73°F
weather icon Cloudy

Schinhofen appointed commission chair, newly elected Koenig named vice-chairman

Two Nye County commissioners moved into new roles at the beginning of 2017.

Nye County commissioners appointed Dan Schinhofen and newly-elected John Koenig as the board’s chairman and vice chairman at the Jan. 3 meeting.

“I am extremely honored by being elected vice chair of the county commission,” Koenig said. “As the freshman member, I believe the other commissioners realize that my background with the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission, Nye County Regional Transportation Commission and Capital Improvements Advisory Committee puts me in a unique position as far as the understanding of all the myriad laws regarding running a meeting. I take this responsibility seriously and will do my best to serve the citizens of Nye County.”

Koenig took over the seat of former commissioner Frank Carbone. Carbone opted not to run for re-election after serving one term on the county commission. He served the Nye County Commission District II.

Schinhofen is currently serving his second term as Nye County commissioner for the District V.

“I am honored to have been elected chairman and look forward to a productive year,” Schinhofen said about his appointment.

Schinhofen was elected to the Nye County Commission in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He has also been the county’s longtime liaison on nuclear waste issues. He currently serves on the Regional Transportation Commission. He is also a liaison to the Nevada Public Utilities Commission.

Schinhofen is a former member of the Pahrump Regional Planning Commission.

County Clerk Sandra “Sam” Merlino said new appointments don’t carry a change in responsibilities “other than running the meeting and in the absence of the chair, the vice chair runs the meeting.”

“Most of the time our board does everything as a board but the statutes do give the chairman authority to act without the board in certain situations. … Normally the chair signs all documents on behalf of the board but our commissioners passed a policy long ago that any board member can sign in place of the chair,” she said.

Nye County commissioners elect a new chair and vice chair every year, Merlino said. There are no term limits.

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

THE LATEST
Friends of Nevada Wilderness maintaining local trails

Nevada is a state filled with beautiful wilderness areas, many of which can be found right here in Nye County, but the value and benefits of those areas cannot be realized unless they can be accessed by the everyday person.

Pinkbox opening in Pahrump Nugget

An illuminated oversized doughnut already overlooks Highway 160, in a central area of Pahrump where passersby will see it on their way to Death Valley. Many local leaders in the valley are excited about the grand opening of popular chain Pinkbox Doughnuts beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday inside the Pahrump Nugget Hotel & Casino.

Pahrump man injured in gunfire with deputy

Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told the Pahrump Valley Times the incident occurred at a residence along Bunarch Road at approximately 7:30 a.m. on May 14.

Burn ban in place — what you need to know

A new BLM Nevada Fire Prevention Order is in effect through Oct. 31. The order, issued by the Bureau of Land Management, prohibits specific fire-related activities on all BLM-managed land in Nevada.

Nye County solar regulations nearing completion, moratorium extended

Nye County has spent the last year and a half working to create local regulations for the burgeoning solar industry and following plenty of research and the careful gleaning of input from various stakeholders, that process is finally nearing completion.

Motorcycle rider flown to UMC Trauma

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis told the Pahrump Valley Times that crews were dispatched to a report of a serious two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Sandpebble Street and Kellogg Road on the south end of the valley at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8.

US 95 head-on crash kills one in Nye County

The Nevada Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash along US 95 at approximately 2 a.m. on Monday morning, May 13, according to Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis.