Latest news with #ClarkCountyCommission
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plan for displaced tunnel dwellers not included in flood control project
Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom and LVMPD LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett talk with citizens at community event Monday. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current) Hours before Clark County began removing unhoused people from tunnels under the Flamingo Wash, Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom told nearby residents they might see an influx of people experiencing homelessness in their neighborhoods. Though Segerblom pledged to 'protect you guys and keep them out of your neighborhood,' there are still lingering questions about how many beds and shelter options were available to unhoused people living in the tunnels ahead of the encampment being cleared. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada, like across the country, has grown in recent years and there aren't enough adequate shelter options or housing to address the underlying crisis. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials and Segerblom told residents arrests and citations could be an option for those who refuse to move when the encampment is being cleared out. County officials along with LVMPD and HELP of Southern Nevada homeless outreach workers said on Monday that an unknown number of people living in the tunnels beneath the wash would be evicted this week in order to begin a $15 million Regional Flood Control project. 'We are not sure what is going to happen but the concern is a large number of people in the tunnels are going to be forced out' of the tunnels and into the neighborhood, Segerblom said during a town hall Monday night. Officials began clearing out the wash at 5 a.m. Tuesday. In Monday night's contentious hourlong meeting, community residents angrily questioned the county's response to homelessness and worried about an influx of unhoused people coming into neighborhoods. 'Here is the reality,' Segerblom said Monday night. 'We don't have enough manpower. We don't have enough rooms. We don't have enough of anything. But we do have a wash where a lot of people live who come out into the neighborhoods. We are committed to making sure no one can get into that wash and live in that wash. It's not going to happen tomorrow. It's a process.' Southern Nevada's 2024 Point-in-Time Count, an annual snapshot of homelessness on one particular night, identified 7,906 unhoused people — a number officials and homeless providers agree is an undercount. Data showed that the number of people experiencing homelessness grew 20% from the previous year. Addressing underlying causes of the rise of homelessness and housing instability in the state was not the focus of Monday's community meeting. Residents, instead, voiced frustration at the prospect of seeing more unhoused people in their neighborhoods, assuming that once folks are asked to leave the tunnels they will migrate to other areas in town. Community members also pressed for stronger enforcement by LVMPD and more jail time. Criminalization has been criticized by social service providers and homeless outreach workers who warn citations and arrests not only don't address the underlying reasons people are homeless but impede unhoused people from getting connected to services, including housing. Segerbloom said officials will attempt to refer those displaced from tunnels to the noncongregate shelters the county has opened, in particular the Navigation Center, a 70-bed facility that is designed to temporarily house homeless adults without children. During an interview, Segerblom acknowledged that the Navigation Center is typically at capacity. 'Let's see if there is someone who says they want services and I'll find a place,' Segerblom said. Despite not having enough beds or adequate programs to refer unhoused people to in general, Segerblom said the county was ready to deploy another tool on Tuesday: arrest and citation. Clark County's anti-homeless camping ban, which allows a person to be jailed up to 10 days and fined up to $1,000 for camping and sleeping in a public right-of-way, went into effect in February. The county passed the ordinance in November, months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities could criminalize those experiencing homelessness even if they didn't have enough adequate shelter space. LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett told the residents Monday that officers are 'absolutely arresting people and citing' unhoused people for violating the citation. A night in jail is estimated to cost about $135, according to estimates from Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care. 'Nobody wants to pay that for 5,000 people,' Segerblom said. One resident quipped, 'don't be so sure.' Toward the end of the town hall, Lou Lacey, the director of the homeless response teams with HELP of Southern Nevada, tried to explain to the crowd the process of connecting people with services ahead of the county clearing out encampments. The organization had already been into the wash ahead of Tuesday's scheduled abatement to warn residents to be cleared out and offer to connect them to a variety of services, Lacey said. He added that despite early interactions, some residents likely wouldn't take assistance until the morning of enforcement. But if people accept services, Lacey said HELP will 'take them to any substance abuse or mental health service' they request. 'These are still human beings,' Lacey said. 'You can't say 'you're going to go.' We have to reason with them.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plan for displaced tunnel dwellers not included in flood control project
Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom and LVMPD LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett talk with citizens at community event Monday. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current) Hours before Clark County began removing unhoused people from tunnels under the Flamingo Wash, Clark County Commission Chair Tick Segerblom told nearby residents they might see an influx of people experiencing homelessness in their neighborhoods. Though Segerblom pledged to 'protect you guys and keep them out of your neighborhood,' there are still lingering questions about how many beds and shelter options were available to unhoused people living in the tunnels ahead of the encampment being cleared. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada, like across the country, has grown in recent years and there aren't enough adequate shelter options or housing to address the underlying crisis. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials and Segerblom told residents arrests and citations could be an option for those who refuse to move when the encampment is being cleared out. County officials along with LVMPD and HELP of Southern Nevada homeless outreach workers said on Monday that an unknown number of people living in the tunnels beneath the wash would be evicted this week in order to begin a $15 million Regional Flood Control project. 'We are not sure what is going to happen but the concern is a large number of people in the tunnels are going to be forced out' of the tunnels and into the neighborhood, Segerblom said during a town hall Monday night. Officials began clearing out the wash at 5 a.m. Tuesday. In Monday night's contentious hourlong meeting, community residents angrily questioned the county's response to homelessness and worried about an influx of unhoused people coming into neighborhoods. 'Here is the reality,' Segerblom said Monday night. 'We don't have enough manpower. We don't have enough rooms. We don't have enough of anything. But we do have a wash where a lot of people live who come out into the neighborhoods. We are committed to making sure no one can get into that wash and live in that wash. It's not going to happen tomorrow. It's a process.' Southern Nevada's 2024 Point-in-Time Count, an annual snapshot of homelessness on one particular night, identified 7,906 unhoused people — a number officials and homeless providers agree is an undercount. Data showed that the number of people experiencing homelessness grew 20% from the previous year. Addressing underlying causes of the rise of homelessness and housing instability in the state was not the focus of Monday's community meeting. Residents, instead, voiced frustration at the prospect of seeing more unhoused people in their neighborhoods, assuming that once folks are asked to leave the tunnels they will migrate to other areas in town. Community members also pressed for stronger enforcement by LVMPD and more jail time. Criminalization has been criticized by social service providers and homeless outreach workers who warn citations and arrests not only don't address the underlying reasons people are homeless but impede unhoused people from getting connected to services, including housing. Segerbloom said officials will attempt to refer those displaced from tunnels to the noncongregate shelters the county has opened, in particular the Navigation Center, a 70-bed facility that is designed to temporarily house homeless adults without children. During an interview, Segerblom acknowledged that the Navigation Center is typically at capacity. 'Let's see if there is someone who says they want services and I'll find a place,' Segerblom said. Despite not having enough beds or adequate programs to refer unhoused people to in general, Segerblom said the county was ready to deploy another tool on Tuesday: arrest and citation. Clark County's anti-homeless camping ban, which allows a person to be jailed up to 10 days and fined up to $1,000 for camping and sleeping in a public right-of-way, went into effect in February. The county passed the ordinance in November, months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities could criminalize those experiencing homelessness even if they didn't have enough adequate shelter space. LVMPD Lt. Erik Perkett told the residents Monday that officers are 'absolutely arresting people and citing' unhoused people for violating the citation. A night in jail is estimated to cost about $135, according to estimates from Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care. 'Nobody wants to pay that for 5,000 people,' Segerblom said. One resident quipped, 'don't be so sure.' Toward the end of the town hall, Lou Lacey, the director of the homeless response teams with HELP of Southern Nevada, tried to explain to the crowd the process of connecting people with services ahead of the county clearing out encampments. The organization had already been into the wash ahead of Tuesday's scheduled abatement to warn residents to be cleared out and offer to connect them to a variety of services, Lacey said. He added that despite early interactions, some residents likely wouldn't take assistance until the morning of enforcement. But if people accept services, Lacey said HELP will 'take them to any substance abuse or mental health service' they request. 'These are still human beings,' Lacey said. 'You can't say 'you're going to go.' We have to reason with them.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Las Vegas Councilwoman Victoria Seaman announces run for Clark County Commission seat
LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman announced Monday she is running for Clark County Commission. In an interview with 8 News Now, Seaman plans to contest District F, currently held by Democrat Justin Jones. Seaman, a Republican, recently lost a race for Las Vegas mayor. Her council term ends in 2026. She has also served in the Nevada State Legislature. She told 8 News Now she has lived in District F for 'about a month'. Seaman said she hopes to help small businesses by easing permitting processes. She also supports construction of a new county-operated animal shelter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Historic Westside Legacy Park event to honor 2025 inductees Saturday morning
