Petition filed to alter NLV council rules

Thursday, April 3, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

A revised version of a North Las Vegas petition that sought to ask voters to change some City Council meeting policies has been filed with the City Clerk's office, as expected.

The Freedom of Speech Initiative II would ask voters to require public comment periods at the beginning and end of all council meetings and to allow any person or council member to place items on council meeting agendas.

The petition states the matter would go before city voters on a 2004 ballot. To qualify the petition must get 1,140 signatures from city voters by Sept. 29, according to documents filed with the petition.

The petition drive is being led by Raymond "Trey" Stewart, 30, the owner of a pool cleaning company who collected about 500 signatures for the petition to get the first Freedom of Speech Initiative on a municipal election ballot.

In February District Judge Mark Denton ruled the first version of the initiative was ineligible for the ballot because it sought to make some administrative changes, such as moving the starting time of council meetings from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. In his ruling Denton sided with the city attorney, who argued that ballot initiatives could only address legislative matters.

After the judge's decision Glen Easter, who led that first effort, said there would be another drive to get a revised version of the initiative on the 2004 ballot.

Stewart said he consulted with officials from the American Civil Liberites Union and a private attorney while drafting the new petition to make sure it would stand up to any legal challenges.