Salary hike for TownManager
by Patti Babcock
Gazette Staff
PAHRUMP - The Town Board voted 3-2 to increase
the Town Manager salary to grade 34, step 1. Board mem-
bers Charlie Gronda, Gary Hollis and Steve Rainbolt voted
for the increase with Bob Little and Board Chairman Char-
lotte LeVar voting against. Board member Charlie Gronda
who proposed the increase said the $50,627 salary increase
from the current $46,800 will help offset the deletion of
longevity pay for the Town Manager. Other town employ-
ees do receive longevity increases. The salary will change
with the annual cost-of-living increases received by all town
employees. Gronda pointed out that since the salary is step
1, there is the possibility of a step increase each year for 10
years if the manager does a good job.
The search committee for a new town manager, Gronda,
" qis and Town Attorney Len Smith, narrowed the search
t,.-two candidates. Acting Town Manager, Peggy Warner,
said over 70 applications were mailed to prospective candi-
dates, 32 were returned.
The search committee said while many of the applicants
were successful in their careers, only two had experience as
town managers and in obtaining grants. Hollis said, "Man-
aging a McDonald's or a Jack-In-the-Box does not qualify
a person to manage the town of Pahrump." Civil engineers
and planners lacking grant writing skills and town manage-
ment expertise were likewise not qualified for the position.
The search committee was ready to present their choice
of the two finalists, Michael Cosgrove, former City Man-
ager for Wells, Nevada and Brigham City, Utah. Hollis said
Cosgrove is well qualified and in addition, currently serves
on three powerful State committees: Community Block
Grants, Rural Transportation Committee (RTC) and the
Board for Low Income Housing. Gronda said Cosgrove
indicated he could be available to start as early as September
29, 1997.
Smith advised the Board to properly agendize the item
before the vote since it does include spending money. The
Board then instructed Warner to put hiring a town manager
on the agenda for the September 23 meeting. Hollis sug-
gested the delay prior to Smith's statement in order to give
LeVar, who said she had not even seen the candidate's
resume, a chance to familiarize herself with the candidate's
qualifications.
Smith said the second of the two top applicants was a
financial administrator for Clark County. He said, though
well qualified, the applicant wanted $60,000 per year and
did not want to live in Pahrump.
There will be light for town arena
by Patti Babcock
aaze00 Staff
PAHRUMP- The Town Board has decreed the arena will
have light. The Board, at their regular meeting Tuesday
evening, voted unanimously to accept a bid for $18,516 to
install new lights. The action was promised to the arena
committee a long time ago.
Scott Tibbits, arena committee chairman, when asked his
opinion of the bids replied he had not seen them. He said,
"This is the fourth time (the lights have gone to bid). The
Town Board might as wall do it. We are (arena committee
members) horse people not electricians." He reminded the
board, they had promised new arena lights for Harvest Festi-
val 1997.
Chairman Charlotte LeVar laughed nervously as she
alluded to Harvdst Festival 1998.
Three bids were submitted. The bid from Nevada Light-
ing was the only one meeting all the specification require-
ments.
In other business, the Board voted unanimously to in-
crease Fair Board membership from five to seven members
with two alternate members. Alternates will have limited
voting powers, voting only in the absence of a regular
anember.
Another unanimous vote proclaimed September 17-23,
1997 "Constitution Week." In the same spirit of agreement
the Board voted to begin public hearings to revoke Town
Ordinance number 20, which deals with street naming and
signs, a function handled entirely by the county. Another
unanimous vote authorized the Acting Town Manager to
request proposals for a structure to cover the town swimming
pool.
The first reading of the cemetery ordinance was post-
poned to the next meeting as LeVar wanted the ordinance
changed to include the amount of time that could elapse
between the receipt and placement of a headstone on a grave.
The Board finished agenda items with a discussion of the
emergency response during the floods last week. Board
member Charlie Gronda said one elderly man died of a heart
attack when he left his stranded vehicle and tried to walk
home. Six or seven people were injured. He said there was
significant damage to the roads. Board member Gary Hollis
said there weren't enough phones.
The Board thanked a number of firms who helped includ-
ing the Nevada Test Site contractors who donated an ambu-
lance and four wheel drive vehicles at Hollis' request. Stewart
Industries, Inc. was also thanked for their donation of bags for
sand.
Sally Devlin begged the board to take action now to save
Pahrump. Devlin read a list of items she suggested be in-
cluded in an emergency preparedness questionnaire to be
mailed to all Pahrump Valley residents. Devlin pleaded with
the board as she said, "El Nine is here, it will drown us in
November."
Want roads fixed, sign petition
by Patti Babcock
Gazette Staff
PAHRUMP - Red Rock Road remains closed a week
after a torrential rain storm flooded many areas of Pahxump
late Tuesday, September 2, with rain continuing through
:,ldnesday morning. Diana Stiles told Town Board members
;,,' closure has never been announced so people drive on the
road only to be turned backby the wood barriers. She said
water six feet deep on Wednesday, still stands two and a half
to three feet deep in the former wash area.
Stiles blamed the county for the problem, saying they
allowed the developer to fill in the wash to sell more lots.
Board member Bob Little agreed. He said the property was
subdivided 27 years ago and the wash was an equestrian trail.
He said, "They knew it was in a flood plain. It's always been
a wash."
"It's time the Town stood up to tlie County Commission-
ers," Stiles said. "We have to stand up for ourselves. There's
no one else to do it. We pay 84 percent of the taxes and get 22
percent back."
Board Chairwoman Charlotte L, Var said there is the
opportunity to have a voice on the County Commission by
signing the petition to elect the Commissioners "at large."
Board member Gary Hollis concurred. He said, "If you want
a voice in (county) government, work hard on the Commis-
sioners "at large" so Pahrump can get some of its representa-
tion back."
Little said another problem is with the State. He quoted
population figures from the Nevada state Demographer show-
ing Pahrump's population for 1997 as 13,761 people with a
projection for 2001 at 17,091. We need to upgrade the figures,
Little said. The Demographer's office is getting ready to
forecast again in spring 1998. Little has a number for people
to contact to be placed on the call list for the forecast.
"Currently," he said, "the only people counted for Pahrump
are registered voters and school children. 1'4o one else exists.
If the true numbers are shown, maybe we co.rid get some
clout."
To contact Little for the number to get on the "call list,"
phone 72%7700. Ed Bishop and fellow volunteers will have
the petition to elect County Commissioners "at lar" at tim
Harvest Ftmival. Many w volunteers have tim peti-
tions in front of Smith's Food and g, Terrible's Town and
other local businesses.
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