Thursday’s City Council meeting was brief, to say the least. With Mayor Al Litman absent due to illness, Mayor Pro-Tem Geno Withhelder led the meeting and adjourned within a half-hour.

On the agenda were resolutions and proclamations, including designating next Thursday, September 4, as “Go Orange Day” to raise awareness of how many people go hungry every day in the United States, and in Southern Nevada. The proclamation was given to representatives of Three Square, an organization based in Las Vegas that also supplies food to the Virgin Valley Food Bank and Salvation Army.

It was also proposed that September be proclaimed as Childhood Cancer Awareness month.

Both were approved by council. Other business included approval of two resolutions.

Resolution 840, a report by the Finance Director and City Treasurer for the October 29, 2014 sale of properties that are subject to lien of a delinquent assessment in the Canyon Crest and Anthem Special Improvement Districts. According to Finance Director/City Treasurer David Empey, this is common several times a year. The sale/auction of properties that have not been settled by October 29 at 11 a.m. will be sold to the highest bidder in the City Council Chambers room at 10 E. Mesquite Boulevard.

Resolution 842 was brought to the dais to approve an interlocal agreement between Clark County and the City of Mesquite for the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development Block Grant program. The program grants an initial funding of $191,818 to the Parks Fund Capital Project Fund, to be used for maintenance of designated areas.

The council also approved changing the name of Bertha Howe Avenue in the portion nearest to the Sports and Events Complex (SEC) to be named World Champion Way. Petitioners had stated that visitors often get lost when trying to find it because the lower portion of Bertha Howe Avenue, near Mesa View Regional Hospital, is not a complete loop. While construction of that road’s completion may be several years away, according to Richard Secrist, “this makes the most sense at this time.”

The final item on the agenda was the adoption of Bill 487 as Ordinance 487, which has been referred to as the ‘Whistle blower’s” protection law, protecting any governmental worker from repercussions they may possible face if disclosing improper actions within their sector.