City Council briefs

Tuesday, July 15, 1997 | 9:46 a.m.

* SISTER CITY -- The Las Vegas City Council voted unanimously to approve Angeles City, Philippines, as a new sister city. This is the fourth sister city of Las Vegas, which has turned over such activities to a private company named Las Vegas Sister Cities Association Inc. Mayor Jan Laverty Jones expressed concern about the item because she wanted to make sure that in accepting the role of a sister city, Las Vegas could perform the duties necessary. "I've been part of the ceremony involved with forming a sister city and the amount of time and money they spend on gifts and ceremonies -- they are truly elaborate," she said. "I just want to make sure that we treat them with similar courtesy." Officials from Las Vegas Sister Cities Association assured the council Monday that private companies in the city were offering the visitors free rooms and food to make them feel welcome.

* GOLF AGREEMENT -- The Walters Group has been granted a lease agreement with the city for land adjacent to the Water Pollution Control Facility. The 50-year lease is for an 18-hole golf course on land that is designated as a buffer between the treatment facility and nearby businesses and residents. The tenant of the course, represented by the Walters Group, is Golf Club of Illinois, and will cover about 137 acres of city-owned land in unincorporated Clark County. The tenant will pay rent starting at $25,000 a year, moving up to the greater amount between $100,000 or 1 1/4 percent of gross revenues after six years. "We're lucky that we have someone who will do something with this land," said Mayor Jan Laverty Jones. Walters also runs the city-leased Desert Pines Golf Club.

* JUSTICE FUNDS -- The City Council gave its Department of Detention and Enforcement a thumbs up to ask Clark County for up to $470,000 of block grant funds. The money originally came from the Justice Department, which gave Clark County $2.16 million to share with local governments for the purpose of reducing crime, improving public safety and creating cooperation between community residents and law enforcement personnel.