Residents quiz officials at first NLV town hall meeting

Diana Sahagun

Friday, June 30, 2000 | 10:22 a.m.

What started as a discussion on downtown revitalization and a future satellite library soon turned to a contentious debate about a lack of police officers.

The city's first town hall meeting for Councilwoman Shari Buck, who represents Ward 4, turned sour halfway through Thursday's North Las Vegas Town Hall meeting when two residents who are frequent critics of the City Council and police department asked Officer Matt Lakin why more officers aren't on the street after taxes were raised in 1996.

Lakin and City Manager Kurt Fritsch fielded questions from Mike Winne and Glen Easter on the Safe Streets 2000 bill and its built-in deficit, but then asked them to meet individually with staff members to address specific concerns.

Several residents in the audience of 25 agreed that there needs to be more police officers on the streets but said the department is doing the best it can with the resources it has available. Others had different concerns, but added that the meeting was a good way to get their ideas across.

Resident Pat Bennett said following the meeting that more needs to be done on code enforcement. Often times, she said, she calls city staff who sound promising but then fail to deliver results. She added that as a resident since 1994 she has seen positive signs of growth.

"Our reputation is so much better than what it was," she said. "North Las Vegas is now a nice place to live."

Resident Faith Quick had similar sentiments but had concerns with apartments encroaching upon her ranch-estate home near Lone Mountain and Fifth Street.

Other residents expressed enthusiasm at the city's plans for a new recreation center and the planned Las Vegas Beltway.