Good evening, everyone.

That was louder than I expected.

Um, welcome to the Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 uh regular city council meeting.

It is 501.

We're gonna get started.

We're gonna start with an invocation by Pastor Justin Lowe of the First Baptist Church.

Yeah, just up to the mic there.

Just let's pray.

Dearly Father, Lord, we just want to come before you, Lord.

I just want to thank you so much for your grace.

Lord, that you loved us enough that you left heaven, came to earth, died on a cross to rescue us from sin so we could have the gift of eternal life.

Lord, we know your word tells us that we're dead in our trespasses of sins apart from you, but we can be born again by your spirit and have the right to become children of God because of what you accomplished on the cross.

And so, Lord, I thank you for that.

Thank you that we can be saved not by our works, but because of your gift of your grace, we can have the gift of eternal life.

Lord, I just pray over this meeting uh today, Lord.

I just pray for each individual here that you would give wisdom and discernment and uh help them to make decisions.

We just thank you for the the beautiful city of Mesquite.

And we just pray that it'd be run well and that that you'd be honored and your name, your great name would be lifted high in this city.

And so we pray all these things in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor.

We'd ask that y'all please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge.

Congratulations on the United States of America.

And for the standard under God and so they're all we are going to start off with a presentation from Debbie Benham from the Parade of Lights.

Good evening, Mayor Whipple, members of City Council and the residents and businesses of Mesquite.

My name is Debbie Benham, and I am here to give the final report for this year's Parade of Lights and Community Food Drive.

This was the 11th annual Parade of Lights, and it was the biggest to date.

We had 39 entries in the parade.

Eight of the 39 entries were new.

The parade has grown every year.

Give a little bee.

Give a little bit of love to me.

I'll give a little be.9 pounds of food and non-perishable items.

This year, my husband Mike set a goal of 25,000 pounds.

Well, we didn't make his goal.

We surpassed it.

I am pleased to announce that the total for this year's food drive is 26,596.1 pounds.

This community food drive is very important to me.

According to state records, nearly 15% of Nevadans were food insecure last year.

And one in four children were food insecure.

In Mesquite, the Salvation Army serves between 600 and 700 people monthly.

That does not include the senior program.

That does not include the senior program that represents another 90 to 110 people.

What I like about the Salvation Army is that when people come in for food, they are given a list of available items they can choose.

They can then choose what their family needs.

They can come to the Salvation Army once or twice a month based on their needs and availability.

When donations are received, I purchase needed food items.

I also purchase household items such as laundry detergent, dish soap, paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper.

I also purchased personal care items such as shampoo, body wash, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream, disposable razors, and bars of soap.

Snap benefits cannot be used for these needed items.

The Salvation Army takes care of the entire family needs, even dogs and cats.

So in closing, I am asking that everyone considers participating in the parade or making a donation to the Parade of Lights Corporation so that we can continue the tradition and continue to help people in need in our community.

Donations should be sent to 635 Oregon Trail, Mesquite, Nevada.

We are a 501c3 nonprofit, therefore all donations are tax deductible.

As a reminder, the 12th annual Parade of Lights will be on Thursday, December the 3rd at 5 30.

The theme will be home for the holidays.

Thank you for your time.

Good evening, Mayor Council Mike Benham.

Can I have Randy Lop to come up here, please?

I have a little something for Randy.

As you know, Debbie got locked in the building.

And Randy came to the rescue.

And I think he deserved a million dollar chocolate ball.

Thank you, Ryan.

Councilwoman Gellow.

I uh I want to thank both of you for all that you do.

But Deb, Debbie, you are amazing.

Um, for those of you that don't know, she also does take care of a lot of things for babies and for children, but she marks every one of those cans with dates.

Every piece that you saw in there, she handles personally.

Um, and that's a that's an amazing feat.

And the time and effort that you put into this, we cannot thank you enough.

The families in this city that really need the help.

Um I just want to say thank you so much.

Thank you.

Now we're gonna have a presentation by MPAC.

Uh Karen Miss Gimmons, uhite Public Arts Commission from here, mayor, council people.

Um, just want to let you know a little something about um the start of the new year.

A few things are changing at the Mesquite Public Arts Commission.

First, three of our members are leaving us.

Um, the first one is Bonnie Petros, who's been with the commission since it started.

Um, she's decided it's time to really retire and enjoy our golf game a little more.

We sincerely appreciate all she's contributed to our work over all these years and the wisdom she's shared since she's been the history.

She's the one person who's been there forever.

Um, second, Judy Cole White has decided to step down, but she's not going very far.

Um, she wanted to devote all her energy to our first Friday event, which is like one of our biggest projects, and the Mesquite First Friday Arts and Historic Family Walk.

She's the one who got this off the ground.

She's the one who's been building it, and um, she's doing an awesome job, even through everything that she's been through this past fall.

Um, and we thank Judy.

Um, and I honestly I don't think I could have done what she did.

Um, took a lot of strength.

Um, plus the fact that maybe it was good for her, but she's working really hard at this, so we're we're really hoping this First Friday keeps on going.

It's a learning curve, um, and we're learning.

So and thirdly, our newest member, Cynthia Delaney came to us this year.

She's been on for a year.

Um, she came from Reno, and her and her husband have decided to go back to Reno.

So unfortunately, we're losing her and all her great ideas, but her one thing is that she still wants to work with us.

She wants to help us out down here, and if we can do things in conjunction with Reno, she's we're gonna find a way to do something.

Okay.

Um finally, um, let you all know I'm stepping down as chair.

Um, I've really enjoyed it.

I'm not leaving the commission.

I'm staying on as long as Patty will have me.

Uh anyway, um, but I I think change is good, and I believe in like two to three years, it's time to rotate people in and out because everybody's got new ideas, new thoughts.

And got old Steve here.

It's gonna be your new chair.

So um, I'm gonna turn this over.

Um, you it's not probably not the last time you'll see me because I do like to get up and talk so you can find C.

Um, so if he needs things presented, I'll I'll probably present too.

Um, but anyway, Steve's gonna tell you who's coming in and what we have going on.

Okay, Karen actually enjoys these meetings and she likes to stay to the end.

So thanks for your leadership.

I think we got a lot done last year, and we all appreciate it.

So um, Karen, you've appointed Dave Bennett, okay, which I learned more about Dave today to the commission.

And um, Kevin, um, you've appointed um Bethany Overlin Green, and we appreciate that.

I don't know Dave, but I will, but I do know Bethany, and she's you know a ball of fire, and we're pretty excited.

There's an at-large spot still open, so we're looking for somebody to fill that at large spot.

And I think that's it.

Um to say, you know, we've done a lot.

Um, I will say that the community piano is over at, and mayor, we're waiting for you to come over there and play.

Chopsticks, maybe, you know.

That's that that's that's fine.

It's being played, right?

And it got sanded and primed today.

And Chris at the art gallery will be getting some folks to paint it.

So we'll have a pretty a pretty joyous piece there.

So thank you.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Thanks, Dave.

And now we're gonna have Randy Lobb come up and do a presentation.

Uh Mayor Council, every year they have a Christmas lighting contest.

Uh appreciate all the judges who were able to come out and take part in that.

I'm gonna turn the time over to Haido.

He kind of ran our that little contest for us.

Uh I just want to tell him thank you for following up, taking care of business.

He does a great job.

Um I'm gonna turn it over to Heido.

Like Randy said, we want to recognize those who did a really good job.

I mean, the judges know that these guys go all out and they do a really good job with their holiday decorating contest.

Um, honorable mention we have Bill Sylvester, third place.

We have Terry Plink, second place we have Sarah Malloy, and then first place we have Ellen Ann Sornson, which is the team Rock Springs.

Um, each of these guys got a swag bag from us, and they also got memberships to the rec center, and they just did a phenomenal job.

So we want to recognize their hard work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, councilman Gowl.

Heidel, I just want to say thank you to for all your the help that you lend to Debbie um to bring in the food and to help um over there at the building.

How much you do do um in the city.

So I just want to say thank you.

Great job.

Okay, we are gonna move on to our opening public comment.

Yes.

Were any of the winners here from the light parade?

Or the light contest.

Oh, stand up.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Congratulations.

Yeah, for sure.

Martin.

Come on, uh Martin, go ahead.

Because we know this is a team effort, we gave them two memberships, too, two family memberships.

Randy, get up there and get in that photo.

I know.

Come on.

I don't know what you're all saying.

Okay, ready?

One, two, three.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Okay, now we're gonna go ahead and open up our opening public comment.

Um you have three minutes.

This is for items that are not on the agenda.

Um please come forward.

I'm sorry.

