Open Letter #22

OPEN LETTER #22 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #22.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

My Thoughts and Ideas for TODAY and TOMORROW!!!!!! -
My thoughts on the upcoming election: There are several people I am convinced I will vote for on November 4^th and probably won’t change my mind.  However, I will still listen to the debates to determine if I know what I believe I know.  While I won’t campaign AGAINST any candidates, I will campaign FOR certain candidates.  Here are THREE names that I will encourage everyone to vote FOR and please understand that I vote for PEOPLE, not PARTY affiliation.  Those THREE are: Congressman Steven Horsford, Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi, and for Nye County Assessor – Ms. Sheree Stringer.  Please know that there are several other outstanding candidates for several offices that I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend.  These are outstanding citizens who want what is best for our community and our residents.  Feel free to contact me if you want my list of those candidates that I support. 

My thoughts on the August 2014 injunction against the Town:  For those who know me or have discussed this with me, you already know that I was opposed to the injunction.  Why was I opposed to it?  I was opposed to the injunction because each of our County Commissioners could have avoided any court action by simply contacting any Town Board member to inquire about our vote on the contracts.  Since we (the Pahrump Town Board) can no longer vote on a personnel contract that extends beyond January 4, 2015, it is not an “Open Meeting Law” violation to tell you and anybody else that (I learned after the injunction) we had each already rejected the contracts as written and had recommended changes (the same changes recommended by Judge Wanker) to help the Town of Pahrump and the affected staff.  I have no problem with DA Kunzi who followed the direction of the County Commissioners or with Judge Wanker who rendered the court’s decision.  Yes, I wish it had been a different decision but the Commissioners could have prevented this entire event by simply communicating with any member of the Pahrump Town Board. 

My thoughts and ideas about the Town Governance in January 2015:  For the 50.8% of the voters who voted to “discontinue” the elected Town Board, you get what you voted for.  For the 49.2% who voted to retain your elected Town Board, I ask only that you respect the “will of the majority” and give the Commissioners a chance.  I will give them every opportunity to be successful because, if they are successful, the Town of Pahrump is successful. 

It is my hope that the commissioners will find a way to utilize the background and expertise of the current Town Manager, Ms. Susan Holecheck, as a permanent part of the transition to retain all that is positive about the Town.  I also hope the current employees with their vast expertise are retained because, if they leave, they can’t be replaced at a later date.  I would like to “see a plan” that the Commissioners have for the governance of Pahrump since none of the five have any experience in running a town as a mayor or as a manager.  Remember too that the Town Budget is effective through June 30, 2015 so no “tampering” with the budget is required. 

It is also my hope that no one at the county level falls into the trap of considering Mr. Dave Richards in any position of authority within the Town of Pahrump.  I did a background check on him with his former employer in Alaska when he wanted to replace Bill Kohbarger as Town Manager.  They stated, “We didn’t fire him because we didn’t want to give him any severance pay.  We allowed his contract to expire and would never rehire him and feel sympathy for any locality that considers him for any management position.”  In my dealings with Mr. Richards, I was positively impressed with his rhetoric until I learned that there is no substance there, only rhetoric.  He displayed his emotional instability when he encouraged and participated in the charge to “arrest the Town Board” bringing shame to the Town of Pahrump from around the world.  I personally received emails from across the United Sates as well as Germany, England, Korea, and Japan about that negative incident.  Let’s move forward and work together to make Pahrump a positive place to live. 

Questions??  Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments about this letter or any of my comments. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board
twaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #19

OPEN LETTER #19 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #19.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Ignorance, or Stupidity !!!!!! -
I continually read or hear comments made by Dan Schinhofen that beg for a response.  I chose to wait until after the Nevada Supreme Court Decision on the fate of the “elected” Town Board to allow it to sink in for the electorate of Pahrump.  He continually stated that we (the Town Board) wanted to overturn the vote of the people.  It is clear to anyone who can read that the court case was because the Town believed the commissioners did not follow Nevada Law.  The Nevada Supreme Court has resolved that matter.  Although I like Dan as a person, I truly believe he has exhausted his limits and capability as a Nye County Commissioner.  When he makes false, misleading, or idiotic statements, he reminds me of people who state, “Don’t confuse me with the facts because my mind is already made up.” 

It is possible that he is merely confused but, when he continues to spout misinformation in his column or in front of an audience, it transcends “confused” into the real level of stupidity or the “Ramblings of a Madman.”  I am pleased that he now says he supports the veterans and plans to use the dollars allocated for veterans to support county veteran programs.  Unfortunately, this idea had to be pushed upon him by veterans and another commissioner. 

