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March 24, 2006
Beatty needs answers on Question 1 grant
By RICHARD STEPHENS
Town Secretary Janet Rogers said she had some questions about the application, saying that Question 1 money could only be used for open lands planning. The board responded that an open land plan would be part of a comprehensive master plan. The Nye County Board of Commissioners' resolution supporting the Bureau of Land Management's sale of more than 5,000 acres of land in Oasis Valley requires that the terms of the sale comply with the yet-to-be-developed master plan. "We need the ability to grow and protect the flora and fauna in the area for future generations. We don't want any more endangered species," said Advisory Board Chairman Lamar Walters. After a great deal of deliberation over what the motion should contain and how it should be worded, Bert Bertram managed to cobble all the elements together into one that included supporting the application for the Q1 grant, further asking the county for any other funding and expertise needed to put together a master plan for the entire tax district. Board members said that the development of a master plan for an area that is essentially undeveloped should be a great deal simpler and less costly than the process of developing a plan after unbridled development has created problems for planners, as in Pahrump. Actions taken at the March 22 board meeting: Golf carts were the hot-button topic at the Beatty Town Advisory Board's March 22 meeting, specifically the legality of driving them on the streets and highway in town. Lt. Frank Jarvis explained to the board and audience that the sheriff's office had received complaints regarding the carts and had researched the law on the matter. He said that deputies had not written any tickets but had been handing out papers to educate people on the law. Bertram read several sections of the Nevada Revised Statutes on the matter, and Jarvis further explained those and others. Local governments, it appears, may designate streets as legal for use by golf carts. Pahrump has such an ordinance already in place. However, the town or county has no power over the laws regarding state highways, such as Highway 95, which runs through the middle of Beatty and is the means of access to the post office and several businesses. The law also requires those operating golf carts, even on designated streets and roads, to have a regular driver's license, and the cart must be equipped with a "slow moving vehicle" placard along with lights and reflectors if used at night, all of which must comply with state standards. The carts must also be permitted by the local government to be used on the designated streets. They may also have to be insured. Kay Tarr, a retired Beatty teacher who is handicapped, and who has driven her golf cart locally for years, said that she does not have a driver's license. She will have to gain access to a car with hand controls and be able to pass a driving test to get a license. Jarvis said he sympathized with the handicapped people using the carts, but explained that he did not want to be in the position of deciding which laws to enforce. The town board said they would work on drafting an ordinance, using Pahrump's as a model, to present to the county. What can be done about the issue of the state highway is another question. Brad Hunt said that the bike path, which is on the highway right of way, couldn't be designated for mixed use of both bicycles and golf carts. Evidently another option is the use of motorized handicapped scooters, which, by law, can be used anywhere, including on the sidewalks. |
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