Barber seeks School Board training on open-meeting law

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Monday, Feb. 9, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

Clark County School Board member Shirley Barber wants an expert in Nevada's open-meeting law to conduct a workshop for the benefit of herself and her colleagues.

Barber said her desire for the workshop was spurred by any particular incident but rather by a general desire to make sure she -- and the rest of the School Board -- were following the law.

Barber will ask the School Board on Thursday to approve her recommendation to invite attorney Norman Azevedo to conduct the training. Azevedo, who practices law in Reno, spent 10 years as a deputy in the office of Nevada's attorney general investigating and prosecuting violations of the open meeting law.

"He really knows what he's talking about," said Barber, who heard Azevedo give a presentation on the open meeting law at a Las Vegas event last spring. "I think we could all benefit from his expertise."

Barber's suggestion comes after Attorney General Brian Sandoval issued an opinion stating the Board of Regents had committed numerous violations of the open meeting law. Barber said her idea wasn't motivated solely by the fallout from the Regents investigation but that it was a factor.

"This is a serious responsibility we all face and the law can be difficult to understand," Barber said. "I know I wouldn't mind a refresher course with (Azevedo)."

The Clark County School Board already has two resources to turn to with legal questions -- its own attorney, Ann Bersi, as well as the district's senior counsel, Bill Hoffman. Barber said she didn't consider asking either Bersi or Hoffman to conduct an open meeting law workshop for the board.

"This is (Azevedo's) speciality," Barber said.

Hoffman said Friday he was unaware of Barber's interest in review of the open meeting law prior to seeing the item on the School Board agenda. Hoffman said he believed both he and Bersi were competent to handle such a presentation but that there is no reason why Barber couldn't invite someone from outside the district.

Larry Mason, vice president of the Clark County School Board, said he didn't see the necessity for bringing in an outside consultant. Bersi is assigned to the School Board by the Attorney General and is well-versed in the open meeting law, Mason said.

However, Mason said, he agreed with Barber that a review of the law would be timely and appropriate.

"I never hurts to get informed," said Mason, who is dean of workforce development at the Community College of Southern Nevada.