As an example, Dan Schinhofen continues to talk about “My Opponent” as if he doesn’t realize that he has several opponents who wish to unseat him for District 5.  I understand that he considers Bill Dolan his only “real” opponent as he continues to insist that Bill is in favor of Incorporation of the Town of Pahrump when Bill has stated repeatedly that he is neither “for” or “against” Incorporation.  Dan also allows others to say (and Dan supports) that Bill Dolan went with Bill Kohbarger and Vicky Parker to see former State Senator McGinnis.  The FACT remains that Bill Dolan was on the East Coast on vacation when the trip occurred.  There were only two people from Pahrump on the trip.  Another person from Reno joined them there.  However, Dan (or his supporters) does not need facts, truth, or reality in order to make a statement. 

He also states that the “Town raised taxes three times while the County did not.”  First, it was TWO times that the “Tax Rate” for Pahrump was raised and, according to Nevada Tax Laws, the tax rate and the tax increases were separated many years ago.  The state of Nevada has several formulas to compute taxes.  For a commissioner not to know that fact in Nevada History also means he does not know Nevada Law or the Nevada tax codes.  And, the Town of Pahrump is not at the “maximum cap” for the tax rate while Nye County reached the maximum cap a long time ago.  The county couldn’t raise the tax rate again even if they wanted to because it would violate Nevada Law.  Listen to the auditor who proclaims year after year that the County of Nye has serious fiscal problems.  Also, the fact that he has listed on his Nevada Financial Disclosure Statement for 2014 that he owes $5,000 or more to the IRS and to the State of Nevada Tax, why would we want Dan Schinhofen to continue to mis-manage the funds of Nye County? 

His ramblings do not end there if you read his last column in the May 15^th Mirror.  So, read his comments and then ask yourself the question, “Is it ignorance, stupidity, or merely the Ramblings of a Madman??  

Questions??  Feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments about this letter. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board
twaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #17

OPEN LETTER #17 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #17.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Don’t Raise My Taxes !!!!!! -
I was bombarded by comments such as this about the Pahrump Tax Rate.  The comments started with “Don’t raise MY taxes” but after the discussion they all added some of the following: 1) …but repair my roads,  or 2) … keep the same level of sheriff’s deputies for my safety, or 3) … keep the same level of fire protection or ambulance service for my safety, or 4) … don’t mess with our parks because we want MORE, or 5) … lengthen the time of day and calendar year for the swimming pool, and the list goes on and on and on.  The Town Board will vote on the final budget on May 16^th.  However, the Town has nothing to do with the roads or the Sheriff’s office and, for those services, the citizens will need to need to look at the Nye County budget and discuss funding levels with their County Commissioners. 

Please remember that the Town of Pahrump is responsible for the Fire Department, the Swimming Pool, the Cemetery, and the Parks.  Please remember too that the Town Board has not granted employees (except where mandated by union contract) ANY pay increases for at least four years. 

I’ll try to stay with the Town Tax Rate since we (the Pahrump Town Board) voted on April 24^th to approve a tentative tax rate increase of $0.0487 (a little less than the equivalent of five cents) from 0.4308 to 0.4795, all of which is subject to the residential 3% tax cap legislation. 

Well, if the Town Board approves the budget, does that mean that MY taxes will go up a nickel based on the new rate 0.4795 or 48 cents per one-hundred dollars?  That depends on several variables. 

The state of Nevada has several formulas to compute taxes and I know that Mr. Michael Sullivan can explain it far better than I can.  What the 3% residential tax cap legislation means is that your actual tax payment can NOT be increased more than 3% over the prior year.  It could also result, as in my case, that your taxes might remain the same or you may see a decrease. 

Remember, these are ANNUAL taxes, not monthly.  Let me use MY personal 2012-2013 Tax Bill as an example.  I will compare that to my 2010-2011 Tax Bill.  Look at your own tax bill to understand this better.  As you see, MOST of your taxes are for the County or the School District, and only a minuscule part for the Town of Pahrump (Pahrump Town and Pahrump Pool).  For simplicity, look at the Taxing Agency / Rate / Tax Amount. 

Taxing Agency      Rate    2012-2013 Tax Amount             2010-2011 Tax Amount
CO GEN              0.9819                          418.02                               868.49
ROAD                  0.0050                              2.18                                   4.36
AG EXT               0.0150                              6.39                                  13.10
MED & GEN IND 0.0798                            27.66                                 58.50
DED CO MED      0.0202                              8.60                                 17.64
AUTO ACC INDG 0.0150                             6.39                                13.10
MUSEUM (County)0.0117                             4.99                                10.21
JUVENILE PROB 0.1000                            42.57                                  87.31
HEALTH CLINIC 0.0395                            16.81                                  34.49
CAP PROJECTS   0.0177                              7.53                                 15.46
SPEC CAP PROJ  0.0500                            21.28                                 43.66
911 EMERGENCY 0.0050                            2.13                                   4.37
YOUTH SERVICE  0.0060                            2.55                                   5.24
SCHOOL DIST      0.7500                          319.28                               654.85
SCHOOL DEBT    0.5850                          249.05                               510.78
STATE                  0.1700                            72.36                                148.43
PAHRUMP TOWN 0.4308                      153.53                                212.17
PAH LIB DIST (County)0.0781                   27.38                                  36.58
PAHRUMP POOL  0.0145                          5.48                                    8.56

