2011 was full of drama in Henderson

Every year, the city of Henderson goes through many highlights while trenching through various struggles. This year was no exception with city elections, development proposals, park renovations and city officials who resigned, for better or worse.

THE CITY ATTORNEY CONTROVERSY

Controversy followed the city attorney position through much of the year.

It started at 2:45 p.m. May 23 when former Henderson city attorney Elizabeth Quillin crashed her Lexus at Paseo Verde Parkway and Carnegie Street after she had been drinking.

Quillin, who struck a fire hydrant, a boulder and a tree and almost hit a woman who was trying to help her, was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor drunken driving.

At first, Quillin pleaded not guilty, but at her September hearing, she changed her plea to no contest.

At an Aug. 1 meeting, Quillin resigned from her post and received a settlement of $99,000.

The controversy continued after a search to find a replacement. Josh Reid, the son of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, was named a top candidate. He was up against Christine Guerci-Nyhus, who was serving as interim city attorney.

Some residents believed that the council lowered its qualifications to ensure that Reid could apply for the position.

Councilman Sam Bateman said that after he was elected in June, he suggested that the qualifications for the position be adjusted so the city could receive a broader spectrum of applicants.

Councilwoman Kathleen Vermillion and Mayor Andy Hafen said Sen. Reid called to lobby on his son's behalf.

The council convened at a special meeting Nov. 29, and Reid was chosen in a 4-0 vote. Vermillion abstained. Council members said they believed Reid was the best candidate for the city.

The decision rallied comments and complaints from some members of the community, who accused the council of nepotism.

ELECTION YEAR

Election season for the city of Henderson began in January as candidates filed to run in Wards 1, 2 and 4.

Councilwomen Gerri Schroder and Debra March entered the race to reclaim their seats. Ward 4 was open to new representation because Councilman Steve Kirk termed out.

During the April 5 primary election, 15,263 of 131,899 registered voters participated, city officials said.

Schroder, who ran against four opponents in Ward 1, received 7,916 votes, or 54.18 percent, and retained her seat. March, who squared off against two other opponents in Ward 2, received 8,074 votes, or 54.1 percent, and retained her seat.

The Ward 4 race initially had six candidates. After the primaries, Bateman, a Henderson planning commissioner and Clark County prosecutor, and former Henderson police chief Mike Mayberry continued to the June 7 general election.

Both Bateman and Mayberry launched and dodged several attacks through mailers.

Mayberry claimed Bateman had a conflict of interest working on the Henderson Planning Commission while being a lobbyist for the Clark County Prosecutors Association.

Bateman accused Mayberry of scamming taxpayers by collecting a pension on top of disability for a heart condition. On June 7, Bateman came out on top, receiving 8,330 votes or 63.24 percent. Mayberry received 4,843 votes, or 36.76 percent.

According to city officials, 3,753 people voted on Election Day while 7,186 cast a ballot through early voting.

FAREWELL, COUNCILWOMAN KATHLEEN VERMILLION

Councilwoman Kathleen Vermillion announced in November that she would be resigning from her Ward 3 seat to focus on her family and her nonprofit charity, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. She was elected to the council in June 2009.

Vermillion said she needed to redirect her attention to the partnership, where she serves as the chief operating officer.

After her son Alexander was convicted on a charge of misdemeanor drunken driving and transferred to a sober living facility, Vermillion said she knew her decision was the right one.

The announcement was made at a special meeting Nov. 29. The council voted Dec. 20 to appoint a replacement.

Vermillion's last day is scheduled for Jan. 3.

UNION VILLAGE ANNOUNCES PLANS

Developers for Union Village announced April 7 that they intend to build a multibillion-dollar health, retail and community center near U.S. Highway 95 and Galleria Drive.

The project is slated to be completed in three phases over the next five years.

The state-of-the art facility is to be built on about 150 acres and include hospitals, a movie theater, retail space, a senior retirement community and the Henderson Space and Science Center.

On June 14, the City Council voted to approve a land purchase agreement with the developers for $11.6 million.

David Baker, a Southern California developer who is managing partner of Union Village, announced that the project also would create about 17,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Since its announcement, the city has been prepping the site by hauling in 610,000 cubic yards of fill dirt. The developers plan to break ground in 2012.

