Nevada Association of Counties to meet in Pahrump

The Nevada Association of Counties is coming to Pahrump in November.

Jeffery Fontaine, NACO executive director, said the two-day forum will provide county officials with updates and training on county issues, provide orientation for newly-elected county officials and prepare participants for the upcoming legislative session.

“We give every county an opportunity to host an event,” Fontaine said. “Nye County expressed interest in doing it at least two years ago. We usually try to plan these things at least two years out.”

The event will take place Nov. 15-17 at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino located at 681 Highway 160.

NACO serves all of Nevada’s 17 counties. Its mission is “to encourage county government to provide services that will maximize efficiency and foster public trust in county government,” according to its website.

During the event, officials will discuss affordable housing, mental health, public lands and natural resources. Additionally, there will be a panel on the Nevada justice system, a presentation on cyber-security and workshops on how to run effective meetings and provide legislative testimony, Fontaine said.

“It’s really a combination of various speakers and presentations on various issues that are important to counties,” Fontaine said.

“The topics change but that’s the typical format that we have,” he added.

Nye County Commissioner Lorinda Wichman, past president of NACO, said she plans to attend the event.

“NACO provides for an annual conference of the county commissioners in Nevada,” she said. “Providing many training sessions for a plethora of topics that commissioners face. It is also the organization that provides commissioners with a network to draw from when we need to band together on issues. NACO provides us with a Natural Resources and Public Lands attorney, as well as a platform to review state and federal actions and how they will affect the counties.”

The event will not be open to the public. Those who want to attend have to register and pay a $300 or $100 registration fee for 2 1/2 days or for one day. Registration is open at nvnaco.org and at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino.

“It’s not exclusive for county officials and open to other county citizens if they want to learn about county issues,” Fontaine said.

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77