Hi, my name's Dominic Olivetto.

I'm a Mesquite resident.

And since you're wearing a suit and tie, mayor, I brought my best hat tonight just to fit in.

Uh you're looking good.

Thank you for the fib.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

Uh I have a concern about our infrastructure.

Right now we have uh 184 single family homes for sale in mesquite, and that's just on the Mesquite MLS.

Forty-two of them are new bills.

There's 13 lots available.

Builders are offering discounts that would scare you to death.

When somebody posts a house for $780,000 and they can't move it, turn around and drop over $100,000 overnight.

That affects all of our property values.

Part of our problem is we don't have an infrastructure.

I know you've heard me get up here in song and dance about poor little old Carbon County with 15 times the things that we have here, you know, three lumber yards, six grocery stores, total county population of 22,000.

Severe County, a home depot.

Maybe we can't get a home depot, but I'm sure we could get a Sutherlands.

And I'm sure we could get another grocery store in town, especially if you give them a deal on some land and help them out that way.

Uh a lot of people that I talk to every day, and just so you know, it just isn't my opinion.

I represent the VVA and the Coca-Pelle Club, and between the two, there's about 400 people there.

And all the time they're telling me what's gonna happen to this city if we just keep building all these houses and doing all this stuff, and we can't get in a grocery store.

But we can get another motel when the one that just got remodeled up there can't even fill it 50 percent.

I think we need to move forward with slowing down on building permits and push really hard to get a lumber yard, another grocery store, and some more infrastructure in town.

Thank you.

Thanks, Dominic.

Evening, Mayor Council Mike Benham.

Not gonna elaborate on this.

I'll bring it up at the next county meeting.

But I was the last one to get a subpoena.

One of your employees was on that subpoena.

I'm not happy.

And the more or less, the more I think about it, the more angry I get because they didn't have the courtesy to tell me that it was canceled.

I got a phone call from one of the other guys who got supina and said, Did you get canceled?

I said, nope, I'm on the schedule.

I called the day before, and they said, Oh no, you're canceled.

They put it in the mail that I got after the time I was supposed to be there.

Really?

They had no trouble sending the guy out to knock on my door.

Here's your subpoena.

The least they could have done, courtesy, was to say it's canceled.

I don't think it's fair.

I really don't.

So I didn't have a choice.

I have now hired an attorney, and he'll be dealing with it.

We spent 10 hours going through everything that they required.

Two ink cartridges, eight o'clock at night.

We had to run up to Walmart to get another damn ink cartridge to make the deadline to get it in.

But it is what it is, and as I said, you people up there had nothing to do with this.

I believe that.

But the other thing that I said that you guys had nothing to do with, my attorney is definitely dealing with that, so just to let you know.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Michael.

And happy new year to you.

I'm Donna Vanita, resident of Mosquite.

Happy New Year to all of you.

And um, this is the beginning, the first meeting of 2026, and you probably know why I'm here on this agenda.

I was hoping to see the item asking the city manager to move forward with the police chief position.

We have a police chief interim, which is temporary, which is lasting for a little time.

He's been acting 14 months.

He's been here for 29 years.

If he isn't eligible to be the chief of police of this city, I don't know who in the hell would be.

Thank you, Donna.

Council Mayor, for the record, I'm Marcus Bender.

For months, I have stood at this podium and provided this council with documented evidence of systemic violations of a nightclub at the Red Hills Commercial Subdivision, specifically the unlawful parking shortfall for the nightclub, where a mandatory parking study was never conducted.

Despite these repeated warnings on December 9th, four out of five council members chose to ignore the law and approve a liquor license.

That is fundamentally unlawful.

Moments before your vote, city planner Simon Kim admitted publicly that the mandatory parking study for Red Hills Center could not be found.

So Mr.

Kim somehow could not find a parking study that is required to be recorded with the county.

Gee.

Under the law, no parking study equals no approval.

Furthermore, this council engaged in an administrative bypass, ignoring missing legal requirements to favor a specific applicant.

You even voted to approve before the police department completed its required background check.

I commend Councilmember Gallo for standing alone in refusing to bypass public safety protocols.

While the rest of you, Mr.

Wanlis, Ms.

Fielding, Mr.

Annis, and Mr.

Parrish, neglected your sworn responsibility.

Additionally, the nightclub has only three parking spaces, but requires additional minimum of 53, which I've said many times, to bridge this 50 space gap.

This council effectively sees the property of Nordic Beach Holdings.

By voting yes, you have knowingly aided in a governmental taking of a of a black woman's property.

You I bet that makes you feel really good, huh?

You have granted I ask for your laughter.

You that's what you do.

You think this is funny.

You granted her land to a private business without due process or compensation.

This is a direct violation of the fifth fifth and fourteenth amendments of the U.S.

Constitutional.

You're you know what that is, by the way, U.S.

Constitution.

Your actions are arbitrary, capricious, and violate both the municipal code and state code.

Let it be clear.

After months of public testimony, no member of this council can ever claim ignorance of these facts.

You have chosen to bypass the law and will be held accountable for legal and constitutional consequences of that choice.

I'm committed to this.

Thank you, Marcus.

Good evening, Mayor Whipple and City Council members.

For the record, my name is Raylane Shapano with Nordic Beach Holdings.

Naughty Beach Holdings is owned by Erica Nicholas, one of the few black women business owners in the city of Mesquite, where approximately zero eight percent of the population is black.

The citizens of Mesquite rely on the city council, city planner, city attorney, and city manager to fairly and lawfully enforce the Mesquite Municipal Code and land use regulations.

Instead, the city has relied on phantom HOA using CCNRs that were never amended to have legal connection to the Red Hills Commercial Center.

These do not have the authority or they do not have the right to claim reciprocal parking.

Mr.

Kim admits that he has lack of information.

He admits that he can't find any record of any shared parking studies, transportation, as we're also having a leave right across the street, which would require a transportation, transportation and parking study to be done, which is, I think, being ignored also.

Um Mr.

Kim is admitted it on the record that he doesn't have these documents.

He admits that he understands that under 278, we are a commercial property.

We are not in an HOA.

That is clear.

Even if the city doesn't know that, I'm putting it on the record.

We are not an NRS 116 HOA.

We are a commercial property that has the right to subdivide our property that requires easements to be recorded on a final map.

If they're not recorded, they do not exist.

Mr.

Kim has admission has said his admission that the required parking studies, easements and variances do not exist, means the city lacks the factual and legal basis required for due process.

If the city cannot produce the documents required by the code, it has no lawful basis to issue or maintain any permits, conditional uses, liquor licenses, business licenses.

Proceeding without required findings and documentation violates due process and renders of the approvals legally invalid.

To the extent the city has represented that no such documents exist or relied on on the public.

The failure to produce them also raises serious concerns under the Nevada Public Records Act, which requires transparency and accurate disclosure of records relied upon for the government action.

The city is effectively doing a taking carrying out under the color of law.

As the saying goes, you're robbing Peter to pay Paul.

I'm highly disappointed.

I came here looking for a really good hometown.

I thought this was the place.

But the nightclub has no parking.

If they want to use our parking, they are not allowed.

They cannot do it.

You cannot send your police force over to enforce any parking codes because the city does not have any proof of those codes or easements existing.

I'm asking you to revoke the liquor license.

Thank you.

Thank you, Reline.

Good evening, Mayor of Council.

My name is Erica Nicholas, and I am the owner of the properties that are in subject.

I just wanted to play this quickly for Reline.

Here goes, let's see.

Sorry.

We cannot find any information about transportation issues, traffic calculation and parking calculation issues.

But it doesn't mean we have to make it up right now and provide that information because it was done long ago.

We don't actually recreate them.

Okay, first there are no studies anywhere.

There is no reciprocal parking easements.

You can call the county, you can look anywhere.

There's none.

The parking is private owner parking.

But I just wanted to say I want to thank Rayline to for acknowledging my efforts and my dreams.

When I came to Mskeed, I saw it as an opportunity, an opportunity to grow my business, establish a name for myself, and represent a small minority in this community.

I had plans to open a family fund center, something that's truly needed in this town.

A family fund center is a high occupancy use that serves children, teens, and families.

It requires careful attention to parking circulation and safety.

I want parents to feel comfortable bringing their children, and I want my patrons to know that parking is available nearby and that the environment is safe.

Unfortunately, that opportunity has been blocked, not because of anything I've done, but because my properties are being mischaracterized and used to address another owner's shortcomings at my expense.

We've been unable to pursue the dream because of financial investments required is futile until I know that my land will not be taken or encumbrance without lawful authority, so I can give my patrons a fun and safe center to come to.

