Las Vegas council ponders bill draft requests for 2017 Legislature consideration

Some Las Vegas City Council members were indignant Wednesday over the Clark County Commission’s proposed bill draft requests for the 2017 Nevada Legislature.

The commission’s Tuesday discussion arose during the council’s consideration of its own bill draft requests and of the rocky relationship between the two local governing bodies.

Amid questions and concerns over proposed city and county bill draft requests for the 2017 legislative session, city officials plan to meet at 10 a.m. next Wednesday to finalize proposals to ask state lawmakers to take up next year. Topics are due to the Legislative Counsel Bureau by Sept. 1.

The County Commission on Tuesday decided to ask state lawmakers to study the funding formula for the Metropolitan Police Department, which the county and city jointly fund, and measure that would allow county residents to refuse being annexed by the city.

Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Steve Ross called the county’s action “antagonistic” toward the city.

City Manager Betsy Fretwell recently outlined improving city relations with the county as a priority for the coming year. Fretwell has met with county officials and had conversations outside of that meeting. Clark County Commissioners Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Larry Brown have indicated they are willing to “work something out on this annexation issue.”

City Councilman Stavros Anthony said he has had “very fruitful discussions” with Brown.

Fretwell suggested a future City Council agenda item to delve into more specifics of the annexation issue and a discussion with Metro officials about the funding formula.

“We shouldn’t be at odds with one another,” Councilman Bob Beers said of the city and the county.

Beers is encouraged, however, by progress that has been made by some County Commission and City Council members on reaching an agreement on annexation , which has been a big source of animosity .

“I think we’re working against each other, for what reasons, I don’t know,” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said, adding that the two local governments should be working together for Southern Nevada and the whole state.

Goodman suggested the consideration of further consolidating city and county services, which was met with varying interest levels from other council members. Ross suggested that could be a ballot question in the future. Anthony said he thought the Legislature should weigh in on the issue. Councilman Bob Coffin called the matter “too complex” for a ballot question.

“I’d like to know what the citizens of Southern Nevada would like,” Ross said.

The city is is allotted three bill draft requests, and Brian McAnallen, the city’s government affairs manager, presented the council with three city staff-proposed requests, including raising from 55 to 75 feet the building height that triggers certain safety requirements for floors above that height, to mirror the International Code Council standards.

The change could bring about revitalization for the city’s downtown and spur additional housing development, McAnallen said.

Las Vegas Fire Chief William McDonald said he isn’t opposed to the proposed change, but Councilmen Ricki Barlow and Bob Coffin came out against the proposal.

Coffin called the proposal a “developer-driven measure.”

“I will not be part of any weakening of our fire code,” he said.

Another proposed bill draft centers on Medicaid reimbursement for ground emergency medical transport, which city officials are working on with the state, McAnallen said.

The requested bill would delineate in state statute reimbursements for emergency transport for Medicaid patients; the state would draw down those federal dollars to local governments, he said.

The city is also seeking a bill that would give it more flexibility in spending redevelopment dollars earmarked for education, which could go toward early childhood education, literacy programs or summer learning academies , McAnallen said .

Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Find @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.