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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Mesquite City Council Regular Meeting – March 24, 2026

City Council & Committees — Tuesday, March 24, 2026

BodyMesquite, Nevada

SessionCity Council & Committees

DateTuesday, March 24, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:26:53

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:04

We're gonna say it's afternoon because we're not gonna get dark for a while now, so we'll skip the evening talk.

0:10

Um to the Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, regular city council meeting for the city of Mesquite.

0:16

Um, is Pastor Dennis Lee here?

0:20

I don't see him, so we will just, unless somebody wants to volunteer, we will go ahead and forego the invocation.

0:27

Okay, so could you all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:35

Pledge.

0:36

I put allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic or which stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:55

At this time, we're gonna have a presentation of a certificate of appreciation to the Inter at Local Kids Group by Randy Lobb.

1:13

Uh, mayor council.

1:14

Uh, if I can have the Interact group come up with the kids, the leaders.

1:20

This group uh over the past year, year and a half or so has been voluntary to help us clean some of our park systems.

1:26

They go uh about once a month, they go out and clean our picnic tables, help kind of keep the trash picked up and a few things.

1:32

Uh but this is the group from Beaver Dam and uh Virgin Valley High School.

1:37

You guys line up, vote, bow, straighten up a little bit.

1:40

You're the tall one.

1:44

Uh Melissa, she is uh president of the rotary with Darlene that has been helping and the other helpers.

1:54

Let's tell and Deb, and I can't see the other two faces here.

1:59

There you go.

1:59

They're the representatives from the high school.

2:01

Perfect, perfect.

2:02

Uh, do you have that?

2:03

Do you have that little thing you want to read out?

2:04

She's gonna read us just a little thing of interact real quick, and then we have a little presentation for the kids.

2:08

Um Interact is a rotary sponsored service club for students at Virgin Valley and Beaver Dam High School, grades nine to twelve.

2:15

Members, I feel weird reading this because I feel like I'm I this was written for while you're reading it.

2:20

Can you state your name?

2:21

My name is Melissa Elligal, and the president of the Mesquite Rotary Club.

2:29

E L I G U Lake.

2:33

Um so the Interact students take an active role in running the club by leading weekly meetings and organizing service activities with guidance and support from school advisors and rotary club members.

2:45

Members also have the opportunity to attend Ryla, our Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and engaging and engaging leadership three-day retreat designed to inspire, challenge, and develop future leaders.

2:58

Uh, this is a wonderful opportunity for our local youth, and we're incredibly proud of their decision to support the mesquite city of Mesquite through their efforts in local park cleanup.

3:07

I want to say personally, especially this last year, you guys have they have stepped it up, and they've done a fabulous job.

3:15

Um, every single time we have one, there's more and more kids that show up.

3:19

They're enthusiastic, they're wonderful, they absolutely appreciate we we appreciate them, and they deserve all the kudos that they're getting today.

3:27

I'm really, really proud of them.

3:37

So we went ahead and printed off some certificate of appreciation uh for each of the kids, and we have a water bottle for each each kid that participates, has a city mesquite uh logo on it.

3:48

We want to give those certificates out now with a water bottle for each kid.

3:52

And Darlene's gonna read those off.

3:55

Several of the kids aren't here.

3:56

They have a ball game tonight, so um, we will go ahead and give it to the Beaver Dam representative advisor out there.

4:05

Alexis Lozano, Michael Palomo, Delia Gagara.

4:19

Are these other kids?

4:21

Madison Garcia, Brianna Yazi.

4:32

Thank you.

4:33

Oh, we can open these water bottles.

4:37

Bo Garrett.

4:42

Tara Lopez.

4:49

Isaias Lopez.

4:55

Leah Palomar.

5:03

Alison Aguilera.

5:08

Dulce Blasencia.

5:14

Jonathan Lopez.

5:18

Cole Garrett.

5:20

Oh.

5:21

Jonathan.

5:25

And Hayden Bowman.

5:31

Just on behalf of City Mesquite and the Athletic Leisure Services Department, we want to just tell them thank you very much.

5:37

Sometimes I think we look among our youth and we're like, what's going on?

