RICHARD STEPHENS / SPECIAL TO THE PVT Skip Canfield addresses the town board and interested residents as he outlines the help that can be offered by the Nevada Land Use Planning Agency as Beatty develops a master plan. Advertisement

BEATTY -- It appears that Beatty will be getting plenty of professional help in developing its master plan.

Certified planner Skip Canfield, from the Nevada State Land Use Planning Agency, was on hand at the town board's Oct. 11 meeting to explain the process and offer his assistance in anything from guidance to the writing of the complete plan.

Canfield praised the size of the turnout and referred to members of the board and audience as "citizen planners." He handed out copies of a planner's guide that he had created and encouraged everyone to get involved, saying, "All you have to know is what is good for Beatty."

In outlining the planning process, Canfield said it basically involves identifying issues and goals and creating policies based on them. The last step, to "put teeth into the policies," is to write ordinances to enforce them.

There will always be some who will be unhappy with any plan, said Canfield, but to minimize that attitude, planners need to "engage the citizens so they don't feel left out."

(Mark Hoverston, from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was also scheduled to explain the assistance he and his students could offer in the planning process, but he had to postpone the trip due to a back injury.)

Some on the planning committee were concerned about the fast-approaching BLM sale of a 40-acre parcel on the northeast side of Beatty.

Resident Johnny Scarborough, whose property is nearby, also voiced concern. His wife, Wendy, said that he had found several errors in the federal environmental assessment document, including an error in the direction of drainage.

With the Scarboroughs and members of the planning committee asking that the sale be delayed until after the master plan was in place, Kitty Shubert made a motion to that effect. However, discussion by members of the audience brought out points that convinced her to withdraw her motion.

The first to speak against delaying the sale was Brad Hunt, who pointed out that county planners would have to approve whatever might be done on the land when the purchaser makes any application for parceling. He said that matters such as drainage would be addressed in that process.

Hunt also said the property was within 400 feet of existing water lines and that any developers would therefore be required to hook up to the town's system rather than drill wells. And he also said it just made sense that, as long as they would have to dig trenches to hook up the water, they would naturally hook up to the sewer system rather than putting in septic systems that would be more expensive.

Hunt said stalling on the sale would look "hypocritical" in light of the town's efforts to promote economic development. He also said that one potential buyer had already projected developing quality housing on the land.

"To shut someone out at the last minute would reflect negatively on the town," commented water board chairman and businessman Albert Verrilli.

Joannie Jarvis, the human resources officer for US Ecology, pleaded with the board to let the sale go forward. She said the lack of proper housing has made it very difficult for her to hire workers, and that she currently has seven to nine positions, "good-paying jobs with benefits," that she has not been able to fill.

"I hate to see this put on the back burner," said Jarvis. "This town is going to die if we don't do something."

In withdrawing her motion, Shubert encouraged residents not to fight among themselves but reach a consensus and move forward together.

Charlie Cook asked that an agenda item he had requested be tabled until the next meeting. The item involved providing funds to assist the Beatty Town Library, and no one from the library was on hand to make the request or provide information on it.

Town Secretary Janet Rogers said forms are available in the town office for citizens who have suggestions for the community's beautification efforts. She also said that the park benches and trash containers were being stored until required Nevada Department of Transportation occupancy permits could be obtained. She said it made more sense to wait until the street lights arrived so that all the occupancy permits could be applied for at the same time.