OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Las Vegas City Council Meeting - September 2, 2026

Public Meetings — Wednesday, September 2, 2026
BodyLas Vegas, Nevada
SessionPublic Meetings
DateWednesday, September 2, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:54:02

Transcript — Verbatim
3:28

Okay, I think we're starting.

3:33

Okay.

3:34

Okay.

3:35

All right.

3:36

Yes, okay.

3:38

All right.

3:38

I think if I start talking show.

3:57

These proceedings are being video recorded and can be viewed live on City of Las Vegas TV on Cox Cable Channel Two.

4:05

You could also watch the meeting live online and access other city content by visiting Las Vegas Nevada.gov.

4:18

The Wednesday of the meeting at eight PM and also on Friday at four A.M., Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 7 A.M.

4:27

and the following Monday at 5 p.m.

4:30

This building is protected by a state-of-the-art fire detection and suppression sprinkler system.

4:36

If alarm should activate during today's meeting, please evacuate using the exits at the back of the chambers out to the mezzanine, proceed out the double doors to the terrace and down the back staircase.

4:49

For anyone that has difficulty with stairs, please check with a marshal or fire official for assistance.

5:03

Employees wearing safety vests or our city marshals will inform you when it is safe to re-enter the building.

5:10

For public comment related to the items on the agenda, citizen participation, and public hearing items, we have available a speaker card which you could complete and submit to the city clerk.

5:23

Cards are available in the clerk's office or at the rear of the chambers.

5:28

If you do not submit a card, it does not prevent you from speaking under public comment, citizens' participation, or specified public hearing items.

5:37

If there is anyone present today that has a need for hearing impaired equipment, please see the city clerk staff.

5:45

And please note if you are parked in the parking garage across the street.

5:49

A self-validation machine is located in the foyer between council chambers and the security desk you walk through to enter these chambers.

5:59

You must have your ticket to use the validation machine.

6:03

If you do not have your ticket, see security personnel when exiting for a validation coupon.

6:10

Before we proceed with the agenda, would everyone please rise for the invocation given by Pastor Benny Hawkis, Victory Outreach Las Vegas, and remain standing as he leads us in the pledge.

6:23

Good morning and welcome.

6:26

If I could please everybody please bother heads, please.

6:29

Heavenly Father, we come before you this beautiful morning in the mighty name of Jesus and God.

6:45

I pray that you grant them wisdom, discernment, my God.

6:48

And I pray most of all, God, that they be ordered, my God, for I ask you this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

6:56

Amen.

6:58

Gonna do the Pledge of Allegiance now.

7:01

A pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

7:06

To the Republican.

7:08

So we just indivisible liberty and justice for all.

7:16

God bless you.

7:17

Thank you so much.

7:18

Thank you.

7:30

She recently passed, left far too young, but had made a tremendous impact on this community.

7:37

And I, for one, will miss her very, very much.

7:40

So may I ask now for a moment of silence.

7:51

Thank you so much.

7:53

We will now proceed to the ceremonial.

8:29

All right.

8:35

Good morning, everybody.

8:38

This is the ceremonial portion of our council agenda.

8:42

And for our first item, Mayor Pro Tem Diaz will honor our citizen of the month.

8:48

Mayor Pro Tem.

8:50

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and good morning, everyone.

8:52

It's always great to have you all join us, especially for this very uplifting part of our meeting.

8:58

I do have the honor today of recognizing an outstanding Ward 3 resident.

9:03

From the moment that I was elected, he came to me seeking to offer help and support to make a change in an area of Ward 3 that needs it desperately.

9:14

And I think we're on the right path.

9:16

And so with that, I'm gonna invite uh our honoree, our citizen of the month, Mr.

9:21

September.

9:22

David Ronan.

9:32

I know.

9:32

We don't have anything queued up as he walks up here, but it's okay.

9:37

Uh David Renan is incredibly proud to always represent the Gateway District where he lives and works as a developer, bringing much needed housing to the area.