State NV Water Tax                                         1.00                                   1.00
Landfill – Single                                            30.00                                  30.00
Nye Water Dist Tax                                         5.00                                    0.00

My total PAHRUMP ANNUAL Tax for 2012-2013 is $159.01 and my PAHRUMP Tax for 2010-2011 was $220.73 for a REDUCTION over this 2-year period of $61.72 per year.  As you can plainly see, the Town “tax rate” went UP and my taxes went DOWN.  My total NYE COUNTY (CO GEN & Road) ANNUAL Tax nearly doubles that of the Town for 2012-2013 and is $420.20.  The remainder of my taxes went to either the State of Nevada or the County of Nye.  I ask only that you look at your own tax bill instead of listening to complainers who have absolutely NO idea of what they are talking about.  Listen to the auditor who proclaims year after year that the Town of Pahrump is fiscally responsible. 

Look at the total amount of ANNUAL taxes you pay to the Town for Fire protection (and Ambulance), Parks, Swimming Pool, and the Cemetery.  If you feel you are paying too much, maybe you should NOT call for an ambulance if you get sick or the fire department if there is a fire.  And, by all means, don’t die and need the cemetery.  The Town does NOT collect the remainder of your other taxes because that is for the State of Nevada or the County of Nye and, even though we are over 80% of the County, we are obligated to support our county as well.  However, don’t blame the Town of Pahrump when evidence shows we are not the culprits many falsely complain about. 

Questions??  Feel free to contact me, Mr. Kohbarger or Mr. Sullivan if you have questions or comments about this Open Letter. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Board
twaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #16

OPEN LETTER #16 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #16.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Welcome to 2013 -  If you’ve read the December Town Newsletter from the Town Manager (available at the Town’s webpage), you see the things that are being done by the Town Board and the Town Staff.  Yes, there is still a lot to do and we still look for citizen input as recommendations for other possible Town improvements. 

I am pleased to say that we have several residents who look at the positive side of our Town and recommend improvements instead of mere criticism about any suggestion of a change.  The rest of this Open Letter contains recommendations from a citizen.  I feel they are valid and should be shared.  She sent them to the Commissioners and the Town Board because some items would take Town & County working together.  Thanks Marna. 

FROM MARNA KRAUSE:

Below are several ideas to make our town look more attractive and to bring more tourists to Pahrump and all of Nye County.  If we can implement just a few of them both our town and county will benefit. 

Let's start with making Pahrump more attractive.  People are attracted to a quaint, cozy looking town:

1.  Flower barrels along the main corridors of Highways 160 and 372 and the Calvada Eye.  There are faux wooden barrels made of fiberglass with a 20 year warranty.  These barrels run $20-30 each.  In the past I have spoken to both Star Nursery and Home Depot locally about the barrels and flowers.  Both indicated an interest in substantial discounts and/or donation of partial needs.  Home Depot suggested planting some year round desert plants in each barrel with seasonal flowers filling in to decrease the cost of changing plants.  I know you are wondering how they would get watered.  We have 2 garden clubs in town that I know of.  Perhaps one of them would take this job on as a town project.  Perhaps some of the businesses the barrels are in front of would take responsibility for watering those on their site.  In tiny Panaca in Lincoln County I saw a town employee (or a resident) with a portable water tank behind her truck watering all the flower barrels.  There are also other groups that may want to take watering on: Rotary, Lions Club, 4-H, Kiwanis, Masons, etc, maybe rotate organizations on a monthly basis.  Little cost involved for a major impact.  Lots of Bang for your Buck.  With a little thought and effort this would work.

2.  Old Fashioned street lamps or just poles also along the 2 main corridors of highways 160 and 372 and the Calvada Eye.  These are not for "lighting" purposes but solar ones would add a soft glow and not add to electrical usage or needs for wiring.  The light poles would be used to hang banners advertising all the events going on in town as well as seasonal decorations.  Banners could be purchased by the event organizers and would let tourists just passing through know there is more to Pahrump than supermarkets, casinos and WalMart.  Seasonal decorations for 4th of July and Christmas would be used year after year as would event banners.  Start up costs of poles, banners and decorations but not much after that except to replace banners that need so after a few years. 

