The Sparks City Council’s desire to form its own tourism authority will take the first formal steps toward the state Legislature Monday.

The council will be discussing, and possibly approving, the official language for a bill draft request, which will petition the Legislature to approve changes in the law that would allow Sparks to form its own tourism authority.

The request for direction was approved by a 3-2 vote, with council members Phil Salerno and John Mayer opposing. After the vote, Salerno, who represents the city on the RSCVA board, and top executives from the RSCVA have been meeting with individual council members over the past weeks to answer their questions about the RSCVA and to discuss its operations and funding. Council member Ron Schmitt said at Monday’s meeting that he hopes is to have the council cohesively behind the items that pass in votes — even if those votes are split.

As the council prepares to discuss the legislative request, Schmitt also asked that the council members revisit the Legislative Platform and Policies document, which discourages “lobbying or testifying on matters related to the city’s legislative platform.” As the council prepares to submit its bill draft request to the Legislature, Schmitt is asking that members who oppose a council action not work against the vote.

“It is an integrity issue of the council that the other members of the council don’t work in the background to work against the action,” Schmitt said. “It is a letter of understanding between the city council. That is what I am asking to be brought back so that everyone refreshes their memory on it.”

According to interpretation from city attorney Chet Adams, the language in the Legislative Platform is designed to regulate council member’s actions after the request has been sent to the Legislature. The city is still working on proposed language to send to the state for consideration, Adams said.

At Monday’s meeting, Salerno also asked Schmitt to provide written documentation that the RSCVA has had problems with the city of Sparks — the cause for the vote for the city to split from the regional tourism agency.

The formation of the new authority would not spell a complete break from the RSCVA, according to Schmitt, one of the strongest backers of the proposal.

“I am hoping that it allows us to approve going forward to approve legislation for some funding for Sparks to work on our marketing and tourism issues,” Schmitt said.