City of Las Vegas briefs

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 1997 | 9:51 a.m.

* BROWN GETS MAD -- Two months into his new job, City Councilman Larry Brown is frustrated at the lack of organization. At Monday's meeting, he openly griped. His controlled outburst came during discussion about awarding a grant-writing contract to Jan McAdams. "I have not been able to review the contract yet, since I just received it this morning," Brown said. "This has happened the last two meetings where I have been expected to vote on things that I haven't reviewed. I'm concerned and frustrated." The contract was eventually awarded, but not before Brown asked that he be briefed on how much grant writing is necessary for the city, and how much is already done by city employees.

* $25,000 TO PAINT STORE -- Silver State Paint was given $25,000 by the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency for restoring the environmental integrity of their shop at 401 S. Maryland Parkway. Asbestos had made the soil contaminated, and Silver State cleaned up the land at its own cost. The company asked the city to help foot the bill since its renovation is in the downtown redevelopment area. Silver State had also done some landscaping and repainting.

* FIRST REPORT -- For the first time, the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency presented an update of its finances at Monday's City Council meeting. According to Jeff Maresh, operations officer for the agency, a recent reading of the department's bylaws uncovered a requirement stating that the redevelopment finance officer should regularly present the financial status of the agency. The council will receive monthly reports of the agency's finances.

* STAFF ADDED -- In an interesting change of city positions, the City Council voted to add two hourly workers to the five other bail/records workers at the department of detention and enforcement. Until July, those positions were under the Municipal Court. But a downsizing of the court resulted in the department switch. The two positions will handle the growing bail/records workload. The positions will pay $10 an hour, and neither worker will put in more than 19 hours a week.