Regents to question Moore in closed session

Jennifer Knight

Friday, April 13, 2001 | 11:03 a.m.

The Board of Regents has scheduled a meeting next week with Richard Moore to discuss his performance as president of the Community College of Southern Nevada, according to two higher education system sources.

The meeting comes after allegations surfaced from an attorney general's investigation that documented a pattern of questionable business practices under the leadership of Moore, who is now the founding president of the proposed Nevada State College at Henderson.

"You've got to remember that he was in charge," said Regent Tom Kirkpatrick. "Like the submarine that sank the Japanese fishing boat, the captain is in charge. From that perspective, I think we need to hold Dr. Moore accountable."

Under Moore's direction, CCSN officials failed to follow standard procedure on such things as incentive bonuses and contract bids, according to the attorney general's report.

Though the report found no evidence of kickbacks in construction projects, investigators documented about $1 million in construction projects and several hundred thousand dollars worth of equipment purchases school officials made without the required bidding process.

Moore also allegedly made expensive purchases for his offices, such as a $6,000 table with chairs draped in imported Italian fabric, the report said.

The board is expected to discuss investigation results in executive session and announce any decisions from that meeting in open session.

"There has to be consequences for your actions," said Regent Steve Sisolak. "We can't do nothing because I think it sends a message to taxpayers and citizens that there are no repercussions."

Moore is on vacation and could not be reached for comment, said his assistant, However, in previous interviews with the Las Vegas Sun, Moore maintained his innocence.

Moore also has some strong support.

"I personally didn't see anything that made him personally culpable," said Regent Doug Seastrand. "If he's guilty of anything, he's guilty of being an entrepreneur in a bureaucracy. People don't like that."

Regent Mark Alden blasted the attorney general's report. He said it is an "unsubstantiated" document that, by its publication, is "ruining people's lives ... ."

"Orlando (Sandoval) and Moore are just getting criticized for doing a good job," he said.

Sandoval is now interim vice president for planning and administration at the state college.

One of the recommendations is to take a more in-depth look at the attorney general's report and use it in conjunction with a new legislative bill that would go before the senate Monday.

The bill proposes $90,000 of university and community college system money be spent for a systemwide audit. Administrators, in an effort to glean more information from the document, could choose to focus on specific areas only touched on in the attorney general's report, Kirkpatrick said.

"It's a cesspool over there and that's one of the reasons we need a new president, and I hope that someone will clean house," he said. "There are a lot of hardworking decent people over there, and the same paint brush that colors those who do bad things also paints those who do good things."