And hopefully I can fulfill my dream one day, and I will continue to fight for this.

And again, you cannot allow one business not to have any parking and require the other business to make up for it.

That is like Breeling said, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and that's unlawful.

Thank you.

Thank you, Erica.

Hi, everyone.

Council.

My name is Jackie Thomason.

I'm the director of Murder on the Orient Express.

We're going to be performing at the Virgin Valley Theater.

Who's seen a show at the Virgin Valley Theater Group?

Yay!

This is our opening uh event, our opening show for this year for our season.

Before our season begins, our show starts February 6th for two weekends.

So the 6th and the 7th and the 13th and 14th, a very good Valentine's Day event.

We are doing also a gala at the uh Casablanca.

It is on January 21st from four to eight.

And uh we're gonna be doing a presentation of all the entire season.

The theme is could you talk it in the microphone?

Oh yeah.

There you go.

It feels weird though.

It feels weird.

Uh it is January 21st from four to eight of the uh Casablanca.

It's got I this is weird.

Okay, sorry.

Uh so uh right, so it's going to be that day.

It's themed against the um Murder on the Orient Express, it's gonna be the theme.

Please come in all of your fancy 1935 uh outfits and come and have a good time with us.

Uh the show is really exciting this year.

We have put a lot of time and effort into making a very traditional version of Murder on the Orient Express, and it is going to be so awesome.

I 100% uh recommend that you guys come and see it many times every show would be great.

And uh we're we're really excited.

So this really is I feel strange.

It's so good to be here with you guys.

Thank you very much.

Come and see our show.

Thank you, Jackie.

And I promise you I will be there for every show.

But I did hit every show of Anna of Green Gables.

So I mean and I actually love the Murder on the Orient Express and Agatha Christie, Anna Green Gables.

But I still went to every show and supported.

It was good.

They did a great job.

And it was great.

That's what they're doing.

It's just Anna Green Gables is not um, you know, my my my thing, but but it was really well done.

Right.

But I'm so excited for Murder on the Orient Express.

That's one of my favorites.

It's gonna be okay.

Seeing no one else step forward, I'm gonna go ahead and move on to number two, the consent agenda.

2.1 consideration or approval of A notification of budget transfers, B notification of budget amendments, C notification of bills paid, D purchase orders.

2.2 consideration of approval of resolution number R25-055, adopting supplemental number six to the interlocal contract number 1164 between Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and Clark County, City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, City of Henderson, City of Boulder City, and City of Mesquite for the Maryland Parkway Russell Road to Medical District.

2.3 consideration approval of resolution number R25-056, adopting amendment number one to the interlocal agreement, number 23-017 between Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and Clark County, City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, City of Henderson, City of Boulder City, and City of Musquite.

2.4 consideration of approval of resolution number R 255-057, adopting supplemental number four to the interlope interlocal contract number 1320 between Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and Clark County, City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, City of Henderson, City of Boulder City, and City of Musquite for its ITS master plan.

Do we have any public comment on the consent agenda?

Seeing none, I will ask for a motion.

Councilwoman Fielding.

Thank you, Mayor.

I will make a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Do I have a second?

All second.

Call for the vote.

Yeah, LLI.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Um couple of items I have for mayor's comments.

Um we are taking nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Citizen Award.

Um, those are due by January 23rd.

And so if you have anybody that you would like to nominate for our 2025 Distinguished Citizen, um please get that in.

Uh I think you can do it on the website.

If not, you can get it into Nancy down at the uh administrative offices down there.

Um the other thing is I was gonna say, and she just said it, so it's a little bit redundant, but I'm really excited for the Murder on the Orient Express.

I was Agatha Christie is literally my favorite author.

And so excited about that.

So I'd encourage you to go out and support that.

And if you can make it out to the gala on the 21st at the Casablanca, do that as well.

Uh Councilwoman Gellow, and then Councilman Innis.

So just a couple quick things.

Um last night I had the opportunity to go to the high school for the ladies' basketball game, and it was really exciting.

I have to say, I'm not a big, I'm not a sports person, I'm more of a shopper, but I have to say that it was a really exciting game.

Um, the ladies from Mesquite were unbelievably awesome.

I mean, they're they are just so um, there's so much talent there.

The other thing that was really exciting was the cheerleaders, because the cheerleaders were really good and they did all the really fancy things with up on their feet, and I was just I was absolutely amazed at the amount of talent.

And there was also a band, which I thought was really exciting because they would play in between things.

So it was a really fun, fun game.

So I would recommend if um you get the opportunity to get out to the high school and get out to the schools and watch the kids because it was a lot of fun last night.

And then the one other thing that I just want to share is that um we do have a fundraiser coming.

Um it's called Pods of Hope Foundation.

Um, and it's uh work they're working through a bark uh canine club.

So what's happening is they are an organization that has just come to for fruition, and what they do is they raise money for those as um Deb was mentioning about there are people that um are food insecure.

Well, this is to help um a lot of the families, those people that can't afford maybe to help their animals, maybe they need food, maybe they need surgery, they need something and they can't pay for it on their own.

That's what this organization organization is gonna do.

So um they do have a fundraiser coming up at the Holiday Inn Resort on March 3rd.

The tickets are 55.

There's a whole uh menu and things.

It looks like it's gonna be a lot of fun.

But let's try and support as many of our fundraisers in town that we possibly can.

And that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilwoman.

Councilman Innis.

I just have one thing.

I want to do a reminder that uh on third this coming Thursday from 10 to noon at the Veterans Center.

We're gonna have a veterans uh mobile medical clinic there.

And it's first come, first serve, and hopefully I'll get a huge turn, or they'll get a huge turnout so I can have these folks come back every month for our veterans who are unable to get to either St.

George or Las Vegas.

So if you know the veteran that needs help, just needs anything, we're gonna have a doctor, a nurse, and a therapist there.

And so please tell them to come on down.

If they need a ride, let me know.

We'll go get them.

We don't have a problem with that.

So that's all I have.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilman.

Uh Mr.

Kim.

Um, yes, I would like to introduce uh Nate Grimshaw, our new code enforcement officer.

Nate coming out and introduce yourself.

I think it's getting away with that.

All right, I'm Nate Grimshaw.

Um, I'm originally from Cedar City, actually, Enoch, Utah.

I ended up here after 23 years in the Army and four years in Page, Arizona.

My wife's originally from here and she wanted to move back here, so came here in 2018, been trying to retire, but now that my two fifth graders are going into junior high, it's time to come back to work.

So well, who what better job to have than to try to help the city and work and enjoy what I do here?

So thank you, and I want to think um Simon for uh picking me uh work this job.

Thank you, Nate.

Mr.

Anderson.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh council.

I'd just like to give a quick real um review of what's happening with the roadway and the projects that we've got.

First of all, I want to start with the traffic signal.

Uh many of you may have seen that the polls and the masks and the lights are actually up, but they're bagged not in service.

So please continue to treat those lights as if they're not there.

So they're not a four-way stop.

They're just um those are there.

We did have some people stopping there, but do not treat those lights as if they're operational or a stop sign right now.

Um they're bagged not in service, but the project's moving along.

Um they will be installing the fiber optic network.

Uh, they have all of the ADA ramps on the paved date for the Falcon Ridge will be on January 29th.

So that will they'll finish all the paving and get that lane back operational.

That'll be January 29th.

Switching over to the Millenville project on the Boulevard.

Um, it has been going a little slower than what we had hoped for, but they are progressing.

Um, they're doing the utilities uh still um moving forward.

They will be starting the pavement operations again uh starting the first of February, and that will go from Riverside to Grapevine, and that will be uh working in that month of February, and then they're hoping that the utility work is far enough ahead that they'll get that section and then roll into those.

We will be issuing um notices because at the major intersections, um we are going to have that at night because of just so much traffic in the intersection.

So there will be some, and especially at Riverside, even doing that at night.

I'm going to have to limit some interaction of that intersection.

So I will be putting that out on the website, and I plan to give another presentation to where I can show what will be shut down at our next council meeting for that.

Um Levitt and Hafen Lane is going along well as uh also.

They plan to have the box culverts or pre-cast, and they should be on site the first of February.

So they'll be putting in that culvert and then continuing on.

They're working on the um utilities on the existing portion of Levitt right now, but you've seen that they do have curb and gutter and and that on Hafen.

The street lights are going in.

Very excited.

Switching uh projects on you again.

The animal shelter is looking very good.

In fact, they started to move over stuff from the old section into the new.

But it is uh very well put together building, and we're very excited about that.

Um the fire station, I toured that one yesterday.

They've got tape and texture, drywall going on, it's going very well.

Um, we believe that that's ahead of schedule.

