Ward 2 Councilman looks to ask tough questions for city

When Bob Beers, 52, was running for the Ward 2 Las Vegas City Council seat, all his online biography gave were the basics such as his education and profession.

On a personal level, he and his wife, Sarah, like to get away to national parks and monuments in Southern Utah, Southern California and central Nevada. He recently bought a banjo off Craigslist to add to his command of instruments, which includes the guitar, trombone and piano. His hobbies have involved coin, rock and stamp collecting. He gardens now and then. An avid reader, he likes history, cop fiction and historical fiction.

John Bear, special assistant, recalled another aspect of Beers.

"He has a wicked sense of humor … really good sense of humor, very dry," Bear said. "If you watch enough video of him, he does a David Letterman. I’m trying to convince him to get David Letterman glasses."

But Beers was elected to help oversee the city. Less than two months into his term, he already has made an impression on his fellow council members.

"So far, what I’ve seen of councilman Beers is, he’s (someone who) listens to what other people have to say, and he asks some very good questions, makes thoughtful observations," said Stavros Anthony, city councilman for Ward 4 and mayor pro tem. "He’s somebody who takes the time to study the issues. And the CPA part is obviously good because a big part of our goal every year is to put together a budget to make sure we’re providing services to the city of Las Vegas. Having somebody (who’s) able to crunch the numbers and look at the budget a lot more closely is a nice person to have."

So why did Beers run, and how does he view the health of his area?

"I wanted to run because I thought that the city needed my help," he said. "I had developed an impression that there hadn’t been enough questions asked – ‘Why do they do it that way’? ‘What are you trying to accomplish?’ ‘Have you adjusted things since our revenue tax, our property taxes, dropped 25 percent?’ "

When he was a mere resident, what were his concerns for the neighborhood?

"In Ward 2, from The Lakes to Summerlin, life’s pretty good," he said. "I don’t know that I had complaints."

Now that he’s in office, what are his concerns?

"The continued provision of good government and public safety," Beers said. "Making sure that additional developments are harmonious with existing communities. And making sure that the city spends its money as wisely and efficiently as it can."

Does he have anything happening in Ward 2 to report to readers?

"I talked with new management at Village Square, am (looking forward to) that being turned around. And Tivoli and all the stuff happening there, that’s kind of cool," he said.

Has he heard anything about Fry’s?

"I’ve heard that they’re coming (to Boca Park), but they haven’t come yet."

Does he have knowledge of any new enterprises coming up in Boca Park?

"No," the councilman said. "We had a special-use permit for one of the inside shops at Tivoli, which is going to have multiple high-end vendors and like a really high-end small farmers market that’s going to be permanent in there, a jewelry maker and arts and craftsman kind of thing. That sounds kind of cool."

What kind of calls is he getting from constituents?

"Parking issues," he said. "We had one guy who parked in front of a fire hydrant and got a parking ticket and was mad that the curb wasn’t painted red. So we researched the ordinance, and it turned out the curb doesn’t have to be painted red. That’s merely a courtesy.

"We have an RV parking issue, (a man) who had received two parking tickets for his RV parked in front of his house," he said. "Both times, he took his operator’s manual … and explained to the judge that you’ve got to have the refrigerator going for 10, 12 hours before you can (load it with food), which is why the Sun City HOA rules say you can get 72 hours a month to park your RV on the street for loading and unloading. The city ordinance doesn’t address (that). So we’re working with the parking enforcement people on a system that will allow an RV owner to get a permit from the city that will be free or cost less than a parking ticket. I had one woman complain about the right-hand turn of the airplanes."

Does he have an open-door policy?

"My cellphone is published on my website, and I’m always happy to meet with constituents, either here, downtown or some place more comfortable if they prefer."

Doe he still have a full-time job?

"I’m a CPA auditor," he said.

How much of his time does it take up?

"I haven’t been 9 to 5 since I was 30," he said. "I’ve stepped up the degree of delegation at my day job and have some young associates who are capable of picking up more responsibility. My day job, like, is heavily weighted toward the first of the year; it has to do with government deadlines imposed on my clients. We’ve hit the end of that beginning-of-the-year heavy workload, so I now have much more time, with delegation … which will allow me to put in nearly full time."

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.