City Council approves police force settlement

At its Aug. 17 meeting, the Henderson City Council voted to:

• Approve a $60,000 settlement for Joseph Gaudreau, a man accusing the Henderson Police Department of using excessive force in a 2001 arrest. Gaudreau filed a federal lawsuit, alleging violations of his Fourth Amendment rights, including assault and battery, at the hands of two Henderson police officers.

While the city claims no responsibility for Gaudreau's injuries, the city's attorney's office determined that defending the case would cost thousands more than settling.

The settlement specifies that neither party admits any liability in the Aug. 1, 2001 incident when two Henderson police officers responded to a domestic dispute involving Gaudreau. The officers involved in the incident still work for the department.

• Approve the purchase of a Mobile Command Vehicle for the city's police and fire departments, to be funded through Nevada's Falcon's Nest Law Enforcement Procurement Program. The vehicle will be shared by the Henderson police and fire departments, assisting with handling large incidents, lengthy investigations and scheduled functions. The MCV will also be used for static displays.

LDV Inc., a command vehicle construction company from Burlington, Wis., was selected as contractor for the vehicle, priced at approximately $660,000.

• Ratify the acceptance of a Violence Against Women 2004 police grant, awarded by the Nevada attorney general's office to the Henderson Police Department in the amount of $15,000.

The funds are for overtime, equipment and training related to domestic violence, to be used when conducting stalking investigations from July 1 to June 30, 2005.

• Approve an agreement between the city and the Nevada Division of Forestry to provide 600 five-gallon size Fremont Cottonwood trees for the Pittman Wash. The decision was made in support of Project Green, an initiative to remove unsightly weeds and grow native plants in the wash to create a more natural environment in the area.

The trees will be planted at a price of $7 each, amounting to a total cost of $4,200. A quarter of the cost will be paid up front, and the remaining amount due will be paid when the plants are received in October.

• Appoint Dianna Fyke to the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Commission, to fill the unexpired term of Eric Traub.


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