Regents cancel training on open-meeting law

Thursday, May 6, 2004 | 10:06 a.m.

University regents were forced to cancel Friday's panel on the state's open-meeting law after the attorney general's office declined to participate because of pending litigation against the Board of Regents.

The panel had been set up as a training meeting for the Board of Regents on the finer points of the open-meeting law as part of the board's leadership development meeting scheduled for Friday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundations Building.

"We just felt it was not appropriate to do open-meeting law training when there (are) ongoing court issues between us," Tom Sargent, spokesman for the attorney general's office, said. The attorney general's office filed suit in January against the Board of Regents after finding that they violated the state's open-meeting law numerous times during a closed personnel session Nov. 17 and Nov. 20. Those closed meetings led to the demotion of Community College of Southern Nevada President Ron Remington and lobbyist John Cummings, who are also suing the board on the grounds that they violated the open-meeting law. Attorneys for the Board of Regents, however, dispute that the open-meeting law was violated, and the attorney general's office has asked the courts to rule on several open-meeting law issues. Regents have endured numerous accusations of violating the o pen-meeting law, including the three lawsuits and complaints, some filed by individual regents. Many regents said they were! looking forward to the panel.

"Obviously we have a real problem, we've been repeat violators," said Regent Mark Alden, who has filed five open-meeting law complaints against the board since November. "I think this is something we need." Regent Bret Whipple also said he was disappointed the panel was pulled. "I'd like to be able to hear from the different individuals on the subject," Whipple, an attorney with the special public defender's office, said. "There's a lot of ambiguity." Chairman Stavros Anthony, however, said he understood the decision. "It's premature to discuss it until the courts shake things out," Anthony said. Regents are still scheduled to discuss Chancellor Jane Nichols' resignation and transition plan, as well as James E. Rogers' offer to serve as interim chancellor. Regents have already received a contract for Rogers even though they have yet to discuss Nichols' res ignation in public. Nichols is resigning because of health concerns. Rogers, owner of Sunbelt Communications Co., which inc! ludes KVBC Channel 3, volunteered his services as interim chancellor for a stipend of $1 a year. The proposed contract offers Rogers $8,060 a year, the minimum salary allowed by law. It also gives him a $10,000 host account, which is similar to an expense account, and would allow the regents or Rogers to terminate the agreement with 30 days notice.

Regents will also make a final decision on whether the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine may enter into a private-public partnership with Orthodontic Education, Ltd.