FORMER CITY MANAGER WINS SETTLEMENT

Mary Kay Peck, a former city manager, received a $1.28 million settlement after being fired.

Peck worked 18 months as Henderson's first female city manager before being fired April 14, 2009.

Council members at the time said she was fired for failure to perform the job and accused Peck of withholding vital information.

Peck, whose annual salary was $225,000, sued the city for breach of contract. An arbitrator ruled in her favor against the city.

PITTMAN WASH DEBATED BY TWO GROUPS

The city of Henderson and Project GREEN found a compromise after months of meetings to find an appropriate solution for the erosion problem at the bottom of Pittman Wash.

Problems initially arose when Project GREEN learned that the city planned to put a 40-foot wide, 10-foot deep concrete channel at the bottom of the wash. City officials said only 1,800 feet of the wash would be affected.

Community members worried that the concrete barrier would harm the natural stream and the ecosystem at the bottom of the wash.

The problem had cost the city's utility services department about $5 million in repairs since 2005, urging the city to find a long-term solution.

The project, slated to cost $4.5 million, is being paid for by the Clark County Regional Flood Control District, which had set design requirements for the city to abide by.

Both entities set up booths and distributed information at a July 13 meeting at the wash to get community input. Project GREEN presented the city with the signatures of about 700 people opposed to the decision.

Both entities began to talk about alternatives including riprap lining, which uses large rocks or concrete rubble to stabilize the stream; drop structures, which are man-made spillways that drop the water from a higher elevation to a lower elevation and slow the velocity of water flow; and adding vegetation, which is a natural way to control the erosion.

After about six meetings, including a walk along Pittman Wash to discuss the situation, the groups agreed upon a solution to build an arch culvert at the bottom of the wash.

At a Sept. 20 meeting, the City Council voted 4-0, with March absent, to proceed with a design process.

HENDERSON AIMS TO BE A LITTLE GREENER

Henderson's Parks and Recreation Department reopened and upgraded some old parks and broke ground on several new parks.

The parks department received more than $238 million from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act to carry out some of its projects. Silver Springs Park, 1950 Silver Springs Parkway, reopened Nov. 19 after being closed nearly a year. The overall cost was $1.4 million, which came from three sources of funding: the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the utility services department and a residential construction tax.

Wells Park, 1640 Price St., broke ground for renovations March 31. The project is estimated to cost $1.8 million and include a splash pad, a skateboard area, an exercise track, a gaming plaza, a shade structure, a life-size chess board and a climbing wall.

Kim Becker, a spokesperson with the parks and recreation department, said the project should be finished by May 2012.

Reunion Trails Park, 44 Chapata Drive, which had its groundbreaking Oct. 18, 2010, opened Dec. 17. The $1.3 million project features a splash pad, a playground under a shade structure and an open play area.

DEVELOPER HOPES TO BUILD STADIUM

Developer Chris Milam has proposed building the Las Vegas National Sports Complex east of Interstate 15 near the M Resort and Las Vegas Boulevard.

Representatives from the complex went before the City Council several times in 2011 to discuss their plan to build the facility, seeking the city's help along the way.

The complex would include an entertainment arena with 18,000 seats and a 22,000-seat stadium designed to host major soccer and rodeo events.

If developed, the site would cost nearly $1.35 billion and be built on 485 acres owned by the Bureau of Land Management, which would have to agree to sell the land.

The developers originally announced that the project could create 10,000 jobs. At an October council meeting, a spokeswoman with the project said it would create only 4,000 jobs, bringing scrutiny from some of the council members.

Discussions still are in the preliminary stages.

LAKE LAS VEGAS RE-EMERGES WITH CASINO, RESORT OPENINGS

Lake Las Vegas, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2010, reopened two establishments this year.

Ravella at Lake Las Vegas opened Feb. 11, replacing the Ritz-Carlton, which closed about a year earlier. The resort is operated by Dolce Hotels and Resorts.

On May 26, Casino MonteLago reopened its doors. The former establishment was taken over by Intrepid Gaming LCC, which renovated the 275-machine casino.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.