By RICHARD STEPHENS

PVT

BEATTY — The lengthy Beatty Town Advisory Board meeting of Aug. 25 called up visions of kitchen furniture as often as the word “table” was used.

So many agenda items were tabled for lack of consensus or because of technicalities that at the end of the meeting, Chairman LaRene Younghans jokingly asked if the board would like to table the motion to adjourn.

Decisions to approve contracts for hosting and maintenance of the town’s website arose from the site’s address being referred to in the agenda items as beattynv.info, when previous references had been to beattynv.org. So these matters were tabled.

The board also tabled the matter of deciding whether to pay the property taxes on the former Barrick Bullfrog mine site which is now in the hands of the Beatty Economic Development corporation.

Some board members questioned why the property tax bill on the property has gone up each year. Younghans pointed out that when Barrick had the property, and for the first year that the BEDC owned it, taxes on one of the two parcels were only $218.

The current bill is for $10,274.24 on one and $1,608.55 on the other.

She also questioned BEDC officers Albert Verrilli and Kitty Schubert on what had been done to attract buyers.

A couple of board members pointed out that a previous board, on which some current members served, had agreed to pay the taxes on the property until it was disposed of. Still, the board insisted that the county be questioned on the tax increase before it would consider paying the bill, and the question was tabled.

Also tabled was any action on asking the county commissioners to “reconcile language between Ordinance 19, pertaining to fire departments, and Nye County Directive regarding volunteer fire departments.

Erika Gerling said there were a number of cases in which the language of the directive and that of the local ordinance were not in agreement. The board decided to have Gerling compile a list of the items she considers a problem so they could be discussed at a future meeting.

The board was unable to finalize what had been referred to as its capital projects plan. Teresa Sullivan said she had determined it would be better to call it a capital projects guide.

Kay Handy suggested that the board not attach dollar estimates to the projects on the list because the chances of getting five board members to agree on those amounts would take “until I am in the grave.”

Sullivan, however, said they need some sort of amounts so the county could see that they have plans for the money.

The desirability, worthiness, and cost of some of the items on the current draft of the plan came under discussion. Handy, for instance, said she would never approve more than $50,000 for the town square park, and Gerling questioned the need of a commercial kitchen for the Community Center, asking who would use it.

Board members and Ann Marchand from the Chamber of Commerce seemed to satisfy her that the kitchen would be used for a variety of functions including wedding receptions and small convention groups.

They finally decided that each member would prioritize the list of projects and submit their lists to Sullivan, who volunteered to try to “make sense” of them.

The board also did not decide to sponsor a candidates’ night. Board members were unsure whether they could legally do so, noting that past candidates’ nights had been sponsored by other parties. They also were not sure whether the town secretary, who is barred from political activity on the job, could set one up. They asked the secretary to consult with county officials to see what role, if any, the board could play.

The board did move quickly on a couple of items, one of which was to approve up to $8,000 for Beatty Days highway signs. The actual estimated cost, according to Ann Marchand, is $6,055.

Board members also approved a Highway Frontage Renovation Rebate project for the Space Station. Manager Marylee Grover explained that this would entail planting flowering locust trees of various colors in front of the property.

She said the existing trees, which are on the highway right of way, are “old, rotten, and falling apart.” Her estimate for the project is $1,000, which would mean a rebate of $650 under the program.

The board approved up to $350 to pay registration fees for Albert Verrilli and one other person to attend the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas Sept. 7.

Verrilli felt it would be a good opportunity to network with renewable energy companies regarding the availability of the Bullfrog site.

Gerling said she had started a Beatty blog, and Handy said she hoped it would not become a source of controversy as she said one in Amargosa had. Gerling also said three people had complained to her about language and content in Charlie Cook’s paper.

Secretary Carry Radomski said so far the office had received two letters from people interested in running for openings on the board. They were Harry Friend and Randy Reed.

She said she would announce other letters of interest at future meetings as they are received. The election will at a board meeting in November.