Monday, April 11, 2005 | 9:42 a.m.
The Nevada Commission on Ethics has dismissed a complaint against North Las Vegas Planning Commissioner Harry Shull, accused by residents of using his position to advance his proposed housing project.
Six couples filed a conflict of interest complaint with the state Ethics Commission, alleging that Shull talked with members of the North Las Vegas Planning Commission and the City Council to advocate a zone change for Celebrate Homes, a company in which Shull is co-owner.
They accused Shull of using his office to gain special consideration with the council and commission. On Friday, a panel of the ethics commission dismissed the complaint and said there was no evidence to justify a full hearing.
Stacy Jennings, executive director of the ethics commission, said her investigation showed that Shull did meet with planning commissioners and the city council about a potential zoning change. But she said the project was still under review and no formal action had been taken.
"Merely speaking to members of a governmental bodies about a possible future project seems insufficient to amount to a violation under this statute," Jennings said. She said Shull "like any other person" was trying to gauge the attitude of the planning commission and the city council.
When neighborhood home owners expressed opposition, Shull stopped speaking to planners or city council members and abstained from voting, the ethic's panel report said. "I am happy. I thought it should have been dismissed," Shull said. "Nothing like this has ever happened in my eight years on the commission."
Shull said he had sought a zoning change that would have allowed him to build 33 homes instead of 28 homes allowed under existing zoning on 14.8 acres near the southeast corner of Lone Mountain Road and Allen Lane. Both the commission and council rejected the zoning change, and Shull said he scaled back the plan to 28 homes. Last year when the project was before city officials, neighbors of the project accused Shull of ethical transgressions for lobbying other members of the planning commission.
One of the residents who filed the complaint, Carol Gomez, said she still believes Shull committed ethical violations. She also said there shouldn't be any discussions behind closed doors. Her husband, Joe, who also signed on to the complaint, agreed.
"It just seems that they have taken care of one of their own," Joe Gomez said. Carol Gomez said the good news is that Shull didn't get the extra homes he wanted. That would have created more congestion in the neighborhood, she said.
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