Clark County Board of Commissioners Meeting - January 6, 2026
Clark County Board of Commissioners Meeting - January 6, 2026
The Clark County Board of Commissioners met on January 6, 2026, at 9:05 AM in the Government Center. The meeting included routine approvals, public hearings, introduction of ordinances, and a discussion of the Crisis Response Team (CRT) pilot program. The board also appointed officers and members to various boards and committees.
Consent Calendar
- The board approved the consent agenda (Items 6–37) by a single motion, including routine contracts, interlocal agreements, business license matters, budget transfers, and an authorization to appeal the preliminary injunction in the short-term rental case (Item 37).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Matthew Winterhock (on Item 5) asked for criteria and conflict-of-interest disclosures for board appointments.
- Theodore Lichtenstein, Ed Eulin, Jacqueline Flores, Sheryl Woods, Malie Simpson, Fred Hamseyeh, Anthony DeVries (all on Item 37) opposed the county's appeal of the federal injunction on short-term rental regulations. They argued that the regulations are unconstitutional, that the hotel industry influenced the legislation, and that the county should instead work toward compliance rather than litigate. Several speakers noted that the licensing process is slow and burdensome.
- Al Rojas (on Item 42) requested a new library in Sunrise Manor and highlighted community safety issues.
- Al Rojas (during general public comment at the end of the meeting) raised concerns about panhandling and homeless encampments near the I-95/Charleston off-ramp and asked for a fence around an abandoned building.
- Alison Farr (general public comment) introduced Solar United Neighbors and discussed bulk solar purchasing, as well as new federal revenue-sharing provisions for large-scale solar on BLM land.
- Ed Eulin (general public comment) gave a historical perspective on tourism and short-term rentals, urging a holistic approach.
Discussion Items
- Item 5 – Officer and Board Appointments: The board elected Commissioner Knaft as Chair and Commissioner McCurdy as Vice Chair of the Board of County Commissioners. Other appointments included Commissioner Kirkpatrick as President of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, and various chairs/vice chairs for other boards and committees. The motion passed unanimously.
- Item 38 – Public Hearing: Water Reclamation Ordinance: The board held a public hearing and approved an ordinance amending Title 24 of the Clark County Code to update language and establish requirements for the Clark County Water Reclamation District’s infrastructure and services. No public comment was offered. The motion carried.
- Item 39 – Introduction of Ordinance (Kyle Canyon CAC): The board introduced an ordinance to amend boundaries and rename the Lower Kyle Canyon Citizens Advisory Council to the Upper and Lower Kyle Canyon Citizens Advisory Council. A public hearing was set for January 20, 2026, at 10 AM.
- Item 40 – Introduction of Ordinance (911 Surcharge): The board introduced an ordinance to add a new Chapter 4.35 to Title 4, imposing a 9-1-1 telephone line surcharge (up to $1 per line per month) to fund 911 system enhancements. A public hearing was set for January 20, 2026, at 10 AM.
- Item 41 – Emerging Issues: Commissioner Gibson highlighted the $600 million Las Vegas Convention Center expansion, noting that the project was completed on time and on budget. Commissioner Kirkpatrick requested a tracker for outstanding ordinances and pilot projects.
- Item 42 – Library District Trustee: The board appointed Edward Profit to the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees for a term ending September 19, 2027.
- Item 43 – Spring Valley Town Advisory Board: The board appointed Kriselle Gabriel and Justine McDowell to the Spring Valley Town Advisory Board for a term ending January 6, 2027.
- Item 44 – Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC): The board approved the appointment of five additional members (Patrina McKinney, Vernon W. Pollock, James Ortiz, Laren Abbott, Lori Houston) and recognized the appointment of Diana Ramirez from North Las Vegas.
- Item 45 – Business Impact Statement for 911 Surcharge: The board received and approved the Business Impact Statement for the proposed 911 surcharge. Staff reported 19 responses: 13 opposed, 5 in support, 2 neutral. Commissioners discussed the need for public education on the surcharge and the oversight committee.