3.  Local artist painted statues of native animals.  These statues run about $2000 each, or less, according to a web site other towns have used.  These could be all the same animal or a variety of animals and even plants or trees.  I'm sure the price would be cheaper if all one statue was used but using multiple animals/plants would be more visually appealing. Each statue would have a plaque with the name of the artist and some history about the animal/plant.  Funding could be handled a number of ways: the town paying, artists raising donations, businesses could purchase them to be placed at their site, auctioned off after completion, grants possibly available.  I've attached a few photos of bison and a horse, some life size, some smaller.  We have so many possibilities: wild mustangs, burros, desert tortoise, rattlesnake, road runner, burrowing owl, coyote, elk, deer, mountain lion, sagebrush, Joshua tree, and the list goes on and on.  Here's a couple of websites to check out:   http://www.chicagofiberglassworks.com/html/publicart.htm,  http://www.fiberstock.com/customers/art-project-customers.  These statues could be placed all over town and places of interest, possibly all over Nye County.  To go along with the statues a map could be printed to direct tourists and locals alike to see all of them.  Possibly a small token given if someone has the map stamped at each location and visits all of them.  Will take some thought to work it all out but is a good visible attraction for our town/county. 

4.  Western fronts for commercial buildings.  Pahrump needs to have a "theme" as far as commercial buildings go. Anyone that has been to Sedona, AZ, knows how a uniform look can add to the appeal of a town.  Sedona does not have Golden Arches or large Bells but everyone still finds McDonalds and Taco Bell.  Let's have an ordinance for all new construction, including remodeling, conforming to a western building front approved by the Town/County.  All existing commercial buildings will have X (7-10?) amount of years to install a false western front on their properties, design being approved by the Town/County.  Again, people are drawn to a town that has a comfortable, unique, cozy appeal.  If we want to be the Heart of the New Old West, or Western Ways and Sunny Days, we need to provide the Western Look.  A few wagon wheels and hitching posts wouldn't hurt.  (NOTE: Our slogan is “Your Base Camp to Adventure” but her ideas would still work.)

5.  We need a central tourist area.  People want to park and walk down the street window shopping.  The only place feasible for this is the Calvada Eye.  We need to build for shops along this area, decorate with the flower barrels, lamp posts/banners and statues.  On Hwy 160 all the businesses are set too far off the road to allow walking along and looking in windows.  The Eye is a beautiful area as it is but is underutilized.  We need to use what we already have to our benefit.  I can see the tourist buses there now instead of Smiths and Albertsons.  Let's show the thousands of tourists traveling through here every year there is more to us. 

6.  Pedestrian Safety: I know this has been discussed before, having crosswalks across the highways.  It is perceived as too dangerous for the pedestrian.  I have been to towns where they have orange warning flags at stands on both ends of the crosswalk.  When a pedestrian is ready to cross they pick up a flag, walk across the street and deposit the flag in the stand on the other side.  The flags are large so that they are easy to see by the motorists.  Why not try?  This would certainly help the people trying to get from one business to another, everyone wins. 

Now on to bringing more tourists not only to Pahrump but also to Nye County:

7.  A Nye County Passport or Pamphlet directing people to all parts of the county.  People get the passport/pamphlet stamped at participating businesses or answer questions they can only answer by being at a particular place.  They get a small token when the completed, or almost completed, form is mailed in to the county or chamber.  Route 66 has a Passport for this, northern Nevada has a pamphlet with questions about information on historical markers and the loneliest highway, Hwy 50, has a pamphlet to be stamped as you cross the length of the highway.  I have done all 3 and it was a blast.  The northern Nevada one was like being on a cross-state scavenger hunt and I received a letter and jacket patch stating I had true grit just like the early settlers.  The Hwy 50 one got us a small token, key chain, etc, at each stop. Rte 66 mails gifts according to how many stamps you obtained going across several states.  We could have questions/require stamps from not only the obvious Pahrump, Beatty and Tonopah but also from Amargosa, Manhattan, Belmont, Gabbs, Round Mountain, Railroad Valley, Currant Creek, Duckwater, Ione, Sunnyside, Forty Bar, Smoky Valley and all other little bergs in Nye County.  People would love the challenge just to say they did it.  Really, why do people run 26 mile marathons?  To say they did.  Look how participating businesses would benefit as well as others nearby.  People have to eat and buy gas if nothing else. 

8.  Geocaching.  I don't know how this works exactly but do get the general idea and it seems to be very big.  We have so much land and wide open spaces to explore we could easily have a geocaching spot somewhere, or two, in Nye County that is only found by using GPS navigable skills.  Again, from what I have seen this is something people do just to say they did.  It is a challenge.  If done properly this could get adventure seekers to all parts of Nye County, benefitting many businesses. 

9.  Remote Control Air Strip.  I have seen a lot of people attending a remote control airplane tournament.  Now it doesn't seem this would cost much to have the air strip, just a short slab of concrete at one of our parks where there is plenty of air space.  I have seen lots of retirees enjoying their RC Airplanes on a sunny day and we have lots of sunny days and retirees/snowbirds.  Let's give them something to do and have a RC Airplane tournament. 

