Clint Kobel, executive director of Nevada Rural Development Council, was asked by town board member Frank Maurizio to present information on conducting a community assessment.

The purpose of the report would be to obtain input from residents about their priorities for the town.

The first assessment, conducted by NRDC's trained volunteers, was done in the community of Wells in October 2008. Since then, communities in Pershing, Lyon and Lincoln counties have participated in the process, according to Kobel, who gave a fast-moving summary of the process used for the community based program.

The final cost for the extensive process is $12,000 to $15,000; however, Tuesday's town board presentation was for information only.

Trained volunteers from outside the community spend from three to five days conducting listening sessions with small groups of residents. There are three questions asked in every session.

First, residents are asked to identify the major problems and challenges in the community. Since various age and interest groups are canvassed, a variety of viewpoints is gained. Answers must be one sentence or less. For instance, a typical answer from a teenager is that there is not enough to do in the community.

All participants have the opportunity to answer the question but no discussion or debate is allowed.

The second question is to name the major strengths and assets of the community. Kobel suggested in Pahrump, one answer might be the large number of volunteers. Another could be the majestic mountains.

The third question asks what projects participants would like to see implemented in the short and long term. Kobel said, "This is where you can dream out loud."

For instance, a resident may want the road in front of his home paved within the next two years, a movie complex in five years and hope for a major hospital expansion within 10 years. In 20 years, the dream of many parents could be the town would have a strong economy with varied career opportunities for their children.

The assessment would cover as many sectors within the community as possible, including students and seniors, government officials, people of religion, business and retail segments of the community and more. From their input, major themes such as economic development, affordable housing and safety could be developed into priorities.

A town hall meeting is held after the listening sessions with all participants invited to hear basic themes before the team leaves town to study the results in depth.

Six to 10 weeks later, a report is presented to the community containing five to eight issues that were identified across all segments of the town.

From there, each resident selects his or her top three issues. Round table discussions then identify and prioritize the issues and participants volunteer to work on committees for those top items -- eventually moving down the list as the project continues.

The trained, out-of-town team members donate their time while conducting the assessment as well as the time necessary to write the report. The community donates housing and food, money for advertising the project to attract participants and travel funds.

In some cases, the final reports, which represent strategic plans, can be attached to grant applications.

According to Kobel, "This is a non-threatening process that brings the community together."