LOOKING IN ON: THE SUBURBS

Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006 | 7:43 a.m.

It's going to be a lot easier to vote in the Henderson municipal elections next year.

In an effort to boost turnout, the city will permit residents to cast ballots at any of 15 voting centers that will be spread throughout the city . The centers will be set up within three miles of each other.

The idea was first tried by Larimer County, Colo., and has since been implemented in cities around the country.

Although Henderson's population grew by nearly 100,000 between 1997 and 2005 to more than 250,000, its voter turnout dropped by 8 percent in the same period. In the last municipal primary - in which most races, including the one that kept Mayor Jim Gibson in office, were decided - only 10,408 voters cast ballots.

There soon will be no need to call the North Las Vegas police to report thefts or damaged property. Just log on and send an e-mail.

Next year the North Las Vegas department plans to become the first in Clark County to take police reports via the Internet.

"It's a convenience for the public," said department spokesman Sean Walker. "You can simply log on and file a report."

Currently residents must visit the police department or wait for an officer to come to the scene.

The Internet reports will not be used for emergency situations. But they could come in handy when filing theft or damage reports, allowing property owners to more quickly get a case number and file insurance claims.

Henderson handed out awards for its first "Creating Communities" competition last week.

The event, aimed at showcasing environmentally friendly residential designs, drew more than 50 designers from around the world .

Henderson, noted for its master planned communities, may have been a good place to hold the competition. In 2005 the fast-growing city added 3,300 single-family homes.

Despite the international competition, local designers fared well. A team of architects from the Henderson firm of Tate Snyder Kimsey took first place in a competition involving spaces bigger than 4,000 square feet. And a team from Las Vegas firm PGAL, the same one designing the new McCarran International Airport terminal, took first place in a division for lot sizes of more than 2,500 square feet.