Amador County – Jackson City Council voted 5-0 Monday to approve a bingo license for biweekly bingo games to benefit Amador County Recreation Agency, Amador Community Foundation and other nonprofits.
ACRA applied for the permit in partnership with Amador Community Foundation, and the bingo games will be staffed by volunteers from organizations that will benefit from proceeds of the games, said Tracy Towner, ACRA executive director.
The Foundation made the request for the permit with ACRA to create fundraising activity. The organizations meet the qualifying conditions of the license under city code as nonprofits that benefit the public.
City Manager Mike Daly said city code is very similar to state bingo code and regulates the conduct of bingo games. No salary may be given to staff of bingo games, which will be operated in Thomi’s Banquet Room.
Daly said city code regulates who can play. Any adult is allowed to play, unless they are intoxicated, and then they are specifically prohibited from playing bingo. He said any people involved with the games have to be volunteering and cannot be paid staff. City code requires a specified location, dates and times of operation as part of the permitting process. It also limits prizes to be no larger than $250.
Amador Community Foundation Executive Director Kathleen Harmon in a letter to the Mayor and Jackson City Council said games will be played 6-10 p.m. on the first, third and fifth Monday of each month, at Thomi’s Banquet Room, at 619 A South Highway 49 in Jackson and “if bingo is wildly popular the days may extend to every Monday night.”
Harmon said the Foundation and ACRA have an ongoing partnership in providing an effective means to engage in philanthropy within Amador County. ACRA approached the Foundation “as part of that partnership to establish bingo for the benefit of Amador County parks and furtherance of the Foundation’s charitable purposes of enhancing and supporting the quality of life for the people of Amador County.”
Daly said the city bingo law was reviewed by the Foundation board of directors, which includes former county counsel Martha J. Shaver, and Mayor Pat Crew and Councilman Wayne Garibaldi.
The board formally approved submitting a request to conduct bingo games, and ACRA submitted a check for $20 for the annual license fee.
After no public comment, the council voted 5-0 to approve the bingo license. Towner was excited about the bingo license, which will benefit nonprofits with funds strictly going to tangibles, like park benches, lawn mowers and park development.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
