AB261

Assembly Bill No. 261–Committee on Government Affairs

(On Behalf of Lander County)

February 16, 1999

____________

Referred to Committee on Government Affairs

SUMMARY—Clarifies authority of board of county commissioners to act at meeting held outside county seat. (BDR 20-633)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [~~omitted material]~~ is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

AN ACT relating to counties; clarifying the authority of a board of county commissioners to take final action at a meeting held outside the county seat; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. NRS 244.085 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2 244.085 1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the meetings

1-3 of the boards of county commissioners must be held at the county seats of

1-4 their respective counties, or at a place not more than 10 miles from the

1-5 county seat within the boundaries of the county, at least once in each

1-6 calendar month, on a day or days to be fixed by ordinance.

1-7 2. If the day fixed by ordinance falls on a Saturday or on a nonjudicial

1-8 day, the meeting must be held on the next judicial day.

1-9 3. The first meeting of the board in odd-numbered years must be held

1-10 on the first Monday in January, but if the first Monday in January is a

1-11 nonjudicial day, the meeting must be held on the next judicial day.

1-12 4. The meeting day and place as fixed by ordinance must remain

1-13 unchanged, unless notice of a proposed change is published once a week

1-14 for 3 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the

1-15 county.

2-1 5. Additional meetings of the board of county commissioners may be

2-2 held at any place within the boundaries of the county. If the board meets

2-3 outside the county seat, notice of the meeting must be given by publication

2-4 once a week for 3 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation

2-5 published in the county or by publication for 1 week in two or more

2-6 newspapers of general circulation published in the county.

2-7 6. At a meeting held outside the county seat, the board of county

2-8 commissioners [~~shall not take any]~~ may, in accordance with NRS 241.020,

2-9 take final action on any matter except zoning or planning matters which

2-10 relate to a different geographical area than the geographical area in which

2-11 the meeting is held.

2-12 7. The board may meet with the governing body of another

2-13 governmental unit at any location, including , without limitation, a

2-14 location outside the county, but the meeting may not be held at a place

2-15 which is more than 10 miles from the county seat unless the board, in

2-16 addition to complying with all other requirements for notice of a meeting

2-17 of the board, provides notice by publication in a newspaper of general

2-18 circulation within the county, for at least 3 working days before the

2-19 meeting, of the date, time and place of the meeting. In no case may the

2-20 board take any official action at such a meeting.

2-21 8. Members of the board may attend conventions, conferences,

2-22 seminars, congressional hearings or other federal hearings to gather

2-23 specific information or conduct the official business of the association or

2-24 sponsoring organization at any location if no action is taken by the board

2-25 in the course of such activity.

2-26 Sec. 2. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.