten a particular project that we’ve been able to wrap our hands around yet but we do envision that there are other businesses that can be either attracted to our area that would be incubated in our Nation, that could have a regional benefit,” he said. Porter added a new direction could be planned for the Hanover property. “We are certainly looking at the area in Irving near Silver Creek about how we could work better together to make that area attractive to tourists and others who would be looking at maybe some gaming because we have a gaming facility out there but also a retail development. I know that they spent some time planning and working on the beach traffic and I think that area could create potential opportunities for us to work together as governments,” he explained. Comments on this article may be sent to ngugino@observertoday.com Attorney Walter P. Seegert can help Walter P. Seegert concentrates his practice helping people injured in motor vehicle accidents, injury on property, injuries at construction sites (Labor Law), dog bite and other actions involving personal injury. In his more than 35 years of significant trial experience, Mr.Seegert has resolved cases by jury verdict, during trial and before jury selection in New York State Supreme Court and in the United States District Court. He has also tried cases in the Court of Claims and Justice Courts of New York. Seegert has also resolved matters through arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution forums. Mr. Seegert also provides legal expertise for General Practice matters including, Wills, Estate Planning, Collection and Commercial litigation. His education includes: ¯ Silver Creek Central School ¯ J.D. State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, 1973 ¯ BA Government, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, 1970(Vice President of graduating class, Varsity football) ¯ He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1973 and the U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, in 1975. Memberships include: ¯ New York State Bar Association ¯ Erie County Bar Association ¯ Police Athletic League ¯ All American Amateur Baseball Association To contact Walter P. Seegert call (716) 363- 6000; Fax (716) 856-1369 or e-mail: wseegert@bouvierlaw.com.
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