Henderson City Council briefs

By Jeremy Twitchell

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 | 2:42 p.m.

Longtime city spokeswoman honored

On the day that longtime Mayor James B. Gibson and Councilman Jack Clark marked their final City Council meeting as elected officials June 9, the City Council paused to recognize retiring city spokeswoman Cindy Herman.

Herman, a lifelong Henderson resident who has worked for the city for 25 years in various capacities, has been Henderson’s public information manager since 2002. She oversees the city’s internal and external communications.

Herman is credited with leading a team that redesigned the city’s Web site in 2008 and creating the “Killed in Action” section of the Henderson Veteran’s Memorial Wall that was dedicated in 2006.

City manager, attorney sworn in

City Manager Mark Calhoun and City Attorney Elizabeth Quillin were sworn in to their new positions June 9, just one week before the city’s top elected office also changes hands.

Calhoun replaces Mary Kay Peck, whom the City Council unanimously fired in April after accusing her of mismanaging the city’s budget and creating a “culture of fear” amongst city employees. Peck is suing the city for wrongful termination.

Quillin succeeds Shauna Hughes, who served in the position for almost 26 years before accepting a voluntary buyout offer earlier this year.

Museum study expanded

The council unanimously voted to give another $10,000 to consultant AMS Planning and Research, the company that prepared a museum study that formed the basis of the city’s decision to pursue construction of a space and science center.

The city paid AMS $200,000 for a two-year study that looked at existing museum and cultural amenities in Clark County to determine if a museum in Henderson would be feasible. The study concluded that the area lacks a family-friendly museum with interactive exhibits for children and that if the city built a facility that focuses on local history, it would be viable.

The additional $10,000 will pay AMS to “evaluate existing cultural institutions in Southern Nevada that would fit into the vision and overall site plan” of the 160-acre site at U.S. 95 and Galleria Drive.

Traffic signals to be installed

The council unanimously set aside $100,000 for city staff to design two traffic signals at the intersections of Coronado Center Drive at Sunridge Heights Parkway and St. Rose Parkway at Maryland Parkway.

The money comes from the city’s developer contribution fund, which is made up of money the city collects from developers to pay for traffic and infrastructure improvements necessitated by development.

Construction costs for signals at the two intersections are estimated to be more than $250,000. There is no timetable for construction, as the two intersections have not met the required traffic load to justify the signals. City staff wrote in a memo that traffic counts are rising and should meet the requirement in the near future.

Park’s construction budget increased

Amador Vista Park, a proposed five-acre park located on Horizon Ridge Parkway near Amador Lane, received an additional $73,000 to fund its construction.

The City Council unanimously authorized the funds, which will combine with $140,000 previously authorized and $2.1 million the city received through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act for the park’s construction.

The city’s $213,000 share came from the residential construction tax it charges developers, which is used to build parks and other amenities.

The park is expected to be completed in 2010.

City to annex 33 acres

The City Council announced its intent to annex 33 acres located on the northeast corner of St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard.

A public hearing on the proposal will be held July 21. Unless a majority of property owners within the area object to the annexation, either at the hearing or by writing within 15 days thereafter, the council will be able to annex the land.

A map of the land shows it is divided into six parcels owned by four parties, including the federal government.

The 33 acres are across St. Rose Parkway from the newly constructed M Resort. Like the resort, the property lies in the Las Vegas Gaming Corridor, which allows development of resort casinos without distance requirements and other limitations they face in other parts of the valley.