LOOKING IN ON: THE SUBURBS

Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006 | 7:01 a.m.

North Las Vegas officials apparently believe that one way to pique public interest in a civic event is to make it difficult for the public to find out about it in the first place.

That seems to be the thinking behind the odd-looking postcards sent to North Las Vegas residents last week.

The embossed white-on-white cards, with the city logo and lettering in raised type, had people squinting at them and wondering why they received blank cards in their mailboxes.

A closer look, however, revealed the cards to be advertisements for Mayor Mike Montandon's upcoming State of the City address.

"I guess it's supposed to look classy," resident Bob Borgerson said. "But I don't think anybody can see it."

Brenda Johnson, a city spokeswoman, said the unusual design is part of a marketing plan for the yearly event. Last year the first ads for the speech featured a single paint splotch, part of an "Art in Progress" theme.

Residents will be getting more ads for the mayor's speech in the coming weeks. "It's just a tease," Johnson said about the tough-to-read postcard.

Johnson is keeping the theme for the Dec. 11 event a secret, a decision that's also part of the effort to build the hype.

One possible topic for Mayor Montandon's speech could be plans for a new North Las Vegas City Hall.

With construction expected to begin in late 2008, one of its first major decisions will be the hiring of a designer.

Some city officials favor C.W. Fentress, J.H. Bradburn and Associates of Denver, the firm that designed the Clark County Government Center. Fentress-Bradburn has designed dozens of buildings across the country, including Denver International Airport and the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Although North Las Vegas has budgeted $135 million for the project, a location has not yet been selected. Two leading options include a site near the current Civic Center Drive location or one near the Silver Nugget Recreational Vehicle Park. The latter would give City Hall a new and extremely desirable address: Las Vegas Boulevard North.

The current City Hall, which needs major upgrades, will be 40 years old next month. In that time, North Las Vegas' population has grown from about 36,000 to more than 200,000.

The Henderson City Council also is in the planning stages of a major project.

The construction of a $12 million senior center, a project approved by the council last year, likely will begin next year, with a 2008 opening planned.

"I really see this as only a beginning," Councilman Andy Hafen said. Seniors "will have even more of an impact on our area," Hafen said, as more Baby Boomers reach their senior years.

The city commissioned a survey of 1,000 seniors about what they would want in a new structure. It seems they most want to hit the gym, with 93 percent identifying a fitness center as the top priority.

The survey also showed that 92 percent of the seniors are satisfied with the existing facilities for seniors in Henderson. The bigger, better center likely will push that already impressive number even higher.