OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Las Vegas Recommending Committee Meeting on Street Performer Regulations - August 31, 2026

Public Meetings — Monday, August 31, 2026
BodyLas Vegas, Nevada
SessionPublic Meetings
DateMonday, August 31, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:27:36

Transcript — Verbatim
0:20

Good morning.

0:20

This is the recommending committee for August 31st, 2026.

0:24

We are officially called the order.

0:25

And I will ask if we are in compliance with the open meeting law.

0:29

Yes, we are.

0:30

Thank you very much.

0:31

And item number three is public comment.

0:33

Comment during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters on the agenda for action.

0:36

If you wish to be heard, come forward and give your name for the record.

0:39

The amount of discussion as well as the amount of time any single subject is allowed may be limited.

0:43

We're gonna limit it uh public comment period to three minutes.

0:47

And I will open that now.

0:48

Please step forward.

0:53

Good morning, members of the committee.

0:55

My name is Kayla Mayessa.

0:56

Last name is M A E S E.

0:58

I'm the policy manager at the ACLU of Nevada.

1:01

And I'm here on agenda item number five, but particularly it is chapter 11.68.108 subsection G.

1:10

Excuse me.

1:11

Um before adopting any new identification system requirements, the city should identify the problem that it seeks to address and why um less intrusive alternatives are insufficient.

1:22

The city has several other tools available to address duplicate registrations and unauthorized use of performance circles before imposing a city issued identification card requirement.

1:32

Rather than requiring a city issued identification card, the city should rely on individualized verification based on the application and assignment already awarded through the registration process.

1:42

Um this can mean a designated city representative could either verify the person who is occupying the circle with their approved application, um, whether that's based on the time and location that corresponds with the awarded um member who gets that circle.

1:56

So if an individual cannot be verified as a person who was awarded that circle in that moment, then the city may direct that individual to vacate the location.

2:04

Um we just think that this approach would um direct the issue at hand while being a um excuse me while avoiding a blanket identification card requirement.

2:13

So thank you so much.

2:14

We're more than happy to work with the city on any language if needed.

2:17

Thank you.

2:18

Thank you so much.

2:19

Is there anybody else here for public comment?

2:23

Hearing and saying none, we'll close the public comment period.

2:25

Moving on to item number four for possible action to approve the final minutes by reference of the August 17th, 2026 recommending committee meeting.

2:32

I'll entertain a motion.

2:33

So move.

2:34

There's a motion, please vote.

2:37

And post.

2:38

And those meeting minutes have been passed.

2:40

Moving on to item number five, bill number 2026-31 for possible action, amends various sections of LVMC chapter 11.68 to update provisions governing street performers within the pedestrian mall and clarify provisions related to events held by the Fremont Street Experience LLC, sponsored by Mayor Shirley Berkeley, Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, Mayor Pro Tem, Olivia Diaz, and Councilwoman Chandra Summers Armstrong.

3:04

And Mr.

3:04

Dorkak, I will turn it over to you.

3:06

Thank you, Chair, and thank you, recommending committee.

3:08

Good morning.

3:09

We are here to uh have your review of our first substantive changes to the Fremont Street Experience Pedestrian Mall chapter in just over a decade.

3:18

And we are also here for the public hearing on this item, uh, for which I believe we have several people in the audience who will speak after I do this brief presentation on the proposed bill.

3:28

Uh with this ordinance, it wouldn't be possible without a lot of the stakeholders who are in the audience, so I want to acknowledge them right out front.

3:36

Uh our Department of Public Safety, Chief Potts, Officer Stephanie Scott, Lieutenant Tim Mullins uh were on the front lines of identifying the issues on the uh Fremont Street experience in order to help us uh create some changes that would improve this ordinance.

3:53

Uh they worked hand in hand with the Fremont Street experience and their security with Metro.

3:59

And then perhaps most importantly, what we heard who we heard from throughout this process and here today again uh are the street performers themselves.

4:06

We had a town hall specifically for the street performers along with uh the American Civil Liberties Union to bring us their ideas and their suggestions for what we could do to help improve the process.

4:17

And as I said, without the uh involvement of the street performers, I don't think we would have been able to identify a lot of the areas that we're looking to fix with this ordinance.

4:26

Specifically, we want to make this process fairer for all of the performers so that they all have the ability to uh get access to the circles which are in the essentially the prime location in the prime time of the Fremont Street experience, but do so while we maintain proper security, proper traffic flow, and allow everyone who's down there the workers, the tourists, the citizens of Las Vegas, and the street performers themselves to enjoy that location.

4:53

So, with that, I'm gonna briefly go through the bill uh that the council has heard about previously in uh non quorum council briefings, and again, most of the audience probably has heard at our town hall.

