The Nye County Commission public comment policy, which requires residents to fill out a card before speaking, came under fire Tuesday morning.

Local general practitioner Dr. Michael Reiner was a casualty of that policy during discussion of the county subsidy of Pahrump Medical Center.

Reiner was cut off when he tried to speak up on the subject without filling out a public comment card.

"I was not aware there was a form to be filled out," Reiner said.

He complained to Eastley, "I come down here missing patients and you're going to shut me off?"

Public comment is a time when residents can speak out about something that isn't on the agenda. They are given a three minute time period and commissioners typically don't respond to the comments.

"I've been to a lot of public meetings in my lifetime and I've never before had to fill out a form to make a public comment. I don't understand this. Usually if you open the floor to make public comment, people know where to go, they line up nicely," said Amy Riches.

"A lot of times, if you have a very busy meeting, by the time you're done filling out the form, the item you want to comment on is already done."

Riches questioned whether commissioners really want to hear public comment or already have their mind made up on a subject.

"The reason for doing that was simply to provide for a more organized way for public comment. When we have very large crowds, which we typically do in Pahrump, it was much easier for the chairman at the time to control meetings," Commission Chairman Joni Eastley said.

Nye County Chief Civil Deputy District Attorney Ron Kent defended the policy.

"There's as much opportunity for public input as possible. All our rules meet or exceed the minimum requirements under the Open Meetings Law," Kent said.

Donna Cox, representing Concerned Citizens for a Safe Community, said, "We don't see why people can't come up here one after the other, even if you cut them down to two minutes. Two minutes is better than no minutes."

The policy was instituted by former Chairman Candace Trummell, who is no longer on the board, Cox said.

"I'd hate to see people deprived of their freedom of speech because they have to fill this out before they can be heard. I want you to know this is a very, big inconvenience for us down here," she said.

Two prominent doctors stepped up the heat on reopening the Pahrump Medical Center lease, which isn't up for fee renegotiation until November 2010.

Dr. Georges Tannoury used public comment Tuesday to complain about the county subsidy of PMC. Tannoury said he pays $32,000 per month for office space, $1.50 per square foot for an empty building, while Dr. Pejman Bady, who leases PMC, is getting space for 50 cents per square foot including medical equipment.

Tannoury said the intent of the lease was to keep a medical facility open after hours, but Bady was allowed to reduce his hours to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tannoury added the county built an addition to PMC at Bady's benefit, a 4,200-square-foot modular building approved in May 2006 for $180,000 for additional waiting room area and exam rooms. Eastley made the motion to purchase the building, with funding to come from a $750,000 grant provided through U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

But Commissioner Gary Hollis felt compelled to answer Tannoury's accusations. He said the county couldn't use the grant for anything but PMC, which was the main urgent care facility before Desert View Hospital opened in May 2006.