Housing authority minus two ahead of vote

The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority board of commissioners unexpectedly lost two of its nine members last month.

Commissioner Ricki Barlow gave up his housing authority seat on

Jan. 22 when he resigned from the Las Vegas City Council. Barlow said he will plead guilty to felony fraud charges for misusing campaign funds in 2015.

On the same day, Cherryl Young, a public housing resident and commissioner representing Henderson, submitted her resignation. Young said she is moving to Atlanta.

Barlow and Young were both relatively new to the commission. Las Vegas City Council members appointed Barlow in July, and Young got the nod from the Henderson City Council in September.

Neither city council has discussed replacing them.

Meanwhile, the commission is slated to make two key votes on Thursday.

The agenda calls for commissioners to award a $12.5 million contract to B&H Construction to modernize the Espinoza Terrace public housing complex in Henderson. Commission Chairwoman Dora Lagrande said the vote must happen now because of rising construction costs.

“If we continue to wait, we won’t be able to afford to do the project,” she said.

Commissioners will also consider giving interim executive director Amparo Gamazo a 5 percent salary increase. The raise would be worth roughly $5,850 a year, according to

HOUSING

first half of the tunnels — in both directions — are well lit, while the last half is darker,” Harvey wrote in an email to the Road Warrior. “This seems like a safety issue.”

Dominick cited a similar concern, adding that the overhead lattice beams cause the sunlight to flash in and out, causing a “visual distraction.”

Airport spokeswoman Christine Crews shed some light on the situation, noting that the tunnels meet requirements set by both the American National Standards Institute and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

Additionally, Crews said the latticework at each end of the tunnels allows the driver’s eyes to adjust to the change in lighting.

Left wondering

Peter from Las Vegas wanted to know what drivers attempting to turn left at an intersection should do when they cannot see oncoming traffic. In some cases, the view is blocked by a vehicle driving in the opposite direction, a sign or landscaping.

Trooper Jason Buratczuk of the Nevada Highway Patrol said it’s always the driver’s responsibility to make that turn safely.

“If they cannot see the oncoming traffic lanes, then they should not turn left, and they should not proceed into the intersection and stop,” Buratczuk said.

Drivers who pull into the intersection,

stop and make their left turn after the signal turns red usually block the flow of opposing traffic. Plus, they would technically be running a red light, Buratczuk said.

“My best advice is to make sure you have a clear view of all travel lanes before committing to a turn,” Buratczuk said while noting that Las Vegas is ranked fourth in the country for red-light runners. “Show a little patience. It could save your life.”

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