LOOKING IN ON: SUBURBS

By Mike Trask (contact)

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 | 7:09 a.m.

Nobody spoke about the pink elephant in the room at Wednesday night's North Las Vegas City Council meeting.

At the first public meeting since former Police Chief Mark Paresi was unceremoniously removed from office last month, it was business as usual. There were no public comments about Paresi's removal, and the council did not broach the subject during the 50-minute meeting.

On Oct. 29, Paresi was placed on paid leave until a severance package can be negotiated. Although few in the city have spoken publicly about reasons for the change, privately many have said internal strife and police union dissatisfaction led to the move.

The former chief, hired in 2002 from the Portland Police Bureau in Oregon, is earning nearly $160,000 annually.

The North Las Vegas Police Department came up at the meeting, though. Three officers and their dogs were recognized for performing well in a recent K-9 competition in Las Vegas.

The city also approved spending $1 million on 42 new police cars, about $24,000 per vehicle, and allocated $280,320 to lease a storage facility for a mobile communications center. Both were approved without discussion.

The evaluation of Boulder City Manager Vicki Mayes went like this:

New City Council members Linda Strickland and Travis Chandler offered some criticism. Then the three veteran members defended her performance.

"In terms of contracts, I feel she's dropped the ball," Strickland said, pointing to the city landfill and a controversial plan to lease land for a hotel near a city-owned golf course. "I feel I'm disappointed with her performance."

That drew a counter from Mayor Roger Tobler.

"In my opinion, she does a good job of protecting the city in contracts," Tobler said.

Mayes, city manager since 2004, said little during the meeting, although she defended her negotiation techniques in response to Strickland. Mayes earns about $140,000 annually.

Seven residents spoke on Mayes' behalf. They were followed by a five-minute speech by outspoken activist Sherman Rattner, who criticized nearly every aspect of the city.

The meeting illustrated the growing debate about nearly every topic between two segments of the town. On one side are Rattner and his followers, part of the Coalition to Protect the Future of Boulder City. On the other is an increasingly active group of residents, including the newly formed Boulder City Solutions, tired of Rattner's rants.

A central point of contention has been a 50-year lease for a Hawthorn Suites on two acres at the Boulder Creek Golf Course. The lease, which would pay the city $173,000 annually, is being reviewed by the state attorney general. The attorney general is reviewing whether two appraisals must be done for a city to enter a joint development agreement. Only one was done.