LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Chaos erupted inside of the Centennial Hills YMCA Tuesday night as hundreds, nearly a thousand residents with septic packed in for a meeting.
The Southern Nevada Health District was hosting a community outreach and informational meeting for new proposed septic regulations inside of a room in the Adult Center in the back of the YMCA.
WATCH | Inside the chaotic septic tank meeting
Several issues with space and technology led to the meeting being rescheduled.
Channel 13 has covered several stories regarding the proposed regulations, which residents with septic say they're against.
Originally, these regulations would remove lifetime permits for septic tank owners and force them to renew a permit every five years. That permit would come with an inspection and a $226 fee for the permit.
If the homeowner failed the inspection, they would be forced to switch connect to a sewer line on their own dime. Some homeowners claim that would cost them between $40,000 and more than $100,000, according to some estimates.
However, changes to those proposed regulations that I reported on February 12 show people with current septic tanks that remain unchanged after these regulations would keep their permits.
The permits would only need to be renewed every five years if you have a new septic tank or change your tank in anyway after the regulations would go into effect.
Here is the added portion to the amended regulation that Channel 13 is referring to: 2-2.03 Duration and Renewal
(A) For ISDS existing on the effective date of these Regulations, the ISDS Operating Permit shall be valid until the ISDS fails or a community sewage system is installed to serve the area and connection hereto is legally required.
There are several other changes homeowners are happy with and against though.
Many homeowners tell me they don't want any regulations whatsoever, claiming they've never had an issue with septic since they moved to our valley. That was a big point of contention during the meeting Tuesday.
However, the first issue was the space.
There were too many people who attended the meeting in person than space allowed.
Southern Nevada Health District Board Chairman Scott Black addressed the lack of space, which homeowners were mad about.
"There is clear frustration, I apologize. I'm the chairman of the board of the Health District, I'm embarrassed and I apologize. I truly do," said Black.
Over 100 people were in attendance in just the main room itself. There were also dozens outside with a TV to watch the meeting and nearly 100 in an overflow room watching as well.
Meanwhile a long line of several hundreds of people stretched from the main room, out of the YMCA and into the parking lot, almost wrapped around the building for hours. I witnessed that line still standing past 6 p.m. when the meeting was originally scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
Technology issues also occurred. Residents joining online, the people gathered outside, those in the line and those in the overflow room were unable to hear the meeting as it started.
Frustration grew from there, homeowners began yelling at the board members in attendance to fix the issues, many saying they weren't prepared for the crowd to come, suggesting the board should have been.
"They very much underestimated the situation that was at hand," said Las Vegas homeowner with a septic tank Michael Bako.
While they tried to fix the tech issues, Chairman Scott Black then took the microphone to address the angry crowd.
He answered several questions, attempted to break down the process the health district goes through with proposed regulations and broke down changes to the regulations.
After more than 10 minutes of attempting to fix the issues and several heated outbursts, Black announced the Health District would reschedule the meeting.
"Would it be better to reschedule this in an appropriate venue? Would you all come back? Yeah. Okay you know what, that's the right thing to do," said Black.
I asked the Health District if they could tell me when and where it would happen, but they could not answer at this time.
Black said they would reschedule at a larger venue to account for the large crowds at a future date.
The board did clarify there will be no public hearing or vote until this outreach meeting happens.
We will continue to follow all the latest developments in this battle over septic and bring them to you — and let you know when and where the next meeting will take place.
