North Las Vegas City Council briefs for Jan. 16, 2003

Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

New building for police divisions

The Crime Prevention and Animal Control divisions of North Las Vegas Police will move into a new $700,000 home together this spring.

The North Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the purchase of a building at 3425 Craig Road to house the two divisions.

Police Chief Mark Paresi said the new building is needed so the two divisions can hold public meetings at their offices.

Animal Control officers, who pick up loose or problem animals, currently work out of the police headquarters building at 1301 E. Lake Mead Boulevard. The Animal Control division has a staff of seven.

The Crime Prevention division is now based in the North Mesa Plaza Shopping Center on Craig Road near the intersection with Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Court hearing set on ballot question

Lawyers for North Las Vegas and the group of citizens trying to have voters decide whether some City Council meeting policies should be changed are scheduled to meet in District Court on Jan. 24, City Attorney Sean McGowan said Wednesday.

District Judge Michelle Leavitt scheduled the hearing after McGowan asked that the case be dealt with on an accelerated schedule. The city faces a Feb. 7 deadline for preparing ballots for the city's April 8 primary election.

McGowan said Leavitt could rule on the case on Jan. 24. He would not say what might happen if the case is not resolved by Feb. 7.

The proposed ballot question would ask voters whether they want to change council meeting policies to add a second public comment time at the beginning of council meetings, allow any resident or council member to put an item on a meeting agenda and start council meetings at 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.

A group of citizens called the Freedom of Speech Committee gathered 1,543 signatures to get the proposed question on the ballot. But soon after submitting the signed petitions to the city, the City Council decided to challenge whether the question can legally go on a ballot.

McGowan said the proposed changes are administrative decisions and therefore cannot be the subject of a ballot question, which he said can only be used for legislative matters.

Members of the committee disagree, and say setting such meeting policies is a legislative decision.

Campaign sign fee is approved

Candidates planning to put campaign signs in North Las Vegas will now be required to pay the city $25.

The North Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the law establishing the fee, which is $25 per candidate or ballot question regardless of how many signs a campaign puts up within the city.

The law also requires campaigns to identify someone as being responsible for their signs, City Clerk Eileen Sevigny has said.

Deputy Fire Chief Jim Stubler

will be promoted to chief upon the retirement of Robert Dodge at the end of the month, North Las Vegas spokeswoman Brenda Johnson said Wednesday.