City Council briefs

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998 | 11:16 a.m.

Hauck, who has lived in the city for four decades, has volunteered at Sun City for the past nine years and for a number of Catholic-based agencies and other organizations.

Councilman Arnie Adamsen called Hauck a "very sweet lady" whose efforts "make our city a better place to live."

NEWS RACKS -- The Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved a change in the city's news rack ordinance Monday in an effort to cut down on the number of unlicensed machines without infringing on the First Amendment rights of residents to freely choose the media they want to purchase.

The ordinance approved Monday capped months of cooperation between city staff, the American Civil Liberties Union and representatives from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and The Las Vegas Sun.

Under terms of the third, and final amendment, to the ordinance, anyone who places or maintains a news rack on public property in the city must have $200,000 in liability insurance and must clearly identify the city identification tag and his or her company name on the rack.

The ordinance was passed in an attempt to cut down on the number of so-called pirate news racks lining the city's streets. Many of the illegal news racks contain material advertising adult services, which some residents complained wound up littering the streets with pornographic materials.

Although the ordinance takes effect immediately, city staff is still working out the procedure and timing for issuing licenses for new news racks locations.

The bill passed 4-0, with Mayor Jan Laverty Jones absent from the morning session of the council meeting due to her attendance at the National Gambling Impact Study Commission's meeting.

ANIMALS -- The dogs and horses trained for work in law enforcement got an added boost of protection from their human bosses on Las Vegas City Council Monday.

Council unanimously approved an ordinance making it a misdemeanor crime to taunt, injure, interfere or kill a police service animal.

The ordinance also requires anyone guilty of such an action against a police service animal to be liable for the cost to care for or replace the animal.

Councilman Michael McDonald, who is a Metropolitan Police Department officer, said the ordinance was "much needed," especially given Metro's new mounted patrol.

BEAUTIFICATION -- Lane closures are scheduled for Fourth Street and Stewart Avenue on Nov. 10 and 12 as the $3.9 million downtown beautification project continues, according to city of Las Vegas Public Works officials.

Fourth Street will be closed to traffic from Stewart Avenue north to the freeway access ramps from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 10. Stewart will narrow to eastbound traffic only between Las Vegas Boulevard and Fourth Street.

On Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stewart Avenue will narrow to westbound travel only between Las Vegas Boulevard and Fourth Street.

The Fourth Street entrance to Las Vegas City Hall at 400 E. Stewart Ave. will be closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 10, although access will be maintained by way of Las Vegas Boulevard.

Stewart Avenue will reopen at 4 p.m. Nov. 12.

TOWN CENTER -- Although the concept of a master-planned residential and commercial district in the city's northwest met with resistance throughout the planning stages, residents had no comments Monday as City Council approved the land use plan and zoning regulations for the proposed Town Center.

The plans approved 4-0 with Mayor Jan Laverty Jones absent, establish the regulations and standards for projects to be built in the mixed-use development centered roughly at U.S. 95 and Centennial Parkway.

Councilman Arnie Adamsen voted to approve the plans despite his past abstentions on Town Center items because he said he has sold property in the proposed development area and no longer has a conflict in voting on such matters.

Councilman Larry Brown, who represents the city's fourth ward - where Town Center will be developed - said he expects the first 200 acres to be developed in the proposed area will "actually exceed our expectations."

Brown will hold two neighborhood meetings about Town Center as follows:

On Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at Betsy Rhoades Elementary School, Sunny Springs and Tealwood, for residents who live east of U.S. 95.

On Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Dean Allen Elementary School, El Capitan and Hammer, for residents who live west of U.S. 95.

For information on the meetings, call Laurie Kruse in Brown's office at 229-6405.