Compromise alters term limits for Las Vegas planning commissioners

Las Vegas planning commissioners will be able to serve up to three, four-year terms under a measure the City Council approved Wednesday.

The council voted 6-1 in favor of changing the structure of the terms as a compromise in a debate on whether to lift term limits altogether.

"For all future Planning Commission members 12 years, that's it," City Attorney Brad Jerbic told council members before the vote.

Ward 5 Councilman Ricki Barlow had pushed a proposal that would have lifted term limits for planning commissioners but agreed to amendments that resulted in the compromise after running into opposition from people who said such a move would allow commissioners to become entrenched.

"This is the closest, in my opinion, to preserving what it is I am trying to accomplish," Barlow said.

Barlow introduced the original proposal after learning term limits could mean the loss of longtime Planning Commissioners Byron Goynes and Steve Evans.

Goynes now will be able to continue serving. Evans, who served in Ward 3 which is represented by Councilman Bob Coffin, didn't wish to serve another term and in July was replaced by Trinity Schlottman.

Commissioners are appointed by the council for each ward. Before Wednesday's vote, they were limited to two consecutive, four-year terms plus whatever partial terms they might have served if they were appointed between council member elections.

Also, previous law allowed commissioners to leave the commission for two years and return to serve more terms.

Under the changes, commissioners can serve 12 years, which amounts to three terms, and will not be able to return. There will be an exception to the new law to allow for two commissioners to complete current partial terms and then start the 12-year clock.

The commissioners' job is to make land use and planning recommendations to council members.

The new setup will make the Planning Commission term limits the same as City Council member term limits.

"This makes sense to me," said Ward 4 Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Stavros Anthony of the compromise. Anthony previously opposed the bill when it was written to eliminate term limits.

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.