Property owners may soon be held responsible, even lose their business licenses, for a wide range of drug- and alcohol-related offenses on their premises, including parties where minors are drinking.
District Attorney Noel Waters plans to present the "social host responsibility" ordinance to city supervisors next month.
Modeled after similar ordinances in California cities - including Berkeley, Ventura and Chico - it would target not only the person responsible, but also the landlord.
The ordinance would expand the existing nuisance ordinance, which already holds landlords responsible for more serious crimes, such as drug trafficking. The new ordinance would include situations ranging from underage drinking parties, to illegal drug use, to drug manufacturing.
The first time would be a warning, in addition to whatever criminal charges are filed against the tenant and/or landlord.
Subsequent violations would result in fines ranging from $150-$350. Finally, the owner's business license would be revoked.
"It's certainly enough to be an incentive, one hopes," Waters said. "There's more responsibility for the property owner and for people who are putting on these parties."
However, he said, it's not all about punishing property owners. It could benefit them.
"We have a lot of absentee property owners," Waters said. "They don't always know what's going on. The idea is to provide a mechanism for letting them know what's going on on their premises."
The fines will also help the sheriff's department recoup some of the cost of responding multiple times to one address.
• Contact reporter Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1272.
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