May '10 Nevada Government—City of North Las Vegas Column

First North Las Vegas Resident Buys Home Under Federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program

May 6, 2010 – North Las Vegas, NV – The first North Las Vegas resident to purchase a home through the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program will receive keys to her new house at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 10. Kira Pitts met eligibility requirements for the program and purchased the home at 1413 Velvet Leaf Drive for $75,000.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials, City officials and representatives from Housing for Nevada, a non-profit affordable housing developer and HUD certified housing counseling agency, will be on hand to congratulate Pitts and provide tours of the home.

“We’re so pleased to see this program succeed in helping a resident afford a home,” Mayor Shari L. Buck said. “It is a sign recovery from the foreclosure crisis is in sight.”

“I’m glad this program enables homeownership, while ensuring a formerly foreclosed property again is adding value to the neighborhood,” Ward 4 City Councilman Richard J. Cherchio said. The home is in his ward.

The City last year purchased the Velvet Leaf home with NSP money then conveyed it to Housing for Nevada. Housing for Nevada refurbished and retrofitted the 1,300 square-foot home for energy efficiency before selling it Pitts. Three other non-profit agencies are partnering with the City to rehabilitate and resell foreclosed homes.

Pitts’ home is one of 40 foreclosed properties the City is purchasing with money from the program. Throughout May, several homes will be completed and available for the home buyers to move in. The program provides emergency assistance to state and local governments for acquiring, rehabilitating and reselling foreclosed properties that might become sources of abandonment and blight. The City is targeting properties in the 89031, 89032, 89081, 89084 and 89086 zip codes, which have had the greatest foreclosure rates in North Las Vegas.

The City received $8.6 million in NSP funding and has obligated about 70 percent of it.

For more information about NSP funding, call Kathy Somers at (702) 633-1531 or Rick Damian at (702) 633-2612 in the North Las Vegas Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services. For more information about NSP eligibility or the process of rehabilitating and reselling homes under the program, call HFN Executive Director Christine Johnston at (702) 270-0300.

Go Local, Go North

May 5, 2010 – North Las Vegas, NV – The City of North Las Vegas is rolling out a new media campaign aimed at bolstering the local economy. The “Go Local, Go North,” campaign includes television public service announcements that are airing on Cox Cable channels and Las Vegas Channel 2 and Clark County Channel 4. The TV ads also will appear at movie showings at the park during the summer’s Movie Madness Series.

The campaign includes posters, fliers and public awareness events.

The campaign is intended to draw local support for local merchants and businesses. It promotes North Las Vegas shopping, dining and entertainment as convenient, affordable and earth-friendly options for families in North Las Vegas and across the Las Vegas Valley.

For every $100 spent at locally owned businesses, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding the City’s tax base. Local businesses are usually owned by people who live in the community and are committed to investing in its future.

The City is partnering with several local businesses in the upcoming months for some “Meet and Greet” events and for financial and security seminars. At least two “Meet and Greet” events are planned for the summer and fall. For more information about these events, call Pamela Dittmar in Economic Development at (702) 633-1529.

To view the ads, visit the City’s Web site at www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com

Ward 4 Councilman Richard J. Cherchio To Hold Town Hall Meeting

May 4, 2010 – North Las Vegas, NV – North Las Vegas Councilman Richard J. Cherchio will hold a Town Hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11, at Legacy High School, 150 W. Deer Springs Way.

Cherchio will use the Town Hall meeting as a call for volunteers, focusing on the opportunities in North Las Vegas for talented and passionate people to make a difference. The meeting will feature presentations by representatives from various City departments and a brief update on City’s financial status. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions for the councilman.

The public is encouraged to attend.

For more information, please call Michelle Bailey-Hedgepeth at 633-1178 or Donna Gamble at 633-1007.

City Seeks Young Leaders

May 3, 2010 – North Las Vegas, NV – North Las Vegas is recruiting for its Youth Council. This group is for teens from 14 to19 years old. Participants are recruited from all areas of the City.

The Youth Council provides young people an opportunity to learn about local government first hand through activities including community events and job shadowing in their areas of interest. The program is designed to provide opportunities for personal growth and community involvement. The Youth Council serves as an advisory commission to the City Council on issues affecting the community’s youth.

The program will coincide with school year and most events will occur in the late afternoon or early evening.

Prospective participants can click here to obtain an application and mail it to City of North Las Vegas Youth Council, Attention Michelle Bailey-Hedgepeth, 2200 Civic Center Drive, North Las Vegas, NV 89030. For more information on how to apply, please call Donna Gamble or Nancy Chavez at (702) 633-1007. The application deadline is May 30, 2010.