Bill would undo term limits for planning panel

A bill to remove term limits from the Las Vegas Planning Commission will be introduced next week and will be fast-tracked so a term-limited commissioner can continue to serve.

Councilman Ricki Barlow said "a light bulb went off in my head" when he learned that long-serving commission members Byron Goynes, who wants to stay on, and Steve Evans had to leave because of term limits.

"Why do they have to leave?" he said. "I felt that their knowledge to our council was very helpful. I didn't see a need for the Planning Commission to have term limits.

"If I'm an incoming new council person and that planning commissioner has been serving and serving well, I should be able to reappoint that planning commissioner."

That's the ongoing debate over term limits. Institutional knowledge is important in a policy-making body, whether it's a planning commission or the Legislature. But people also are wary of officials becoming entrenched insiders focused on interests other than the public's.

Barlow's ordinance is being introduced Wednesday but will not be up for discussion or a vote.

The approval process normally takes several weeks, but City Attorney Brad Jerbic said the process is being accelerated for a council vote Aug. 3.

"This bill is being short-tracked. It will be eligible (for approval) the first meeting in August, and they'll be able to make those appointments at that time if they want to," Jerbic said. "That assumes it passes."

If it does, the plan is for Goynes to continue his tenure on the Planning Commission. Evans said he does not want to be reappointed, even if he would be eligible.

The appointment of four planning commissioners, meanwhile, also is on Wednesday's agenda "for possible action," including Goynes' and Evans' seats.

The other two slots are occupied by people who have only served one term and are eligible for reappointment. Six other people have requested appointment to the commission, according to city records.

Planning commissioner terms run concurrently with city council terms, although they stay in place until a replacement is named.

"That's not indefinite," Jerbic said, adding the city can hold off on naming a replacement right away.

Unlike term limits for elected officials, which are in the state constitution, limits on how long a person can serve on an appointed board such as the planning commission vary.

In Las Vegas, a planning commissioner who serves two consecutive four-year terms must step aside for at least two years before returning.

North Las Vegas has a three-term limit. Henderson limits service to two terms or eight years, whichever is longer, although the City Council can keep someone longer with a two-thirds vote. Clark County does not limit Planning Commission terms.

Goynes and Evans were initially appointed to partial terms, in 2000 and 2001, respectively. They were reappointed to full terms in 2003 and 2007.

The Planning Commission is responsible for a lot of the detailed work on planning and zoning issues. It is usually the forum where development plans are vetted so that issues and inconsistencies are addressed before the City Council has the final vote.

Keeping experienced people on the board is "an advantage to the citizenry ... versus having to remove that person off a board where they are very effective," said Barlow, who appointed Goynes to the commission.

"I wanted to tee up this item to bring before the council to have a discussion and see if other council members feel the same way."

Evans has already marked his final Planning Commission, which was Tuesday.

"After 10 years, that's enough," he said. "It was my intention to leave anyway. It was my intention to go out on top at the end of my term."

There is a loss of institutional memory when people leave after years of service, Evans said.

"There's lots of brain drain when it occurs for so many all at once," he said. "But new and fresh faces can be good, too."

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@review
journal.com or 702-229-6435.