Our our final ceremonial item, Councilwoman Alan Pinski is going to recognize a great friend and a and a program that has enabled the city to build many recreational facilities. Councilwoman, >> thank you, Madam Mayor. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. Today we have the privilege of recognizing an individual whose leadership helps shape Southern Nevada in a way that we still benefit from every day. The Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, it's a big mouthful, known as Sniploma for short, has played a major role in how our community has grown. It has allowed Southern Nevada to responsibly manage public lands while reinvesting millions of dollars back into our region for parks, trails, conservation, and important community projects. And that would not happen without the vision and leadership from former United States Senator Richard H. Bryan. He championed this effort in Congress and helped ensure southern Nevada had the tools to grow while protecting the landscape around us. Before we invite Senator Brian to come on up and share a few words, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the impact of this legislation almost 30 years ago. At this time, I'd like to invite the mayor and the city council to please take the first uh row of seats so we can watch this video. Jeff, please play it. Number eight. Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. N. Hey, hey, hey. You are my Love. Oh, hey. Thank you to our amazing communications team for creating that wonderful video and thank you for reminding us how meaningful leadership can last can have lasting benefits for an entire community. It is my honor to introduce the person whose vision helped make this possible. Please join me in welcoming United States Senator Richard H. Bryan. >> Well, thank you very much. I don't think that's on. Is it on? >> Oh, yes. >> It's on. Okay. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that. I Every time I come to this building, I reflect uh January 1942, one month after Pearl Harbor, my father, my mother, and I came to Las Vegas. My father had been a resident since 1926, but my father just graduated from law school. and his sister owned property about a 100 ft to the north of here. And so I think of that often. I have to say it was not a a great piece of property, but we were very grateful to have it because housing was difficult then as it is now. So thank you again for allowing me to come up here and say a few words. Maybe just to give you a little background in terms of how this came about. As as you know, it doesn't happen because of any one person. I was proud to take the lead on this, but Jim Bilbury, Jim and I had gone to high school together. He was a class behind me, was our congressman at the time. And uh he and Brent Heberly, who uh local boy grew up here, and his mother lived right across the street from me when I was in high school. So, Bill Bray was defeated in 1994 and uh so I picked him up as a staff member, very bright guy. And uh so he said, you know, we've been working on this project, you know, to develop a process that uh gets the local government entities, the federal government, the envirros, the developers. I said, Brent, that's a children's crusade. There's no way that's going to happen. But Brent said, "Let me try." And I said, "Let's go forward." And Brent worked at the on Capitol Hill on this. And Sarah Besser, who ran my office in Las Vegas, knew a lot of the environmental people. And lo and behold, we got a consensus on it. One of the unique features of this is that all the money that's raised from these land sales remains in Nevada. Now, typically money that's generated goes back to the money committees and they fight about how much is going to go here and always go there. So, that was a unique provision and I picked that up from my old college fraternity brother who had been a congressman, Jim Santini. Some of you may remember the name and he used that at a Tahoe land sale. So anyway, we're now we get it out of the House. It's now on the floor of the Senate. As our old friend Yogi said, it's not over until the fat lady sings. Well, Bill Graham uh whatever reason killed a bill. Oh god. So we went back again and made progress and this time we had to talk to uh the secretary of interior Babbot who I had known when he was the attorney general of Nevada and this was I and later as governor and we said well we want to keep all of the money here in Nevada for purposes oh god he said the federal government should get that well we made the argument that a lot of this land is not useful unless it's development has the utilities and all the infrastructure that needs so Bruce was uh Bruce was helpful and the rest is is history let me just say something about that's the past I think that the approach that we took still has validity as we talk about the land that we need desperately for new housing and to put together a group that did much as we did in the 80s might might work. I know the times are different. I mean, there's far more acrimony and far more polarization, but I think it can be a blueprint for it. And I'm just very proud that to be honored today having a name after me. Let me tell you what I'm going to do immediately after this. I'm going over to the plaza and I'm going to ask you dealer, do you know what day this is? in the US. He might say, "Well, it's March 8." No, no, it's it's it's Senator Richard Bryan Day. So, thank you so very much. I'm honored to be here and uh I do very much appreciate the recognition. >> There you go. Yeah. Okay. I I'd like to say a few words, Senator. >> What a shock. I would be disappointed if you didn't. >> When I was a high school senior in 1968 um at Valley High School, I was becoming politically active and I started walking precincts for a young guy that was running for the Nevada State Assembly. That young guy is Senator Richard Bryan. Now an old guy. Well, we're both old guy. Yeah. Um and I so I got my start in politics because of this gentleman and you as you know uh we are very very close friends but I you have been a mentor. You have been an example. You have been a role model and I am so honored and delighted and I was so smart to walk precincts for you in 1968. I was such >> you haven't told him I was elected. >> Oh yeah. and he was but and let me say one other thing and that's why I love this community and I love this man. It that was 1968. In 1998 I was running for Congress and Dick Brian who was a senator at that time walked precincts for me and that and his wife as well. And so I I I have the extraordinary personal love for you. But what you have done for this state and this community is nothing short of extraordinary. And generations from now when my grandchildren who are very little, when my grandchildren are living here as adults and having children of their own, they will have very much to thank you for. So thank you very much. >> Thank you very much. And now >> long story short, we the mayor and the Las Vegas City Council hereby proclaim March 18th as Senator Richard H. Brian Day in the city of Las Vegas. >> And would it be possible to get in touch with the dealers at the plaza and tell them that this is your day? Now, let's Why don't we go down and uh go up front and we'll take a picture? >> Yes, >> please. >> Come on, Senator. This one. >> Oh, right here. >> You know, I do have to say I had some at any moment. >> Yes.