Four chosen for new DRAC board

An old problem plagued the selection of the new Dayton Regional Advisory Council - no one from the new fourth district applied.

One of the issues of contention with the old seven-member DRAC was their tendency to elect members at-large when no one from a district could be found. County Commission Chairman Bob Milz accused the board of violating its own bylaws last summer. The commission disbanded the board this year after it declined to vote on the membership of a nominated citizen.

Four Dayton residents were selected Thursday to the DRAC board by the Lyon County Commissioners; Phil Cowee to represent District I, Amy Wachtel for District II, Ralph Ewing for District III and Leslie Sexton to represent District V. There were 12 applicants for the board.

Cowee, a local developer and certified public accountant, said he would abstain from voting on any issue that involved him or his projects.

"I'm looking forward to serving on DRAC," he said. "What's most important is I'm a Dayton resident and plan on building my office there."

Sexton, a Realtor and eight-year Dayton resident, said she was excited to be chosen for the board.

Wachtel and Ewing were not in attendance. Wachtel is a social worker and counselor at the Dayton Community Mental Health Center, who has lived in Dayton for four years. Ewing is a database administrator for the Nevada Supreme Court and has lived in Dayton for less than a year.

The old DRAC board approved the new districts at its final meeting. The applicants were interviewed by two county commissioners, the planning director and Maureen Williss, liaison to the advisory boards.

The commissioners also approved the boundaries for the five new districts.

Former DRAC member Mabel Masterman suggested the temporary appointment of someone who had previously sat on DRAC - though none in the last six months - to represent the fourth district as a mentor. Milz replied it would be up to the new DRAC to find a representative from District IV, which comprises the area south of the river bordered by Dayton Valley Road and Bullion Road.

Qualifications for the board are the appointee must live in the district he or she represents and must be registered to vote.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.