Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Will Succession Planning At The Department Of Energy/Nevada Succeed?, James H. Winget

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The topic of this professional paper is the succession planning program at the Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). I have prepared this paper for the Department of Public Administration in partial fulfillment of a Masters of Public Administration degree. The paper centers on the interpretation of data that was received through an office-wide survey of the staff and leaders of the DOE/NV. The data presented supports the theory that there may be significant weaknesses found in the current structure of the succession planning that may directly affect whether or not the program will succeed. The analyses performed focuses …

Coalition Formation: Governmental Practices To Resolve Social Issues, Delshanna Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Small groups have formed to resolve social issues since the beginning of time. It is the village concept where activists meet in the center of town to discuss a concern and together work toward a solution to a problem. This is represented in the town of Plato’s Republic and how they handled its dilemma with Socrates disrespect and disruptions to their way of ruling/ their culture. People met at a central location, discussed the issue, agreed on a solution and, together, enforced the resolution. Thus, first governments used groups to find solutions to community problems (Bell and Smith, p.1). Citizens …

Hazardous Materials Incidents And Emergency Medical Response In Clark County, Martha Dicey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Today's society was built on technological advancements and which also brought about the creation of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials are termed basically as a solid, liquid, or gas substance that, when released from a container, is capable of harming the environment, people or property. Hazardous materials can be found everywhere including industrial locations, backyard swimming pools, hospitals, and private homes. Transportation corridors such as railroads, boats, and trucks and in limited quantities by air are major areas where hazardous materials can be present. Incidents involving hazardous materials may occur during transportation or at any location where hazardous materials can be …

Impact Of The American's With Disabilities Act On Local Government (A Retrospective Review Of 10 Years Of Action) Specific To Personnel Administration, Mark A. Dascalos

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on January 26, 1990. This Act was intended to overcome many perceived or actual acts of discrimination against persons with disabilities residing in the United States of America. To date, no author has looked back to see what the impact of this comprehensive law has been on local government. This author through study will be determining what, if any, impact this law has had on the State of Nevada counties. This study is being limited in scope to personnel administration, and personnel related remedies. Recommendations for the future …

Unlv Magazine, Barbara Cloud, Donna Mcaleer

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Remote Sensing And Geographic Information Systems For Decision Analysis In Public Resource Administration: Case Study In A Southwestern Watershed, William G. Kepner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alternative futures analysis is a scenario-based approach to regional land planning that attempts to synthesize existing scientific information in a format useful to community decision makers. Typically, this approach attempts to investigate the impacts of several alternative sets of choices preferred by representative stakeholder groups relative to selected environmental or economical endpoints. Potential impacts from each of the scenarios are compared to current conditions of the region in terms of a set of processes that are modeled within a geographic information system. Future conditions are generally examined from the perspective of a recent baseline condition (versus empirically determined using a …

An Analysis Of The Socio-Economic Impact Of Casino Gambling In Mesquite, Nevada, And Its Implications For Public Policy, Janice K. Herfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a preliminary analysis of the socio-economic impact of casino gaming in Mesquite, Nevada. Mesquite is being studied from this perspective in order to provide policymakers with information that will aid in the determination of public policy relevant to and in conjunction with casino gaming activity. A combination of site visits to the area and interviews with casino executive personnel and relevant law enforcement was conducted for the purposes of gathering information for this study. Three police departments (Mesquite, Nevada, Cedar City, Utah and St. George, Utah) were interviewed to determine the crime rate in jurisdiction. Relevant data …

Public Finance Of Professional Athletic Facilities: Case Studies In Stadium And Arena Finance, Larry Harala

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

During the course of the 1990s cities across the country opted to expend public monies at record levels on stadium and arena construction. The focus of this paper will be an examination of whether or not spending public money on private athletic facilities is justifiable. For the purpose of this paper “justifiable” will mean; that the overall economic benefit to the community can be clearly and quantifiably demonstrate to have a net positive economic impact on the community while benefiting all socio-economic elements of the community at large. The types of facilities that this paper will examine are arenas and …