- Item 46 – Crisis Response Team (CRT) Pilot Program: Deputy County Manager Abby Frierson presented outcomes of the six-month CRT pilot (April 13 – September 29, 2025), which was funded by a $535,000 SAMHSA grant. The single unit responded to 758 incidents, de-escalated 94% of clients, and diverted 70% of patients from emergency rooms. The annual cost to sustain one unit 12 hours/day, 7 days/week is $1.5 million. Commissioners discussed funding options, potential Medicaid reimbursement risks, and integration with the broader system of care. The board directed staff to bring back a proposal within 30 days to continue the program, and to also provide trackers for outstanding ordinances and pilot projects.
Key Outcomes
- Officer elections: Commissioner Knaft as Chair, Commissioner McCurdy as Vice Chair of the County Commission; other board chairs/vice chairs appointed as listed.
- Consent Agenda: Approved en bloc (Items 6–37).
- Item 38: Ordinance amending Title 24 (Water Reclamation District) approved.
- Items 39–40: Ordinances introduced; public hearings set for January 20, 2026.
- Items 42–44: Appointments approved as moved.
- Item 45: Business Impact Statement for 911 surcharge approved.
- Item 46: Board directed staff to continue the CRT pilot program and bring a funding proposal within 30 days; also requested trackers for outstanding ordinances and pilot projects.
- General public comment period closed; meeting adjourned at approximately 12:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Without trying to offend anyone, I guess we could go ahead and start. Good morning. This is the Tuesday, January sixth. Good morning, Commissioners. Um, we do not have any Commissioners County Manager's recognition items. Um, so we'll move to the first section set aside for public comment. All right, this is the first period for public comment. Anyone wishing to speak on an item on the agenda, come forward and identify the item you want to speak on, and also uh tell us your name and spell your last name. Matthew Winterhock for the record, W I N T E R H A W K. Good morning, chair members, commissioners. Speaking today on behalf of Clark County residents and Nevadans who cannot be here because they are caring for children and uh, you know, working jobs at this hour. I'm s I I have a description, so I have the items in as well. So many of these are dropping their kids off today for I'm sorry, we spive us the item you're speaking of. Okay, there's there's a specific I have a list of them, it's not just a give us one then. Okay, item five. Do you want me to just start with item five? Fantastic. Sets chairs, vice chairs, and board appointments determining who controls the agendas, audits, and information flow for the entire year, and I'm asking for the commissioners to explain the criteria used for these appointments and whether the appointee have ties to vendors, active conflicts of interest with the nonprofits and contractors overseen by these boards. So that's item five. Nationally, these programs represent some of the largest documented fraud exposure areas. Not because it isn't needed, but because oversight is often weak. The public deserves to know what independent audits exist and what clawback mechanisms are in place for this. Finally, item 40. The proposed 911 telephone line surcharge. I'm asking this body to provide a public audit of existing 911 funding. Families out here are tapped out. New surcharges without proof of need is eroding the trust with your citizens. I'm not here to accuse. Much of which are on this agenda today. So thank you for allowing you. Whatever that was. Next. Hi. My name's Theodore Lichtenstein. My address is 5640, Vasilla Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89110. I'm speaking about item number 37. Um the short-term lodging rentals. People want the ability to rent out their place, both short-term and long term. Clearly, there's a demand by both people who want a short short-term place to stay, and also people who are offering a place to stay short-term. Just because hotels exist does not mean that people shouldn't have other short-term lodging options. This is similar to Uber and Lyft not being denied the ability to operate because taxis already exist. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, my name is Ed Eulin, UEH L-I-N-G, and I'm here to speak on item number 37. Um about five years ago, this law was created based on very dubious uh uh uh ideas uh that I uh that I talk about in the um in my uh letter to you um that the uh actually there were false ideas that uh Airbnb people uh tend to um have louder party have more parties that they uh put uh to create trash in the neighborhoods that the uh that they're more dangerous than hotel uh guests when in fact uh Airbnb people are vetted by at least three people. The their previous experience with uh other hosts, the current host and Airbnb Airbnb itself. The hotels don't vet anyone except maybe a gambler who's uh might be acting illegally. Uh the the real cause isn't any of those things. The open secret and truth is that this law didn't arise from community need, but from the hotel industry influence and questionable financial incentives, literally provided liberally provided by the hotel industry to so-called public decision makers, most likely improved, including the district attorney himself, who wants to who wants to challenge the uh the decision of the district uh the of the U.S. court, the district court judges of the United States of America on the other hand are not elected.
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