10.  Hot Air Balloon Festival.  We certainly have the wide open spaces for this.  I doubt Albuquerque, NM, was built around their balloon festival, but the other way around.  What do they have that we don't?  It would be small at first but would grow over time.  Albuquerque didn't start out like it is today, I'm sure. 

11.  Pistachio Festival.  Many towns have festivals based upon what is grown in their area.  There are strawberry, watermelons, cherry, orange, grape/wine and garlic festivals, among numerous others, which are very successful events. In the past Pahrump was known for growing cotton but that no longer is found here but I have seen at least 2 large pistachio orchards locally.  That would be a perfect crop to exploit for Festival purposes.  Of course it would start out small but look at how our local Grape Stomp has grown over the few years it has been in existence.  Many people come from out of town to attend the Winery's Grape Stomp and the same would be true of a well organized Pistachio Festival.  While strawberry and other fruit festivals are plenty, pistachio festivals are not.  Newberry, CA, off Rte 66 (I-40) and 20 miles east of Barstow, just had their 15th Annual Pistachio Festival on November 3, 2012.  Other than the Newberry, CA, festival the other pistachio festivals seem to be out of the country. 

For our own children:

12.  Let's push to grow 4-H.  It is unconscionable our children have to take their projects and animals to Logandale for their 4-H fair.  We should have our own Nye County 4-H fair and have all the children of the county participate with their 4-H projects.  Let's build a small barn to house the animals, a small show ring and a small pavilion to house the arts, crafts, foods and horticulture projects.  Let's support our local talent and children.  It seems Petrack Park with a little updating would be a nice place to hold this.  Very few of the tiny lots adjacent to McCullough Arena are locally owned.  They are unbuildable and cannot be worth a lot.  Why not offer current owners a fair market value price and take these lots by eminent domain for the good of the town.  Have an experienced fairground designer work with what is already at Petrack Park and expand on it.  Update the electrical and plumbing to support multiple vendors with 50 amp needs, enlarge the already nice McCullough Arena, expand seating capacity and so forth.  If the money is there through grants or tourism council or the fairgrounds fund this could be done rather quickly instead of waiting for years to build the fairgrounds on highway 160.  We owe it to our youth. 

13.  Soap Box Derby.  Let's get Pahrump Valley Disposal involved and have a soap box derby using recyclable materials for construction.  Get our children involved in constructing their own racer and let the kid come out in all the Dad's and grandpa's bring back memories of their youth.  We have several streets with a good slope that would work for the non-motorized racers.  It's something to think about. 

Ok, I think I'm done, for now anyway.  These ideas are worth putting a little constructive thinking into, some rather inexpensive some not so inexpensive.  We need to take baby steps but we need to take steps.  While the proposed themed attraction and the building of the new fairgrounds are both good ideas, they are not baby steps and way too far in the future.  Let's do something now. 

Thank-you all for reading this and considering some ideas.  Marna Krause, Pahrump Resident
(702) 658-3198

I sincerely thank Marna for these ideas and suggestions and we’d like to hear from others as well.  Feel free to contact Marna for a show of support. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardtwaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #15

OPEN LETTER #15 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #15.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

Thanks to the Voters -  The vote tally is in and the people have spoken.  Congratulations to all those elected (or re-elected) to office and for those not elected (or re-elected) I want to say thanks for the efforts.  Voting is what makes our country great as we choose those to lead us and to make other decisions through referendums and ballot questions. 

I especially want to thank the 49.2% of Pahrump voters that voted to retain the Town Board as your local government. However, the 50.8% speaks for us all and we graciously accept the results. 

Regardless of anything that you read or hear differently from this Open Letter, I want you to have the FACTS, not assumptions, innuendos, or mere guesses. 

So, what does the vote of November 6^th mean and where do we go from here with the Town Board?  Well, NRS 269.022speaks for itself.  It states: “If the board of county commissioners determines that the best interests of the town are no longer served by a town board form of government, it may order the question to be put on the ballot at the next general election.  If the majority of persons voting favor discontinuance of the town board form of government, the town board shall cease to function at the end of the terms of office of the incumbent members of the town board, and the government of the town and all of its assets and liabilities shall revert to the board of county commissioners.” 

That means the Pahrump Town Board will cease to function effective at midnight on December 31, 2014 and the Nye County Commissioners will assume that responsibility on January 1, 2015.  This two-year transition period can make the transition from local government to county government beneficial to employees of all town functions.   It will also aid the commissioners in determining what is needed and what is not.  They must find a way to retain proper management of the Parks, the Cemetery, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department or remove them from operation. 

The normal terms of office for Mr. Mike Darby and Ms. Vicky Parker will end on December 31, 2012.  The terms of office for Ms. Amy Riches and Mr. Bill Dolan begin on January 1, 2013 and they should have their oaths of office administered by the Nye County Clerk (Ms. Sam Merlino) sometime in December 2012.  Unfortunately, their 4-year terms of office will be reduced to 2-years because of the vote to “discontinue the Pahrump Town Board” and their terms will now end on December 31, 2014.  This date is also the scheduled end of the 4-year terms of office of Dr. Tom Waters and Mr. Harley Kulkin.  This date will also include the term of whoever is selected to fill the vacant seat of Ms. Carolene Endersby. 