5:41

And then these guys step up, they volunteer their time, they come and clean our facilities, and they do they just do a really great job.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Safety████████████████16%

Public Engagement██████████████14%

Transportation Safety█████████████13%

Active Transportation██████████10%

Procedural█████████9%

Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%

Arts And Culture██████6%

Homelessness█████5%

Short Term Rentals███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Mesquite City Council Regular Meeting – March 24, 2026

The Mesquite City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 5:00 PM in City Hall. The meeting covered routine approvals, discussion of a bicycle/scooter ordinance, a streetlight spacing request, and approval of alcohol sales at a music festival. A special meeting on a proposed affordable housing project (Switch Point) was announced for the following day, drawing criticism from the public for its 2:30 PM start time.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes and Agenda (Item 2.1): Approved the minutes from the February 10, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting, the March 3, 2026 Technical Review Meeting, and the March 24, 2026 agenda.
Approval of Bills and Purchase Orders (Item 2.2): Approved the notification of bills paid and purchase orders.
- Vote: Motion passed unanimously (Councilmember Parrish moved, Wallace seconded; recorded ayes from Parrish, Fielding (via phone), Gallo, Ennis, Wallace; no nays).

Public Comments & Testimony

Jean Watkins (resident) encouraged nominations for the Inspirational Women of Mesquite, Moapa Valley, and Arizona Strip awards, highlighting many local women and organizations.
Tom Olivetto (citizen) thanked the council for attending the grand opening of a new medical clinic for seniors/veterans and announced Vietnam Veterans Day events.
Art Kulibert (resident, 812 Los Padres Circle) shared his background as a former councilmember in Washington State, praised Mesquite’s infrastructure, and expressed support for responsible growth.
Mary Mathis (President, Mesquite Art Gallery) provided updates on upcoming exhibitions, the Spring Grand Bazaar, First Friday events, and an art appraisal event.
Ron Shackleford (resident) raised concerns about the proposed Friends of Switch Point affordable housing project, questioning whether it could become a homeless shelter. He cited 2025 Salvation Army records showing 102 homeless individuals in Mesquite, most with temporary shelter, and urged clear guarantees about the project’s future use.
Gary Hillgard (resident) criticized the 2:30 PM special meeting on Switch Point, arguing it disenfranchised working citizens. He referenced negative online reviews of Switch Point’s operations elsewhere and questioned whether the project would serve local homeless or import people from Las Vegas.
Clark Strong (resident, Santa Fe Vistas) expressed frustration with the short-term rental committee, arguing it lacks resident representation. He found an attendee’s comment that those opposed should “move to an HOA” offensive and urged the council to ensure community notification before the moratorium ends.
Doug (neighbor) reported ongoing code enforcement issues with a short-term rental near his property, stating the city issued a letter in November 2025 requiring removal of bunk beds, but the property still advertises them.
Diana McKenney (Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra) invited the public to an April 25th concert with movie themes and promoted discount tickets at First Friday.

Discussion Items

B26-001 – Bicycle, Electric Bicycle, and Electric Scooter Regulations (Item 5.3): City staff presented a revised ordinance. Key provisions included a helmet requirement for all riders, a 10 mph speed limit for e-bikes/e-scooters on sidewalks, and rules about riding near the right side of the roadway. The council debated sidewalk use (Councilmember Gallo opposed any wheeled vehicles on sidewalks), enforcement, and cell phone use. Public comment raised concerns about pedestrian safety, different e-bike classes, and the need for simpler rules. Councilmember Fielding asked that cell phone use be explicitly prohibited. Chief Fells requested more time to refine the ordinance. Motion to table passed unanimously. The item will return after further revision with Chief Fells and Mr. Anderson.
Non-Standard Streetlight Spacing – Elleve Subdivision (Item 6.1): Developer Dylan Jensen (Mesquite Land Partners) requested reduced streetlight spacing (some gaps up to 475 feet vs. standard 170 feet) within the Mesquite Vistas PUD, citing resident complaints about excessive light. City engineer Travis Anderson noted the HOA had no objection but deferred to the city. The council discussed safety and precedent. Councilmember Parrish proposed requiring illuminated address numbers and two garage lights that remain on all night via photocell; Jensen agreed. Motion to approve the non-standard spacing with those conditions passed (Councilmember Wanless moved, Gallo seconded; unanimous).
I-15 Country and Rock Music Festival Alcohol Sales (Item 6.2): Organizer Simon Kim presented a plan for the October 17, 2026 event at the Mesquite Sports and Events Complex (estimated 3,000 attendees, gates open noon – event ends 10 PM). Alcohol sales limited to beer, seltzers, and twisted tea (no hard liquor); no glass containers; 20 private security + 6 police officers; 2 EMTs; 45 restrooms. Public comment raised concerns about tailgating and cost of emergency services. Councilmember Gallo suggested cutting alcohol sales one hour early, but the organizer noted beer-only events rarely do so. Motion to approve passed (Councilmember Ennis moved, seconded; unanimous).

