Pool contractors fight proposed ordinance

Las Vegas valley pool and spa contractors made waves inside the Clark County Commission chambers Tuesday when a proposed ordinance that would place stringent restrictions on businesses came before the board.

Once again, the contractors argued, they are being penalized for a handful of bad business owners who took thousands of dollars from customers between 1995 and 1997, only to leave a gaping hole in their backyards.

Commissioners opted to wait until the Legislature addresses the issue during the current session before implementing the ordinance.

The county law would have required pool and spa sales agents to obtain a work identification card issued by Metro police, who would first investigate whether the person had been convicted of a crime.

The background checks would be as extensive as they are with applicants for child care, gaming or liquor licenses, which raised concerns with board members.

"Every time we do something that says if you have a felony in your background...what you're doing is preventing somebody from working," said Commissioner Myrna Williams.

Under the proposed ordinance, the pool and spa company would have had to put down a $5,000 bond, which would cover outstanding business license fees and the cost of public service announcements related to the pool and spa industry.

The strict ordinance stemmed from a time when the state Contractors Board and county commissioners received more than 800 complaints about pool contractors during a four-year period that ended in 1997.

Contractors demanded a down payment and installments before each phase of construction, often collecting 90 percent of the money before the pool was half finished. They would then move onto the next project.

The state Legislature placed a limit on down payments in 1997.

"Statewide we have the most stringent laws in the nation. We don't need these too," said Dennis Hayward, president of the southern Nevada chapter of the National Spa and Pool Institute.

"Once they start regulating one industry, it won't be long before they go on down the list."

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