So, the Town Board has two years to convince the voters that they want to do what is best for Pahrump.  
All Town Board members are Pahrumpians and I believe they feel as I do and will continue to do what we believe is in the best interest of Pahrump.  We still want to hear from the public for the two remaining years and, after that, we encourage everyone to work with the Board of County Commissioners as they manage and oversee Pahrump’s town functions and resources. 

The Town Board form of government for the Town of Pahrump began in 1984 and, after 30 years, will cease to exist at the end of 2014. 

Until the end of December 2014, I will continue to write Open Letters to the Community as a member of the Pahrump Town Board in order to respond to questions and concerns of our residents. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardtwaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #14

OPEN LETTER #14 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #14.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

The Pahrump Town Board – YOUR Local Government -  I speak with many people in Pahrump and receive even more calls and e-mail messages.  Most believe keeping our Town Board is viable and necessary for local government and others offer suggestions and recommendations as to how we (the Town Board) can become more effective.  I must admit that I had some of the same suggestions and recommendations before I was elected to serve on the Town Board.  I did not understand the impact or the restrictions of the Nevada Open Meeting Laws (OML) NRS 241.  I have received the following suggestions, questions, and recommendations from well-meaning citizens.  

1.  Question: Why doesn’t the Town Board hold a Town Hall type meeting and answer questions of the public and tell us why you vote the way you do?  That way we would understand why you do what you do. 
     Answer: According to NRS 241 - OML, all meetings with a quorum of Town Board members (3 or more) must be agendized with specific agenda items.  If less than a quorum meets (2 or 1) we also violate the OML if we publicize how we would vote except in an agendized Open Meeting. 

2.  Question: Why can’t the Town Board members hold a “closed door” meeting and go over the questionable items so you appear more united when you face the public? 
     Answer: Again, I must refer you to the OML.  Closed door meetings (Closed Sessions) can only be utilized for the following issues: Personnel related issues, Appointment of a person to public office, Attorney-client privilege communications, and Labor issues. 

3.  Question: Why can’t each Town Board member explain their views on all matters which are of concern to the citizens and how they would vote on them in Open Letters to the Community? 
     Answer: Again, I must refer you to the OML.  However, I often explain rationale AFTER a vote has been taken on an issue.  That is acceptable as long as I only give my reasons and not those of other Town Board members.  I will continue to use the Open Letter to explain issues when citizens still require clarification. 

4.  Question: Why can’t you just do what you need to do and say what you need to say to get the job done in public or at other public meetings? 
     Answer: Again, I must refer you to the OML.  Violation of the OML has serious consequences.  This is the reason the Board of County Commissioners, the Pahrump Town Board, and all Advisory Boards always attempt to comply with Nevada law. 

5.  Question: Isn’t there a duplication of government functions (double layer of government) by having a Town Board and the County Commissioners? 
     Answer: Not at all.  This would ignore how the Town Board and County Commissioners have operated since the creation of the Town Board in 1984.  The county code was changed to recognize that the county laws and regulations will apply only if the town has not enacted measures covering the same subject matter.  This means that the county controls only what the town does not.  There is no double layer and no duplication of functions. 

The Open Meeting Law is there for a very valid reason.  Each of us must avoid decisions which are made in “back rooms” or in “closed meetings.”  All decisions related to the “people’s business” must be decided in an open forum, thus, the Open Meeting Law. 

There were some callers who stated that we should disband the Town Board form of government and allow the County Commissioners to function as Pahrump’s local government.  My reply is: The Commissioners are county government and the Town Board is local government.  I then ask this question, “If you are displeased with the State Governor, should we consider relinquishing operation of the state government to the two U.S. Senators or the U.S. Congressional members?”  They all answer “NO.”  The reason for that explanation is the diversity of each job responsibility.  The same explanation applies to our Commissioners.  Even if all five Commissioners lived in Pahrump, their responsibilities must still be devoted to the entire county.  For those who forget, Nye County is the third largest county in the United States and the County Commissioners can’t ignore the rest of the county and show partially or favoritism for the Town of Pahrump.  That is why we need a local government.  If you are displeased with the members of your local government, vote for someone else at the next election.  I would never consider “throwing out the baby with the bath water.” 

I have stated openly that I have never (and will never) belittle or speak negatively about our Board of County Commissioners in their positions as commissioners, and I will not criticize them for doing the jobs to which they were elected just because I may have chosen another option.  However, they were not elected to manage the Town of Pahrump and I would not ask them to assume that responsibility.  I will state again that the Town Board has responsibility for the Parks, the Cemetery, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department.  These areas are local functions best reserved for the Town and local government. 

