By Mark Waite

TONOPAH — Nye County Commissioners will negotiate a new contract with Assistant County Manager Pam Webster, who agreed to stay on for two years after the departure of County Manager Rick Osborne.

In mid-December, Webster had announced she was retiring effective March 31, prior to Osborne’s being terminated on Jan. 17 by a 3-2 vote of the commission.

Commissioner Butch Borasky, who voted with Commissioner Gary Hollis not to terminate Osborne’s contract, asked for an agenda item to discuss hiring a county manager. Borasky was upset he was apparently left out of the loop when Osborne was informed a week before that Jan. 16 meeting that “there were three commissioners that no longer wanted his presence.”

“We’re both quite concerned about what we’re going to do. Apparently there’s been no formal decision made and we would like to get some answers on what we’re going to do, or is it we’re going to do nothing?” Borasky asked.

Commissioners didn’t discuss in public promoting Webster to county manager. Hollis voted against entering into contract negotiations with her.

“I just think that there’s people out there that are asking about this position,” Hollis said.

Commissioner Dan Schinhofen asked Webster if she would consider rescinding her planned retirement.

“Yes, I would for up to two years, but not past that, depending on the pleasure of the board, if they want to,” Webster replied.

Commissioner Joni Eastley made the motion to begin contract negotiations. Eastley wondered whether they could take action under the agenda item.

“You can take any action you want with this with regards to the hiring of a county manager,” Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi said. “If you want me to sit down and negotiate with her I can certainly do that.”

Borasky wanted to see a contract brought back before the commission.

“We can only discuss county manager at this time,” Schinhofen said, before he was cut off by the DA and county commission chairman.

Chairman Lorinda Wichman didn’t add some comments that supported Webster for the county manager position.

“A past board found it was prudent to establish the position of assistant county manager, for the purpose of having the best qualified, best prepared person available to assume the county manager position. It’s part of the county manager’s job to identify an assistant county manager and prepare them for taking over the position when they leave,” Wichman said. “I believe that the past board acted with great foresight, because they did give us someone who is in the pipeline and I’d like to continue that.”

Eastley said there’s a Nevada Revised Statute that states the county manager has the authority to identify and appoint an assistant county manager.

Webster began work as county comptroller in July 2006, she was promoted to assistant county manager a year later. She was vested in the state Public Employee Retirement System last summer after five years with the county.

Webster had worked as manager of accounting for Canon Development Americas of Irvine, Calif., before coming to Nye County; before that she was manager of business planning for Toshiba America Information Systems and manager of budget and rates for Hughes Training Inc.

In other personnel matters, commissioners unanimously approved the promotion of budget analyst Susan Paprocki to the county comptroller position, that was formerly filled by Webster.

Paprocki began work for Nye County as an account clerk from 2004 to 2008, then became a budget analyst. Prior to working for the county, she was a field clerk for Schmueser and Associates Inc., a clerk aide for the Nye County Buildings and Grounds Department, motel manager of the Tonopah Station, and office clerk for the Banc Club in Tonopah. Paprocki received a degree in accounting from L.H. Bates Vocational Technical Institute, a bachelor of science in accounting from Breyer State University and a certificate of completion in governmental accounting from the University of Georgia.

Schinhofen was unsuccessful pushing his choice for Bob Alvis to fill Byron Foster’s vacant position on the Nye County Board of Equalization. Eastley made a motion to follow staff recommendations and appoint Richard Lee Gardner, chairman of the Beatty town advisory board. Alvis is a retired U.S. Department of Commerce employee for more than 30 years, who worked as a budget analyst, he was also executive officer at the Institute for Applied Technology among other duties.

An agreement was approved with the Nevada Office of Veterans Services to appoint an interim veterans service officer to replace Ken Shockley, while he is on medical leave from March through May. When he returns Shockley will only work part-time in June through July, the interim officer will pick up the other 20 hours.

The Nevada Office of Veterans Services will provide the temporary VSO for up to 40 hours per week, using funds from the license plate gift account.