City Council, planners get better acquainted

Diana Sahagun

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1999 | 10:31 a.m.

Shari Buck, a former planning commissioner, vowed shortly after winning a seat on the North Las Vegas City Council that she would get the planning board more respect from the City Council.

She took a first step toward that goal Tuesday night with a joint workshop of the City Council and Planning Commission.

During her campaign last year she said that in the past the City Council has disregarded the Planning Commission's work by rarely upholding its decisions. She also said that as a planning commissioner, she wasn't always sure of her role, or of the city's policies.

"I want the Planning Commission to feel they're appreciated, that they play an important role, and that we (City Council) rely on them," she said. "I never really felt that while I was a planning commissioner."

Tuesday night's meeting was far different from the leather recliners and marble table at City Hall. Three City Council members, Mayor Michael Montandon and six planning commissioners sat side by side, rubbing elbows at long tables in a room at the North Las Vegas Library. City Councilman James Rhodes and Planning Commissioner Christopher Montanez did not attend.

The purpose of the meeting was a "jam session" between the agencies, a chance to discuss their roles and how the two agencies can work together to meet their goals, Buck said.

"We want to make sure the council and Planning Commission understand what their roles are so we can work together more -- so we know what direction we want the city to go in," she said.

Deputy City Attorney Mark Zaloras helped clear up some confusion by defining the roles of both agencies.

"City Council is defined as a legislative body for the city," he said. "It sets policy and direction of the city."

He described the Planning Commission's function as recommending land-use policy to the City Council.

He also touched on the topic of ethics, which struck a chord for some members who said they weren't always aware of the policies. The members also talked about their roles in issuing land use permits, and when they should allow developers flexibility or side with residents.

The mayor said the murkiness over certain policies may be a factor because of the excessive growth in the area.

"In the last fiscal year, which ended July 1998, the city grew by 14.7 percent," Montandon said. "It's nice to grow that fast but sometimes it's difficult to deal with."

At the end of the two-hour workshop, the members walked away saying the meeting was a small step forward and would help forge better relationships in the future.

Anita Wood, who has been on the Planning Commission for only two months, said the meeting cleared some things up for her.

"Right now I'm just feeling a lot of responsibility," she said. "This is a good start. We really need these to be regular meetings."

The City Council and Planning Commission are expected to continue the joint meetings every six months. Buck said she hopes they can meet more often.

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