I was also asked if I wanted to retain the Pahrump Town Board to assure my continued position on the Town Board.  Here is the Nevada Law in its entirety.  “NRS 269.022 - Discontinuance of elected town board: Procedure.  If the board of county commissioners determines that the best interests of the town are no longer served by a town board form of government, it may order the question to be put on the ballot at the next general election.  If the majority of persons voting favor discontinuance of the town board form of government, the town board shall cease to function at the end of the terms of office of the incumbent members of the town board, and the government of the town and all of its assets and liabilities shall revert to the board of county commissioners.”  (Italics added for emphasis).  As you can see, your vote in November has NO impact on my term of office.  My term of office, according to NRS 269.022, ends on December 31, 2014.  However, I will continue to ask that you retain control of your Local Government by electing experienced citizens to serve your Local Government as members of your Town Board.  I would hope that you clearly understand the impact if your elected Town Board becomes an Advisory Board under the Board of County Commissioners.  It is up to you to stand up for yourselves and chart the direction which you choose for Pahrump.  If you choose to reduce your Town Board to ONLY an “advisory board”, you will have LOST your option to control or participate in decisions within our community.  We would then be governed by the Nye County Commissioners … NOT by any local Town Board. 

In a unique way, the Pahrump Town Board, Nye County Commissioners, and members of the State Legislature could be compared to the human body.  Each part of the body has a specific function and without each body part the body itself suffers.  If any disease is found, we have the option to 'heal' it.  In "government", however, we have the right and option to vote, and by doing so, we are attempting to "heal" or address the needs of our community.  (Few people shoot themselves inthe foot just because they have a "headache"!)  Let us address our needs through the proper channels without "shooting ourselves in the foot" which would destroy our local government! 

Again, to retain control of your local government beyond December 31, 2014, Remember to vote NO in November when you see the BALLOT QUESTION, “Shall the Pahrump elected town board form of government be discontinued?”  Vote “NO” so you can retain your local government. 

Therefore, I encourage each of you to retain your local government by voting “NO” to the above question. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardtwaters@pahrumpnv.org
775-764-0949

Open Letter #13

OPEN LETTER #13 TO THE COMMUNITY FROM A TOWN BOARD MEMBER

Here is the Open Letter #13.  Feel free to contact me at twaters@pahrumpnv.org or 775-764-0949. 

As a DISCLAIMER, please understand that I speak ONLY for myself as a Town Board member and will provide accurate information as I see it through my research.  All information is reviewed by several entities to ensure there are no NRS violations. 

The Pahrump Town Board Vs. The Nye County Commissioners  
 I thought that would get your attention.  J   

However, if you know me at all, then you know that I have never (and will never) belittle or speak negatively about our Board of County Commissioners in their positions as commissioners.  I will always attempt to clarify some of their actions if I disagree with them but I will not criticize our County Commissioners for doing the jobs they were elected to do just because I may have chosen to do it differently.  I have discussed issues with each of our Commissioners and I appreciate their perspectives.  With that said, I will continue to discuss or provide logical or factual information to our commissioners as long as it is beneficial to the County of Nye, the Town of Pahrump, our community and its progress, and my commitment to you specifically as a Town Board member. 

So, this Open Letter is not to “bash” the Board of Nye County Commissioners (BoCC).  It is merely to speak “openly” to only ONE Commissioner in his position away from the Board of County Commissioners.  I will speak to Dan Schinhofen about some of his statements in his weekly Pahrump Mirror Newspaper column entitled, “Ramblings of a Madman.”  I hope to clarify some of the mis-information or slanted information he has printed in his column about the Pahrump Town Board. Although I read his column, I do not respond because, as the title indicates, it really is the ‘ramblings of a madman’ and should not be taken seriously.  It seems evident that other Town Board members feel the same way since I’ve seen no response to his ‘slanted’ information that he prints as fact.  However, since some of our residents actually believe some of the ramblings, I felt I should attempt to set the record straight.  No, I have no intention of writing a column to offset his column and this will probably be the last Open Letter about anything in his column.  Please remember that he has stated that his column is controversial … a ploy often used by individuals to gain a “following” based on radical or twisted statements which insights prejudices.  And, controversial it is.  However, when he chooses to bash the decisions of the members of the Pahrump Town Board without knowing specific information regarding our research or asking us why we voted a certain way, he unleashes an assumption that he “knows all” and we (the Town Board) do not. 

Dan Schinhofen also mixes fact with fiction to make his points more believable.  His political views are well known and everyone has a right to their political opinions.  I must applaud him for managing to state most of the historical facts correctly from our ‘Founding Fathers.”  Unfortunately, in his column, he has views from A to Z and sometimes he crosses the line into the “twilight zone” where fiction is reality only in his mind.  Let me give you some examples from his August 2, and August 23, 2012 columns.  I will summarize his statements as I understand them since I do not plan to reprint his column. 

