County briefs for February 21, 2001

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2001 | 10:31 a.m.

More money OK'd for homes

McCarran International Airport officials were given permission Tuesday to spend an additional $15 million in land and home acquisitions to provide space for a 27-acre park near its planned new terminal.

About 440 housing units will be taken by the airport to make room for the relocation of Russell Road between Spencer and Swenson streets. Russell will become a feeder street for the new 14-gate terminal.

In exchange for building a busy thoroughfare adjacent to the neighborhood -- and a terminal that is expected to attract 16 million passengers a year -- County Aviation Director Randy Walker struck a deal with residents.

Homeowners whose houses are not taken through eminent domain will have an opportunity to sell their property to the county at fair market value. Walker also offered to build a park that will buffer homeowners from the airport.

The land acquisition project was initially budgeted for $35 million. The process is expected to take three years. The terminal will be finished by 2006.

Airport officials also were given authority to raise valet fees at the airport to $3 a day.

Forms proposed for county staff

Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera directed staff members to draft an ordinance requiring some county employees to submit financial disclosure forms to prevent conflicts of interest.

Herrera's request was made in light of a controversy in the city of Las Vegas. City administrators were set to promote Deputy Planning Director Bob Genzer to director when they learned he had a minority interest in a land deal with developer Randy Black.

Herrera said disclosure forms will be limited to employees who have decision-making powers. The ordinance will prohibit employees from having a financial or business interest in an entity that they oversee.

County employee hit with charge

Gene Smith, the former Clark County facilities employee who sparked an ethics quagmire by filing a complaint against Commissioner Erin Kenny in November, filed another complaint this week.

Smith's complaint, submitted to the state Ethics Commission, is against county employee Joe Luera, who at one time was second in command to former facilities chief Bill Barrett.

The complaint claims Luera took county-owned furniture and equipment from buildings that the county tore down.

Smith, who was fired in 1998, also alleges that he was "juiced" into his job so that he could be trusted to do favors for his supervisors. He said he was supplied with answers to his county employment test so he could ace it.

Barrett resigned earlier this month after an ethics complaint submitted by Smith claimed the facilities chief campaigned for commissioners on county time.