B-word has town sharply divided

Greg Harman

Monday, May 15, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.

As Nevada Highway meanders through downtown Boulder City -- a two-lane road peppered by cafes and real estate offices -- the well-cultivated tranquility of small-town life is palpable.

Tourists on their way to and from Hoover Dam motor by dreamily at 20 mph, admiring the closely clipped lawns, the immaculate storefronts.

It's no place for a screaming red-and-white "Bail Bonds" sign, with its associations of crime, drugs and poverty, Mayor Robert Ferraro says.

But that may soon be the newest addition to the downtown landscape, and it has Ferraro and some downtown business owners both nervous and angry.

After all, this is a town that doesn't even have a jail. Lawbreakers are detained in neighboring Henderson.

The Boulder City Council, over Ferraro's vocal objections, last week unanimously approved a motion that will allow a bail bondsman to operate in Boulder City.

It all began when just such a sign popped up unexpectedly -- the first of its kind in town -- on April 23, causing the mayor and at least one business owner to blanch.

"I saw all these thugs come in," recalled curio shop owner Glenn Reed of the parade of newcomers passing by his window after Bail Bond Inc. leased property at 416-A Nevada Highway. "They're bounty hunters from the word 'go.' "

The signs went up before Bail Bonds Inc. had a business license. By April 25 the license had been denied because the town's zoning laws have no code for bail bond offices.

So the debate over whether a bail bondsman belongs in Boulder City ended up before the City Council, with Ferraro arguing that city code and the town's tradition backed him and the company, saying the Constitution was on their side.

"We're trying to remain as cooperative ... give them as much concessions as possible. But the mayor has trampled all over the First Amendment," said Johnny McDaniel, a co-owner of the bonding agency and a former Navy intelligence officer.

"Contrary to what the mayor believes, we're not trying to stuff this in their ear -- or any other orifice. What he needs to understand is we've already been operating in Boulder City for 10 years" through an office in Las Vegas.

At the tempestuous meeting, Ferraro accused the company of trying to circumvent Boulder City ordinances by advertising from a downtown storefront window before obtaining a city license. He hotly objected to the company on principle, reminding his fellow council members that Boulder City "has a set of values in place."

Councilman Bryan Nix said he was surprised at the mayor's vocal opposition to the company, humorously asking Ferraro if he had possibly had a bad experience with a bail bondsman earlier in life.

"We had to zone for porno shops in this area because we knew at some point in time someone would want to sell dirty books," Nix reminded the mayor. "This is not a dirty book store.

"As an attorney I'm somewhat offended by the attitude that this is a low-life business."

He wasn't the only one.

"I'm listening to people say how we have a bad image," Bail Bond Inc. co-owner Peter Vilencia said. "My feelings are hurt because we came here with the intention of doing everything right."

By making bail bonds more accessible in Boulder City, company representatives said, the city would save thousands of dollars it spends detaining arrested people in Henderson.

The rest of the council was open to the idea and suggested considering the operation as an insurance agent, a use recognized under zoning ordinances.

Under negotiation now are the specifics of that conditional use permit. What shape the company's sign will take and what words may and may not be used could be a part of that arrangement. The company could have an interim license by the end of this week.

Ferraro is hoping the company will not use the B-word -- "bail" -- on signs erected to promote services.

The bondsmen went through several possibilities that would not offend.

But both American Civil Liberties Union attorney Allen Lichtenstein and Boulder City Attorney Dave Olsen agree the request may not be legally enforced.

No matter what word it goes by, it's a notion that just makes some residents nervous.

"Why do we need it here?" Reed asked. "We don't have a jail. Our crime rate is sub-par. This is not the image of Boulder City I saw and have seen."

But it's a service that at least one council member sees a need for.

"We do have problems in Boulder City," Councilman Joe Hardy said. "We do have people that, for whatever reason, get into trouble. They're still our neighbors. We still love them."

Greg Harman covers Henderson and Boulder City for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-8814 or by e-mail at harman@lasvegassun.com.