MOHAVE COUNTY — An already-messy search for a new Mohave County Manager is further muddied by a couple of public notice meeting posting blunders. A special Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting on the personnel matter had been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12.
Most citizens rely upon the county website for information regarding the dates, times and contents of BOS meetings. While the meeting was properly posted on the website as to date, the agenda was not posted, depriving the public sufficient notice of any action to be contemplated.
BOS Clerk Laura Skubal on Sunday, Jan. 11 indicated there had been a problem with the website and that she was unaware the agenda did not get posted as required within 24 hours of the Jan. 12 meeting.
Asked if she posted a hard copy of the agenda elsewhere, Skubal said she had posted the paperwork within the interior of the county administration facility. Many would never check there for an agenda, given the ease of internet access, and distances associated for those who reside in the 5th largest county in the nation, as measured by geographic size. And the building and the posted agenda, are inaccessible over the weekend, anyway.
Three top ranking members of the county attorney’s office were contacted by email Sunday. None of them responded to the question of whether the agenda posting had satisfied Arizona Open Meeting Law and public notice requirements.
Then came press discovery of the second public notice blunder. While the notice posted to the website indicated a 9:30 a.m. start, the copy Skubal provided of what she said was posted in her building showed an 8:30 a.m. start time, depriving the public of start time certainty.
That second issue was not brought to the attention of county officials, who may have discovered it on their own. In any event, Skubal, in a 5:12 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11 email, indicated Monday’s meeting had been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 13.
“I wanted to let you know that I just talked with the Chair. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. I’ve included the agenda, which is the same, just a different day and time,” the email said. “I’ve made sure it’s on the website, and I’ve posted it at the administration building.”
Supervisors selected Brenton Davis for the manager’s job during a special Jan. 5 BOS meeting. Days passed before supervisor Ron Gould disclosed on Jan. 8 that Davis declined the initial county employment offer, and tendered a counter offer seeking more money that Gould predicted the Board would reject.
Comments from Gould and two other supervisors indicated the Board might move on to the second preferred finalist in the manager applicant field. Whether the unidentified second choice remains interested, or may sour at being selected as a backup is unknown.
