MINUTES OF MEETING

      ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

 

      Sixty-seventh Session

      April 16, 1993

 

 

 

The Assembly Committee on Government Affairs was called to order by Chairman Val Z. Garner at 8:16 a.m. Friday, April 16, 1993, in Room 330 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Meeting Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Mr. Val Z. Garner, Chairman

      Mr. Rick C. Bennett, Vice Chairman

      Mrs. Kathy M. Augustine

      Mr. Douglas A. Bache

      Mrs. Marcia de Braga

      Mr. Pete Ernaut

      Mrs. Vivian L. Freeman

      Mr. Lynn Hettrick

      Mrs. Erin Kenny

      Mrs. Joan A. Lambert

      Mr. James W. McGaughey

      Mr. Roy Neighbors

      Mrs. Gene W. Segerblom

      Mr. Wendell P. Williams

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

      None

 

GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:

 

      None

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

      Dana Bennett, Sr. Research Analyst

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

      Jan Laverty Jones, Mayor City of Las Vegas; Mr. Barry Shier, Mirage Resorts, Inc.; Mr. John Jerde, JPI; Mr. Marvin Leavitt, City of Las Vegas; Mr. George Cotton, Clark County Affirmative Action Manager; Ms. Lisa Foster, City of Sparks; Mr. John Mayer, Sparks City Councilman.

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 433 - Authorizes formation of districts to finance costs of improving central business areas.

 

Jan Laverty Jones, Mayor, City of Las Vegas, testified in support of AB 433.  Ms. Jones stated downtown areas across the nation were facing a crisis, including Las Vegas, and over a period of time the city had seen a gradual deterioration in the economic base.  She remarked in 1980, 80 percent of the tourists who visited the Las Vegas strip made at least one trip into the downtown area, today that number had shrunk to 20 percent.  Ms. Jones believed the Fremont Street Experience was a project which would turn the current trend completely around.  She pointed out creating an atmosphere which would allow downtown Las Vegas to flourish was essential to not only the future of downtown but to the entire strip resort area in Clark County.

 

Ms. Jones felt by beginning with the nucleus (Fremont Street) and putting together a project which had the complete support of all members of the Downtown Progress Association as well as the city, it would create a ripple effect which would move outward so over a period of time redevelopment would go from the Fremont Street area to all the surrounding areas in downtown Las Vegas.  She strongly urged committee support of AB 433.

 

Mr. Barry Shier, Mirage Resorts Inc., testifying as a proponent of AB 433, stated there was a sense of urgency in front of all of them because of the continuing decline in the gaming revenues and taxes.  He indicated there was competition not only from the gaming on the strip and local developments, but also from the increased proliferation of gaming around the country.  Mr. Shier referenced Exhibit C as further explanation of AB 433.

 

Mrs. Segerblom asked if the Las Vegas Convention Authority had agreed to the $6.7 million annual operating cost.

 

Mr. Shier replied, "At this point in time, we are moving forward in a progression where we had first secured the monies with regards to the property owners themselves, the $18 million received and understood the direction in terms of the cities commitment; then of course moving forward with the room tax issues.  I serve on the board of the Las Vegas Convention Authority with the mayor, and we have entered into those conversations and at the conclusion of this particular process we will be moving forward in that regard as well."

 

Mr. Shier mentioned in the course of the past 20-odd years, the downtown had been a very strong contributor to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

 

Mr. John Jerde, JPI, gave an overview of the setup of "The Fremont Street Experience."  He elaborated it would take in all the blocks from Main to Fourth streets, which would create an open trellis-like vaulted ceiling 100 feet wide and 100 feet high with a length of 1,540 feet from end to end.  Mr. Jerde said the street would be closed and turned into a pedestrian walking system with the ability for some vehicular traffic.  He indicated the sound and light show of the Fremont Street Experience would be computer controlled.   Mr. Jerde showed a video sketch of the expected results, emphasizing the reality would be much better than the video.

 

Mrs. Augustine asked what areas would actually be closed to traffic.

 

Mr. Shier answered referencing the map included in Exhibit C, indicating the gray line from Main Street to Fourth Street was the area where the vault would enclose the street.  He said one more block to Las Vegas Blvd. would be landscaped and designed without the vault, and that was the area the 1500 space self-park garage and 38,000 square feet of retail space on the street level would be located.  Mr. Jerde indicated from that point to Main Street would become the pedestrian environment for the project.

 

Further discussion ensued regarding traffic controls, technical attributes, expansion possibilities and overall support from downtown businesses.

 

Chairman Garner had read into the record, "I had had a call from Councilman Arne Adamson in Las Vegas last evening, and asked me to have read into the record that he apologizes for not being able to be here today, but he is in strong support of this project."

 

Mr. Williams referenced previous questions on expanding development and suggested the bill consider allowances for an employment plan which would be an incentive to the development area.

 

Ms. Jones replied the City of Las Vegas had recently approved an ordinance that any project which received redevelopment funds had to utilize 51 percent employment from the area and felt this would address Mr. Williams concerns.

 

Mr. Bache questioned if there would be any effect on taxes for the citizens in Las Vegas.

