Las Vegas City Council briefs for October 7, 2004

Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004 | 8:29 a.m.

Former Treasures workers plead

Four former Treasures strip club employees pleaded with the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday to grant the club a liquor license and allow it to reopen.

"Your decision two weeks ago affected many of us in many ways, none good," said Catherine Ringler, who said she is a UNLV student and was a waitress at Treasures.

Treasures closed following the council's Sept. 15 vote to not grant a permanent liquor license. Club owners and their representatives have not said what they will do, although they have said they want to reopen, and observers have said a lawsuit is likely.

Christine Mazingas, who said she worked in the promotions department at Treasures, cried as she spoke of the opportunity she was given by the club.

She said she never would have been able to work a professional job with a salary on a resume that included being a housewife and an entertainer. She said she has two children.

When the council decided to deny a license, Mazingas said, "they didn't hurt the owners, they hurt the people who work there."

Council members did not respond, and the meeting ended.

Neonopolis has potential buyers

The company handling the sale of Neonopolis said Wednesday it had three buyers seeking the property, and one likely would be picked by the end of next week.

Neonopolis, the troubled entertainment mall next to the Fremont Street Experience downtown, is owned by Prudential Securities, which was excoriated by Mayor Oscar Goodman after allegations that its on-site manager denied a lease to a gay-themed club.

Goodman said Wednesday that he was briefed once a month by Prudential, and had met with one of the potential buyers, which he said was local. He declined to identify the potential buyer.

He did say that his main interest is recovering the city's $32 million investment in the property, and that he would not object if the mall usage changed, something he strongly has opposed in the past. He has said that it was meant as an entertainment venue and should stay as one.

Plan for use permits rejected

The City Council on Wednesday rejected a proposal from its staff that special use permits that are approved by the Planning Commission be final unless there is an appeal or a council member requests it be heard before the council.

June Ingram, representing the Charleston Neighborhood Preservation Organization, said her group opposed the idea because "many people expect to be heard before the City Council on many of these things."

Planning Director Bob Genzer said the ordinance was an attempt to save time by eliminating items that had no opposition from the council's agenda, as long as it's not part of other such actions as rezoning or site plan review on the same agenda.

Speed hump wins approval

The City Council approved a $7,800 speed hump on Spencer Street between Oakey Boulevard and St. Louis Avenue Wednesday, even though traffic on the street does not meet city requirements for the hump.

A speed hump is not as tall as a speed bump.

The item was postponed from Sept. 15, when the council decided to hold it because they were told that putting the hump in could open the city to liability. But Councilman Gary Reese said that issue was being addressed by reworking city codes to redefine speed humps as not being traffic control devices, a legal distinction that eases liability concerns.

Councilman Michael Mack said he had a similar request for speed humps in his ward, and approved of the redefinition. The item passed unanimously.