Hearing on petition to alter council policies is delayed

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

North Las Vegas city attorneys and a group of citizens will face off in District Court 10 days later than originally scheduled because a the man representing the citizens has asked for a different judge for the case.

The citizens' group wants a court to order North Las Vegas to let voters decide whether to change some City Council meeting policies

Glen Easter, a leader of the Freedom of Speech Committee, said he asked for the judge change so he could have more time to prepare a legal brief in response to the city's request for summary judgment.

Easter said he is an apartment manager in North Las Vegas and is not an attorney but is acting as the committee's legal counsel in this matter.

The two sides are now set to appear in court on Feb. 3 before District Judge Mark Denton. Previously, a hearing was scheduled for Jan. 24 before Judge Michelle Leavitt. Easter said he has nothing against Leavitt.

"I had to get more time and that was the only way I could do it," Easter said. "Now I have more time to do research and write my brief."

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.

Easter and his fellow petitioners gathered 1,543 signatures to get the proposed changes 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.

City Attorney Sean McGowan has 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.

Easter disagrees and says the voters are entitled to make such changes.

McGowan had asked the court to hear the case on an accelerated schedule because there is a Feb. 7 deadline for preparing ballots for the city's April 8 primary election.

Easter said he is not concerned about the deadline because if they miss it the question could go on the city's June 3 general election ballot.