Recorder’s office employees seek shelter under law

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003 | 11 a.m.

Employees of the Clark County Recorder's office providing information about the actions of their embattled boss, Fran Deane, have sought protection under the state's 30-year-old whistle-blower law.

"No one who has asked for whistle-blower protection has been denied," Clark County Manager Thom Reilly said today. "We are just at different stages with different people" who have requested whistle-blower protection.

Under advice of the county attorney, Reilly said he could not say how many employees want the protection against retaliation.

The whistle-blower law that protects employees from discharge or discrimination for legitimate reports of wrongdoing is a procedural change of status that kicks in should someone face retaliation.

The law provides for a hearing officer to review claims of such harassment and sets procedure for reinstatement, he said.

The law also says that after an employee files a complaint of discrimination, an administrator will investigate and, if he feels the law has been violated "he shall bring an action in ... any appropriate district court against the person who has committed the violation."

Tuesday night, nine current and former employees of the recorder's office met with officials of the Service Employees International Union Local 1107 to discuss problems the employees say they are having working under Deane.

On Wednesday the union that represents 64 employees in the recorder's office announced it was sending letters to Reilly and District Attorney David Roger seeking Deane's removal from office for malfeasance or nonfeasance.

Reilly said that his job, as he sees it, is not to remove anyone from office but to take steps "to see that the office is run as effectively as possible. Our goal is to work with Fran Deane and her staff to serve the public well."

However, it also is his duty, he said, to refer any claims of ethical violations or wrongdoing to the proper agency for investigation.

Deane's actions have come under question because she sought to block a contract to make documents from her office available on the Internet for free while she was talking about participating in a company that would have charged the public for access to the documents.

Deane has admitted she attempted to block installation of a new computer system by a Virginia-based company, AmCad, which has a $4.9 million contract with the county. She has maintained that the county could have gotten the same product locally and at a cheaper price.

There also have been complaints that mail-in documents are running 20 days behind in being recorded and that title companies are getting preferential treatment in document recording.

Deane has said that she inherited most of the office's problems from her predecessor and that in her seven months on the job Deane has reduced the backlog of mail-in documents. She denies that anyone or any group has received preferential treatment.