The Beatty Town Board is in need of a plan. At least that was chairman Larry Gray's position at the board's Oct. 24 meeting, and other board members agreed.

What they are looking for is an overall plan for the proposed "town square" park. The meeting's agenda included approving purchase of a clock, a gazebo and lights for the park, but Gray said he felt this was "getting the cart before the horse," that there should be a plan for the layout of the park before individual items were purchased.

Gray also objected to the idea of a wooden gazebo, saying it would not withstand desert weather for more than ten years. He suggested that one could be built of stone masonry.

UNLV students are currently working on a number of beautification plans for Beatty, including the park, and Gray suggested that Beatty High School students might also be asked to develop plans, as they did for the Community Center addition.

Shirley Harlan and Vonnie Gray told the board that some of the UNLV students involved in the planning project would be sharing their work and seeking input from the public during Beatty Days.

The board voted almost unanimously to table consideration of the purchases. Bert Bertram, who insisted that there was only one logical place to put the clock in the park, voted against the delay.

The board agreed with its selection committee to recommend the county accept Stantec's $49,950 bid to develop a open space plan for the Beatty Taxing District. Secretary Janet Rogers, who served on the committee, said that she was excited about the work the company would be able to do. She said that it would include much of what the town board has been attempting to do in developing a master plan.

The Stantec bid is almost $20,000 more than the grant the town received from the State Division of Planning, but Rogers said that they should be able to get $10,000 more from there and had other options for finding the rest.

Beatty Habitat Committee Ryan Tweney requested the board still consider classifying that group, which is now independent of the Beatty General Improvement District, a public entity in deciding whether to charge it for use of the Community Center.

Albert Verrilli asked the board to look into rate increases by Valley Electric and perhaps have a company representative come to a town board meeting to discuss them.