The roadway for Canyon Crest and Horizon, they started working on that.

They're looking at starting the uh curb and gutter on Horizon next week, I believe.

Um, so that's tracking very well.

Um so that's a quick rundown of the projects that we've got going on, and happy to answer if there were any questions on any of those projects.

Councilman one is having them do the riverside at night and certain well.

That is that gonna are we gonna be able to stand our budget knowing that there's going to be overtime involved in that?

So that's a great question.

And no, it won't follow because but I'm weighing the options of it by minimizing the amount that we do at night, um, still is better in the fact that the disruption on the traffic is going to be so severe at Riverside, Grapevine, Woodberry, uh, I believe mesquite and sandhill, this intersection, old mill, the major intersections that are for the school zones and things like that.

We're going to have to do those at night.

Um, but we by not doing the whole thing at night, we're still staying under again.

All of this funding is from the RTC, um, which we're so I won't be able to stay under that budget, but looking at it, we made that decision that it's going to impact the public so dramatically.

I needed to do something to help trim that um that down.

So and citizen safety is the most important.

So thank you.

Any other questions from council?

Okay, seeing none, we're gonna go ahead and move on to item 4.1 consideration of approval of oh sorry, yeah.

Um, I got a couple things um for you tonight.

One is our uh annual year-end report.

We don't we've this is the first time we've done this in quite a while, so I wanted to present that to you and kind of go over to that.

Um, and then I also have um our detention center is required to notify you that we didn't have any in custody deaths every six months.

So that's all that was.

But so our annual report goes next.

So you this I'm gonna make this public for um, it's gonna be on our website, it's gonna be part of our app.

There's a link to it on our app and stuff like that.

Um, so we're gonna this is more or less a dissemination of how the police department's done over the last year and the things that we've done, things we've accomplished.

So one of the things that is a message from me, we can skip that one.

So these are this is my admin team.

Um it's just part of this whole report is about getting to know the PD and the things that we do and our people.

Um, we've got uh Captain Bundy.

Um he's been with the department for 14 years and a total of 20 years.

He runs our general detectives, our um patrolmen, and and all those uh investigative duties that are there.

That's which is a pretty busy job.

And then Captain Rolly, Rolly's been with us for 20 years.

Um, and he did a year before at Metro before he came to ski.

So he's about 21 years in.

Um, he's a runs our crossing guards and uh the volunteers and all this all the school resource officers, community events.

He's he's a bit super busy guy.

Um, Captain Averett um is also been, he's been with the department 14 years and a 22 years overall.

Um he oversees our budget and does a lot, does quite a bit of um work behind the administrative work.

So our administrative, our organizational chart is set up like this.

Um we have which is basically what I just said.

Um it shows the the lines where of authority for our for our department and who manages what we didn't um where the I manage the personally I manage the corrections division, um victims advocates, and animal control.

Um next one.

So we had a the budget this last year.

Our 2024 to 25 budget was the 11th 11 million, 325,939.

We successfully closed work to that and um are currently in our next fiscal year budget of the of the 12 million dollar one.

Our crime statistics, um, we've done well this year.

We've had a reduction in part one crimes of 17 percent.

Um the which are the major crimes, our aggravated um assaults, ours and burglary, homicide, those types of things, our major crimes, which is where we lead um this state as the safest city is in these part one crimes.

We are very we um we have a very low crime rate when you when you look at part one.

Next one, Frank.

So this one has a little bit more of our stuff, and you can see like we had a little a few more accidents this year, um, a couple of couple of small things, but overall um our crime rate is down and everything that matters.

Um noise complaints went up.

I think that has something to do with our uh vacation rental issue, but um we've we've got a few more of those as of late.

Um but the but generally and in essence that the department's doing well to combat crime and keep it down.

Um our patrol and investigations division.

We have um I think these numbers are a teeny bit off because um what we did.

We we have a total of uh 44 sworn officers.

Um all together the PD runs, I think uh we have 70 employees.

Um I have 44 sworn, animal control has five, civilians have eight, dispatch has 10, and crossing guards are three.

So our 44 sworn, so that that's kind of there's a grasp on that.

11 of those are paid completely outside of the city's budget.

Their vehicle, their equipment, um, their pay, everything except for we can't use it for buildings or anything like that.

They're entirely funded, 11 of them through the more cops grant and the crime prevention grants.

So those are they're not really grants, they're they're uh sales tax initiatives, so they don't go away.

So those are perpetual things that we keep up.

Um our patrol guys have handled um did 16,138 calls for police service last year.

Um 175 felony arrests, 678 misdemeanor arrests.

The cell the felony arrests and gross misdemeanors, um, our arrests are all obviously they're transported to Las Vegas Metro for housing, and our jail houses the 673 misdemeanors, the ones that are taken into custody.

Not everybody's not everybody that's arrested goes to custody because there's there's uh non-custodial arrests, which you know, our citation release, things like that.

So those are all included in there.

These are our school resource guys.

Um, one thing to note with our school resource officers is only one of them is funded by the county.

The other two are funded completely by the city.

We are the only elementary school in Clark County that has a school resource officer, a full-time school resource officer.

So we do very well protecting our children, watching out for them here in the city, um, and doing a great job at it.

These guys are the best, they're just the nicest people.

Everybody loves them, right, Julie?

Everybody loves our school resource officers.

Drayton's such a great guy, and Justin and Justin, the Justins and Drayton.

They're doing they just do a wonderful job.

The kids love them.

They do a great, they're very well, they're very well appreciated each one of the schools.

I mean, you can you never hear anything bad about them, so they're just great guys.

Um we have a special response team, which is our uh tactical team.

Um they um train extra every year or every uh a couple times a month.

Um, do a lot more, a lot more uh uh active response type shooting, you know, active shooter type drills and work with um breaching and so forced entry, things like that.

So those these guys are all um it's a it's a it's an appointment that is they uh they all take very seriously and they do a great job.

I'm kind of skimming through this because I'm gonna give it to you guys.

I don't want to make our meeting too much longer.

Our corrections division.

So this year, so our average daily population is only 12.

And the reason being is we've had that everything tore up so bad.

And so working with the judge, and you know, we've been we've kind of delayed some some sentencing and and shifted things to you know, different per community service.

guys are all um it's a it's a it's a appointment that is they they all take very seriously and they do a great job I'm kind of skimming through this because I'm gonna give it to you guys I don't want to make our meeting too much longer our corrections division so this year so our average daily population is only 12 and the reason being is we've had that everything tore up so bad and so working with the judge and you know we've been we've kind of delayed some some sentencing and and shifted things to you know different per community service I'm sure there's things that have happened there to allow us to not have so many people in our jail if you've been to the if you'd been to the detention center you'd see what I mean it's a it's a mess but we're I think we're scheduled to be done on the 29th is well is the what final walkthrough is that what you said today February 2nd and I apologize the justice facility is moving along very well I should have added that but February 2nd is the substantial completion walk date um for that yeah we talked about doing a I guess it's the punch list on the 29th so it was the you know it it keeps going but it's an old building and so every time they move something something else comes up they did 613 bookings last year so that's a lot of people going in out of our facility for for having a down a down year um it's they they do everything so our corrections guys um they're they're in charge of everything that that that inmate has to do so basically it's like babysitting I won't want to say it that way but like you have to it's like taking care of a family in a way because they have you've they've got to feed them all their medical their how their clothing their laundry all those things are accomplished um by our corrections officers there it's a very encompassing job all the things that they have that those people have to have to live inside of that facility they're taking care of and it's it's very busy and then besides that the transports and court activities and things like that it's a busy job there's our detention center remodel so that it got expanded out the back quite a bit we're gonna add on um four holding cells um one larger one safe room our safe room is like wrestling mats on all the walls and the floor they it's an entirely padded room um for just for that people that are trying to do self-harm or combative we can put them in there and they really have a hard time hurting themselves that once they're inside there and so that is unfortunately very common um we we use that daily um and this we had one and this will allow us to have two it also gives us another holding cell so we can um it's really hard sometimes have house males and females you know we we run out of room because we don't have the holdings for both and we obviously can't stick them together um so that's that's uh a big plus for us we're getting a laundry room which we had this little tiny thing for years and years right and so a laundry room's a big deal for us and then the expanding the kitchen and the salad port so it's been a it's been a very uh positive thing um it's it's been very problematic also because of our because of the older building and all the things that they they found inside of it um our records division is there's very very busy also you can imagine 14 hundred and 1455 fingerprints that they've done over the year um sex offender registrations disseminating records those PRs are fun um and then background requests we get lots of information there's tons of things that go through our records division all of our cases that the officers forward go through our records division and then they're forwarded you know to the city attorney to the city to the district attorney's office um for prosecution so they're very very busy people those those they just do a great job too I can send can't say nothing good about them evidence so part of our remodel at the detention center was adding an evidence building prior to this we had um taking the old taken the old um administrative offices and sort of knocked the walls down and made a big long room and that housed our evidence for the last few years and it was less than ideal um it was very very much less than ideal but now this building that we that has been built is is very very nice it's you can see the um down there in that bottom corner you can see those roller cabinets and it which and that it's deep and uh it's a big building that not big building but it's a big area to store all this evidence and um there's some exciting stuff in there you know we so one of the things I love to love to just show when somebody comes in there up is the our marijuana snakes right when we seize marijuana we've got these tubes of marijuana that's probably this big around and like eight feet long the biggest joints you ever saw um all of our stuff's housed in there um we vacuum seal that kind of thing we have gobs and gobs of firearms um and things that we seized you know um pills uh all that stuff is in there and it's very like it's very important that that stuff is monitored and and correctly housed and categorized all the time it's very very picky I can't even get inside there the only only people can get in there is the evidence text and and if anybody else goes in we have to sign in out and they have to be escorted um it's it's it's very high security and this building has made it so much better and so much more efficient for our processes they are they're currently housing well over 6500 pieces of evidence and equip and uh items inside of that building so it's it's been a very big plus and we are actually inside that building everything's torn up all the way around it you gotta walk through mud to get there but it's uh they're they're in there and they're working and it's um it's it's very good that was a big um part of this uh detention center process dispatch wow these these folks are busy 48949 calls