Key Outcomes

Bicycle Ordinance: Tabled for further refinement; will return in approximately four weeks with additional input from Chief Fells and council.
Elleve Streetlight Spacing: Approved with condition that all homes have illuminated address numbers and two garage lights on photocell (on all night).
Alcohol Sales at Music Festival: Approved with conditions (beer/wine only, no glass, 6 police officers, 2 EMTs).
Consent Agenda: Approved all items.
Special Meeting on Switch Point: Announced for March 25, 2026 at 2:30 PM, sparking public criticism about accessibility.
Community Emergency Preparedness Guide: Chief Andrus announced the guide is available at City Hall and Fire Station #1, and staff are willing to present to HOAs.
Mayor’s Ethics Complaint: Mayor reported his ethics complaint was finalized on March 18 with an admonition requiring online training.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. We're gonna say it's afternoon because we're not gonna get dark for a while now, so we'll skip the evening talk. Um to the Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, regular city council meeting for the city of Mesquite. Um, is Pastor Dennis Lee here? I don't see him, so we will just, unless somebody wants to volunteer, we will go ahead and forego the invocation. Okay, so could you all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge. I put allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic or which stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. At this time, we're gonna have a presentation of a certificate of appreciation to the Inter at Local Kids Group by Randy Lobb. Uh, mayor council. Uh, if I can have the Interact group come up with the kids, the leaders. This group uh over the past year, year and a half or so has been voluntary to help us clean some of our park systems. They go uh about once a month, they go out and clean our picnic tables, help kind of keep the trash picked up and a few things. Uh but this is the group from Beaver Dam and uh Virgin Valley High School. You guys line up, vote, bow, straighten up a little bit. You're the tall one. Uh Melissa, she is uh president of the rotary with Darlene that has been helping and the other helpers. Let's tell and Deb, and I can't see the other two faces here. There you go. They're the representatives from the high school. Perfect, perfect. Uh, do you have that? Do you have that little thing you want to read out? She's gonna read us just a little thing of interact real quick, and then we have a little presentation for the kids. Um Interact is a rotary sponsored service club for students at Virgin Valley and Beaver Dam High School, grades nine to twelve. Members, I feel weird reading this because I feel like I'm I this was written for while you're reading it. Can you state your name? My name is Melissa Elligal, and the president of the Mesquite Rotary Club. E L I G U Lake. Um so the Interact students take an active role in running the club by leading weekly meetings and organizing service activities with guidance and support from school advisors and rotary club members. Members also have the opportunity to attend Ryla, our Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and engaging and engaging leadership three-day retreat designed to inspire, challenge, and develop future leaders. Uh, this is a wonderful opportunity for our local youth, and we're incredibly proud of their decision to support the mesquite city of Mesquite through their efforts in local park cleanup. I want to say personally, especially this last year, you guys have they have stepped it up, and they've done a fabulous job. Um, every single time we have one, there's more and more kids that show up. They're enthusiastic, they're wonderful, they absolutely appreciate we we appreciate them, and they deserve all the kudos that they're getting today. I'm really, really proud of them. So we went ahead and printed off some certificate of appreciation uh for each of the kids, and we have a water bottle for each each kid that participates, has a city mesquite uh logo on it. We want to give those certificates out now with a water bottle for each kid. And Darlene's gonna read those off. Several of the kids aren't here. They have a ball game tonight, so um, we will go ahead and give it to the Beaver Dam representative advisor out there. Alexis Lozano, Michael Palomo, Delia Gagara. Are these other kids? Madison Garcia, Brianna Yazi. Thank you. Oh, we can open these water bottles. Bo Garrett. Tara Lopez. Isaias Lopez. Leah Palomar.

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