Jobs For Foxboro States its Case to Foxborough Residents

(Updated with correction 10:08 p.m. Friday, March 16.)

Jobs for Foxboro spokesperson Scott Farmelant wants to get the facts out on Steve Wynn's plan to build a casino on Route 1 across from and .

For Farmelant, who isn't a spokesperson for the Wynn Resorts or Steve Wynn, that means quickly shooting down assumptions he thinks are incorrect.

One he tackles right way is that the casino will bring mostly minimum wage jobs to the area.

"That's false," he said. "They have entry level jobs in the $40,000 range with full benefits into the six figures."

Troy Mitchem, executive director of Wynn and Encore Hotel Las Vegas, confirmed Farmelant's statement during an open house held March 7 at the Rennaissance Hotel at Patriot Place. Mitchem started going to work with his parents as a five-year-old. His father, mother and daughter are all currently employed by Wynn Resorts.

"I worked in the mail room and folding towels," he said. "When I become of age, I was able to go into valet parking and work my way up in the management ranks to my current position.

"There are a reasons why people stay with Mr. Wynn. I related it as the best coach, all you do is learn, learn, learn. He makes you better."

Jeannie Jones, director of Red Card Services, worked for other casinos before joining the Wynn organization, she describes Steve Wynn has being a hands on boss.

"I always say the Wynn is like a billion dollar mom and pop shop," said Jones. "It's a big family. I went from a corporate world feeling to moving to Wynn where everybody works as a team.

"Mr. Wynn walks around the property all the time, talking to employees. The employees are very loyal to (Wynn)." 

Farmelant points to the unemployment level and says the casino will be a boom to the state economically.

"It's mind-blogging to me that people want to deny people the opportunity for jobs," he said.

He also points to construction jobs the project will bring to the area. With the size of the casino-resort Wynn is planning on building, 10,000 construction jobs will reportedly be created.

"That's the number the Wynn organization is using," said Farmelant.

Jobs for Foxboro has been going door-to-door to speak to residents in town.

As of Monday, the latest figures Farmelant had was that 1,513 registered voters had to be reached out to during Jobs for Foxboro canvassers in December, January and February. Job for Foxboro reported 62-percent reported being underdecided, 24 percent had made up their mind either way and the rest weren't committed to either side.

He also said the release of the DVD by the Wynn group, they have heard from residents.

"There have been several hundred emails and phone calls," said Farmelant. "Ninety-five percent were blown away by the realization that it was something different."

Residents at the open house had questions and they wanted answers.

Before she makes a decision on how she feels about the casino, longtime resident Cindy Curran says she wants to know more about the project's potential positive impact.

"I want to know how the town is going to benefit," said Curran. "Not only the town, but me. How I'm going to benefit?'

"It's a nice town and I grew up here," she added. "The people are great and I want it to stay that way, but I want the town to grow to. I just don't know if this is the right way for it to grow." 

Jack Shepardson, who has lived in Foxborough for 23 years, came to the meeting to ask about the infrastructure and is concerned about the water and sewage issues.

"Who's going to do what, where and when?" he said at the open house. "Who is going to purge all this water and put it back into the ground?"

Shepardson is worried about the aquifer and what's going to happen to the town and the area's water supply.

"That's what I'm concerned about," he said. "I don't hear anyone talking about that aspect of it, at least I haven't seen any articles or anything like that." 

The reason for the Wynn employees' visit was to try to give answers to what they are hearing.

"We got a lot questions," said Jones about the visit to the area. "I just feel like people want to know more about it. They want to understand it. There's a little bit of confusion because they don't understand it." 

Mitchum said it was the explaining the difference between what people think it is going to be and what it is going to be.

"When we start to explain, people are starting to realize it is more than just a casino," he said. "It's a destination resort and they are a lot of opportunities. That's the biggest thing we wanted to get across. There are a lot of opportunities. We want to be their neighbor and work with them."

Some of the specific questions regarding actual benefits to the town will be addressed if the town and Wynn reached that level of discussion.

"Those are all part of the negotiations," said Farmelant.

Shepardson wants a chance to vote on whether the town should move forward with the casino or reject the idea.

"I'm for freedom of choice and all that," he said. "Whether it goes in or not is up to the people of Foxborough."

Jobs for Foxboro started its web site this week to get their side of the story out there.

"We want to have a conversation based on the facts," said Farmelant.