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In business city government City Council puts brakes on new liquor stores for six months By Conor Shine staff writer The Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium that restricts staff from accepting any new land use or business licensing applications for packaged liquor stores in a five-block stretch of Fremont Street. The decision was prompted by concerns about an overabundance of alcohol along the Fremont Street Experience. City staff will have the next six months to sort through liquor licensing regulations and observe the Fremont Street Experience to see whether it should restrict the number of liquor stores going forward. There are 21 active licenses along the five-block stretch of Fremont Street, from Main Street to Las Vegas Boulevard, that permit businesses to sell closed containers of beer, wine or liquor. The licenses are held by a combination of casinos, gift shops and other free-standing retailers. Four more businesses applied for the right to sell closed containers of alcohol in July, prompting a pushback from law enforcement and other downtown businesses. They argued Fremont Street had reached a saturation point and didn't need any more liquor stores. "In the four months since these applications have been filed, a lot of eyes have been opened about the problems associated with package liquor sold under the canopy," said Terry Murphy, president of the Downtown Alliance, which represents 65 area businesses. "I think the city is wise to step back, study the environment and make a decision that's more informed six months from now." Murphy said the law is unenforceable. Although people are allowed to buy closed containers of alcohol inside liquor stores, they're not allowed to open them on Fremont Street. "Las Vegas law requires that you cannot consume alcohol from a package liquor store within 1,000 feet of that store," she said. "There's no way for tourists to know that it's not legal for them to drink that can of beer they just bought in the store." The four pending applications are technically not affected by the moratorium, but they face slim odds of being approved before the city has had time to examine the issue. Existing liquor licenses also are unaffected. One area the city plans to explore is the relationship between the density of liquor stores and crime, as well as the effect it has on underage drinking. Mayor Carolyn Goodman said after attending several city-organized workgroups with Fremont Street interests, she's confident a solution can be worked out. county government steps are being taken to plug financial drain at shooting complex By Conor Shine staff writer Operations at the Clark County Shooting Complex continue to misfire, with the park losing $250,000 in the first three months of this fiscal year. The complex, which opened in 2010 at a cost of $63.4 million, was not expected to make money its first five years, according to projections done at the time of construction. But the rate of losses — the park spent $1.1 million more than it brought in last year — means it won't break even for several more years without changes in the way it does business. The losses are raising concerns among county commissioners, who want to see the park end its reliance on a county subsidy that has totaled more than $3 million since it opened. "We can't act like this problem doesn't exist," commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said. "It's clear something has to be done." Staff presented a first round of changes approved by commissioners expected to cut this year's losses by 75 percent. The plan calls for a reduction of shooting complex staff hours by about one third, in conjunction with reduced 8 20131202_VI08_F.indd 8 operating hours. While these initial steps will save money in the short term, commissioners agreed more still needed to be done. Finding new ways to market the complex, whether in trade publications, on the county's TV station or through the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, is crucial, said Commissioner Tom Collins, a strong supporter whose district includes the complex. Collins criticized the county for not allocating staff to market the park and said it needed to be run differently than other parks in the county system. "We can't have recreation sports specialists that know about Frisbees, softballs and soccer balls running a shooting complex," he said. "If you're going to treat it like a potential enterprise fund that can be profitable, then you've got to do it right." Other ideas include hiring a private management company, licensing naming rights, offering memberships or engaging a UNLV class to develop a marketing campaign. Commissioners didn't come up with any firm next steps but plan to check in on the complex early next year. | 2 DECEMBER 2013 | 11/27/13 12:42:58 PM

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