Group approved to look at effect of county growth

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004 | 10:09 a.m.

Clark County took the first formal steps toward initiating what backers are calling a broad, comprehensive look at the impact of rapid growth, but not without tripping on the way.

The Clark County Commission approved the creation of Community Growth Task Force with a 7-0 vote, but after extended conversation among the commissioners over the size and makeup of the citizens committee.

The commission decided to approve the task force with 17 people only after allowing for a later revision of the size of the group and allowing flexibility in the people who the commission would select for the task force.

County management had presented the commissioners with three options -- 10, 17 or 30 people to serve on the committee.

County Manager Thom Reilly said 180 people have volunteered to serve and there may not be room for most of them.

Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates said she wanted no more than 10 people on the committee. She said larger groups would be too unwieldy.

Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey, however, said she wanted to see more representation from business, gaming and banking interests, which would have only one formal representative with the recommended 10-person group, two representatives with the 17-person group, and five with the 30-person group.

Commissioner Myrna Williams argued that labor, which would have one person under the 10 and 17 person groups and two under the third option, needed more representatives. She noted that the construction industry, which employs more than 70,000 people directly, could be heavily impacted by any efforts to rein in growth.

Some of those who initiated the discussion on growth wanted a larger group. Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, who with colleagues Rory Reid and Mark James launched the effort, said community groups with dozens of members have been effective

"I've been part of similar initiatives where we've had well over 30 people involved," Woodbury said, referring to 2002's community effort to pass a referendum in support of a $2.7 billion tax package to support transportation.

Reid said the group should be large enough to reflect the diversity that exists in the community.

In the end, the commission punted the issue of the final size and makeup to the March 2 meeting. The commission is slated to appoint the task force members, which would include a chairman and representatives of the general public, environmental groups, the development community, business interests, social services, labor and academic and educational areas.

Once established, the task force is scheduled to meet through the end of the year to study growth issues, receive public input and recommend ways to respond to the region's population growth.

As part of the recommendation accepted Tuesday, the county commission also authorized technical committees to study specific issues in depth. Those technical committees could include staff members from the county and other local jurisdictions, including the cities of Clark County.