North Las Vegas Council briefs for Sept. 19, 2002

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002 | 9:53 a.m.

Pardee to pay settlement to city

North Las Vegas will receive almost $3.2 million from Pardee Construction Co. within the next five days, ending a legal battle that went to the state's highest court over whether the company owed the city for water connection fees.

The mayor and City Council voted 4-0 Wednesday night to accept the $3,186,021 settlement. Councilman William Robinson did not attend the meeting.

In 1988 Pardee and the city entered into an agreement for the development of company's planned Eldorado community for North Las Vegas. The agreement included language that stated the city would not increase or impose certain development fees.

Then three years later the city became part of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The authority imposed a water service connection charge, and the city passed the charge on to developers.

In August 1996 Pardee went to court arguing the company didn't have to pay the fee because of its prior agreement with the city.

Pardee was victorious in lower court, but the city appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court, which ruled in the city's favor in April 2001.

City Attorney Sean McGowan said the settlement brings an end to the dispute.

"We're done, and we're going to get a check ... within the next five days," he said.

Shopping carts set for vote

A proposed law aimed at keeping abandoned shopping carts off of North Las Vegas streets and sidewalks was introduced during the meeting and is on schedule for an Oct. 2 vote.

The proposed law would require businesses to either keep their shopping carts inside their parking lots or employ a company to retrieve carts found off their property.

Clark County and Las Vegas have similar laws holding stores responsible for abandoned carts.

Annexation OK'd for plant

The council approved the annexation of property that could be the future site of a dairy processing plant.

The mayor and council voted 4-0 to annex 30 acres at the northwest corner of Centennial Parkway and Shatz Street. Stephen Baxter, acting director of the city development services department, said a company is planning to build a dairy processing plant on the property.

The city Planning Commission is scheduled to hear a rezoning application for the property on Sept. 25. According to the commission agenda, the applicant is seeking an industrial zoning classification for the property, which is currently zoned open land.