Pahrump Town Board members this week will again attempt to replace out-going Town Manager Bill Kohbarger, whose final day on the job is Friday.
The matter was tabled following a special town board meeting last Friday that took a circus-like turn.
Due to time constraints, the board’s selection will appear in Friday’s edition of the Pahrump Valley Times.
Board members spent more than two and half hours Friday discussing the selection process before finally deciding to revisit the item again yesterday.
Board member Amy Riches began the discussion by reaffirming her choice of former Town Manager Dave Richards for the job. A vocal minority of voters have pushed hard for Richards’ appointment.
“The candidates are all wonderful people and the very fact that you are willing to do this is fantastic. However, I did not get any emails on you and I feel that the people of the town have spoken and they want Dave Richards and that is who I am supporting,” she said to a round of applause.
Board member Dr. Tom Waters said that he was surprised that only five candidates had applied for the position since Kohbarger announced his resignation late last month. Waters said he was using a 10-point scoring system to determine who he will support for the job.
Of the five candidates, Don Rust and Laurayne Murray are former town board members.
Ken Shockley served as Director of Nye County Veteran Services, while former Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck and accountant Stuart Smith rounded out the field.
A sixth candidate, Brandon Cunningham, according to Waters, withdrew his name after allegedly getting threatening messages from some residents.
“No matter what happens, anytime a name is put forth that is not the name some of our vocal minority wants to push forward, they find a way to call, undermine, intimidate, whatever means they need to use to discourage people from coming to Pahrump. I have heard that he has received phone calls, his employer has received phone calls, stating what will happen if he comes over here. It is intimidation and he decided that he doesn’t need this and that is very unfortunate,” Waters said.
On Monday, Murray said she is prepared for whatever the board decides.
“They have everybody’s application, resume and cover letter. The good is there are five remaining candidates and all of them are experienced and qualified people, so no doubt we will get a good interim town manager,” she said.
Instead of a smooth public process, though, Murray and other candidates got to witness another raucous display, both from audience members and board members.
Riches, for example, at one point raised more than a few eyebrows during the meeting when she abandoned her seat on the dais in favor of sitting with what she termed “my people.”
The board member actually sat at a table directly across from Kohbarger, giving audience members the impression of a quasi “faceoff” between the two.
After her 30-minute protest, Riches returned to her seat, but not before consulting with County Commissioner Donna Cox and other Richards supporters who fed her information about other candidates for the job as the meeting progressed.
Chairman Harley Kulkin and Kohbarger pointed out on more than one occasion during the bizarre episode that what she was doing violated a number of board policies.
“There is nothing in the rule book that states that if I don’t sit up there, that I can’t vote. I’m going to sit right down there,” Riches told the board.
During public comment, local resident Art Jones questioned why the applicants’ names were not revealed prior to the special meeting.
“I am asking the chairman when we will know the names of these people who are running for the interim job? Will we be informed on it or will it be a big surprise? Why can’t we know who the candidates are before we make the heavenly decision?” he asked.
The agenda’s backup material contained cover letters of each applicant expressing their interest in the position.
Yet, another bone of contention occurred when resident Andy Alberti made the claim that the special meeting did not adhere to state open meetings law.
He said the meeting agenda was not posted in a timely manner.
“A check of the town website on Tuesday July 2, 2013 did not show a posting of this meeting. State law NRS 7 b.4 specifically states ‘If a public body maintains a website on the Internet or its successor, the public body shall post a notice of each of its meetings on its website unless the public body is unable to do so because of technical problems relating to the operation or maintenance of its website” he read.
Alberti went on to say, “The position for interim town and permanent manager has not been properly given public notice,” he exclaimed.
Town staff was quick to inform Alberti that the agenda was not posted on Tuesday, but rather on Monday morning after 9 a.m.
The agenda was also mass emailed to town and county officials as well as local media outlets and other parties, including Alberti with a time stamp dated Monday, July 1, 2013 at 9:48 a.m. from Town of Pahrump Executive Assistant Stephanie Massimino.
“Good Morning, Attached is agenda for the special Town Board meeting Friday. The backup should be available Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning,” the email stated.
Town meeting regular Dean Brooks referred to the meeting as a “setup.”
“It seems to me that this meeting was called in hopes that a few people would show up. Obviously, that was the case. I think it was a setup. You are trying to keep the people out while you people try to appoint a friend. Which one of you wants to admit that you recruited a buddy for political payback. Do you think no one would find out Mr. Dolan? Your buddy Susan Holecheck? I think you should recuse yourself from voting,” he said.
Brooks was referring to Vice Chair Bill Dolan’s past associations with Holecheck as it relates to the selection process.
Dolan said not only does he know Holecheck, but he also knows all of the other applicants vying for the position.
“I don’t know why you are making a threatening accusation. Ms. Holecheck, do we know each other? Yes. Do Mr. Rust and I know each other and Mr. Smith? Yes. Laurayne Murray? We sure do. Did I talk to Ms. Holecheck in the last 12 months? No, I didn’t even know she was interested in the job until it was brought to my attention. I believe it was by Dr. Waters, so you are talking out of school, sir,” Dolan said.
Bill Riches commented on his desire to see the board choose an individual who would fulfill the permanent duties of town manager rather than merely selecting an interim manager.
“I’d like to advocate that you choose not just an interim manager but one to fill the entire term until the possible demise of the town board and the town manager’s job. I think that it’s quite likely that a person who is qualified to do that job for a month or two or three, they are certainly qualified to do it for 17 months or whatever it is and I would like to see that person come from the local applicants,” he said.
An additional item pertaining to the hiring of a company to locate a permanent town manger was tabled indefinately at the close of the meeting Friday and was not on Tuesday’s agenda.