Las Vegas Council news briefs for April 17, 2003

Thursday, April 17, 2003 | 10:12 a.m.

Legislature quiets Oscar's Speakeasy

Mayor Oscar Goodman will have to wait another two years before the law can be changed to allow him to open a bar called Oscar's Speakeasy downtown.

A bill that would have allowed public officials or city employees to invest in a redevelopment area that they make decisions about died in the Legislature.

State law prohibits city officials with oversight of a redevelopment area from having a financial interest in the area because of potential conflicts of interest.

In February Goodman said actor Joe Pesci, whom he appeared with in the movie "Casino," was interested in opening the bar with Goodman.

Moratorium placed on massage licenses

The Las Vegas City Council placed a 90-day moratorium on licenses for massage establishments on Wednesday.

City officials will use the time to study possible distance requirements between facilities and restrictions on hours of operation.

Last April the council passed a 120-day moratorium on the industry and used the time to create an ordinance, passed in July, requiring massage therapists and reflexologists to obtain a business license and to submit to thorough background checks.

An item that would require massage establishments to obtain a special use permit will come before the Planning Commission on April 24.

Money approved for homeless help

The City Council voted unanimously to allocate $300,000 for rental assistance and utility payments aimed at getting homeless people off the streets, out of shelters and into their own apartments. The funding comes from federal HOME funds and would be administered by HELP of Southern Nevada.

To qualify for the program participants would have to agree to work with a social worker on individualized plans to achieve self-reliance.