By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Town Advisory Board (MTAB), during a meeting held last week, approved a request for an extension on an ongoing set of zoning items involving the Roos N More zoo facility in Moapa.
In the meeting, held on Tuesday, April 26, zoo representatives reminded MTAB members that the zoo had a long list of conditions which had been imposed upon it by the County Commissioners last October. These included new parking lots, trash enclosures, drinking fountain, bringing water habitats and animal enclosures into compliance with existing codes, converting an existing residence into a commercial structure and more.
In the October meeting, zoo owners had been given a six month review period to complete these items. With that six months having come to an end in April, the zoo was now requesting an extension of time to finish these requirements.
MTAB chairman Tim Watkins asked what percentage of the requirements had already been completed by the zoo. He was told that much of the last six months had been spent going through the permitting process in order to start construction on the infrastructure being required. It was estimated that about 75 percent of the permitting process had been completed and that construction on many of the various projects was expected to commence soon.
MTAB members asked how much more time was needed.
Zoo representatives estimated that permitting and construction could be completed within the next six months. But the zoo was also being required to gain certification through the Zoological Association of America (ZAA). This certification was expected to take at least another twelve months. So it was likely that the six month extension being recommended by county staff would not be sufficient, they said.
Zoo owner Jackie Holt explained that the accreditation process had to restart in early April because of an organizational change. The zoo had created an eleven member board of directors that would oversee and govern the facility.
“Now we are changed from a privately-run facility to a true corporate-run zoo,” Holt said. “So a new application was completed and accepted two weeks ago and we are in peer review as a new organization. In all reality it will probably take a year from the beginning of April to go through the certification process.”
County staff had recommended approving the item with a six month review period. But MTAB members wondered why not extend that time to a full year.
“If anyone in this room has dealt with what it takes to get anything done with the county, you know how long that process is all by itself,” said MTAB member Lyn Wren who is a neighbor to the zoo. “Now they have the additional burden of an initial ZAA certification. I don’t know why we wouldn’t extend the time longer than six months.”
Watkins made a motion to extend the application for a year. The motion was approved with a unanimous vote.
During the final public comment period of the meeting, Moapa resident Shari Lyman addressed the board with information about the Neighborhood Watch efforts ongoing throughout the Moapa Valley communities.
Lyman said that she had attended a meeting in Overton on April 18, organized by Overton resident Penny Vallone, where Metropolitan Police representatives had given a presentation to the public about instituting Neighborhood Watch in the local communities.
“They recognized in the meeting that Moapa is completely unique; very different from Logandale and Overton,” Lyman said. “So they wanted us to handle it ourselves…as usual.”
Lyman said that she and her husband Bob Lyman had volunteered to be the team captains of the Moapa Neighborhood Watch team. She said those residents interested in being involved in the program should contact her at 702-306-2029.
