Litigation over Boulder City recall looks likely

By Mike Trask

Saturday, June 21, 2008 | 2 a.m.

The effort to recall a pair of Boulder City politicians started on the streets, and now it’s likely moving to the courts.

Having seen their petitions to recall Boulder City Council Members Travis Chandler and Linda Strickland declared insufficient — largely because of a secretary of state’s ruling that disqualified many signatures on them — recall leaders are expected to go to court to try to get a green light for their campaign.

“It seems to me there is going to be litigation on this,” Chandler said. “It’s too bad.”

Christine Milburn, one of three Boulder City residents who led the recall campaign, said the group has a lawyer looking at ways to appeal Secretary of State Ross Miller’s decision that only those who voted in last year’s elections could sign the recall petitions. Clark Country Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said more than 30 percent of signatures reviewed by his department were invalid because the signers did not vote in 2007.

Lomax did not validate the petitions. However, the number of valid signatures on the petitions against Strickland was close enough to trigger a review of all 1,974 names. That full review has not been completed.

Milburn said her group also will ask Miller to call for a review of all 1,980 signatures on the Chandler petitions, saying she remains confident the group has collected enough signatures.

As if the issue were not confusing enough, this week the state legislative counsel said signatures of all registered voters should count on the recall petitions.

Recall supporters’ appeal would be filed in district court and likely would make its way to the state Supreme Court.

“It should happen pretty quickly,” Milburn said.

•••

The River Mountains Loop Trail — the winding paved bike path running from Henderson to Boulder City — is inching closer to completion.

Last month the project received nearly $500,000 in Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act funds to begin work on the section of asphalt that ends near the Railroad Pass Casino just outside Boulder City.

The new section will finally connect Boulder City and Henderson. It’s one of the final sections that needs to be finished, along with a part near Lake Las Vegas and a trail that will run through the Bootleg Canyon mountain bike park.

The 35-mile-long project has been in the works for 12 years and is run entirely by volunteers. When completed, the trail will be maintained by local municipalities.

It runs around the River Mountains, connecting Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Hoover Dam, Henderson, Boulder City and the rest of the Las Vegas Valley. It also connects to several local trails.

With gas topping $4.25 a gallon, supporters hope that in addition to being used for recreation, the trail might even be used for some two-wheeled commuting.

•••

Speaking of trails, Henderson is changing the hours of operation for its more than 40 miles of trails.

The trails now will open at 5 a.m. and close at 11 p.m., a temporary shift from the old 6 a.m. to midnight schedule.

The extensive trail system cuts across most of Henderson, which last year earned the title of one of the nation’s best places to take a walk.

“There was a resident who uses our trials before 6 o’clock and he went to the parks and recreation board and requested to change them,” said Kathy Blaha, a city spokeswoman.

After a survey of about 1,400 residents living near major access points to the trails system, the switch was made. The board will review the hours again in six months.

Blaha admitted the change will not have a major effect on trail use, adding that many people probably won’t even notice the new signs.

“If you’re there outside of the posted hours it gives police the ability to ask you what you’re doing there,” she said.