ANSWERS: CLARK COUNTY:

Pinball hall’s move will put it closer to where the tourists are

Las Vegas Sun

Tim Arnold, a man amid the machines.

By Joe Schoenmann (contact)

Sunday, June 21, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Pinball Hall of Fame

Pinball Hall of Fame owner wants to ring Elton John’s bell (4-16-09)
One planet, under pinball (4-1-08)

New location

One of Las Vegas’ best kept secrets is moving to a place where it might not be so secret anymore.

Luv-It Frozen Custard is moving to the Strip?

No. The Pinball Hall of Fame is moving west on Tropicana Avenue. Instead of being near Pecos Road, it will soon be closer to Maryland Parkway, UNLV and tourists from the Strip.

Owner Tim Arnold, who has spent a lifetime collecting pinball machines and owns about 1,200, is moving into a former tile warehouse across Tropicana from the Liberace Museum.

The Clark County Planning Commission approved a use permit for the relocated museum last week. After Arnold upgrades the 8,662-square-foot building at 1610. E. Tropicana to meet county code, he’s going to move in and nearly double the size of his museum. The Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club, of which Arnold is the president, purchased the building in November for $1.24 million.

He said the extra room at the new location will allow him to let the public enjoy more of his collection, more of his machines from the ’50s and ’60s. He hopes to open the new location within the next 30 to 90 days.

What’s this guy’s story?

Arnold, 53, bought his first machine for $200 in 1970 and made some money during the pinball heyday of the ’70s and ’80s. In 1991, he and his wife moved to the desert, where his machines could benefit from the dry climate. In 1993, Arnold started his twice-a-year pinball Fun Night, eventually drawing 1,000 people over two nights. In 2006, he opened the Pinball Hall of Fame.

He runs the 4,500-square-foot business with more than 200 machines as a nonprofit; excess quarters are donated to the Salvation Army. Part of a wall near a cracked-open “Dracula” machine is decorated with copies of checks for charities ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

•••

What’s the total dollar damage done to the county by the 2009 Legislature?

Staff tried to calculate it in a memo to county commissioners last week. In fiscal year 2009-10, which begins July 1, the county will have $108 million less because of the Legislature. In fiscal 2010-11, the damage will be $89 million. An excess government services tax will offset the losses by $16.6 million. In total, the county is set to lose $180 million.

Which bill caused the most damage?

Assembly Bill 543, which allowed the state to take more money from the two largest counties, Washoe and Clark. One part of the bill takes 4 cents per $100 of assessed value from the county’s tax rate. For Clark County, that will mean $60.8 million less over two years. It also takes all the county’s revenue from the 5-cent capital improvement tax that is shared with cities. Over two years, that’s another $53.2 million loss.

The next biggest hit will be a $38 million loss to the indigent accident fund, which is money directed to cover medical expenses for accidents involving those who can’t afford to pay. The county oversees and funds University Medical Center, which serves the largest percentage of indigent patients in the county.

The state also increased a fee to collect sales taxes, costing the county an additional $8.4 million over two years.

No wonder the county’s crying uncle. Is the raiding over at least?

In the memo, the county lists several bills whose budgetary effects are not yet known. One of those removes a requirement that a firefighter must work five years before cancer can be considered an occupational disease. It was lowered to two years. It also increases the types of cancers now to be associated with firefighting, adding skin, prostate, testicular and thyroid. Testing will cost taxpayers about $500,000 a year. The increased cost in workers’ compensation for more eligible firefighters with cancer is a major wild card.

How is the county going to withstand this?

It has instituted voluntary furlough programs and a voluntary layoff program, and is not filling hundreds of jobs. Still, County Manager Virginia Valentine last week asked all 38 county departments for 5 percent more cuts to offset an $11 million budget gap. And in her June 17 memo, she said more losses are likely to come in conjunction with the costs of creating new courts, marking underground utilities and other underfunded state mandates.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By KillerB

6/21/09 at 9:28 a.m.

Suggest removal

"The Clark County Planning Commission approved a use permit for the relocated museum last week. After Arnold upgrades the 8,662-square-foot building at 1610. E. Tropicana to meet county code..."

The building was bought so it became someone's property. Why does the County need to approve how a commercial building is used in this case? Why does a a museum require "upgrades ... to meet county code..."?

Other than that -- a pinball museum! How cool is that! Anybody know where one can find a Robotron?

What's wrong with this picture besides illustrating what's wrong with layers of government demanding relevance?

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language: 'I'm from your government and I'm here to help.'"
By MysterMr

6/21/09 at 3:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

Mmmmm... Robotron.
By wannabe1indc

6/21/09 at 5:29 p.m.

Suggest removal

One of the coolest places in Vegas to lose quarters. I visited there several times!

Good luck with the new location..hope to see you soon.
By vegasmeanie

6/21/09 at 9:46 p.m.

Suggest removal

KillerB,

anytime there is a change of use on a commercially-zoned parcel, most codes have a provision that requires the property to be brought into compliance with all building and zoning ordinances that have been adopted since the previous use was allowed. The tile company may have been around for decades, and thus not subject to many of the newer codes through what is called "legal non-conforming" status. Hope this helps.
By Mike123

6/21/09 at 11:11 p.m.

Suggest removal

LOL....anyone catch the photo in the print version of the story?

ABSOLUTE classic!
By KillerB

6/22/09 at 8:02 a.m.

Suggest removal

vegasmeanie -- well aware of that. This isn't like the old tile store was bought by a toxic substance manufacturer/warehouser and being converted to something with reasonable potential harm to the public.

If you were to take a closer look you might see how most planning is more about unnecessary obstruction and driving up costs than legitimate government function. I recommend reading one of this subject's leading critics, Randal O'Toole. http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_...
By buzzbomb

6/22/09 at 9:40 a.m.

Suggest removal

I didn't know this existed, it's great. I love the old pinballs. Tom Arnold is a visionary! You can bet I spend an afternoon there on my next visit to Las Vegas.
By kevjandon

6/24/09 at 10:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

This place is GREAT!!! My 4 kids absolutely love it. My wife and I go on date nights. If you haven't been you must go.

One night we went and I didn't see my favorite machine. Gun's N Roses pinball. I talked to Tim about it and the next time we went, there it was.

Keep it up Tim. We were just there on Father's Day and had a blast!!!

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