WINNEMUCCA - Humboldt County Commissioners made several appointments this month to fill seats on various rural community boards which were left vacant when no one filed for election to the positions. Eight appointments were made after the commissioners either received applications or a positive response to a request to serve or continue. However, another 36 seats remain vacant. County Administrator Bill Deist said, "We'll continue to advertise the open community board positions and we'll be sending letters to anyone we can think of who might be willing to serve." Deist commented that term limits, which apply for these small-community board seats, simply make no sense in these situations. Deist said, "You have a small community to begin with, only a relatively few people are willing to serve, and then you lose some of those through term limits." Other community members, according to Deist, are deterred by the strict campaign finances and financial reporting requirements. Reports are due several times a year; the deadlines are absolute, and failing to file a report can result in hefty fines. The fact that the community board members receive no pay for serving and no campaign expenditures or donations when they run for office does not change the reporting requirements. As if that weren't a big enough challenge, the reports have to be filed electronically, so if residents don't have Internet, they have to find someplace that does to file their financial reports. Those appointed to serve included: Paradise Valley Fire District - Dan Ferraro Pueblo Fire District - Hank Dufurrena Golconda Water District - Valerie Whitehead, Hope Harbach, Jewell Hayden, Frank Tinoco and Cliff Hayden III Board of Equalization - Jim Bidart will fill the remainder of Terry Miller's term (Miller resigned for health reasons). The remaining open elected positions include five on the Denio TV Maintenance District, five on the Kings River General Improvement District, five on the Orovada Community Service District, all three positions on the Orovada Fire District, five positions on the Orovada General Improvement District, five on the Paradise Valley Sewer District, four on the Pueblo (Golconda) Rural Fire District, and there are four open positions on the Quinn River Maintenance District. If people can't be found to fill these elected board positions, the commissioners themselves will be responsible for handling the duties that would otherwise be within the control of local members of each of those rural communities. The commissioners also appointed three men to the Winnemucca Convention and Visitors Authority - Terry Boyle, Don Stoker and Rod Stowell have each agreed to serve another term on that board. These appointments were a slightly different situation than the others, since the seats on WCVA are all appointed seats, not elected positions - one seat is filled by a city councilman (Jim Billingsley was recently appointed), one by a county commissioner (Dan Cassinelli serves), one by a business representative, one by a hotel representative, and one by a motel representative.[[In-content Ad]]
