City briefs

Thursday, Sept. 16, 1999 | 10:01 a.m.

Master plan due within nine months

The city of Las Vegas should have a new master plan for development within nine months, current planning manager Tambri Heyden told the City Council Wednesday.

It is important to move forward quickly with the updated master plan, which would replace the city's current general plan, to direct development toward the city center, she said.

The Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition, a board the state created to help guide regional development, will incorporate the city's master plan into its final report, due in March 2001, Heyden said.

The $85,000 master plan should be ready for review in April 2000 and adoption two months later, she said.

During the coming months the city's planning department will seek public input on the plan through a website, surveys and public hearings, she said.

Citizens to get chance to be heard

Residents will get one final chance to comment on a proposed redistricting plan that would add two new wards and council members to the city of Las Vegas.

Mayor Oscar Goodman introduced a bill at Wednesday's council meeting that would add Wards 5 and 6. The full council, acting as the Recommending Committee, will hear testimony about the bill during a public hearing Sept. 27 at 11:30 a.m.

That hearing will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers.

If the committee recommends passage, the bill will be considered for adoption at the Oct. 6 council meeting. Appointments of council members to represent the new wards could occur as early as Oct. 6.

The expansion of City Council was approved by voters during the June general election. A state law passed during the 1999 session of the Legislature required the voter's decision to be binding. As a result, the council has to expand by two seats and make the appointments to the board by Jan. 1, 2000.

Partnership will handle emergencies

Even as Hurricane Floyd is bearing down on the Eastern seaboard, Las Vegas officials are preparing for their own natural disasters through a federal program.

During a ceremony Wednesday before the council meeting, Mayor Oscar Goodman signed a contract between the city, the state, the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop partnerships to prepare for major emergencies and disasters.

The Project Impact program is designed to reduce potential hazards and prepare the city to handle disasters such as the July 8 flood. The city will get a $300,000 grant as part of the program.

FEMA estimates that for every dollar spent in prevention, two dollars are saved when a disaster strikes.

"This will help us harden our community," said Fire Chief Mario Trevino.

Study approved on discharge sites

The City Council on Wednesday approved $570,000 in funding as part of a cooperative agreement with other governments to conduct an alternative discharge study of Las Vegas Wash.

The city is funding 38 percent of the cost of the $1.5 million study. Henderson is funding 17 percent and the Clark County Sanitation District is paying 45 percent of the cost.

The sanitation district, Las Vegas and Henderson all discharge into the 1,600-square-mile Las Vegas Wash which drains into Lake Mead, which in turn supplies the valley's drinking water.

The study will examine alternative discharge locations.

Bonds considered for expansion plan

The planned expansion of Las Vegas City Hall took a first step toward funding Wednesday when the council introduced a bill that would authorize issuance of $10 million in bonds to fund the project.

The general obligation limited tax parking bonds would finance part of the first phase of City Hall expansion, including construction of a 600-space parking garage and 30,000-square-feet of office space.

The bonds would also fund another parking project to service the new federal courthouse and Regional Justice Center.

A public hearing on the proposed sale of bonds will be held at the Sept. 27 Recommending Committee meeting. That meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

Commemorative coin will help sports

A commemorative millennium coin whose sales will benefit city of Las Vegas youth sports and recreation programs was unveiled during Wednesday's council meeting.

SourceTees Inc. is the exclusive licensee for the coins that commemorate the new millennium in Las Vegas and bear the city's seal and the slogan "We Entertain The World."

The coins will sell for $9.95. They are not legal currency and carry no monetary value. A percentage of sales will be given to the city for use in youth sports and recreation programs.