Pahrump Valley Times

Nye County Commissioner Butch Borasky Tuesday proposed holding meetings in Pahrump at 5 p.m. instead of 10 a.m., but the idea didn’t seem to gain any traction.

Commissioners hold the first meeting of the month, on the first Tuesday, in Tonopah, the second meeting is ordinarily held in Pahrump on the third Tuesday.

The discussion came up when commissioners set the date and location of their second meeting in January 2013. Commissioner Dan Schinhofen’s motion passed, setting the time for the usual 10 a.m., but he asked for county staff to bring figures on what it would cost to adjust the meeting time.

Borasky said he wanted to wait until after the Nov. 6 election to make the change. One candidate in the election, Donna Cox, who is running for county commission district three, has advocated night meetings.

Commissioner Joni Eastley said there would be overtime costs for county staff, though County Manager Pam Webster said they could stagger shifts. The only issue would be salaried county staff who work all day, then have to attend an evening meeting, Webster said.

County commission meetings begin at 10 a.m. and after a lunch break, are usually concluded in the early afternoon, though the Tuesday meeting was an exception, lasting until 8 p.m. Commissioners heard lengthy reports throughout the day, by the time they began a two-hour executive session on Sheriff Tony DeMeo the audience had dissipated.

“I completely understand where you’re coming from, wanting to make sure community members have an opportunity to see the meeting,” Eastley said. But she added people interested in the meetings could watch archived videos on the county Granicus system. Commission meetings can be viewed at the county website <a href=www.nyecounty.net.

>www.nyecounty.net

“I’ve never in all my years on the board heard a complaint from anybody we don’t start the meetings at 5:00,” Eastley said.

But Borasky said he had several people ask about it.