MARK WAITE / PVT A delegation addressing Nye County commissioners by video conference about the JobConnect lease include, from left, Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lucy Ivins, former Nye County Commissioner Patricia Cox, incoming Chamber President Mark Forrey and Steve Balint, former Chamber president and husband of JobConnect manager Victoria Balint. Advertisement

A $3,475 monthly rent payment charged for the Nevada JobConnect office at the Calvada Eye was reduced to $1 per month by Nye County commissioners Tuesday, but only for one year and providing the county gets an accounting of how much funding actually passes through the job service.

The original lease was executed Jan. 5, 2005. A letter from Commissioner Gary Hollis, the county's liaison to the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board, states the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the JobConnect program, more than reimbursed the county for $100,000 in county investments, to the tune of $145,950 in payments as of June 30.

That would be the monthly lease payments for 42 months from January 2005 through June 2008.

Nevada JobConnect provides recruitment and pre-screening of qualified job applicants, job listings throughout the system, information on job trends, the use of electronic equipment, referral and placement services, assistance in filling out unemployment claims and information on support services like child care. It's governed by the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board.

The manufactured building includes offices for Nevada Rural Housing, Nevada Student Care, Positive Solutions, Nye County Drug Counseling, Premier Labor, American Association of Retired Persons and other agencies. They pay rents of $580 per month for an office to JobConnect.

The lease is in the name of the chamber, for Rural Communities Workforce Solutions, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit corporation.

The original term of the lease said it may be extended upon mutual consent for another five years. The lease rate was set at 50 cents per square foot.

Steve Balint, representing Nevada One Stop and the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the center is serving 1,200 to 1,500 people per month.

"What we're looking at is to continue on with the services we have been extremely successful with. Now that it's moved over from the Nye County Workforce Investment Board we're looking at the Nye County Commission," Balint said.

But Commissioner Butch Borasky had problems with the $1,350 monthly lease being charged the Veterans Service Officer for using that building. He said commissioners back in 2005 agreed to charge only $600.

Balint said the veterans services really expanded their operations in the building, using two and a half offices.

Borasky felt that extra rent could be better used for veterans assistance.

"When we have families in town right now, who are living on a shoestring budget and have to give up their cars, their insurance, going to have to move out on the street, that money would be better paid to those people," Borasky said.

"I do applaud One Stop and what they have done, what they achieved and properly run, that organization is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But on the other hand, to take the taxpayers' money and give it away to a $1 per year lease on any project, I cannot support that."

Balint said JobConnect was fortunate to receive $400,000 in seed money in 2005 from the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board to get started. JobConnect proponents felt that would help when it came time to renew the lease with the county, he said.

"We would have a track record that would make it easy to come back to commissioners down the road," he said.

JobConnect employee Robin Wilson said the agency has been "a spark of hope in this community." She said job seekers are able to come in for training on the computers, use the resource center and meet face to face with employers.

But Borasky said he was unable to get a reply to a questionnaire given to Pahrump One Stop Director Victoria Balint, inquiring how much money comes into JobConnect and goes through the system. Pahrump JobConnect Manager Victoria Balint, Steve's wife, was out for medical reasons and wasn't present at the meeting.

While former Commissioner Patricia Cox said she believes the community wholeheartedly needs the Pahrump One Stop, she also understands the need for an accounting.

"Any time government is getting involved, they should have an accounting of the books," Cox said.

Balint said, "I have no problem in gathering information you are looking for. I didn't bring it with me today. There are several sources of acquiring that information."

Balint said Thursday he made two unsuccessful attempts to contact Borasky about what information he wanted. Balint said Borasky's questionnaire was confusing.

Hollis said if Borasky wanted information on the Pahrump One Stop, he should've asked him, the commission's liaison to that agency.

"I know for a fact that there's other county functions, county properties out there, that are given for $1 per month" Hollis said.

But he added, "I made it very plain to the Chamber and to the One Stop people that the county is not in agreement, or I would not be in agreement, to have a contract over a year, because I have been burned on five-year contracts. I said that we will do this on a yearly basis."

Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos said he wasn't aware of any funding difficulties with the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board's funding for JobConnect when he was the county liaison.

There are three Nevada JobConnect One Stop offices in Las Vegas. The Pahrump office was a pilot program, he said.

"They're not having trouble meeting their financial obligations but as the dynamics change with the economic situation, it has caused us to revisit this as we knew three years ago," Balint said.

The Las Vegas Sun reported June 26 the Southern Nevada Workforce Investment Board is being more businesslike in releasing grant money, after negative audits in recent years regarding its handling of federal dollars to train people for jobs.

The board divvied up $2.9 million for the Clark and Nye County programs May 28, a piece of the agency's $8 million budget, the Sun reported.

Liakopoulos' motion passed 3-2. Commissioner Joni Eastley, who dissented along with Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver, said she wanted an even shorter term of 90 or 180 days while the county examines the funding.

Newly hired Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lucy Ivins said her board would meet Wednesday to consider not charging the veterans.

"That's not a decision to be made by the Chamber board," Balint told Ivins in a private exchange. "That's way out of line."