Let’s begin with the August 2^nd column.  Dan Schinhofen stated that the Town has made NO progress on the Fairgrounds without mentioning the progress that has been made such as the approval to proceed with the soccer fields.  Again, he insinuates that he knows more than anyone else without checking with the people in charge of the progress.  I would ask that he check with Mr. Bill Kohbarger (the Town Manager) or Mr. Matt Luis (the Town’s Building & Grounds Manager) before stating erroneous information as fact.  Personally, I always check with a Commissioner or Mr. Dave Fanning before I state anything about Blagg Road to ensure I report information accurately. 

Then, he stated that the Town Board raised property taxes two years in a row without explaining the details.  I shall provide you the facts.  The state of Nevada reviews the tax situation state-wide.  Then, the state makes recommendations of the “tax rate” needed to maintain the SAME LEVEL of services.  This tax rate can ONLY be raised if the county, city, or town has not reached their maximum allowable rate.  Since the Town of Pahrump had NOT reached the maximum allowable rate, we had to make a decision to maintain the SAME LEVEL of services or reduce the level of services.  Please remember that the Town of Pahrump has responsibility ONLY for the Parks (including the Fairgrounds), the Cemetery, the Swimming Pool, and the Fire Department.  Yes, we could have kept the same tax rate and closed one or two of the parks or fired some Fire Department personnel; however, we chose instead to provide the SAME LEVEL of services to the citizens of Pahrump by accepting the state-recommended tax rate.  Of course you can ask Dan Schinhofen if the county is already at the maximum allowable tax rate and has nowhere else to go.  As I stated, the Town of Pahrump is NOT at our maximum rate because we chose to accept the state-recommended tax rate and maintain the SAME LEVEL of services. 

Now, let’s look at the August 23^rd column.  Again, Dan Schinhofen displays “selective amnesia” when he stated that “The Town Board could have come to the County Commission and asked for the question (of Incorporation) to be put on the ballot,” when this was actually done in 2011.  According to the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) Agenda dated January 11, 2011, under Other Business, item number 32a., quoted here for accuracy:

OTHER BUSINESS
32 Town Boards/Town Advisory Boards
a. Action – Discussion, deliberation, and possible decision on placing an Advisory Question on the November 2012 General Election asking the voters of the Town of Pahrump whether they wish the Town of Pahrump to be Incorporated. 

According to Dan Schinhofen during the January 2011 meeting, he stated that the District Attorney told him that the BoCC had NO authority to place Incorporation of the Town of Pahrump on the ballot.  I guess we shouldn’t remind him of that but maybe he should review BoCC agendas and meeting minutes before writing his column. 

The NRS is clear that the BoCC can only place removal of an elected Town Board on the ballot if they “determine” that the Town Board form of government is no longer beneficial to the Town.  He made that determination in July 2012 and pushed to place it on the ballot and then attempted to tie it to an Incorporation effort.  Whether you are ‘for’ or ‘against’ Incorporation for Pahrump, just state the facts and tell the truth.  Then, in his column, he takes a “leap into the twilight zone” by condoning and supporting a poorly written Town Ordinance which violated Nevada State Law where repealing this ordinance had absolutely nothing to do with Incorporation.  It was merely a poorly crafted and poorly written ordinance that violated Nevada Law and should have never been passed. The Town Board had the responsibility and authority to repeal it.  

When or if you read his column, you can readily and easily see that it truly is the “Ramblings of a Madman.” 

Since Commissioner Schinhofen is the person who initially PUSHED for the BoCC to take over the Town’s Local Government, his ramblings in his column is all I will mention.  He clearly insinuates that he could run the local government better when your elected Town Board becomes an Advisory Board under the Board of County Commissioners.  Please remember that the Pahrump Town Board is YOUR local government and you need people on the Board to represent your best interests in an honest and ethical manner.  I will continue to ask that you retain control of your Local Government by electing experienced citizens to serve your Local Government as members of your Town Board.  It is up to you to take a positive stand for yourselves and the direction which you choose for Pahrump. 

Please know that your vote in November has NO impact on my term of office.  My term of office, according to Nevada Law, ends on December 31, 2014.  However, to retain control of your local government beyond that date: Remember to vote NO in November when you see the BALLOT QUESTION, “Shall the Pahrump elected town board form of government be discontinued?”  Vote “NO” so you can retain your local government. 

If you choose to reduce your Town Board to ONLY an “advisory board”, you will have LOST your option to control or participate in decisions within our community.  We would then be governed by the Nye County Commissioners … NOT by your local Town Board.  Therefore, I encourage each of you to retain your local government by voting “NO” to the above question. 

Dr. Tom Waters
Pahrump Town Boardt
775-764-0949
waters@pahrumpnv.org