The Legislative History Of Gambling, 1861 - 1915, Ben Hetfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nevada’s way of regulating gambling has been of such interest over the past years that it has been given a name, the “Nevada Model”. Interested parties usually are seeking to learn if this model of gambling regulation will work in other political units of this country. The point of this paper is to give some background to the “Nevada Model” by looking at how the acts of the legislature of the state evolved through time. Of equal importance is the understanding of the role the miners played in the formation of Nevada’s culture and lifestyle. The miners brought Nevada its …

An Analysis Of The Socio-Economic Impact Of Casino Gaming In Mesquite, Nevada, And Its Implications For Public Policy, Janice K. Hetfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study is a preliminary analysis of the socio-economic impact of casino gaming in Mesquite, Nevada. Mesquite is being studied from this perspective in order to provide policymakers with information that will aid in the determination of public policy relevant to and in conjunction with casino gaming activity. A combination of site visits to the area and interviews with casino executive personnel and relevant law enforcement was conducted for the purposes of gathering information for this study. Three police departments (Mesquite, Nevada, Cedar City, Utah and St. George, Utah) were interviewed to determine the crime rate in jurisdiction. Relevant data …

Financing Public Infrastructure: A Case Study On Whether Development Impact Fees & Exactions Or Property Taxes Should Be Used To Support The Financing Of New Public Infrastructure, John P. Korkosz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Development impact fees and exactions are financing mechanisms that local governments increasingly use to finance the cost of public infrastructure. The primary reason that local governments favor development impact fees and exactions to finance public infrastructure is that the costs associated with growth falls on developers. Two legal cases --Golden v. The Planning Board of The Town of Ramapo, New York and the Construction Industry Association of Sonoma County v. The City of Petaluma, California-- serve as the basis for the support of development impact fees and exactions as a method to manage growth (So & Getzels: 53, 1988).

The Rural Hospital Dilema: Will Nevada’S Rural Hospital System Survive?, Nancy L. Anderson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study, prepared for the Department of Public Administration, will review and discuss the rural hospitals in the State of Nevada. By virtue of its size and population distribution, Nevada has a need for rural hospitals. These hospitals, which are of critical importance for Nevada residents, are constantly struggling with how to build and support their limited health system capacity and infrastructure. To survive, rural hospitals must offset the losses they have sustained as a result of decreased federal funding. Some ways these losses have been offset is by employing some of the programs created by the Balanced Budget Act …

Examination Of The Bureau Of Land Management's Implementation Of The Wild, Free-Roaming Horse And Burro Act At Red Rock National Conservation Area, Christine E. Brehm

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

For unknown reasons horses went extinct on the North American continent approximately ten thousand years ago and were subsequently reintroduced by Spanish settlers in the 1400's. As European settlers moved westward, horses were perceived as competition for grasslands and their numbers were curtailed. Wild horses were granted Federal protection in 1959 with the passage of the 'Wild Horse Annie' law and further protected with the passage of the Wild, Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Through the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management was charged with management of wild horses on public lands. Physical searches of …

Implementing Corporate Universities In The Public Sector: Evaluating Clark County’S Supervisor’S Organizational Skills Program, Karen E. Stevens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There is an increasing trend in the private sector to provide development opportunities to employees which include more than on-the-job or skills-based training. These programs are often referred to as “corporate universities.” Clark County is currently attempting to transform its training program to apply “corporate university” concepts to the development of its public sector employees. The purpose of this paper is to examine the planning conducted by the county’s program development team, and to determine if the now-implemented program is reaching its target audience, achieving its goals, and being evaluated correctly. Research for this paper was conducted through a review …

An Examination Of A Brownfield: The Former North Las Vegas Armory Site, Rebecca L. Fowler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis is a case study of the redevelopment project of the former Armory site in Las Vegas, Nevada, a United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Pilot Project. This investigation uses benefit-cost analysis to determine whether the project is economically feasible. This examination includes a description of the Brownfield program, a description of the site, selection criteria, and the proposed future use of it. The results show that the benefits exceed the costs.

