LOOKING IN ON: SUBURBS

By Mike Trask (contact)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007 | 7:40 a.m.

North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose is getting a raise. Rose earned $181,885 last year. This year he will get a 7 percent raise, pushing his salary to more than $194,000.

Few municipal officials make more than $200,000 in the Las Vegas Valley. The short list includes Henderson City Manager Philip Speight, Henderson Assistant City Manager Mark Calhoun and Las Vegas City Manager Douglas Selby. No Clark County department head made as much last year.

Councilman Robert Eliason voted against the raise.

Residents have complained to the Henderson City Council that a series of $250,000 condominiums being built near them will lower the value of their $1 million homes.

Resident Teresa Delaria said the condos would put her in the position of owning the most expensive home in the area - a situation many property owners try to avoid.

Regardless of the argument, City Council approved a zone change that will allow construction of a 542-lot development on 85 acres at Boulder Highway and Major Avenue.

The change is from low-density to medium-density residential.

The Henderson City Council also changed zoning from general industrial to high-density residential to accommodate an apartment complex at the northeast corner of Wigwam Parkway and Stephanie Street.

The planning commission and city staff had recommended that the 350-unit complex be denied. The builder describes them as luxury units with fancy architecture.

So how much will they cost?

"Frankly, as much as we can get," said attorney John Marciano, who represents the builder, Vested Housing Group LLC.

Nevada's congressional delegation is sponsoring a bill to give Henderson more than 500 acres of federal land near its municipal airport.

The city could lease the land or keep it for public use. It's too close to the airport to be developed for homes because of overhead noise.

However, many believe the land could be used for industrial development.

Early voting in the suburban municipal elections started Saturday and runs through June 1. Election Day is June 5.

In Boulder City, Councilmen Mike Pacini and Roger Tobler face off in the mayoral race. One council seat will also be up for grabs with Councilwoman Karla Burton in a tight race against local attorney Travis Chandler.

In North Las Vegas, the only race is in Ward 2, with longtime incumbent William Robinson challenged by John Stephens III.

At nearly every city council meeting across the land, it seems, a mayor will give special recognition to an event. There's schoolteachers' month, accountants' month , and this week is National Public Works Week.

And then there's North Las Vegas, where Mayor Mike Montandon proclaimed May to be Pain in the Drain month. It is meant to get residents thinking about what they flush.

"Anything we put down the drain ends up back in the lake," he said. "Then we take it back out and drink it."

Ew.

"Now, there's a few steps in between," he joked.