Legislature may consider bills on governing of halfway houses

Kris Hill

Thursday, March 8, 2001 | 11:05 a.m.

A group of southeast Las Vegas residents who are seeking restrictions on halfway houses surprised county commissioners Wednesday with news that the Legislature may consider a variety of bills on the homes for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.

Residents who live in a neighborhood that has three halfway houses within a half-mile radius said they have been working with state Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, in recent weeks on a bill to create a state licensure system for halfway houses.

The commissioners agreed to temporarily halt any more work on ordinances that would regulate halfway houses.

Chairman Dario Herrera had backed an ordinance that would have required halfway houses to limit the number of people in the homes.

Additionally, an ordinance was to be introduced that would have required halfway houses to be architecturally consistent with houses in the surrounding neighborhood.

Both were held until May 2, which Herrera said will give the commission time to gather information about how the bills will affect the county's ability to regulate halfway houses.

The proposed bill, currently draft number 40-1211, would require state licensing in addition to the county business licenses, O'Donnell said. He expects to introduce it in April.

O'Donnell said he became involved in the halfway house controversy in late January.

"I got barraged by e-mail," he said. "That's when you know you've got a problem."

He was concerned for the residents of the neighborhood surrounding the halfway houses, but also wanted the bill to address the importance of effective integration for addicts in recovery in halfway houses.

"It is a balance," O'Donnell said.