Unlv Magazine, Barbara Cloud, Laurie Fruth

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Training Methods Used By The Vehicle Maintenance Department Of The Clark County School District Transportation Division, Jon J. Howard

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to explore the training methods presently employed by the Clark County School District in preparing their mechanical staff for the future. The methods used to explore this issue are a review of pertinent literature and a series of one on one interviews with both the Human Resources Department and the mechanical staff. These interviews demonstrate that changes in training techniques are necessary to maintain the efficiency and competence of the mechanical staff. A proposal to assist the Vehicle Maintenance Department reach these goals is included.

An Analysis Of Requirements For Undergraduate International Students To Attend U.S. Universities, Gregory M. Thevenin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper is concerned with the requirements of international students who want to attend higher education here in the United States. The areas of concern are the requirements from the U.S. Universities that recruit international students as well as the requirements from the U.S. Government for “F” and “M” Visa students. This paper will also concern itself with the financial aid available to the international students, if needed.

Fat, Dumb, And Happy. The Future Of Doe/Nv?, Michelle E. Slichko

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper, prepared for the Department of Public Administration, will identify and analyze some problems with succession planning at the Department of Energy Nevada Operations Office. My main concern is the fact that retirements, a hiring freeze, insufficient training funds, and rampant promotions are combining to make the existing workforce at DOE/NV fatter, dumber, and happier. The section on the DOE/NV organization reveals that as a result of Strategic Alignment Initiatives, the organization has downsized, but has not right-sized. The section on the subcritical mission focuses on only one of DOE/NV’s important missions and shows why it is critical to …

Target Marketing Can Help Attract City Residents, Robert E. Lang, James W. Hughes, Karen A. Danielsen

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

While suburban growth continues, city living is regaining popularity. It is common knowledge that urban neighborhoods often attract young, single professionals, but a more precise identification of potential city dwellers could help cities understand and develop their comparative advantages. Now, perhaps more than ever, cities need to know which people want to live in them and how their vision of urban life may be accommodated by public policy.

/="/">A common concern expressed among urban mayors is that the quality of their city services, especially schools, stacks up poorly against that of most suburbs. Improving public education is often cited …

U.S. Federal Government Cios: Information Technology's New Managers--Preliminary Findings, Marianne A. Buehler

Library Faculty Research

The Clinger-Cohen Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 (Clinger-Cohen Act) has changed the dynamics of how federal agencies view and manage their information technology. The mandated provision for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) is to act as information change agents and technology “watchdogs” for their agency. To observe how government is reacting to employing CIOs, field studies were conducted by e-mail with eight agencies to discover the successes and the challenges of this new information initiative. Four of the agencies contacted were mandated by the Clinger-Cohen Act and four were non-mandated. The results of this study depict varying levels of …

Medline Global Update Due, Thomas A. Ipri

Library Faculty Research

If you use OVID to search Medline, have you noticed it has been stuck on the "December week 4 1999" update for several weeks?

Normally, MEDLINE is updated weekly and runs a couple of weeks ahead of the calendar. What is going on? Every year in January, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) updates its Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to reflect growth and change in medical language. OVID programs the changes, releases a "global update" at the end of January, then resumes our normal weekly updates in February.

Minor Y2k Headaches For Reference Manager Uses, Thomas A. Ipri

Library Faculty Research

While the much-hyped predictions of Y2K disaster turned out to be a big yawn for most of us, some minor problems have cropped up. If you use an older version of one of the popular citation management programs, you may be having some date problems. Fortunately, there is a solution.

