 And I also want to first say that establish a forum. So I'll do a roll call for my fellow commissioners, commissioner Cameron. Hi. Commissioner Brian. Hi. Commissioner Stevens. Hi. Commissioner Zuniga. Hi, good morning. Good morning. Good morning, everyone. And I'd like to call to order today's. Public meeting number 296 of the Massachusetts gaming commission. We will be conducting this meeting. Through remote mechanism, given the unprecedented circumstances resulting from the global. Um, Coronavirus pandemic. Governor Baker did issue an order that allows limited relief from certain provisions of the open meeting law to protect the health and safety of individuals. Interested. Excuse me in attending the public meetings. In keeping with the guidance provided. and audio conference. I'd like to just make a few opening remarks and also to my fellow commissioners I will give you the opportunity before we go to our items on the agenda. I just want to first off remind all folks that operations at the MGC's three casino licensees were temporarily suspended initially on Saturday March 14th and that suspension extended out to March 29th. The commission made that decision after extensive and up-to-minute consultation with public health officials and experts, other governmental officials, other large venues, and of course our licensees who like the commission prioritize the health and safety of their patrons, their employees, and our employees who worked on site our MGC gaming agents the gaming enforcement unit and of course game-sense advisors. Since then the commission has extended the temporary suspension of operations in accordance with the governor's order orders. This of course continues to be such extraordinarily challenging complex times. I wish to commend all of the MGC staff many of whom are meeting today with us and of course under the leadership of our interim executive director Karen Wells for their ongoing commitment to their professional obligations and consistent meaningful engagement. I'm also really proud of our MGC staff's resilience. These are trying times and there are many personal challenges. They continue to work remotely staying at home here in Massachusetts abiding by the advice and orders from our governor to help reduce the reach and rigor of this public health crisis. I have a request from our talented communications director Elaine Driscoll. She along with our digital communications coordinator Austin Bumpus published this week's MGC newsletter and includes a series of COVID-19 response initiatives from the MGC and our licensees. All of those updates have since been posted to our website and are available on massgaming.com. If you haven't done so already you can sign up to receive our newsletters at the bottom of the mass gaming home page. I suspect that joining today's meeting we do have members of the public as well as members of the media so we do invite you to go to again the mass gaming home page. This week's correspondence included an open letter from me. I appreciated the opportunity to offer our agency's heartfelt thanks to the frontline workers. We all know who they are. To recognize the collaborative and compassionate leadership of our licensees and again to commend the internal MGC team for its work and attention in ensuring the continuity of MGC's operational and regulatory duties. In keeping with our commitment to provide the public and our constituents with the latest information we issued a series of announcements about helpful resources and other related initiatives. I suspect that we will be able to highlight those mark in more detail at next week's commission meeting that we have scheduled for next Thursday. But I want to highlight these. The newsletter includes details on operational and workforce status updates from our casino licensees. Includes a list of resources for casino and racing workers including details about employee emergency relief funds established by the licensees among other sources of assistance. We have posted resources to small businesses that serve the casino and horse racing industry including one-on-one assistance that MGC established through a recent small business technical assistance grant and other federal and state resources. The newsletter includes MGC and casino licensees community contributions that we're very proud of to COVID-19 response efforts. Includes of course our recent glove donation and significant food donations made by the casinos. And for my fellow commissioners because we don't get to see each other right now a special note that I've heard that our very own Mary Thurlow who happens to make beautiful quilts you all know that has been selling masks alongside her family members. That doesn't surprise us does it? Thank you to all who continue to identify ways to contribute to the community during this great time this time of great need. And then finally resources to support mental health wellness and responsible gaming amid COVID-19 outbreak. It must be very difficult for Mark VanderLinden to not be able to reach out directly to those folks who he knows struggle with problem gaming and responsible gaming troubles. And of course right now just because our casinos are closed that doesn't mean that individuals who struggle with these issues aren't continuing to do so. And in fact we all know that the current challenging circumstances pose a particularly great risk. Mark and Teresa will continue to gather and provide helpful resources for those in need and we invite the public stakeholders and of course the media to look at the resources that are available through our newsletter. Again as a reminder all of this information is available on our website and Elaine and Austin will be updating them frequently. At this time I just want to invite each of my fellow commissioners to add any of their thoughts and then we'll move on to the business of the day. I'll start with Commissioner Cameron. Thank you Madam Chair. Hello to all my fellow commissioners and the team as many of our team members who are participating today. You said that quite well chair and I just wanted to add to everyone stay safe and reach out if you need anything and I'm proud of the work done by everybody so thank you. Thank you Commissioner Bryan. No I think you did say it quite well I would say I'm missing everybody as well. I am pleased and proud of how people have been able to adapt to the way we have to execute our responsibilities and I just wanted to say I as well stay safe and feel free to reach out if anyone needs anything. Thank you. Commissioner Stevens. Good morning and good morning to my colleagues. I also miss