They are they're currently housing well over 6,500 pieces of evidence and uh items inside of that building.

So it's it's been a very big plus.

And we are actually inside that building.

Everything's torn up all the way around it.

You gotta walk through mud to get there, but it's uh they're they're in there and they're working, and it's um it's it's very good.

That was a big um part of this uh detention center process.

Dispatch.

Wow, these these folks are busy.

48,949 calls they received last year.

Um 911, 14,479 calls.

You think about how often that is, they are 24-7 on the phone with someone.

It's literally like that.

I go in there, I go when I go in there to say hi.

It's like I get two seconds, hey, how are you?

And then another phone calls there, and they're off to the next thing.

These are some very, very, very well um their skill sets just do such a good job.

Their skill sets are so high, they type, they're typing with one hand, I swear, and running a radio with the other one and pushing things with their feet, and they're just like orchestrators in there.

It's crazy.

They do such a great job.

Uh they're just it is it is really a tough job.

Um we we probably need a couple more of them as hard as it is in there.

It goes, you imagine 48,000 calls is a lot.

So anyway, they're doing great.

Um, ACO, love these guys.

Um, that new building is awesome, as Travis said.

Uh it's just wonderful.

It's it you go down there, and you're like, geez, this is the nicest building in the city now.

I'm like, gee, that's so nice.

When you go through there, it's really great.

I know the design was great, and then I remember the we got an award, they got a guy I got an award for the design, and they I can see why.

The they've they've done some neat things in there.

The um that uh the ceiling they put in the last little bit out in the foyer.

When you go in there, notice the ceiling.

It's got these crazy lights in it, and whatever.

It was pretty intricate putting together for them.

It was it was pretty wild.

Um, but they've done great.

We're um we're they're they're ahead of schedule a little bit.

Um, they're going back and forth a little bit.

Our volunteers are our animal control guys, they handle a lot of calls too.

They got 8,300 calls last year, which ended up being 3,400 uh incidents.

They, you know, not every call requires an incident, but you know, they got calls for service where they helped and did things for people.

And the volunteers, and Patty knows this better than probably anybody, they put about six thousand six thousand hours of uh volunteer work down there.

With the no-kill shelter, um, we take in roughly 500 animals a year.

Um, they adopted out like 389.

Joe does take some of those animals and and things like that.

Um, none of them are rats, by the way.

Um Joe takes some of them to Vegas, but we can't well, we can't uh um adopt them out here.

So some of them are transferred um to the county and things like that.

So the animal sheltering model has just been um ongoing, great.

Um they're they just got done some pavement out front.

Um they're gonna do a little bit more concrete work, and then that entire front section will kind of be back in service, and then they can when they go to work in the back, they're just getting to that transitional part.

There's putting together furniture and a few things, and those guys will be in there up and running.

We as a police department, we we do probably well, we do over 50 events.

Um this year we did at least 50.

Um, you know, our normal ones, our national night out, shop the cop, grad night are some of our biggest ones.

Um they all run off of donations that we get from folks in town.

Um, there's a lot of work that goes into that, and uh Captain Rowley is very intricate in all of those, and he he works really hard with the with all the people, all the groups in town, and and um and make sure that all of these go off without a hitch, and it takes a lot of work for 50 events.

So well, we've gone there.

Our victims advocates these is such a such a soft spot.

We we have these people that we go deal with every day that get victimized and you know taken advantage of.

And without this, these services, it's always been, you know, before we had the victims advocates there, it was always like, oh, well, here's a pamphlet, you know, there's a place to call in Vegas or whatever.

To have these um advocates go out and do the personal care that they do and help these people one-on-one and make sure that they're taken care of, go to court with them, um, make sure they have the resources they need, all the things that they do is is very very valuable to our city, and I think it's very, very important.

And having we added a second victim's advocate this year, and that was it was made it so much easier.

Um, Jesse can actually leave town for a minute without having to come back on call.

Um, so it's been great to have that because the coverage, one person was just couldn't do it.

And so um it's uh it's it's so much better than to have two, but they're doing a great job.

Our volunteers, I'm sure you guys see our volunteers everywhere.

Um the police volunteers did about 5700 hours of volunteer work, um, lots of vacation checks, box of uh uh VIN inspections.

Um the VIN inspections are when you go register your car, they come and check your VIN number to make sure it's legit before you go to the DMV, so you don't have to fight through that there.

Um do do a lot of above parking um enforcement for us.

Um, but the their main thing, and a lot of a lot of what they do is our um traffic control at our events and things like that.

They're just and you know, we ask them to come out on a traffic accident, it's always amazing to me.

We'll have a traffic accident, you know.

And I when I don't have the staff to like do all the traffic control it takes for a big accident, we just make a phone call.

The next thing you know, there's like six or eight of them just show up, and it just it always amazes me that people are so much so uh willing and eager to come help.

So they do such a great job.

Um we've added some technology stuff this year.

Um drones are a big thing now.

Um it's it's very common to utilize them in a lot of things.

Um fact, even the other day, me and Travis did some traffic like pattern stuff at one of the roundabouts where we had an accident, so we could see, you know, we could look at that traffic that traffic flow through those roundabouts and see which ways best to try to fix and work with it.

That's a good way we've used them.

Um crime scenes, like we can take pictures overall, accident scenes, um, look for well, obviously, people that run out in the desert, they're great for that.

So we don't have to chase around as much.

Um but safety inspections, there's a lot of things we've been able to accomplish with these.

We've we uh we have hosted a uh training at the PD because you have to have the part 107 license to be utilizing drones for a lot of reasons.

And so we hosted a um training there and got as many of our folks through that as possible.

So we're getting some licensing.

Um several of our employees have licensing to fly the drones and and utilize them in a day-to-day.

License plate readers are um very um predominant in our area these days.

License prate license plate readers.

Um you what those are basically we don't nobody gets tickets from them or anything, they're not for that.

For amber alerts, things like that.

They they identify cars that um are stolen.

Um they're they're they're set up at strategic points around uh around the interchanges and in town that give us you know alerts when there's somebody there that has like like a stolen vehicle or amber alert or missing person, things like that.

They're linked to that.

Um they're utilized for those reasons.

It's that's a it's a big network, it goes all through Vegas, and it's it's pretty large now.

Um we'll get notifications from uh all different jurisdictions when we ask for if we put something in, we'll get a notification that that must have drove just drove through a place in but Las Vegas for something or turn and and it helps us locate um uh missing people.

Um, like I said, stolen vehicles, all those things.

It's great, great add-on.

Um virtual reality has become a big thing for law enforcement, and so we've uh we've utilized taser has virtuality, um, like uh less it's less lethal training, so you can use taser darts are expensive, believe it or not, they're really expensive.

So we can't just shoot them willy-nilly.

But in VR, we can allow our guys to like shoot zombies or whatever, you know, so they get a lot of training.

Um, a lot of training with the VR.

Then there's also the um use of force, you know, um scenario-based training that's involved in that, which is real very realistic.

It's you know, you get on there, you get to see the video, you get to see you know, like confrontation, you get to deal with uh go back and forth with the with the scenario, and it's a great learning thing.

