Las Vegas City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026

The Las Vegas City Council met on May 20, 2026, at 4:01 PM UTC to address a full agenda including a traffic safety pilot program, a veterans housing development, HUD funding allocations, land use items, and public comments on surveillance and invocations. The meeting began with an invocation, the pledge of allegiance, recognition of Employee of the Month Zori Gomez, and a proclamation for Spread the Word Nevada's 25th anniversary. Council members also shared community updates.

Ceremonials & Recognitions

• Employee of the Month: Zori Gomez, city administrative receptionist, was recognized for her welcoming demeanor and organizational skills.
• Spread the Word Nevada Proclamation: The council declared Spread the Word Nevada Day, celebrating the nonprofit's 25 years of advancing childhood literacy. CEO Lisa Habakcourse reported over 8 million books distributed to more than 1.5 million children.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda (items 10–31) was approved unanimously except for item 15, which was pulled for separate discussion.
• Ordinances: Bills 2026-14 through 2026-20 were approved, including special improvement districts and amendments to affordable housing terminology (changing "affordable housing" to "attainable housing" and updating tier descriptions).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Shoshana urged the council to eliminate invocations, arguing they violate separation of church and state. She criticized the Bible and claimed the city denied the Satanic Temple an opportunity to give a prayer. The mayor informed her that public comment must be limited to agenda items for action.
• Kim Blandino defended the invocation and religious heritage, stating the city acted lawfully.
• Mark Curley thanked the council for supporting veterans and mentioned Tunnels to Towers.
• Jill Glass opposed budget funding for Flock surveillance, citing misuse and privacy violations. She advocated for reallocating funds to housing and healthcare.
• Vincent Palmera (Commander, Military Order of the Purple Heart) supported Tunnels to Towers veterans housing.
• Sarah Levitt and Audriana Chan also spoke against Flock surveillance, emphasizing that housing and healthcare are true public safety.
• Armando Garcia opposed Flock surveillance, citing inaccuracy and liability.
• Eric King supported funding for fire and rescue facilities and requested crosswalk accessibility improvements.

Discussion Items

• Item 15 – Traffic Safety Pilot Program: Acting Public Works Director Michael Cunningham presented a 12-month pilot using independent cameras (not Flock) to collect data on speed, red-light running, and vehicle classification at 12 sites (two per ward). The cameras do not capture images of drivers, passengers, or license plates; no facial recognition is used; data is owned by the city and destroyed after the pilot. The goal is to evaluate whether signage alone improves driver behavior. Councilwoman Knudsen noted this is the top constituent complaint. Council members Summers-Armstrong and Kelly expressed initial privacy concerns but supported after contract safeguards. The council voted unanimously to approve.
• Items 32–36 – HUD Funding and Action Plan: Arcelia Barajas (Neighborhood Services) presented the FY 2026-27 Annual Action Plan, securing $12,288,188.15 in federal funds and $1,381,451 in state funds for housing, homeless services, and community development. The Community Development Recommending Board recommended awards totaling $500,000 for CDBG public services and $3,300,000 for HOPWA services. All five items were approved unanimously.
• Item 37 – Youth Council Appointment: Via Spell was appointed to the Ward 5 seat on the Youth Leadership Advisory Council.
• Item 49 – Tunnels to Towers Veterans Housing: A proposed 118-unit supportive housing development for veterans on 5.28 acres at Rancho Drive and Jones Boulevard. The project includes waivers for parking (120 spaces where 168 required) based on a traffic study showing limited vehicle use by residents. Staff recommended approval with conditions. Several veterans and community members spoke in favor. Councilwoman Summers-Armstrong shared a personal story about her ex-husband’s need for such housing. The council voted unanimously to approve with added, deleted, and amended conditions.
• Items 46–47 – Land Use Entitlements: Approved unanimously.
• Item 48 – Abeyance: Item 25-0459 (Grand Guinness Court) was continued to June 17, 2026, per applicant request.
• Item 50 – Four-Unit Development on Wilson Avenue: Approved with conditions from staff.
• Item 51 – Contour Homes Subdivision (77 townhouses): Approved the general plan amendment, rezoning, variance, vacation, and tentative map (items A, B, C, E, F). The council denied variance D (no half-street improvements on Alpine Ridge Way) as recommended by the planning commission.
• Item 52 – Commercial Development on Casino Center Boulevard: Approved (rezoning and site plan) over staff denial.
• Item 53 – Multifamily Addition on 11th Street: Approved (previously approved in 2023, entitlements had expired) over staff denial.

Other Business

• Appeals and Public Hearings: The city clerk was instructed to set dates for appeals from the planning commission and nuisance abatement hearings.
• Citizen Participation: Additional comments from Shoshana (reiteration on invocations), Kim Blandino (complaint about municipal court proceedings), Aaron Rowe (Satanic Temple requesting equal opportunity for invocations), and Eric King (advocacy for tree preservation and mitigation of urban heat island effect).
• Council Emerging Issues: No items were placed on future agendas.
• Council Member Recognitions: Multiple ward updates including teacher awards, community events, Juneteenth celebration, and safety town halls.

Key Outcomes

• Traffic Safety Pilot (Item 15): Approved unanimously. 12-month data collection on speeding and red-light running at 12 citywide locations; no images or personal data stored.
• HUD Funding Plan (Items 32-36): Approved allocations totaling $12.3M for housing, homeless services, and community development.
• Tunnels to Towers Veterans Housing (Item 49): Unanimously approved with conditions; 118-unit supportive housing for veterans.
• Contour Homes Subdivision (Item 51): Approved with partial denial of one variance.
• Several land use items (50, 52, 53): Approved over staff recommendations.
• Public comment rules upheld: Mayor reiterated that comments must pertain to agenda items for action.
• Meeting adjourned at approximately 5:00 PM UTC, with the council reconvening five minutes later for a budget meeting.