 

Ms. Jones replied no, that was one of the big misconceptions people had.  She indicated the money would come from the private sector, the ability to raise the room rate would be only for the life of the bond, and the city would use redevelopment funds to build a parking garage and the retail underneath, so the rumors of taxpayer dollars was a misinterpretation.

 

Mrs. Segerblom referenced AB 255 regarding notification of people in a redevelopment area and asked if the people would have to be in compliance with the notification for taxing for the project.

 

Ms. Jones answered the tax only applied to motels.

 

Mr. Marvin Leavitt, City of Las Vegas, testified AB 433 was very restrictive and could basically only be applied to the Fremont Street Experience project. 

 

Mrs. Augustine pointed out AB 255 had failed in committee, and that was the bill which indicated only those people within 300 feet of a project would have to be notified.  She asked if everyone within the surrounding area would have to be notified.

 

Mr. Leavitt answered part of the project was to be financed from monies from the redevelopment agency so the normal notification procedures would be in effect.

 

Mrs. Augustine then asked if AB 255 should be reconsidered.

 

Mr. Leavitt answered that it would be preferable at a later date.

 

There being no further testimony, Chairman Garner entertained a motion to do pass AB 433.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN MCGAUGHEY MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 433.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN BENNETT SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

Mr. Ernaut commented he had the opportunity to be briefed on the project the previous fall and wholeheartedly supported the bill and would like to see the committee pass it.

 

      MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.  Assemblyman Freeman was out of the room and did not vote.

 

Chairman Garner indicated he would handle the bill.

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 411 - Authorizes creation of local taxing districts to defray cost of improving business within those districts.

 

Chairman Garner commented the amendments proposed for AB 411 appeared to be rather substantial and asked Mr. Leavitt to review those amendments.  He indicated he would not take action on AB 411 at this time.

 

Mr. Marvin Leavitt, City of Las Vegas, reviewed the proposed amendments to AB 411 (Exhibit D).

 

Chairman Garner stated it was his intent to bring the bill back after it had been drafted with the amendments and encouraged committee members to read through Exhibit D to familiarize themselves with it.

 

Mrs. Augustine asked if the entire statute had been rewritten.

 

Mr. Leavitt indicated it had, essentially the original bill would be replaced with the amended language.  He said it was going from a bill of fairly general application to one of very specific application related only to the Fremont Street Project.

 

There being no further testimony, Chairman Garner closed the hearing AB 411.

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 442 - Requires counties hiring permanent residents of United States to obtain certain documentation and makes various changes to provisions relating to employment of deputies of certain county officers.

 

Mr. George Cotton, Clark County Affirmative Action Manager, testified AB 442 would basically bring various aspects of the state's statutes and constitution into compliance with changes in federal and state laws which had occurred over the past 50-plus years.  He introduced a letter from the Deputy District Attorney and an opinion from the Attorney General's office  (Exhibit E).

 

There being no further testimony, Chairman Garner entertained a motion to do pass AB 442.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN BACHE MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 442.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN WILLIAMS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

Chairman Garner asked Mr. Williams to handle the bill.

 

ASSEMBLY BILL 443 - Authorizes city council when sitting as redevelopment agency to add mayor as member of agency.

 

Ms. Lisa Foster, City of Sparks, testified AB 443 was requested by the city to enable the mayor, who was not technically part of the legislative body, to serve on the redevelopment agency.  She indicated the bill came about as a result of planning for the next phase of redevelopment and council members had asked the mayor be added to the agency but when staff looked at the statute, it was felt it needed to be more clear in order to fit Sparks' unique situation.  Ms. Foster stated in Sparks the mayor had the ability to vote in case of a tie, he presided over meetings and could veto council action.  She pointed out the law said a legislative body could either appoint itself or five members from the community to be the redevelopment agency and in North Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Reno the redevelopment agencies were the legislative bodies and the mayors either chaired the agency or served as a member.  Sparks was the only city in the state where the legislative body was the agency but did not include the mayor.  She urged committee support of the bill.

 

Mr. McGaughey asked Mr. Mayer since the mayor did not vote in council meetings but would be voting in the redevelopment meetings, did they have the support of the citizens to do this.

 

Mr. John Mayer, Sparks City Councilman, answered yes, the Citizens Advisory Committee on Redevelopment had polled the committee and the consensus was the mayor should be allowed to vote on redevelopment issues. 

 

Mr. Mayer gave testimony in favor of AB 443 (Exhibit F).

 

There being no further questions, Chairman Garner entertained a motion to do pass AB 443.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN BENNETT MOVED TO DO PASS A.B. 443.

 

      ASSEMBLYMAN NEIGHBORS SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

      MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

Chairman Garner asked Mrs. Freeman to handle the bill.

 

Chairman Garner indicated he had not had a chance to speak to Mr. Porter regarding the public records bills and would hold off until the April 20 meeting to appoint a subcommittee to review those bills.

 

There being no further business to come before committee, the meeting was adjourned at 9:24 a.m.

 

      RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

                             

      LINDA FEATHERINGILL

      Committee Secretary

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Assembly Committee on Government Affairs

April 16, 1993

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