City Of Las Vegas Sidewalk Maintenance And Repair: Who Is Responsible?, Daphnee Legarza

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas (CLV) has recently adopted several new plans and elements requiring the creation of more pedestrian friendly and cluster development communities. The City of Las Vegas’ 2020 Master Plan requires pedestrian friendly neighborhoods in newly developing areas by stating, “The importance of creating neighborhoods that are walkable and sustainable and which foster a sense of community must be key elements of our newly developing areas”. (CLV Master Plan 2020, October 2000, p. 47) Also, in neighborhood revitalization areas the City requires “That new commercial development be designed in a walkable and non-vehicular friendly manner, providing shelter …

A Comparison Of The Establishment Of The Organizational Structure Of A Citizen Review Board At The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department And The City And County Of Denver Public Safety Review Commission, Glenn Glover

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The study focuses on the issue of establishing a citizen review board at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) for the purpose of reviewing allegations of misconduct. With the recent increase of police officer misconduct the LVMPD has come under a great deal of scrutiny by residents of the community. The credibility of the department has been jeopardized as a result of the current complaint investigations process which is conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau. Community activist have demanded that a citizen review board be established to investigate complaints of police misconduct. The purpose of setting up a citizen …

A Study Of Issues Related To Privatization Of Workers’ Compensation In Nevada, Kathryn A. Mack

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The key purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate current legislative initiatives for reform of workers’ compensation in Nevada. The examination will focus on issues relating to open competitive markets, market pricing, privatization of a state fund, and cost controls that have affected workers’ compensation in the state. The methods used in this paper include an in-depth examination of legislative statutes that have been enacted to control spending. Also, included is a review of literature that relates to privatization of state funds, and issues that are inherent in the transition from a state agency to private enterprise. Key …

A Case Study Of Process Servers In Clark County, Nevada In The District Attorney Criminal Division, Amy M. Meedel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 1996 the job classification of Process Server was created in the Clark County District Attorney Criminal Division in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was implemented by DA Stewart L. Bell as a cost-saving measure meant as a reclassification of the position of Investigator. Since the initial job posting, the duties appropriate to the position of Process Server have been and remain in question. No written, measurable job performance standards have been established and no consistent training or supervision provided. A review of the literature suggests wide variance in what may be considered appropriate job duties for this classification, though the …

Officer Involved Shooting: The Emotional Impact And The Effective Coping Strategies, Patrick P. Charoen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The emotional impact of a shooting incident on the individual police officer has been recognized and detailed by both police and mental health professionals (Lippert & Ferrara, 1984). The human cost and financial costs to Police Departments as a result of "post shooting" trauma has sensitized many departments to the need for professional support for officers involved in shootings. Recent survey research has provided information about the percentage of officers who experienced great, moderate, or no emotional impact after being involved in shootings (Stratton, 1982). However, information about the degree to which police departments have responded to this need has …

A Comparative Analysis Of Southern Nevada Municipalities, And Their Active Participation To Implement Historical Preservation, Rhonda M. Reeves

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A comparative analysis of southern Nevada municipalities, and their active participation to implement historical preservation is the foundation of research for this paper. The city of Las Vegas and surrounding municipalities have varying preservation programs in place. The distinctions between the municipalities historic preservation programs foster little protection for the historic site itself in most cases. Historic preservationists are actively bringing to the attention of government the importance of preservation, and are seeking more and more action on the part of the government to implement historic preservation mandates and protection.

The federal government funding for historical preservation within states is …

The Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority Plan Public Outreach Efforts In The City Of Henderson, Brenda S. Fischer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Region is the fastest growing region in the United States and has been for several years. The same source lists Henderson as the fastest growing large city (over 100,000 population) since 1990.

To mitigate the effects of growth, the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority (SNSPA) was created in 1997. it was tasked with creating a 20 year plan for growth and presenting that plan to the 1999 legislature. The purpose of this paper is to determine it the residents of Henderson agree with the contents of the plan, as rt …