Mayor flip-flops on inspections

Dan Kulin

Thursday, May 11, 2006 | 7:23 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman apparently opposes a proposal on inspection of apartment units that will go to the City Council in the coming months.

City staff is proposing that, with some exceptions, apartment owners be charged $25 per unit to cover the cost of the inspections.

The program would enable inspectors to visit apartments that might otherwise not be checked, thereby making it easier for the city to address substandard apartment buildings.

Apartment owners and some others have complained about the cost and invasion of privacy.

In February, Goodman said he supported the program because it would help "ensure safety" in the city's apartments.

Now Goodman is saying he wouldn't support such a program.

"I don't want mandatory apartment inspections," Goodman said. "I myself feel the city has enough on its plate and doesn't need to go out and do this."

Despite the apparent reversal of opinion, Goodman refuses to say he has changed his mind on the matter.

"I would still support something that goes after slumlords," Goodman said, adding that he "sees no reason to invade someone's privacy" with such a program.

Las Vegas' Helldorado Parade, which was revived last year, returns again on Saturday.

The parade, with more than 100 entries, floats and bands, will begin at 10 a.m. and march along Fourth Street from Gass to Ogden avenues.

The annual parade, celebrating the city's Western roots, started in the 1930s and lasted until the late 1990s. It was brought back last year as part of the city's centennial celebration, and officials pledged to keep the tradition going.

During the parade, expected to last a few hours, Fourth Street from Charleston Boulevard to Stewart Avenue will be closed to traffic, as will the blocks of the cross streets on either side of Fourth Street along the route.

The vague denials keep coming in the case of the apparently missing $20,000 Las Vegas Centennial Committee money.

City and committee officials say they paid Merrimar Group $20,000 to reserve two 30-minute television spots for centennial-related programming, but the air times were not reserved and the money not returned. Michael Hyams, the local Merrimar representative, was given two $10,000 checks about a year ago, and now city officials want Hyams to return the money.

Hyams has not responded to requests for a telephone interview, but in an e-mail exchange issued vague denials of any wrongdoing. He did not, however, specifically address the status of the $20,000.

In a subsequent e-mail Hyams wrote that "from the beginning it was set up to make me look like the bad guy, so what will my trying to set the record straight do to change that now?"

Also, Merrimar partner Merrill Osmond, of the singing Osmond family, issued a statement through his personal assistant Teresa Heard.

"He has listened to both sides and he's of the impression that this is a personal matter with Michael Hyams and he doesn't know that Merrimar is involved without further research," Heard said.

The city attorney's office is working on getting the money back.