seeing everybody. I do want to place a shout out to the HR department in the open houses that they've been having. It's been a great way for folks across the agency in our different locations to have a chance to just kind of reconnect see how everybody's doing. So if you have some time feel free to dial in I think troops in her team for organizing those but the rest of your comments madam chair where we're right on target. Thank you. Commissioner Staben Zuniga sorry. Yes. Good morning everybody not much to add except that join the thoughts around of appreciation for everybody being flexible doing the work that they have to do with the given circumstances that carries a lot of flexibility. We need to continue to react accordingly and I'm happy to see that we are all doing doing so and maintaining good spirits which is also critical in this environment. Thank you. I know for the comments we'll move on to our agenda today. Thank you again to Karen for your leadership. We'll ask you to address first to a on the licensees. Thank you. Yes. So as everyone is aware the licensees ceased gaming operations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Baker did extend his order to close business non-essential businesses and prohibit gatherings of more than 10 people. So my recommendation at this point for the commission and their action is that they extend the temporary suspension of operations at those three gaming establishments that was initially instituted on March 14th and extended on March 25th and my recommendations that you extend that to parallel the governor's order so that would be till May 4th at noon. I would also suggest that the commission as they have been doing continue to review and assess the public health conditions in cooperation with appropriate authorities and the gaming licensees and then come back again at a public meeting prior to May 4th to make a determination about where you want to go from there regarding the operations at the casinos. Other questions for Karen please. I'll start with Commissioner Cameron. Thank you. Again a very sound recommendation. I know we're all following. It's really a daily pandemic to follow and what the governor's office is providing a leadership there. So I think it's a sound recommendation and certainly we should follow suit and make sure we extend to May 4th. Okay Commissioner O'Brien any questions or comments? No questions. I would agree. Doing the extension is not only mandated under the current issues from the governor but also the prudent thing to do. So I'm absolutely in favor of continuing it to at least as long as the governor has since extended it. Commissioner Sunica. No questions or comments. Chair in agreement. Thank you. Commissioner Stephens. No comments or questions. Madam Chair, I'm in agreement. Do I have a motion? Madam Chair, I move that the commission extend the temporary suspension of operations at the three gaming establishments initially instituted on March 14th 2020 and extended on March 25th to go through May 4th 2020 at noon consistent with Governor Baker's order issued on March 31st 2020 and the Commission statutory obligations. Further move the commission continue to review and assess the public health conditions in cooperation with appropriate authorities and the gaming licensees and make a determination as to the status of operations in advance of May 4th. Second that motion. Thank you. I do a roll call vote. Commissioner Cameron. Aye. Commissioner O'Brien. Aye. Commissioner Sunica. Aye. Commissioner Stephens. Aye. Thank you. Chair votes. Yes. Todd and Sharra. That would be five zero. Thank you. Moving on to item to be interim executive director Wells. We'll have Dr. Lightbound turn to that. Correct. Please. Good morning, Alex. How are you? Good morning. Thank you. I'm well. So as the commission knows, the three simulcast licensees agreed a couple of weeks ago to suspend their operations. I've been in communication with all three. They're aware of the governor's extending of the suspension of nonessential business as the five four. They agreed they're subject to these orders and they intend to continue to abide by it. As we discussed previously, the account wagering that goes through Suffolk and Plain Ridge is not on site, so that can continue to operate. There are still some thorough bread tracks in the country that are able to race, and this does bring in some income. So I recommend a similar to what executive director Wells suggested for the simulcast licensees. Interim general counsel Grossman. Good morning, Todd. At this point, you're not seeking a formal vote from the commission on this matter, or do you recommend that we need to take that vote? At the moment, with the ascent of the operators, I think that's sufficient based upon the governor's order to ensure that those operations remain closed until May 4th. And that's consistent with what we did in the prior vote. We were able to secure consensus from all of the operators. Are there any questions for Dr. Lightbound? Commissioner Cameron. I did discuss this matter with Dr. Lightbound, so I have all that information, and I certainly commend the simulcast licensees for following suit and understanding how important it is to follow the governor's order. So no questions. Thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. Commissioner O'Brien. No, I don't have any questions. Thank you, Dr. Lightbound. Commissioner Stevens. I had the chance to catch up with Director Lightbound yesterday. I was somewhat surprised. There are still tracks that are racing, but hopefully everybody is taking appropriate safety measures at those tracks. But I agree with the recommendation. Commissioner Zunica. No questions or comments in agreement. Excellent. Thank you. At this time, I don't have any other business that I haven't anticipated. We do look forward to our meeting next week. And then of course, as we continue to assess and evaluate the public health crisis that's keeping our licensees operation suspended, will be nimble, agile, and meet accordingly if we have to revisit today's vote. So thank you. Do I have any further questions or comments from any of my fellow commissioners? Barring none. Thank you. I can see those. Thank you very much. Then do I have a motion to adjourn? Move to adjourn. Okay, I think I heard from Commissioner Stevens first. So Commissioner Cameron, that's a second. Yes, it is second. Thank you. All right, we'll do a roll call about Commissioner Cameron. I, Commissioner O'Brien. I, Commissioner Zunica. Hi. Commissioner Stevens. Hi. And the chair votes yes. Thank you everyone and be safe. Five zero. Thank you.