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A ceremony at the Historic Westside Legacy Park will honor new inductees on Saturday morning, building on the community leaders who have been enshrined since the park opened in 2021. Five honorees were announced in a news release announcing the event: Willia Mae Chaney (deceased) Porter Lee Troutman Jr. Eva Martin Beatrice Dyess Faith LeggettFor more information, visit The honorees come from a variety of backgrounds including education, business and law enforcement. The public is invited to the induction ceremony, scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. The park is at 1600 Mount Mariah Drive, just southwest of the corner of Lake Mead Boulevard and Martin Luther King Boulevard. ORIGINAL INDUCTEES: List of first people honored at park in 2021 City of Las Vegas Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong and Clark County Commission Vice Chairman William McCurdy II are scheduled to speak. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Broad coalition backs extending gas tax indexing in Clark County
Terrible's, the regional gas station chain, did not participate in the hearing for AB530 but is running opposition ads on their digital billboards. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Clark County's decade-long practice of adjusting gas tax for inflation should continue for another decade before being subject to reapproval by voters, a broad coalition believes. Fuel revenue indexing — often referred to as FRI — adjusts the county's portion of fuel tax to inflation and has been a major source of funding for roadway projects in Southern Nevada since going into effect in 2014. FRI is currently scheduled to sunset at the end of 2026 unless voters approve an extension next year. RTC foresees future revenue shortfall if gas tax indexing allowed to expire For years, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has warned that ending fuel revenue indexing will decrease roadway funding by two thirds — from $300 million to $100 million annually. A funding shortage that severe would result in canceled projects and the inability to keep up with roadway maintenance, according to RTC CEO M.J. Maynard-Carey. RTC's solution to the problem is Assembly Bill 530, which would allow the Clark County Commission, by a two-thirds vote, to extend FRI an additional decade beyond its current sunset date. Continuation beyond 2036 would require voter approval. Gas Tax in Clark County Federal: 0.184 State: 0.23 County: 0.10 FRI: 0.23 Other: 0.014 TOTAL: $0.758 per gallon, as of April 1 The Nevada State Legislature and then-Gov. Brian Sandoval first gave Clark County the authorization to use fuel revenue indexing in 2013. The Clark County Commission approved FRI for 2014 through 2016. In November 2016, Clark County voters extended FRI through 2026. That ballot measure passed with nearly 60% support. RTC currently receives 24.6 cents of the total 75.8 cents per gallon fuel tax, according to Maynard-Carey. Warren Hardy, chair of the RTC's Transportation Resource Advocacy Committee (TRAC), said the committee has 'looked at every aspect' of funding over several years and determined that 'FRI is the cornerstone.' 'If we are not able to extend FRI, we can fold our tent and go home on a whole bunch of issues related to transportation in Southern Nevada,' he said. 'I've said it's existential, and I stand by that.' TRAC Vice Chair Danny Thompson called AB530 'the most important bill to Southern Nevada this session.' More than $1 billion has been generated through FRI since 2014, according to Maynard-Carey. The money has supported 702 projects — 501 completed, 105 in construction, and 96 in the design phase. The loss of FRI would be compounded by increases in fuel efficiency and the adoption of electric vehicles, which already result in fewer taxable gallons of fuel being sold, added Maynard-Carey. More than 30 groups threw their support behind the bill during its hearing Thursday in the Assembly Committee on Growth & Infrastructure. Among them: Clark County and its five cities, multiple skilled trades unions, multiple building and construction industry groups, two universities (UNLV and Nevada State), two chambers of commerce (Urban and Vegas), Southwest Gas, and the Nevada Resort Association. 'Fuel tax is the best, most efficient way to collect those dollars that pay for our roads,' said Paul Enos, a lobbyist for the Nevada Trucking Association, which supports the bill. Just five groups opposed AB530, mostly on the grounds that the county commission should not be able to circumvent voters and that taxes are already too high. 'This takes away the right of the people,' said Janine Hansen of Nevada Families for Freedom and the Independent American Party. 'They were promised 10 years ago they would be able to vote on this. … Are we afraid of a vote by the people? Do we believe in democracy?' That same criticism was lobbed against a 2023 FRI bill that passed the Legislature with bipartisan support only to be vetoed by Gov. Joe Lombardo. That bill would have allowed the Clark County Commission to extend FRI indefinitely without a direct vote of the people. (That bill would have aligned Clark with Washoe County, which also indexes their fuel tax to inflation but has no sunset clause. Nevada's other counties do not index their fuel tax.) 'The arguments in favor of fuel revenue indexing are compelling, but a decision on this issue, which impacts household budgets every day, is most appropriately rendered by the voters,' Lombardo wrote in his 2023 veto message. Democratic Assemblymember Howard Watts, a sponsor of both FRI bills, said AB530's requirement to put the issue in front of Clark County voters in 2036 is meant to address such criticism. 'A final vote of the people has been maintained,' he said. 'We do respect the will of the people while also wanting to make sure that we can continue to provide this critical source of revenue for transportation infrastructure in our state.' Lombardo's office did not respond to the Current's request for comment on AB530.
