Efficient justice passed a bill to require some reporting,” lawmaker Smith said. “That’s exactly what we wanted was some reporting to make sure it is helping.” But she said the resulting information drawn from reports by companies operating under STAR bonds has not been all that useful, sometimes consisting of estimates instead of hard numbers. “It wasn’t contemplated that nontourist companies would come in as a result of STAR bonds,” Smith said. “It wasn’t contemplated that existing businesses would be hurt by STAR bonds. It wasn’t contemplated that the state would lose money from these projects.” “How many Californians are saying, ‘Let’s drive to Scheels in east Sparks?’ ” asked Atkinson. He said that in addition to the quarter cent sales tax and wages paid, the Truckee Meadows will also benefit from property taxes and a business tax calculated on payrolls—which, like the sales tax, are split among various governments. “But that’s about it,” he said. He said that without the tourist component of STAR bonds, the only thing developments like Legends do is shuttle sales taxes around the valley—and create “unfair competition” for local businesses from big box chains. “Does this move the sales base from one location to another?” he
asked. “Unless they’re bringing in customers from outside the state, it’s the same tax base.” Some Sparks officials have said that businesses that moved to Legends from other valley locations would otherwise have left the valley altogether. No company has confirmed that. Meanwhile, RED is also having problems that transcend Sparks— including some in the birthplace of STAR bonds. Steve Vockrodt wrote in the June 8 edition of the Kansas City Business Journal, “RED Development LLC’s local status is cooling after years as one of the area’s hottest retail developers. In the span of a week, its One Nineteen retail project in Leawood sold, and a federal judge appointed a receiver for RED’s signature Legends Outlets Kansas City that will look to replace the company as property manager and explore a sale of the Kansas City, Kan., project.” The full name of the project is Outlets at Legends and some of the stores have outlet or factory in their names, but few if any of them have the pricing policies that are normally associated with outlet stores. “[C]all them ‘outlet’ if you want, but I’m not paying those prices,” wrote thenSparks Tribune editor Nathan Orme last year. Ω
On Nov. 6, the Reno Justice Court will gain a sixth department and a new justice of the peace in its ranks. Candidates by Pierre Hascheff, a lawyer and Reno Bethany Deines City Councilman since 1993, and Gemma Greene Waldron, a criminal lawyer and 16-year deputy district attorney, are competing to fill the newly created position. Previously, the justice court was composed of five departments, each with one justice of the peace at its head. But due to a higher volume of court cases, another seat was added to meet increased demand. The Reno Justice Court handles a wide array of legal cases—JPs hear everything from citations and small claims to misdemeanors and even the preliminary examination of felony cases. Both candidates have stated that, if elected, increasing efficiency within the court will be at the top of their to-do list.
justices take on share of such cases, carving out one morning a week to dedicate to the task. “It would require the whole justice court to sit down and reevaluate,” she said. “How do we, now six judges, make the court more efficient as a whole, but still keep it at four days a week, keep the budget straight, and not have to hire more people?” Pierre Hascheff, Waldron’s opponent, agrees that increasing efficiency should be a top priority of the court, given Washoe County’s tight economic condition. He said that although the Reno Justice Court is one of the most efficient courts in the state, there is still work to be done. He believes his years serving on the City Council lend him a large amount of knowledge and experience in creating efficient government. Hascheff suggests exploring the option of merging the municipal court and the justice court to increase efficiency. In his City Council experience, such consolidation efforts were he said. The candidates agree: very“Ineffective, the city we consolidated a lot Budget limits will impose a of our functions,” Hascheff said. Another of Hascheff’s suggestions changes in how the court includes the continued advancement does business. of the technological capabilities of the court. He wants to continue initiatives such as “out of line and online,” a goal set by the justice court to get at least Waldron said the six justices need 40 percent of those with outstanding to become more uniform in their fines to pay online. If not required to court proceedings. She believes the come to court, Hascheff said people use of a courtroom script would will be more likely to pay their fines, increase efficiency by making the allowing the court to create revenue court more productive and prewhile saving on court costs. dictable. “It’s very expensive to have “Some judges take longer to do a people go through the system,” he task than others,” she said. “If we said. “On-line services provide the became more uniform in how we do a same result without the cost.” canvass, in how we take a plea, in Hascheff’s ideas extend beyond how we handle arraignments … if we mergers and fines. He calls for all followed a certain script, we mandatory settlement conferences, would know that we could hear X which he said allow the court to disamount of people in X amount of pense justice without the expense of a time.” lengthy trial period. With the county already stretched “If the judge can resolve a case for funding and a population that con- before it goes to a two-week trial or a tinues to grow, Waldron said the one-week trial, it saves the court a lot court’s efficiency problems will only of money,” he said. worsen if correctional action is not Hascheff said the creation of taken immediately. Department 6 could not have come at “The court just can’t afford to a better time in his career. After a 23increase hours,” Waldron said. “The year stint serving as a member of the only solution is to do things in a more Reno City Council, Hascheff said efficient manner.” he’s now ready to give up his law Waldron believes that increased practice fulfill his lifelong goal of efficiency is possible in the court’s becoming a judge. sentencing process. Currently, she “It won’t be hard to move on,” he said, the court allocates a single jussaid. “I’m 57 years old, I’ve been tice to handle all cases that are practicing for almost 30 years, so I deemed to require extra tutelage. look at this as another opportunity.” Ω Waldron would propose that all six
Gassing up PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS
In Sparks last weekend, mounted police officers patrolling the Street Vibrations motorcycle events stopped under a convenience store carport to eat some fast food lunches. There was no hay at hand for the horses. OPINION
|
NEWS
|
GREEN
|
FEATURE STORY
|
ARTS&CULTURE
|
IN ROTATION
|
ART OF THE STATE
|
FOODFINDS
|
FILM
| MUSICBEAT
|
NIGHTCLUBS/CASINOS
| THIS WEEK
|
MISCELLANY
|
SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
|
RN&R
|
7
