Storey County admits meeting violation

Thursday, May 10, 2001 | 10:20 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Storey County Commission agrees it violated Nevada's open meeting law when it convened without notice at a truck stop in Sparks and later made a decision to repair a bridge.

The state attorney general's office filed suit against the commission, alleging it met at a location more than 10 miles from the county seat of Virginia City and in another county -- Washoe.

The suit also complained that the county commissioners then left the truck stop and met later the same day in December last year at the Mustang Bridge. They decided it needed repairs. There was no notice of the meetings and no minutes kept.

Storey County, in a stipulation filed in the District Court in Carson City Wednesday, acknowledged it violated the law and agreed to conduct future meetings that are open to the public and to provide adequate advance notice.

The county also agreed that its decision calling for repair of the bridge was void because of the violation of the law. It will hold a meeting within 30 days to consider repairs to the bridge.

The complaint was filed by Chief Deputy Attorney General Norman Azevedo, and e Storey County District Attorney Janet Hess signed the stipulation. Azevedo agreed not to prosecute the case further.

He said that if the County Commission violates the open meeting law again, its members could be hauled into court and cited for contempt.