Um these UTMs are sort of like pay balls on steroids, which has been a very big um plus for us.

So we and it is fun to shoot each other once in a while, I guess.

Um we do traffic to like traffic stop scenarios, um, things like that where somebody gets out and the guys actually have to utilize and it's works with their their own weapons, um, so it's their actual weapons, they cycle, they shoot.

Um, so it's it's very, very realistic and it's very, very stressful.

Um, it hurts too.

So that's never a bad thing.

But um it's it's uh very very good for use on force training and keeping our guys safe and making them them tactically sound to handle situations that they get stuck in.

Um this year um we had a different app that was uh very very it was pretty expensive through our um policy company.

We utilize a different um a vendor, this OCV, which is actually the same vendor that uh provides the city's app.

So the um what's it called, Frank?

Mesquite go.

Yeah, it's the city of Mesquites app.

It's the same vendor.

Anyway, we have two of them.

One is the um our wellness app.

So um when we when we got this going, um we we encompassed it as a public safety app.

So it's a um it's specific for public safety, and it's uh you know what it has meditation and um fitness things and diet and all the things that guys need, you know, to be healthy and and well, and we've included the fire department in that with this.

It was it was easy to because of when you paid for a group, you know.

You paid for a big enough group that we it was just easy to include the fire guys.

So we got it, we got it uh hooked up for all the police department employees and the fire department, which was nice.

Um the mesquite police department app will be coming out very soon.

Um, very very soon.

Um, and it's gonna have a lot of links to a lot of the things that we all a lot of resources that the police department has.

Um it will have you know your ability to do it to look up accident ports and file things and animal control, it takes you to the pet finder.

Um, the jail has a gonna have a link that will show uh who's in there spending time with us.

Um lots and lots of of uh crime prevention and you know opportunities there for people to utilize the app.

So I think that's the end of my stuff.

Like I've ran it a little bit, but um the the police department's doing well, we're moving forward.

Um this has been uh a good year for us.

Um we've uh made a lot of improvements.

We've made done, we've added more community events, more more uh training for our guys, um, more opportunities for them to be become better officers, and um, we're just working forward.

So thank you.

Thank you, Chief Fells.

Thank you.

Okay.

Item 4.1 consideration of approval of Hafen Park Tennis Court windscreens.

Randy.

Uh mayor council.

This comes back to we had a conversation at City Council probably four or six weeks ago, six weeks ago or so about the tennis courts, and we discussed uh basically the the end of the project was to resurface all those courts and and basically get those finished out.

Conversation was uh councilman parish brought up that we would like to uh go get some estimates and some bids on the screens that go around the tennis courts that split those up.

One's for it's a visual thing for tennis players as well as wind, keeping it down.

So in this packet, uh we I have your I've submitted three bids from three different companies for those windscreen.

Uh and I'm just asking for consideration of the amount uh for the renter corporation of 20,325 for those screens.

Uh any questions?

Any questions from council?

Councilwoman Fielding?

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Randy, for that.

Um, a question is this a budgeted item?

It is not.

Okay, so is there any way that this can come from the parks funds or where are you planning on getting these funds?

I believe it is gonna come out of the parks when I talked to uh Travis and Nikki both, and I believe they do want to take that out of that parks fund.

I don't know the account number off the top of my head.

Uh, but I believe when I talked to Nikki a couple of weeks ago that that's the direction from her that we're gonna go.

Okay, because if it can, that's perfect because it is a park.

Correct.

So all right, thank you.

Any other questions from council?

Councilman Parrish.

So the money is actually available in the current budget, just taking it out of the park's fund.

Is that correct?

Basically, yes.

Yes, okay.

Okay.

Thank you, Randy.

Kate, thank you.

Appreciate it.

Do we have any public comment on item 4.1?

The tennis court wind screens.

Thank you, Mayor, and the uh city council members for this opportunity to speak.

And thank you for all that you do to try to make our city better.

My name is Carl Johnson.

My wife Don and I live in Sunset Greens year-round.

We have been here for just over three years.

We love mesquite and its people.

We are home.

I am the administrator and communications person for the mesquite nevada tennis club.

The club was started by Don and Barbara Lawrence over 20 years ago, and they were instrumental in pushing for and working with the then town council to get the Hafen Park tennis courts built.

Don is 83 years old and still plays six days a week when he's not traveling.

The tennis club currently has 48 members, 44 of which have played with the group with the last within the last six months.

We used the Hafen Park tennis courts and played six days a week, Monday through Saturday year round.

We had 20 players this morning.

I retired in July last year and now play almost every day.

I quickly noticed there was almost no regular maintenance done on the courts.

Leaves and debris would accumulate for weeks at a time and occasionally be carried off with one of those windstorms we get.

I figured once the surface was redone in August, and thank you so much for approving that.

The courts are great, they look great, they play great.

Thank you so much.

I figured after that, that regular maintenance would be done.

At least someone would bring a leaf blower once a week to clear the courts, pick up debris.

Nope.

There have been shards of some hard plastic container on the walk side on the walkway outside and inside of the court of the court for uh door number two for weeks.

I thought of bringing a broom.

People have people layers have come and pay we try to pick up stuff, debris and that kind of thing.

Uh it's been there for two weeks.

I thought I was gonna pick it up, but it's been there two weeks, so haven't hasn't been touched.

Um the old windscreens were taken down when the courts were resurfaced.

And once we were able to use the courts again, I noticed there was a lot of debris on and around the courts.

I had been picking up grommets, hooks, and other pieces of metal here and there for the last four months.

And yesterday, just inside of court number one.

I picked up all this.

These are all grommets and metal shards from the old windscreens.

Um there are still metal hooks and pieces of the old windscreens still attached to the fences that are there right now.

Last month there was a good amount of debris on the courts, especially court number four, which is the least used.

I called the rec center and asked them to send someone to clear the courts and noted that court number four was especially bad.

The next day, court number four was clear, but the other three courts are still messy.

Um I think the new windscreen are a good idea, and I think most of the players in the group feel the same.

But first, will the remaining Your time is up, I'm afraid.

Your your three minutes is up.

Thank you though.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Do you have any other public comment on this agenda item?

Okay, seeing none, I'm gonna turn it back over to the council.

Councilwoman Fielding.

Okay, I will make a motion to award to Renner Sports Services the amount of $20,325 for the wind screens.

Okay, do I have a second?

I'll suck it.

Okay, call for the vote.

NSI.

Okay, motion passes.

Consider it 4.2 consideration of bid award for mesquite wastewater treatment plant, maintenance building project.

Mr.

Anderson.

Thank you, Mayor Council.

On January 6th, um, the city of Mesquite received five bids for a storage building.

This storage building will be placed down at our uh mesquite municipal wastewater treatment plant.

It will protect our large-scale equipment, our vector trucks, backhoes, things of that from the sun, which damages everything.

When we received these bids, uh, three of them were found to be non-responsive.

So there's many criteria that you have to do with NRS.

And so there were two left that were shown to be responsive bids.

Those bids range from 184,000 to 412,000.

So there was a big swing right there.

But uh, we went through and the low bid um was responsive and from a responsible bidder of Trade West Construction.

So we are recommending the bid award for this project to Trade West Construction for 184,184.

Thank you, Travis.

Happy to answer.

Councilman Parrish.

Travis, um I looked at both of these bids pretty closely.

There's 230,000 difference.

And when I went to school, that's a big number.

Um that's more than the actual bid for the building itself.

Um my question to you is are we really confident we're gonna get it built for that without any cost overruns?

Um, are we gonna be locked in?

Um anyway, I just want you to expound on that a little bit because that's a big big discrepancy.

Happy to.

So before, like I said, we received the five bids.

Um there was another bidder that was at 196,000, and then we had one more that was 200 and uh some odd right around there.

Then the other one that we had to uh that was thrown out because they didn't follow all the rules was around 500,000.

So we had three that were close to this area that were in that 200,000 range, two that were out of the area, which appeared to be this high number due to them traveling back and forth um to do this.

So yeah, we feel very confident.

The contractor Trade West has uh constructed many of these, same style of building up at the airport for airport hangars, these metal buildings.

Um we do feel very confident um with this number.

The funding for this comes out of the uh sewer fund.

Um for the and like I said, it will help to protect those high dollar, like our bacteria truck was uh 200,000.

So these items will help to protect these high dollar vehicles and and that that we use every day, but to allow us to reduce those maintenance costs and extend the life of those vehicles.

So thank you.

Councilwoman Geller.

So I just want to say Trade West is pretty responsible.

Haven't they done quite a few projects in town already?

