Mayor Carlo DeMaria has responded to Councilor Stephanie Martins’ request for an update on the renegotiation process for the Encore Boston Harbor host agreement.
Martins had asked for the update at previous meetings, including the addition a public safety component to the agreement.
Town Clerk Sergio Cornelio read the response from Mayor DeMaria at Monday night’s Council meeting.
“Please be advised that my team and I have met with the representatives from Encore on four occasions since Feb. 12, 2024,” wrote DeMaria. “These meetings are in addition to the ongoing dialogue that members of my administration and I have had with representatives from Encore in between actual meetings. These meetings are also in addition to the internal discussions that I conduct on this matter.”
DeMaria, who was scheduled to meet with Encore representatives this week, also said he has conveyed to Encore “the City Council’s request that a new public safety facility be included as part of these negotiations.”
Martins thanked the administration for the update. “This an important matter that we want to be on top of to make sure that we negotiate the best terms for our City,” said Martins, adding that she favors the construction of a combined police/fire substation as part of the new agreement.
In an interview following the meeting, Martins said she would not only like to see the payment (estimated at $26 million per year) to Everett from the current Encore host agreement increase, “but also what it’s being used for.”
“We heard in a previous meeting that the Fire Department made 700 trips to the casino in a 12-month period. We have police that are constantly responding to incidents, so we need more [funding],” said Martins. “I also think there should be more voices involved in the [renegotiation] process. Right now, it’s just the Administration at the table. We should be talking to more partners in the community, especially to our small businesses and public safety officials.”
The matter was referred to the Council’s Government Operations Subcommittee.
The Council voted unanimously to refer the matter to the Council’s Government Operations Subcommittee.