Monday, April 20, 1998 | 10:12 a.m.
After months of trying to get his friend Mike Popp a job as a neighborhood services liaison, County Commissioner Lance Malone has finally succeeded.
Popp starts today as a Management Analyst II under the Department of Administrative Services at $52,523 -- a 5 percent pay increase above his current salary in a similar position at the city of Las Vegas.
In a memo circulated last week, Administrative Services Director Thom Reilly said Popp "will be establishing a liaison office out in the urban northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley," in Malone's district.
"In the next few months Neighborhood Services will be establishing several other liaison offices in the urban areas of the valley," Reilly said.
Four such "outstations" are planned in different areas to move people out of the sixth floor of the County Government Center and into the neighborhoods, Reilly said.
Because Popp won't have an office in the government center, it will be his responsibility to secure an agreement with the city in the next 30 days for office space, Reilly said.
Malone had been lobbying County Manager Dale Askew for months to find a job for Popp, an ever-present figure at County Commission meetings. But as of a month ago Askew said there was nothing available for him.
Reilly said an opportunity was made three weeks ago when an employee in the franchise division of Administrative Services left. Reilly reclassified the position to Neighborhood Services and Malone asked again about hiring Popp.
"Lance recommended him for the job," Reilly said.
Malone was unavailable for comment.
Reilly said Popp is more than qualified, especially because of his background and understanding of city codes. Most of Malone's district is in the city, where about 95 percent of his constituents live.
"The northwest is kind of unique in that almost all of it's city," Reilly said. "We were looking for someone to coordinate with the city."
Popp's duties will include being a liaison to the Lone Mountain Citizens Advisory Council, responding to constituents letters and requests, coordinating special events and representing the commissioner at county and community meetings.
Reilly said the position was part of his department's budget request submitted in November along with the idea for the four outstations.
"We are getting no new staff," Reilly said. "We will reclassify existing positions in my department."
Reilly already has two neighborhood services people to start in July -- one for the 89109 area shared by commissioners Myrna Williams and Lorraine Hunt, and another for the southwest part of the urban valley shared by commissioners Erin Kenny and Bruce Woodbury.
A fourth location is planned for the northeast part of town shared by Commissioner Mary Kincaid and Chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates.
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