Residents to be given a say at summit on future of the city

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

With the help of a local television show, North Las Vegas will have a "New Direction Summit," giving residents and businesses a chance to have a say in the city's long-range plans.

The New Direction Summit, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Community College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne campus, came about from the "North Las Vegas Now!" television show, which showcases local events with host Laura Coleman.

Coleman and the show's producer, Christine Johnston, formed the North Las Vegas Steering Committee in January, which met biweekly to brainstorm ideas on how to best plan for the city's future.

The committee, which includes businesses, residents and city officials, decided a summit was the best way to encourage citizens to take part in a planning session in a nonthreatening environment.

"Instead of sitting around and talking about what to do in North Las Vegas, we decided, 'Let's do something about it,' " Coleman said.

Coleman said 300 to 350 people are expected to attend the event.

An outside facilitator will guide the summit, coordinating break-out sessions that will identify various topics on the city's biggest needs.

More than 1,000 surveys have been collected from around the city and will guide the topics, Coleman said.

Following the event, the steering committee will hold weekly meetings to turn the ideas into a three-year plan for the city, Coleman said.

"We've made it very clear that when the summit comes about, that all the titles are left at the door," she said. "This is not a political handshaking thing. Everybody is there as a group of citizens to do better for the community."

Richard Conner, executive director for the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, said the organization became involved because the summit will help identify ways to plan for the city's future growth.

"This is an opportunity to begin a dialogue with all segments of the community -- businesses, the general public, and the city government, to help serve the population," he said.