County unit to be watchdog

Responding to a report that accused some building inspectors of negligence, fraud and graft, Clark County commissioners approved forming a 20-person team to investigate construction flaws and complaints.

The investigative unit would cost $4 million annually. It won't be formed officially until the commission gives the final go-ahead in the coming weeks.

Commissioners said they saw the need to create an internal watchdog to ferret out faulty construction, look into complaints and keep an eye on the inspectors themselves.

An inspector's traditional role has been to examine new construction, rather than probing renovations and double-checking fellow inspectors.

"There's obviously been some problems in the past," Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said. "We definitely should move forward with this program as soon as possible."

Money from construction fees and fines will be used to pay the $4 million annual cost.

Undocumented work, much of it shoddy, was found in hundreds of rooms at Harrah's Las Vegas and the Rio, spurring an audit and an effort to improve investigations.

Unsealed holes found in the Rio's suites created a fire hazard because the gaps could allow flames to spread. These holes were an egregious code violation and potentially life-threatening, said Ron Lynn, the county's building chief.

Although complaints make up a tiny fraction of the department's workload, they should be treated as a high priority, Lynn said. "They will be pursued in an aggressive and diligent manner."

With the help of the new team, the county will go through one-fifth of the rooms in each high-rise hotel every year, finishing the entire inspection in five years, Lynn said. Workers also will perform yearly inspections on residential buildings.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said authorities should look at the company managers who gave the orders to ignore codes, not just the workers.

"Don't tell me these businesses did not know," she said.

Commissioner Lawrence Weekly said this episode further erodes public trust in safeguards.

"I agree that this whole issue is a mess," he said.

Any solution must include getting the various departments to share information so that complaints aren't lost in the shuffle, he said.

Woodbury said amnesty should be given to anyone who discloses a building's defects, with no time limit imposed on someone coming forward.

Giunchigliani disagreed, saying a business should be given a reasonable time to come clean before being slapped with full penalties. "Otherwise, what's the point?" she said.

Commissioner Rory Reid argued that a middle ground might be to charge a lesser fine to someone who discloses building flaws sooner, then increase fines as time passes.

Reid said the county is undergoing a crucial shift in how it ensures buildings are safe.

"We're going to be an investigating agency," Reid said.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or (702) 455-4519.