9:47

I had the honor of meeting David, as I mentioned before early in my tenure, and I witnessed how he himself has transformed dilapidated buildings and vacant parcels into housing.

10:00

One of the most striking elements of his projects is how thoughtful he is in designing housing to meet the diverse needs of our residents and bring dignity to an area that has sorely lacked it and needs it.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Miscellaneous█████████████████████████25%
Procedural████████████████████20%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████18%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Education██2%
Grant Management██2%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Las Vegas City Council Meeting – September 2, 2026

The Las Vegas City Council met on September 2, 2026, at 3:58 PM for a regular meeting. The session opened with an invocation by Pastor Benny Hawkis of Victory Outreach Las Vegas, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moment of silence for a recently deceased community member. The council then proceeded with ceremonial recognitions, a consent agenda, public hearings, a report on the Street Rehabilitation Program, and council member updates.

Ceremonial Recognitions

  • Citizen of the Month – David Ronan (Ward 3): Recognized by Mayor Pro Tem Diaz for his work revitalizing the Gateway District (formerly known as Naked City) through housing development, including the renovation of dilapidated buildings into affordable units, partnerships with the Safe Village Initiative, and his philosophy of “look at the person first, the application second.”
  • Joyce Rogers Haldeman Day (September 2, 2026): Councilwoman Kelly presented a proclamation honoring Joyce Haldeman for decades of civic service, including leadership in Clark County School District bond campaigns (totaling $4.7 billion in the 1990s), humanitarian work (7,000 moving kits, 3 million pounds of food distributed, nearly $4 million raised through Southern Nevada Giving Machines), and her mentorship of community leaders.

Consent Calendar

  • Items 11–14 and 24A–24B were approved en bloc by a voice vote (motion carried). These included routine approvals recommended by departments.
  • Item 10 was stricken from the consent agenda.
  • Item 15 was stricken.
  • Item 26 was held in abeyance to the November 4, 2026 City Council meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Shoshana (resident): Urged the council to end invocations at government meetings, arguing that clergy can refuse to report sex crimes against children and citing multiple local cases of clergy sexual abuse, including pastors indicted or convicted. She stated that religion does not belong in public meetings.
  • Chad Nenover (Culinary Union): Representing Valley Hospital workers, stated that workers have not had a raise since 2017, while Valley Hospital sent $184 million out of Las Vegas for home office allocations from 2017 to mid-2026, and the Valley Health System sent $1.2 billion to UHS corporate headquarters. He asked the council to urge Valley Hospital to negotiate a fair contract.
  • Karen Espinoza (cook at Valley Hospital, Culinary Union): Described working without a wage increase for nine years, the increased cost of living, and her dedication during COVID. She asked the council to tell Valley Hospital to come back to the bargaining table and sign a contract with fair wages.
  • Eric King (longtime resident): Advocated for rainwater harvesting on higher slopes (e.g., Frenchman Mountain) to reduce flooding, infrastructure costs, and chemical content from Lake Mead, noting that 24,000 acre-feet of water falls on the watershed annually.

