County weighs ethics policies

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001 | 11:20 a.m.

Clark County administrators are again looking at their ethics policies in the wake of a recent controversy in which commissioners approved a zone change that benefited District Attorney Stewart Bell.

Administrative Services Director Don Burnette said Wednesday that the Planning Department may soon be required to include on meeting agendas the names of the principals in zone change requests.

"The idea has been kicked around," Burnette said. "We want to understand the implications and what kind of work it would create for staff and what kind of inconvenience it would be to the community."

Burnette's office places on the Clark County Commission's regular agenda the names of principals, vice presidents and owners of companies who have business in front of the board.

Listing the parties involved in corporations was one of many recommended by the county-appointed ethics task force two years ago. The policy was implemented to help ensure commissioners disclosed relationships or abstained from votes involving friends.

County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury said he would support the same policy for the board's zoning agenda.

"It would be good to have that information," Woodbury said. "Company XYZ might not mean anything to you, but you might be familiar with an individual."

Discussions about the new policy stem from a May 16 zoning board meeting, during which commissioners unanimously approved a master plan amendment that converted land zoned as residential to office-professional.

Bell owns three parcels at Rainbow Boulevard and Tara Avenue that would likely increase in value; commercial land is worth significantly more than residential. Commissioners -- including Erin Kenny, who helped guide the amendment -- have denied knowing Bell's land was involved.

"I don't think there was any malicious intent, however, it could be perceived as, quote, inside politics or a juice job," Commission chairman Dario Herrera said. "I think (the new policy) could be helpful in preventing situations like this from occurring again."

Not only did the board's action result in a potential policy change, but it also landed Bell and Kenny in the middle of an ethics complaint filed with the Nevada State Ethics Commission on Tuesday by fired county employee Gene Smith.

Smith's complaint claims Bell and Kenny violated two ethics laws -- one that prohibits public officers from accepting or seeking favors or economic opportunities and a second that prohibits public officers from using their position to secure unwarranted privileges.

"I believe Mr. Bell and Ms. Kenny may have used there (sic) powers as elected officials for personal gain and financial gain," Smith wrote.

Kenny was one of six county officials Smith targeted in a series of ethics complaints filed late last year.

Smith claimed Kenny tried to convince him and a colleague to break into the Clark County Government Center to find documents that would hurt Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey's chances for re-election. The Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint.