Council members dispute change of meeting time

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada City Council held a special meeting Wednesday night for the primary purpose of meeting with Robert Saunders in an executive session to discuss the 48 applications he has received for the city manager's position.

However, before they could get down to the serious business of finding a new city manager, a lengthy discussion was conducted on routine city business, including an emergency ordinance moving the council's meeting time back to 7 p.m. from the current time of 6 p.m. The council moved the meeting time to 6 p.m. earlier this summer to accommodate the lengthy executive sessions they were having at each meeting.

"I'm not sure why this is being brought up with no previous discussion about this. I thought we'd agreed that we wouldn't do this without at least some previous knowledge," councilman Bill Gillette said.

Gillette had been previously been chastised for attempting to place an ordinance on the agenda without prior council knowledge.

"I agree with Bill. I like this time; it gets us out of here earlier. I question why it is being presented as an emergency ordinance," councilmember Dick Meyers said.

"You can meet at 6 p.m., and I will be 30 minutes late," Mayor Jim Rayburn said.

Rayburn had requested the ordinance be considered as an emergency ordinance so both readings of the ordinance could be conducted during Wednesday night's special meeting, which would mean that the time change could take effect with the Sept. 5 meeting.

Rayburn wanted the meeting time moved back to 7 p.m. because he normally closes his business at 6 p.m.; which means that, in order to make it to a 6 p.m. meeting, he had to close his business at least 15 minutes early.

The mayor and the city manager have the power to place items on the agenda without approval from the rest of the council.

"It pushes me to get here by 6 p.m. Seven would be better for me," Russ Kemm said.

Following their discussion the council voted 3-2 on the first reading to approve changing the meeting back to 6 p.m. Bill Edmonds, Russ Kemm and Jim Rayburn voted for the ordinance and Dick Meyers and Bill Gillette voted no.

Since a 4-1 vote is required when considering an ordinance as an emergency requires, the measure failed.

Without being declared an emergency ordinance it must be passed by a simple majority at two council meetings at least seven days apart. The Sept. 5 meeting is five days away.

Failing to receive the required four votes, the measure will be considered for a second reading at the Sept. 19 meeting.

In other business the council:

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance approving an amendment to an agreement with Vernon County to construct a sewer line to the Rolling Meadows Subdivision so the city can provide waste water treatment for the development. Vernon County will pay the city $19,075 to construct the sewer line and the cost of materials.

The council then voted unanimously to consider the ordinance as an emergency at the request of city manager Harlan Moore and passed it a second time, unanimously.

* Voted unanimously to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving the amended 2006 city budget.

* Voted unanimously to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving a supplemental agreement for design phase services with Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company Inc.

* Voted unanimously to give final approval to a special ordinance to reject all bids for the runway improvements at the Nevada Municipal Airport and to re-bid the project.