Planning coalition seeks identity

Denise Cardinal

Wednesday, April 29, 1998 | 10:19 a.m.

The Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition is struggling to find out just what its role is in the scheme of government in the Las Vegas Valley.

Take Tuesday's meeting when the coalition, made up of elected officials from Clark County and the cities within it, explored the options of its scope and talked about ice cream trucks.

North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Paula Brown broached the ice cream truck issue asking other members of the coalition to adopt a uniform ordinance regulating the vendors.

Children's safety is a concern, the members agreed, and directed the city of Las Vegas to give everyone else a copy of its recently adopted ice cream ordinance.

The ice cream truck issue is something the coalition would have talked about when it was the government efficiency committee. But now as the planning coalition, ice cream trucks might not be what the group will be discussing in the future.

Just what the coalition will do and how it will work is still in question. Two weeks ago, it adopted a resolution that stated some general guidelines the board would follow. But its real authority has yet to be decided.

Tom Perrigo, from the Las Vegas Planning and Development department, gave a presentation to the coalition on some of the different forms other metro planning boards have taken.

Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson suggested the use of Reno attorney Bob Marshall, who drafted similar agreements for the structure of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

The board agreed to have Marshall work on the board's structural set up. No price was agreed on, though all entities agreed to pay a share for Marshall's services.