Las Vegas City Commission Minutes, May 14, 1929 to February 11, 1937, lvc000003-499

On motion of Commissioner Marble seconded by Commissioner Krause it was moved and carried that the Clerk be directed to write and secure two copies of the Report of the Colorado River Commission and keep the same on file in the office of the Clerk. Vote was Commissioners Down, Krause, Marble and Perry and His Honor the Mayor voting aye. Noes, none. The following wire was read to the Board at this time. Washington D.C. Jan 25, 1937 L.L. Arnett, Mayor: Am pleased to advise that application for extension of time Las Vegas Street Improvement Project has been approved for February first stop please wire if further assistance necessary regards Pat McCarran. On motion of Commissioner Marble seconded by Commissioner Down the following answer was wired to Mr. McCarran: Las Vegas, January 25th, 1937. Hon P A Mc Carran United States Senate Washington D C Retel even date city advertised for bids but it was necessary to readvertise to conform pwa notice which forms were not available until last Saturday felt was here at which time this was worked out we are now advertising for bids to be opened february eighth felt requested an exten­sion to fifteenth and is otherwise cooperating splendidly in our efforts this delay will necessitate further extension until fifteenth your cooperation to this end will be appreciated ARNETT Vote was Commissioners Down, Krause Marble and Perry and His Honor the Mayor voting aye. Noes, none. At this time the reply to the Resolution passed and adopted by the Building Trades Council of Southern Nevada was brought before the Board for Consideration. Upon motion of Commissioner Marble seconded by Commissioner Down it was moved and car­ried that the City send the following answer to the Building Trades Council and that the Las Vegas Evening Review Journal be handed a copy so that same in its entirety might be pub­lished and that the entire letter be spread upon the minutes of this meeting: L. L. Arnett, Mayor CITY OF LAS VEGAS Viola Burns, Clerk Gateway to Boulder Canyon Cam Las Vegas, Nevada January 25, 1937 Building Trades Council of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Gentlemen: This is in answer to your communication of January 10, 1936, addressed to the Mayor and Board of City Commissioners, wherein you requested the Board to issue a statement as to why municipally owned and distributed power is not available to the citizens of this community. The Board fully realizes that this is a matter of great concern to you as it is also to the Board. You are assured that your interest and support are greatly appreciated, further­more, you are assured that we welcome this opportunity to furnish this information. Even before the present administration took office your present Mayor, who was then Finance Commissioner, and Commissioners Down and Marble, anticipating that probably some charter changes would be necessary in order to enable the City to establish a municipal plant, and, with that end in view, the then City Attorney was directed to study and prepare such amendments as would be necessary to enable the city to establish its municipal plant. Agreeably with such direction the City Attorney proposed certain changes which were in turn proposed by the above named commissioners to the Legislature then in session and by the Legislature adopted. As an advisory proposition your Board caused to be submitted to the voters at the general city election in May, 1935, the question as to whether or not the city should establish a muni­cipal power plant. The vote upon this question was 2,117 for the municipal plant and 275 against it, thereby demonstrating that there was an overwhelming sentiment in favor of such plant. Your present Mayor as such was inducted into office on the first day of June, 1935. Immediately upon his taking office he, in conjunction with the Board, undertook an intensive study of the power situation and it was deemed essential that a careful and authentic survey be made of the local plant, the estimated cost of a new plant and the like. And with that end in view, Mr. Barry Dibble, formerly Chief Electrical Engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation of the United States Government and one of the outstanding electrical engineers in the country, was engaged by the city to make such a survey. This contract and engagement was made on the 11th day of July, 1935, and the engineer's findings as a result of such survey were reported to the Board on the 10th day of September, 1935, with which report most of you are familiar, there being several hundred copies printed for public information, and if there be any of you who are not familiar with this report there are still a few copies available for distribution at the office of the City Clerk. Agreeably with the provisions of the city charter, the City Board on the 4th day of October, 1935, issued a proclamation to the effect that it proposed to issue $250,000.00 in bonds for the construction of a municipal plant and to the effect that it would pass an ordinance directing the issuance of the bonds. On October 28, 1935, J. S. Lawson brought an action against the city and the city commissioners, by which it was sought to restrain the city from issuing such bonds. The City interposed a demurrer to the complaint of Lawson. The matter thereafter came on for hearing upon the grounds that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action and thereafter the Court, after hearing the matter, sustained the demurrer and dismissed the action.