5:04

So I will move expeditiously but hopefully not too quickly to hit the main topics that are in this bill.

5:11

Again, the time, place, and manner restrictions about where you could do performances on the Fremont Street Experience date back to at least 2011.

5:19

This is our first substantive changes that we're proposing since 2015 at recommending committee.

5:24

The Fremont Street Experience goes from Main Street to Las Vegas Boulevard with some areas as you can see on the map here.

5:31

This is from the official ordinance uh years ago, and it's still active today.

5:35

The black north south is sometimes forgotten, but that is also within the pedestrian mall.

5:40

We have all of the spots uh currently marked with the yellow squares on this picture, along with a general open zone area on third street, which I will again reference as we go through the bill highlights.

5:55

Again, some of the history.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement████████████████████████████████████36%
First Amendment Issues███████████████████████████████31%
Public Safety████████████████16%
Street Performance Regulation███████████11%
Procedural███3%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Las Vegas Recommending Committee Meeting on Street Performer Regulations - August 31, 2026

The Las Vegas Recommending Committee met on August 31, 2026, to consider Bill 2026-31, which amends regulations for street performers on the Fremont Street Experience Pedestrian Mall. The meeting included a presentation from the city attorney, public testimony from street performers and community members, and a committee vote to forward the ordinance with an amendment to the City Council.

Consent Calendar

  • The committee unanimously approved the final minutes of the August 17, 2026, recommending committee meeting by reference.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Kayla Mayessa (ACLU of Nevada) spoke on agenda item five, opposing the city-issued identification card requirement. She argued that the city should first identify the problem and consider less intrusive alternatives, such as individualized verification by a city representative based on the approved application and assignment.
  • Corey Parson (street performer, 10-11 years) expressed concern about circle closures during concerts, holidays, and special events, stating that he relies on daily income to pay for his room and that closures force him to the streets.
  • Martinez (showgirl, 6 years) opposed the proposed 30-minute rule for first come, first serve, arguing it would waste an hour of the two-hour time slot and create more conflicts. She suggested 10-15 minutes for the first two registered performers.
  • Warren/Alston (performer) asked whether multiple performers can still be part of one act under the new registration system.
  • Mike Nimchek (performer as Stitch) supported the ID card idea but suggested a 15-minute window for claiming a circle. He also proposed keeping some circles open during concerts and events with security presence.
  • Kelvin Gordon (performer) argued for a five-minute waiting period instead of 30 minutes, and noted that current first-come-first-serve rules create hostile confrontations.
  • Mark Anthony Nimchuk (performer, 15 years) reported that he has not received a circle in 23 days despite the lottery, and alleged that others sell circles for $50 each.
  • Heather (performer, 14-15 years) supported the ID requirement but opposed the 30-minute rule, noting that people wait for hours to sell spots.
  • Martin (performer, 10+ years) raised concerns about circle closures during events, lack of available circles, and unfair enforcement of decibel limits while clubs play loud music.
  • Sandy (retired performer) supported the ID system but called the 30-minute rule "crap." She also complained about last-minute closures of Fremont Street for events.
  • Alexandra Summers (performer) agreed with the picture ID but strongly disagreed with the 30-minute buffer, calling it a waste of performance time.
  • Tony Foot (performer as Michael Jackson) supported the ID system and asked for more circles to remain open during events, noting that closures have increased in the last two years.
  • Stephanie (palm weaver, since 2017) supported the ID idea but criticized the frequent closure of circles (e.g., for First Friday and concerts) and alleged that closures are not always properly permitted.
  • Carly Evans (performer, 12 years) disagreed with the 30-minute rule and supported the photo ID.
  • Buddy Big Mountain (performer, 14 years) stated that enforcement of existing rules, applied equally to all, would solve most problems without new rules.
  • Little KK Hustle and Tasha Black (performers) alleged corruption, bribery, and harassment by Fremont Street security, including a supervisor who maced them and allows drug activity.
  • K1 Black (father of Little KK) reiterated claims of a criminal organization among security, with bribes and special treatment.
  • Gerald Lechner (street performer, federal lawsuit against LVMPD) argued the ordinance is not constitutionally compliant, that registration is unconstitutional, and that the proposed changes add 22 new restrictions while only 8 new freedoms. He called for equal enforcement and claimed the lottery is rigged.