They have actually um so they are currently doing uh Levitt Lane and Hafen Lane, they're doing Canyon Crest and Horizon.

They're doing a project for the water district.

They just finished up a project for us on the storm drain.

Um they're doing a lot putting in these bids and and winning these these bids in that aspect.

So local company, um, yes.

Okay, seeing no other questions, I'm gonna go ahead and open it up for uh public comment on item 4.2 Rick McIntyre.

Umbody calls the police department everybody every day, nobody calls the fire department every day, nobody calls you every day or the city attorney, the uh city manager, nobody calls any of you every day, but uh we call on the wastewater treatment facility many times a day.

I would submit to you that if we didn't have a police department for a little while or a fire department or a lot of departments, we probably figure out how to make make a go at that.

But I submit to you that if we flush our toilet and the bad water didn't go away, that there would be riots in the streets within just a very short period of time.

I spent a little time with the wastewater treatment plant the other day, appreciated very much Randon Potter, who is just a terrific fella.

Uh he and his staff with a lot of longevity, they've been here a long time.

He clearly manages the place very well.

Uh, this is all under Travis's uh purview, and I can't tell you how much and how important these people are to our city.

They don't drive around in fancy cars, they don't make a lot of noise with sirens and stuff, and they are not very seen very often.

They don't have fancy uniforms.

Um, but I would submit to you that Randon Potter and his crew are perhaps the most important department we have in the city, and I appreciate the fact that you're supporting them with the facilities they need to run the place.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rick.

Okay, seeing no one else come forward.

I'm gonna go ahead and ask for a motion.

Councilman Ennis.

I will go ahead and make a motion to consider the bid award for Mesquite Wastewater Treatment Plant maintenance building project.

Councilwoman Gallow?

I'll second.

Call for the vote.

Building Parish I.

NSI.

Galloway.

Motion passes.

Item 4.3, reconsideration of architectural and site plan reviews, case number ASR-25-009.

Falcon Ridge Driving Range, proposing construction of a golf driving range, 13.52 acres at 875 West Pioneer Boulevard, APN 001-18-501-004 in low density multifamily MF2 zone in the Falcon Ridge PUD.

Mr.

Kim.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council.

Um I I have not been in the discussion about uh this item.

So I'm gonna just quickly go over the background information only, and then for the uh the uh discussion to the city council.

Um on top, the uh chip fails actually took my presentation time, so I'm gonna make it quickly.

Um at the city council meeting held on uh September 23rd, 2025.

Uh the item was approved with the conditions.

Conditions would be the first.

Um they uh will have uh uh taller uh or equal to 12 feet high uh fence, uh protective uh fence.

And then second uh condition was uh uh sign on the waiver of liability liability in favor of the city.

And third one was separation of carts and pedestrian paths, and then uh fourth condition was the lighting standards.

They need to meet the lighting standards if they choose to have a lighting on site.

Um this was the conditions, and uh, this was the new uh proposed plan that I decided.

I uh quickly reviewed it by myself, and then I found that uh uh they are proposing about 40 feet high fence in some locations uh that can be 20 feet, but uh uh as you go and then tallest point is actually become a 66 feet high uh from the T location.

Uh so it is a substantially improved uh uh plan uh when we compare to the previous 12-foot high uh fence.

Um so having said that um this item was initiated by city council member B.

Annis and the step accommend the uh the city council discuss the item and uh take appropriate action.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Kim.

Uh Mr.

Annis, we'll go with you first, and then Mr.

Parish.

Okay Yeah, so having gone back and revisited this and having talked with uh Falcon Ridge uh management, uh I actually went over there and looked at this, and it's not gonna be a fence, it's gonna be net netting.

It's gonna be the same netting that was the same company that did the netting at um what's that place in St.

George?

Yeah, top golfing pop whatever it's called in St.

George.

It's that company there that's gonna be doing this netting also.

So it's not a fence, it's actual netting.

The difference between this also is as Mr.

Kim stated, it's gonna be approximately 60 feet, starting maybe at the T box.

This netting is now going to go all the way back to the T box, starting at the T box versus where the fence is going to start up further.

So the netting's gonna go back to the T box starting at 20 feet.

That's an that is that doesn't include the berm.

When you include the Burm, as I'll get going here in just a second, we'll I'll explain all that.

Then it's gonna increase, then it's gonna go up in height from 20 feet, then 30 feet, and the top height is gonna be 40 feet, and that's gonna be for the majority of the length, as you can see there, of the uh fairway or the driving range.

And so when I went and looked at this and the 40 foot on top of the berm right there at about the midway point, this is gonna be almost 80 feet tall.

And um I think that you know we we can sit here and say that um we would like to protect everybody 100%, but we all know realistically that that's not gonna happen.

We can't we can't do anything 100% and guarantee that uh I think that Falcon Ridge has done their due diligence in this, and rightly so, almost to the tune of a quarter of a million dollars in addition to what they initially planned to to uh take the take those 12-foot poles out and put in this netting that at the top of the berm, um I mean at the top of the fence where that berm is right in the middle, that's gonna be well over 80 feet tall or high.

And I I wish I could set up here, and I know that Falcon Ridge is uh wishes they could sit up there and say that we're gonna protect 100% of everybody 100% of the time.

Let's be realistic.

That's not gonna happen, but I think Falcon Ridge has done their due diligence very much so, and especially putting forth this extra quarter of a million dollars almost to at least come in to agree with what we have asked them to do as far as protecting the public um on the road on on Pioneer Parkway.

Also, this netting, they've extended it to go all almost all the ways.

You can see there, uh the length of the driving range.

Um then as it gets up towards the end, then it's gonna go back down that back down to the 20-foot, which is still gonna be about 45-50 feet high if you put the berm in there.

They've also come back and added another an extra camera.

So now there's gonna be three crack cameras involved with this.

And they are gonna still they have told me that they're still gonna have someone there all the time when someone's going to be there when the golfers are there, and we're gonna still have the limited flight bulbs, uh ball balls, not bulbs.

And um I think that with the them coming back and saying, okay, let's do this to make it safe.

Um I think they've done their due diligence, and I think that this is a good project.

I think we need to move forward.

Um, and I'm gonna throw in here.

Um, I don't think that as we we discussed this before, um, waivers, and I've and I've experienced these before.

They're they're nice and cute little things they have on paper with signatures on them, but they don't really hold up in court.

I hate to, I don't I don't hate to say that, just they don't.

I've been there done that.

So um waivers don't really hold up in court.

They go in there, they settle it's just a way to get somebody into court and get money really quick, and that's it.

So I think that they've done their due diligence due diligence, and I think we just need to move this forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman Parrish.

Um we actually got a statement from the people that are uh putting up the uh netting.

Um I got oh you've got the big print.

Thank you.

Uh one point that they made is the proposed netting system is also engineered to be extended taller in the future.

That's a very important point for all of us.

If for some reason the first week we find 400 golf balls out on Falcon Ridge Parkway, we're gonna shut it down and we're gonna have to extend it up higher.

It's as simple as that.

And they come right out and say it that this can be extended higher if necessary, but in my judgment, this is gonna be plenty high.

It's all it's within 15 or 20 feet of the same height as the one up at top golf that Bill mentioned.

And this is gonna be with the limited flight balls, we're gonna be more than safe.

And uh this is this is a great project now.

I'm glad to see that Falcon Ridge stepped up and did the right thing.

Thank you.

Councilman Wallace.

I agree that what they've done here certainly makes a lot of difference.

I I find it I find it interesting though that anyone who plays golf at Falcon Ridge has to sign a waiver for the golf course that relieves the golf course of of any problems if they happen to hit someone's home or hit one into the road, just like all the golf courses here do.

It surprises me with all of these additions, making this this much more safe that there's still no desire for the course to sign a waiver with the city, giving the city the same benefit that the course gets every time they make somebody sign a waiver before they play or go to a driving range.

The people hitting balls are doing so on their property.

They're paying the course money to do it.

The city has no dog in the fight here.

We we have a road that runs by that.

It's one of the big busiest roads in the city of Mesquite.

I would support this 100% if Falcon Ridge will sign a waiver with the city, holding this city less liable, just like they do their golfers when the golfers come to the golf course.

And I hope they'd be willing to do that.

They make every golfer that goes there, sign a waiver for them.

We're asking to sign one waiver for the city.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilwoman Gella.

Um, I do want to say thank you uh to um the golf course for the Falcon Ridge golf course for what you what you did to actually take into consideration uh some of our concerns about the size of the the fence, and it does sound um sounds like you're really trying and really appreciate it.

To councilman um Wanless's point, I do have a still have a concern um that the city be held responsible.