Discussion Items

  • Street Rehabilitation Program Report (Michael Cunningham, Acting Public Works Director): Presented an overview of the city’s street rehabilitation, including construction services (mill-and-overlay, full reconstruction) and preventive maintenance (crack seal, slurry seal). The city maintains over 1,400 miles of roadway. Funding sources include motor vehicle fuel tax (~$11.3 million/year), RTC allocations (~$5 million/year in CIP), and federal grants (e.g., $11.6 million for Vision Zero with a 5% local match). Council members asked about coordination with utilities, the 10-year cycle for slurry seals, the impact of heavy trucks on residential streets, and school zone safety improvements. The council received the report; no action was taken.
  • Appointments to Youth Leadership Advisory Council:
    • Spencer Whitely (Ward 1) – approved unanimously.
    • Zoe Jimenez (Ward 4) – approved unanimously.
    • Naveea Blankenship (Ward 5) – approved unanimously.
  • Bills Adopted:
    • Bill 2026-29 (amending LVMC 6.50 to allow restaurants with on-premise alcohol licenses to sell sealed alcoholic beverages for to-go with meals) – approved.
    • Bill 2026-30 (amending LVMC 19.9 regarding trash enclosure standards in the downtown overlay district) – approved.
  • New Bills Assigned to Recommending Committee: Bills 2026-32 (clarifying general plan, by-right, and lighting standards) and 2026-33 (amending civil fine assessment language) were assigned to the September 14, 2026 recommending committee (Councilman Knutson, Councilwomen Polenski, Diaz).
  • Public Hearing – Item 25 (SUP-77896): An open-air vending transient sales lot use at 1031 Fremont Street was approved on a one-motion, one-vote basis (motion carried). No public testimony was offered.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda items 11–14, 24A–24B approved en bloc.
  • Appointments of Spencer Whitely, Zoe Jimenez, and Naveea Blankenship to the Youth Leadership Advisory Council (all approved unanimously).
  • Bills 2026-29 and 2026-30 adopted.
  • Item 25 (special use permit) approved.
  • Item 26 held in abeyance to November 4, 2026.
  • Street Rehabilitation Program report received; no action taken.
  • Council member recognitions and upcoming events noted (no formal action).
  • The meeting adjourned after council member updates.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, I think we're starting. Okay. Okay. All right. Yes, okay. All right. I think if I start talking show. These proceedings are being video recorded and can be viewed live on City of Las Vegas TV on Cox Cable Channel Two. You could also watch the meeting live online and access other city content by visiting Las Vegas Nevada.gov. The Wednesday of the meeting at eight PM and also on Friday at four A.M., Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 7 A.M. and the following Monday at 5 p.m. This building is protected by a state-of-the-art fire detection and suppression sprinkler system. If alarm should activate during today's meeting, please evacuate using the exits at the back of the chambers out to the mezzanine, proceed out the double doors to the terrace and down the back staircase. For anyone that has difficulty with stairs, please check with a marshal or fire official for assistance. Employees wearing safety vests or our city marshals will inform you when it is safe to re-enter the building. For public comment related to the items on the agenda, citizen participation, and public hearing items, we have available a speaker card which you could complete and submit to the city clerk. Cards are available in the clerk's office or at the rear of the chambers. If you do not submit a card, it does not prevent you from speaking under public comment, citizens' participation, or specified public hearing items. If there is anyone present today that has a need for hearing impaired equipment, please see the city clerk staff. And please note if you are parked in the parking garage across the street. A self-validation machine is located in the foyer between council chambers and the security desk you walk through to enter these chambers. You must have your ticket to use the validation machine. If you do not have your ticket, see security personnel when exiting for a validation coupon. Before we proceed with the agenda, would everyone please rise for the invocation given by Pastor Benny Hawkis, Victory Outreach Las Vegas, and remain standing as he leads us in the pledge. Good morning and welcome. If I could please everybody please bother heads, please. Heavenly Father, we come before you this beautiful morning in the mighty name of Jesus and God. I pray that you grant them wisdom, discernment, my God. And I pray most of all, God, that they be ordered, my God, for I ask you this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen. Gonna do the Pledge of Allegiance now. A pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the Republican. So we just indivisible liberty and justice for all. God bless you. Thank you so much. Thank you. She recently passed, left far too young, but had made a tremendous impact on this community. And I, for one, will miss her very, very much. So may I ask now for a moment of silence. Thank you so much. We will now proceed to the ceremonial. All right. Good morning, everybody. This is the ceremonial portion of our council agenda. And for our first item, Mayor Pro Tem Diaz will honor our citizen of the month. Mayor Pro Tem. Thank you, Madam Mayor, and good morning, everyone. It's always great to have you all join us, especially for this very uplifting part of our meeting. I do have the honor today of recognizing an outstanding Ward 3 resident.

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