Las Vegas council briefs

Thursday, July 18, 2002 | 8:59 a.m.

Mayor learns seat belt lesson

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman learned a hard lesson after Sunday's car accident that totaled his white Mercedes: Buckle up.

The mayor was not wearing a seat belt when he and his wife, Carolyn, hit an oil slick on U.S. 95 and slammed into the concrete median.

The mayor and his wife were taken to University Medical Center's trauma center, which had reopened the day before. After being treated for minor injuries, both were released. Only Carolyn was wearing a seat belt.

Goodman has been absent from City Hall for two days -- nearly unheard of for the energetic mayor. During the morning session of Wednesday's council meeting, his first day back since the accident, Goodman said the crash may have been a lesson to wear his seat belt. He passed on the message to all drivers who were watching the live council meeting on television.

"It's a miracle that I was not thrown from the car," Goodman said, adding that he did not expect to be at City Hall for the rest of the week.

Goodman was not cited by Nevada Highway Patrol for failing to wear a seat belt. In the event of a no-fault car accident where the driver is wearing a seat belt, the passenger is not cited for not wearing one, Goodman said.

Three parks will be improved

Three older parks in the city will get an update with new skateboarding ramps and other improvements.

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved a $290,713 bid by Las Vegas Paving Corp. to install two skate park ramps at Freedom Park, at Mojave Road and Washington Avenue, and at James Gay Park, Owens Avenue and B Street.

The council also approved a contract with JW Zunino and Associates to design improvements at Ed Fountain Park, at Decatur Boulevard and Vegas Drive.

The $536,800 contract will include the design of five new lighted soccer fields, basketball courts, restrooms, picnic shelters and additional parking.

Ed Fountain Park will also be the home of a new BMX park.

The American Bicycle Association will plan, design and construct a professional bike park on 2 acres of vacant land at the park. The council approved a contract with the association for five years. In the first year, the city will receive a minimum of $6,000, and up to $12,000 in each of the years following.

Council changes sign ordinances

With industry approval, the City Council approved a new sign code that requires on-premise signs to be more compatible with surrounding areas.

A second ordinance, which would have required the removal of non-conforming signs within 15 years, was stricken from the agenda due to industry opposition.

The new code replaces the city's 5-year old sign code and offers incentives to business owners who lower the height of their signs.

The code does not affect off-premise signs, such as billboards. It also does not affect signs in master-planned communities such as Summerlin and Town Center, where sign standards are approved by way of a development agreement.

The new code offers incentives for developers who use monument signs -- freestanding signs in which the base of the sign structure is on the ground. The code also sets new standards to make signs more architecturally compatible with the features onsite.

Dangerous dogs to be sterilized

The City Council approved a bill that requires dogs deemed dangerous by animal control officials to be sterilized and to be implanted with a microchip.

If their dogs are deemed dangerous by the city of Las Vegas, owners will have to obtain liability insurance for their dog -- no less than $50,000 worth.

According to municipal code a dog may be declared dangerous by an animal control officer if it exhibits a physical threat to people or to other animals on two separate occasions within 18 months. The dog is also considered dangerous if it has killed or harmed another animal or hurt a person, or is used in a crime by its owner.

Furniture mart seeks delay

Developers of the proposed furniture mart in downtown Las Vegas have asked for a two-week delay for the City Council to make a decision on a final development agreement for the project.

The agreement is the last hurdle the developers need to clear before moving forward with the project. The council has already approved the design for the 57-acre project and a tax incentive package worth $40 million over 20 years.