Um do you are do you I know somebody wants to come up, but do you feel that the 40-foot fence is gonna, I if you wouldn't don't mind, is going to protect Mike's not on.

There you go.

You need my Rob Worston, Falcon Ridge Golf Course.

Yeah, I I mean this is I don't like to use the word overkill, um, but it is higher than most of the driving ranges that are out there.

Yeah, I I feel very comfortable with it.

I don't have any problem with it.

Um, you know, and in response to to councilman one, they are signing a waiver.

The um golfers are uh a range waiver, and uh all the cart uh waivers have that on it too on the driving range, they're responsible for their ball.

So um we're giving the same um the waiver to those who are hitting golf balls on the driving ranges we do to the golf course.

So um, you know, and there's it's out of all the golf courses that are here in town, we we are doing more than anybody else to protect the city.

Councilwoman Fielding.

Oh, do you have any more questions, Patty?

I have one.

So on that waiver, nowhere on your waiver for the golf course.

It indicates you aren't responsible that the player is, but nowhere on that waiver does it mention the city.

No, but if you signed a waiver with the city, that would take care of everything.

And then you are protected with the waiver that the players are signing for your golf course.

Yeah, I mean, if everybody if every other golf course did it too, I understand that, but they don't.

We would be the only golf course in town that would sign that waiver, and and the owner doesn't want to sign away those kind of things.

Nobody does.

There's not a business in town that would sign that.

The city would be liable if we approve this and somebody gets injured or a car gets hit and causes an accident, and there is no waiver between you and the city.

That's my understanding.

Would you agree with that?

Golfers reliable.

I'm asking the city attorney.

So these would all be contested issues in the litigation.

Because any uh like a plaintiff's attorney would sue everybody, right?

They'd sue the golf course, they'd sue the city, they'd sue the golfer or whoever they can find.

And then that attaches all those different insurance policies, and then that's what's at issue in the litigation.

That's what's um uh, you know, the fingers start pointing, and then it's you work it out.

And so the purpose of the waiver is when there it's not just a waiver, but it's also an indemnification agreement, which says basically if we get sued, you have to cover that.

You have to pay for the the defense.

And if and if we're held liable, then you have to cover that.

So it kind of puts it where if someone's confident that it's safe and that they're gonna take care of it and there shouldn't be any issues, then it allows them to affirm to that to say, well, if there is a problem, then we're gonna cover that.

So it's it's a waiver, but it's also an indemnification.

But those issues, who's liable, all of that.

It's those are complex issues that would be litigated in the in a lawsuit.

Councilwoman Fielding.

Thank you.

Um thank you, Mr.

Wurston, for coming up.

And I I have to agree with um Patty, Bill, and everybody that thank you for taking the recommendation to make the fence higher.

And I'll have to say, even if it goes up to 80 feet, that's 80 feet higher than the little three-foot pony wall they have on hole 17th at the Palmer course.

So I thank you for that.

And I'm okay with you explaining this.

Um, and I know with the berm it could be higher than 80 feet, correct?

Yeah, I think councilman is pretty much said exactly what it is going to be.

Which is perfect, and then getting the letter saying, you know, that they can extend it if need be.

So I have never had a problem with this.

So I am for this as well.

Any other questions from council?

Thanks, Rob.

Yeah.

With that, I'm gonna open it up for public comment.

Dominic Olivetto.

Excuse me, Dominic Olivetto again.

Everybody here that's worried about what the driving range is doing, should go down there and stand down there where they're gonna tee off and look up at how high that is, and then take into consideration 95% of the bad golfers slice the ball, so they're gonna hit it over on 18 green.

I can't believe these guys come up with a quarter million dollars to appease you guys, and you're still arguing with them.

Yeah, I'm gonna prove it.

They're telling you the truth.

Thank you, Dominic.

Okay, seeing no one else come forward, I'm gonna turn it back to council.

Councilwoman Fielding.

Thank you.

I was just ready to make a motion to um approve the increased um fence and to remove the waiver of liability.

Okay, councilwoman Gallow.

I'm in a second.

Okay, call for the vote.

Parish.

Galloway.

Okay, motion passes.

Okay, item 4.4, consideration for approval of the confirmation and ratification of Bryce Anderson as finance director for the city of Mesquite.

Miss Green.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Um this agenda item.

The petitioner is Becca Shroop, the city manager.

She is in Las Vegas all week for a very intense training.

So I'm here on her behalf.

And um I just wanted to say a few things about him.

He is on the line, by the way, he is watching the meeting and he's available by phone.

And Becca can be as well.

She needs to step out of where she is, but she's also watching the meeting and available by phone.

Um I did interview him.

He did meet all the criteria of the job description.

He has a degree in accounting.

He has done, and I I find this very unique is that he's done po both private and public accounting, which is very unusual.

I mean, in the past we've interviewed CPAs, but that's completely different than the type of accounting that we do with fund accounting and grants and um all sorts of things.

So he has sorry, I'm out of breath.

He has 14 years of accounting and finance.

Seven of it is with public accounting.

He did work for the Utah System Higher Education for three years.

And the last four years, he's been at the Department of Health and Human Resources in Salt Lake.

Um has dealt with 60 million dollar budgets.

He is very versed in preparing financials, uh doing financial reporting.

He's very familiar with grants.

Uh when we spoke to him, he fully understood obligating and deobligating funds.

He had worked with that himself.

Um he understands journal entries, and so he really is a well-rounded individual, and I feel that he would make a great addition.

Thank you, Martin.

Uh Councilman Parrish.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, Martin, what's the timeline?

He comes on board and Nikki steps away permanently.

She's been hanging on here for the last year or so.

So I was just kind of wondering what everybody's plans are so we can kind of get a feel, get through the budget process, etc.

etc.

Um, from what Becca was saying, you know, about a month that they would overlap each other for about a month.

But she could be available, you know, as an independent contractor.

Until when uh a month from now or a month from March 1st or his start date would be January 20th.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions from council?

Councilwoman Philly.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, Bryce, are you on the line?

Yes, hopefully, I'm not speaking too loud.

No, you're fine.

Thank you.

Hey, I was just curious.

Um, during the budget process, what is the biggest budget that you've ever prepared?

Yeah, my budget, I handle uh the one women, infants and children program for the state of Utah.

So we're over 60 million dollars there.

Uh 20,000 of or 20 million of that um administrative, uh about 40 million dollars of it is benefits.

Um, along with that, we also handle uh anywhere from three to five million dollars in technology fund in technology grants.

Uh we also hold some ARPA grants that we use as well.

Thank you, Bryce Any other questions from council?

Okay, seeing none, I'm gonna open it up for a public comment.

Okay, seeing none, I'm gonna turn it back over to council.

Councilman Ennis.

I'm gonna go ahead and make a motion to approve the ratification of Bryce Anderson as finance director.

Councilwoman Gallow?

I'll say I'll second.

Okay, call for the vote.

Parish ISI.

Galloway.

Okay, motion passes.

Congratulations, Bryce.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Okay, with that, we've come to our final public comment period.

Um, this public comment can be on anything you choose, and you have three minutes.

Good evening, Mayor Council, Mike Benham.

As you know, I have that beautiful photograph of the first fire station.

And it was not done while I wanted it to be done.

It was supposed to be for the public to see, and we all know it never happened.

And it's now back in my hands.

I want to donate it to the city.

It's where it belongs.

It's the city's home.

It's history.

My question to you, Mayor if I give it back to the city, will you display it where everybody can see it?

Yeah, we can do that.

Yeah.

Deal.

Yeah.

I'll bring it at the next city council meeting, and you guys decide where you want to put it.

I have no problem with that.

I have more memorabilia than I know what to do with it.

Correct, Mr.

Kim?

He's been to my house, he knows.

400 fire trucks, four helmets.

Anyway, may I thank you.

Thank you, Mike.

Rick McIntyre, uh, Mayor Whipple and members of council.

It's always good to reflect on uh difficult decisions that you make.

Look back and see if that turned out to be the right thing.

Uh you'll remember at the last meeting we had a conversation about uh giving 20,000 to the uh 250 event that occurred this this last weekend.

Um I think it would have been just as cold.

I think there would have been just the same number of people.

I think uh everything would have been exactly the same, except that we did not give them 20,000 to do it.

And so I appreciate the fact that you chose not to give that particular event uh public works money.

I think it's public works money anyway.

And ironically, tonight, 20,000 was used for uh unbudgeted funds, was used for uh the tennis courts, and so it was uh the right thing to do, and I appreciate that you made that decision.

Thank you.

Thank you, Rick.

Seeing no one else come forward, this meeting is adjourned.