City Council briefs for March 16, 2000

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

Spending

Here is how the Las Vegas City Council voted Wednesday to spend taxpayer money:

To Las Vegas Paving Corp. for construction of the Interstate 15 flood control project.

To Pierce Manufacturing Inc. for 21 Pierce Quantum fire apparatus.

To T-Rit Inc. for demolition and related construction of 12 homes along Alta Drive.

To Friendly Ford for four police sedans.

To RK Ricks for ballfield improvements at Lorenzi and Freedom parks.

To SWA Group, Inc. for consulting and design services related to the Lewis Avenue corridor project.

Zoning board to be abolished

With one quick motion, the Las Vegas City Council voted Wednesday to abolish its Board of Zoning Adjustment.

The measure, approved unanimously, turns all variance applications and zoning requests over to either the Planning Commission or city staff. Appeals of those decisions will be heard by the City Council.

Planning Director Tim Chow, who sponsored the ordinance, said it will help eradicate duplication of city resources and time.

TOWN CENTER

'S' curve allowed on Town Center

A lengthy debate over whether a road in Town Center should have a C or an S curve ended Wednesday when the Las Vegas City Council authorized money to buy homes in the path of the proposed S curve.

The council unanimously approved a willing-seller, willing-buyer program for the 11 homes in question. The $7.1 million will be funded by the Regional Transportation Commission.

GRANTS

$142,000 OK'd for homeless

The Las Vegas City Council allocated $142,000 in federal grant money Wednesday to nonprofit agencies serving the homeless.

The city and Clark County will receive a total of $303,000 in Emergency Shelter Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Grants were awarded to Catholic Charities; Interfaith Hospitality Network; HELP of Southern Nevada; Clark County Health District; the Salvation Army; MASH Village; Lutheran Social Services; the Key Foundation; the Women's Development Center; Henderson Allied Community Advocates; the Equal Opportunity Board; Project Home; Shade Tree Shelter and Smart Start.

Regional planning budget approved

Las Vegas threw some money at regional planning Wednesday by approving the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition's annual budget.

The city's share of the total $68,563 budget is $13,712. Las Vegas, Henderson, Clark County and North Las Vegas each pay 20 percent of the budget. The Clark County School District and Boulder City each pay 10 percent.

The regional coalition will also ask for an estimated $222,350. The city's share will be about $46,881.

GIRL SCOUTS

Council approves new Scout home

Dozens of Girl Scouts sat quietly for hours Wednesday waiting for the City Council to authorize a new home for them in keeping with their organization's motto "where girls grow strong."

The council unanimously approved a purchase and sales agreement with the Frontier Girl Scouts Council for property at Harris Avenue and Mojave Road.

The Scouts will trade their existing building on Stewart Avenue for the new site near Freedom Park. The city needs the current administration building to make way for a planned community center at the site of the former armory.

The council also approved a month-to-month lease with the Scouts to allow them to stay at their existing building for up to 10 months.