The Nevada Economic Development Commission is talking about big changes in the way that the state works to attract new employment, particularly to rural areas.
One proposal on the table would create three economic development authorities one for the Reno, Sparks and Carson City area, one in Elko and one in Las Vegas to oversee regional efforts.
Currently, 13 development agencies ranging from big groups such as the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada in Reno to small organizations such as the Mineral County Economic Development Authority in Hawthorne are at work in the state.
Nothing has been settled, members of the economic development commission emphasized last week, and they said numerous options are on the table.
"It's still wide open for anyone to throw their ideas out there," said Leroy Goodman, a Lyon County commissioner who serves on the commission.
The commission's thinking is driven by two factors:
* State budget cuts, which are chewing into the amount available for economic development agencies.
* A desire to see if economic development work can be more efficient, particularly in rural areas.
"We've been doing it this way for several years, and it doesn't seem to be producing any results," said Goodman.
While consolidation of the existing 13 development authorities would roll up smaller efforts such as the Eureka County Economic Development Program, Patty Wade of the economic development commission said the agency wants to protect the needs of outlying communities.
"We in no way want to do anything that will hurt the rural counties," said Wade, president of Wade Development in Reno. "We want to provide better service to them."
Chuck Alvey, president and chief executive officer of EDAWN, said the slowing economy provides a spur to the discussion.
"I think, given how tight resources are in general, it's highly reasonable to ask whether we are using the resources effectively," Alvey said.
If nothing else, the EDAWN executive said, the discussion might lead to better communication between local economic agencies and between those agencies and the state government.
"There needs to be vast improvement in communication," he said.
As ideas are kicked around, Ron Weisinger, the executive director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority headquartered in Carson City, suggests establishment of a new agency that would oversee economic development in Washoe County and Carson City along with six rural counties Douglas, Storey, Lyon, Churchill, Mineral and Pershing.
"Economic development in the rural areas is very different than it is in the urban areas," he said last week. "There needs to be a sensitivity to the difference."
Weisinger noted that the rural counties already have a track record of working together on economic planning.
In his plan, Weisinger said control of the new agency would be determined by population big cities and counties would have a larger voice and would pay more toward its operation and would require ongoing funding from the state.
But the NNDA chief was quick to note that he's not yet committed to any proposal to change the economic development structure.
Goodman said he believes the commission has the authority to enact changes in the structure of local economic development agencies, but Wade said the agency has yet to complete a review of the steps that would be necessary.
