Commissioners OK new fee category for shooting park

By Kyle B. Hansen (contact)

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Steve Sisolak

Tom Collins

The Clark County Commission has approved a new fee category for the Clark County Shooting Park.

The new category is for “patron” groups — nonprofit organizations that agree to host at least nine events at the park each year.

The county hopes that giving a discount to these groups will encourage them to hold more events and bring more people to the park.

The groups will get a $1 discount to use most of the park’s facilities; each person will pay $5 per day instead of $6 for rifle, pistol or archery, and will pay $22 a case for trap or skeet birds instead of $30.

The county hopes three new groups will use the new fee category, which would bring 5,550 shooters, creating additional revenue of $155,000 for the park.

The park has been a source of contention between commissioners Tom Collins, who is a strong supporter, and Steve Sisolak, who says the county loses too much money at the park.

But the new category got support from both of them.

“We had a meeting of the minds on this one,” Sisolak said at Tuesday’s commission meeting. “Commissioner Collins and I met with staff and other individuals. I think we’ve reached common ground. We both want the same thing, trying to make it work. It’s a difference of opinion in some respects on how to get there, but we’ve reached an area that we’re both comfortable with.”

•••

Commissioner Lawrence Weekly has proposed changing Clark County’s laws in an effort to reduce graffiti.

The commissioners discussed the changes in their meeting Tuesday and asked staff to return at a future meeting with exact language of an ordinance for them to consider.

Currently, the county only bans juveniles from possessing graffiti implements, but Las Vegas and state ordinances ban people of all ages from having equipment with the intent to graffiti.

Lawrence Weekly

Weekly proposed changing the county ordinance to make it the same as the city’s so it is easier for Metro to enforce.

“There is this misconception out there that graffiti is just juvenile issue, that it’s just kids doing it, and that’s not factual,” said Metro Detective Scott Black. “Based on our investigations and arrests made by Metro, we find that it’s about 50-50 juveniles to adults.”

A damaged freeway sign can cost $15,000 to replace, and officials estimate graffiti was responsible for more than $30 million in property damage throughout Southern Nevada last year.

Weekly said the county is known among vandals for being lenient on graffiti since it does not have the same rules as Las Vegas.

•••

Commissioners approved all but the most controversial aspect of updated building codes.

The approved codes update the existing building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy conservation and pool codes. But one part of the residential building code brought concerns from home builders, including the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association.

The new code would require new residential homes to include fire sprinklers, a move builders said would be costly while providing little benefit to residents.

The sprinklers also are costly to maintain and insurance policies often don’t cover water damage if a sprinkler malfunctions, they said.

Some commissioners expressed support for sprinklers in homes but agreed to hold the one item until November so county staff can work with the builders to ease their concerns.