Library Board recommends Ross for one board seat, no consensus on other

With the terms of two members of the Lyon County Library Board of Trustees expiring, the Trustees voted 3-1 at their June 24 meeting to recommend Sara Ross of Silver City to fill the seat representing the Dayton area but reached no consensus on a recommendation for the seat representing Silver Springs. 

The terms of Trustees Kay Edwards of Stagecoach and Deanne Davis of Dayton expiring, the Trustees voted 3-1 to recommend the appointment of Ross to represent Dayton. But a motion to recommend the appointment of Edwards for a second seat ended in a 2-2 vote, with Trustees Jan Shardt and Nora Stevens in favor, and Davis and Patti Palmer opposed. A second motion, to recommend the appointment of Vida Keller, also ended in a 2-2 vote, with Davis and Palmer in favor and Shardt and Stevens opposed. Edwards recused herself from both votes on the recommendation of District Attorney Steve Rye. Davis likewise recused herself from the vote on the motion to appoint Ross. 

Following the second 2-2 vote on the Silver Springs seat, Davis asked if anyone would like to make another motion, and none was offered. 

“If there's no other motion, then there would be no recommendation regarding Silver Springs,” Rye said. “For the minutes and the other information, just indicate that there was not a recommendation approved.” 

Under County policy, the Trustees make recommendations to the Lyon County Commission to fill vacant seats, but the Commission makes the final decision. The last time there was a vacancy on the Board, the Trustees voted 3-1 to recommend the appointment of Suzanne Prouty of Fernley, but the Commission voted to appoint Palmer. 

The Trustees had received six applications for the two spots, with Davis, Ross and Sara Jorgensen of Dayton applying for the seat representing Dayton, and Edwards, Keller and Eric Nelson of Stagecoach applying to represent Silver Springs. 

Because the meeting happened after the cutoff to get on the agenda for the July 3 Commission meeting, Library Director Wynne Prindle told the Trustees the item would likely be placed on the agenda for the Commission’s July 17 meeting.