LOOKING IN ON: CLARK COUNTY

Tony Cook, Las Vegas Sun

Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006 | 6:58 a.m.

Tears flowed and God was praised during the final Clark County Commission meeting for outgoing Commissioners Myrna Williams and Lynette Boggs McDonald.

Pat Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, presented Williams - who served as chairwoman of the Las Vegas Valley Water District for 10 of her 12 years as a commissioner - with an impeller, a device used to increase water pressure in a water pump.

Mulroy choked back tears - "I am not going to get through this without crying," she said - as she told Williams how much the staff appreciated her.

"Just like an impeller shoots water into a pump and moves it up to a higher elevation, you have shot all of us up and you have shot us to a higher level of success and a higher level of competency through your leadership and dedication all these years," Mulroy said.

Williams said: "I am not going to choke up because I still plan on seeing all of you."

Commissioners also praised Boggs McDonald.

"The best way to describe Lynette is she is talented," Commission Chairman Rory Reid said. "She is as smart an elected official as I've ever been around."

In her typical ceremonial style, Boggs McDonald delivered a briefer version of the kind of charismatic speech for which she has become known.

"First, giving all glory and honor to the one who was born in the city of David, on whose shoulders the government truly rests, whose name is called wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace," she said. "Every opportunity, every talent and every gift that was given to me came from God."

She said it was a blessing to serve as a commissioner for two years, and finished by calling Las Vegas "that great shining city, the greatest city on the planet."

Boggs McDonald lost in November to Clark County School Board member Susan Brager, in part because of ethical questions surrounding her residency and a land purchase from a local developer.

Williams lost a primary challenge from Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani.

The two new commissioners will be sworn in Jan. 2.

Commissioners approved a change to the county's solid waste ordinance last week, officially sanctioning the local garbage company's practice of charging property managers an overflow charge despite the fee's hazy beginnings.

The changes to the county code allow Republic Services, the local waste hauling company, to charge managers of apartment, condominium and commercial properties $30 if garbage spills from the property's garbage containers when it is emptied or if trash is on the ground.

Republic, which is allowed to charge only those fees permitted in the county code, began the practice in January 2005. Republic Area President Bob Coyle sent a letter to the county asking for permission. County officials never responded and Coyle implemented the new fee anyway.

But property managers began protesting the fee last summer, arguing that the county code did not expressly grant Republic the authority to charge it.

At the time, the trash hauler was paying its drivers $4 per photo that they took of garbage bins with trash piled higher than the lip of the container - then charged property managers a $50 fee.

Property managers said drivers sometimes would skip pickups so that the containers would become too full.

After a Sun story highlighting the practice, Republic stopped paying its drivers for the photos. County officials also began working with Republic and property managers to clarify the county code.

In addition to adding the overflow fee, the new measures require Republic to send a warning letter before charging the fee.

University Medical Center again delayed providing county commissioners - who oversee the public hospital - with its audited financial statements for the fiscal year that ended in June.

UMC administrators initially told the county the audit would be complete in December, but at Wednesday's meeting they said the audit would not be ready until January.

Hospital officials have blamed the continued delay on problems with the county's financial management system that went online in fall 2005, which they say is not easily compatible with the kind of records that hospitals must keep.

Hospital Chief Executive Lacy Thomas has previously provided commissioners with preliminary financial information showing that the hospital suffered an $18.78 million loss - more than $6 million beyond its budgeted loss.