Opinion ID: 1366630
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Refusal to allow live witness testimony.

Text: As indicated, a few days before the liability trial commenced, Boulder City petitioned the district court for a delay so that it could prepare live witness testimony. Boulder City was trying to back out of its prior agreement to rest upon a submitted paper record. The district court rejected the request, reasoning that the scope of review applied to an administrative proceeding was limited to transcript testimony. The court also found that the submitted record sufficiently addressed all issues surrounding Cinnamon Hills' respective claims for relief. We conclude that the district court abused its discretion. By constricting the liability trial to a paper record, the court did not afford Boulder City an adequate opportunity to fend off charges that its conduct was arbitrary and capricious. Tighe v. Von Goerken, 108 Nev. 440, 444, 833 P.2d 1135, 1137 (1992) (incomplete record did not evince arbitrary and capricious denial of a permit and, therefore, further proceedings were warranted). The proposed testimony from individual City Council members would have proved invaluable in defending against Cinnamon Hills' affirmative claims for relief. As a result of the district court's actions, we cannot conclude whether Boulder City arbitrarily and capriciously denied the subject building permit. Contrary to Cinnamon Hills' contentions on appeal, resolution of this matter is not limited to reviewing the City Council hearing transcripts. Cinnamon Hills must remember that it filed suit against the municipality, the City Council, and individual City Council members, seeking more than $500,000 in damages. Certainly, Boulder City is not limited to a submitted paper record in fending off such complex affirmative claims for relief. Accordingly, we remand to the district court for a complete trial on all the liability issues remaining after this appeal.