Discussion Items

  • City Attorney Jeff Dorkak presented the bill, noting it was the first substantive change in over a decade. He highlighted problems with multiple registrations, sale of circles, and lack of enforcement. The bill proposes:
    • Prohibiting dangerous acts (backflips, simulated fighting, etc.).
    • Creating a civil enforcement process with an independent hearing officer, allowing suspension of circle rights for up to six months after three violations.
    • Requiring registration (email or phone) and a photo ID (at no cost) to verify lottery winners.
    • One winner and one alternate per two-hour block; if neither shows, first come first serve for one person.
    • A five-foot buffer zone around circles.
    • Expanding open performance zones on Third Street.
    • Clarifying Fremont Street Experience's authority to close circles for events, with city manager oversight.
  • Dorkak submitted a binder of declarations from street performers documenting fraud and abuse of the registration system, including a video of a cash-for-circle transaction.
  • Councilwoman Diaz asked about the buffer zone enforcement; Dorkak noted it would be based on officer judgment. Dorkak also confirmed that the registration system overhaul will allow only one registration per person.
  • Patrick Riley (attorney for Fremont Street Experience) spoke in support of the bill, stating that the current system's inability to verify identities has led to fraudulent registrations, duplicate accounts, and a pay-to-play environment. He said the changes protect free speech and public safety.
  • Councilwoman Summers Armstrong moved to approve the item with the amendment that the waiting period for lottery winners and alternates be reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes each, for a total of 30 minutes before first come, first serve.

Key Outcomes

  • The committee voted to approve Bill 2026-31 with the amendment to reduce the 30-minute waiting period to 15 minutes for the winner and 15 minutes for the alternate. The motion passed and the item will be heard by the Las Vegas City Council for a vote on September 16, 2026.
  • The committee also heard additional citizen participation (item 6) regarding ongoing concerns about security misconduct, discriminatory enforcement, and circle closures. No formal action was taken on those comments.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. This is the recommending committee for August 31st, 2026. We are officially called the order. And I will ask if we are in compliance with the open meeting law. Yes, we are. Thank you very much. And item number three is public comment. Comment during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters on the agenda for action. If you wish to be heard, come forward and give your name for the record. The amount of discussion as well as the amount of time any single subject is allowed may be limited. We're gonna limit it uh public comment period to three minutes. And I will open that now. Please step forward. Good morning, members of the committee. My name is Kayla Mayessa. Last name is M A E S E. I'm the policy manager at the ACLU of Nevada. And I'm here on agenda item number five, but particularly it is chapter 11.68.108 subsection G. Excuse me. Um before adopting any new identification system requirements, the city should identify the problem that it seeks to address and why um less intrusive alternatives are insufficient. The city has several other tools available to address duplicate registrations and unauthorized use of performance circles before imposing a city issued identification card requirement. Rather than requiring a city issued identification card, the city should rely on individualized verification based on the application and assignment already awarded through the registration process. Um this can mean a designated city representative could either verify the person who is occupying the circle with their approved application, um, whether that's based on the time and location that corresponds with the awarded um member who gets that circle. So if an individual cannot be verified as a person who was awarded that circle in that moment, then the city may direct that individual to vacate the location. Um we just think that this approach would um direct the issue at hand while being a um excuse me while avoiding a blanket identification card requirement. So thank you so much. We're more than happy to work with the city on any language if needed. Thank you. Thank you so much. Is there anybody else here for public comment? Hearing and saying none, we'll close the public comment period. Moving on to item number four for possible action to approve the final minutes by reference of the August 17th, 2026 recommending committee meeting. I'll entertain a motion. So move. There's a motion, please vote. And post. And those meeting minutes have been passed. Moving on to item number five, bill number 2026-31 for possible action, amends various sections of LVMC chapter 11.68 to update provisions governing street performers within the pedestrian mall and clarify provisions related to events held by the Fremont Street Experience LLC, sponsored by Mayor Shirley Berkeley, Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, Mayor Pro Tem, Olivia Diaz, and Councilwoman Chandra Summers Armstrong. And Mr. Dorkak, I will turn it over to you. Thank you, Chair, and thank you, recommending committee. Good morning. We are here to uh have your review of our first substantive changes to the Fremont Street Experience Pedestrian Mall chapter in just over a decade. And we are also here for the public hearing on this item, uh, for which I believe we have several people in the audience who will speak after I do this brief presentation on the proposed bill. Uh with this ordinance, it wouldn't be possible without a lot of the stakeholders who are in the audience, so I want to acknowledge them right out front. Uh our Department of Public Safety, Chief Potts, Officer Stephanie Scott, Lieutenant Tim Mullins uh were on the front lines of identifying the issues on the uh Fremont Street experience in order to help us uh create some changes that would improve this ordinance. Uh they worked hand in hand with the Fremont Street experience and their security with Metro. And then perhaps most importantly, what we heard who we heard from throughout this process and here today again uh are the street performers themselves. We had a town hall specifically for the street performers along with uh the American Civil Liberties Union to bring us their ideas and their suggestions for what we could do to help improve the process. And as I said, without the uh involvement of the street performers, I don't think we would have been able to identify a lot of the areas that we're looking to fix with this ordinance.

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