Las Vegas City Council briefs

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2001 | 11:20 a.m.

Changes to rules are delayed

Work card requirements will remain the same for at least another month, the Las Vegas City Council decided Wednesday.

Business Services Division Manager Jim DiFiore was scheduled to recommend in a report Wednesday that the city eliminate work cards for auctioneers, advertising specialties, circus workers, gaming casino employees, mobile food vendors, private detectives, private security, temporary merchants and vacation certificate businesses.

The proposal would have eliminated nine of the current 28 occupations that require a work card.

Gary Peck, executive director of the local American Civil Liberties Union, however, argued that it did not go far enough.

Mayor Oscar Goodman asked to postpone DiFiore's report for two weeks so city officials could address the concerns. The council will hear the report Sept. 5 and then make a final decision two weeks later on what jobs should no longer require work cards.

Committee named to plan celebration

A new steering committee created by the City Council will soon get started on plans for the city's centennial birthday party.

The committee, approved Wednesday, is made up of 21 Las Vegas and Clark County residents.

The committee will develop and assist with planning the city's 100-year anniversary celebration, which will be held May 15, 2005.

$1 million offered for studies

Two gaming companies will join the city of Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience in allocating $1 million to fund preliminary studies for a proposed downtown monorail.

The money will cover agreements on pre-development costs, environmental studies, and conceptual plans.

The city of Las Vegas, Fremont Street Experience, Stratosphere Corp., and Boyd Gaming Corp. will each provide $250,000 for the studies. The city's portion will come from the Regional Transportation Commission.

The proposed monorail would link Sahara Avenue with downtown. A monorail running from Sahara south along the Strip is in the planning stages.

Projects proposed for federal funds

The city of Las Vegas will nominate four projects for funding from the federal government, through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

The act, adopted by Congress in 1998, provides for all revenue from the sales of Bureau of Land Management land in Nevada to remain in the state. A portion of the money goes toward purchasing other environmentally-sensitive lands.

The top choice for funding is a $3.2 million Lone Mountain trail system, which would run through Wards 2 and 4. The trails would connect with the proposed Summerlin Trail.

The other choices are: $1.92 million for trails for the Las Vegas Wash in Ward 3, several trail systems in the northwest costing up to $740,000, and an equestrian park in the northwest costing $250,000.

Money offered for downtown park

The city has received a $7,500 grant from the Nevada Arts Council to help pay for two consultants to design a downtown park.

The Poet's Park would be part of the Lewis Avenue corridor project through the downtown office district. Two consultants will provide a plan for the park.

The Nevada Arts Council has also awarded a $12,821 grant to the city for concerts and performances at the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Charleston Heights Arts Center and Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza in Lorenzi Park.

The city provided a $5,000 donation

to the Suicide Prevention Center of Clark County Inc. after volunteers said they would have to close its doors without additional funding. The Suicide Prevention Center responds to residents and visitors in crisis.