Commissioner District 3 selection committee sets interviews for '20 eighth' starting at 10:00

The Commissioner District 3 Selection Committee in Scotts Bluff County voted unanimously to schedule candidate interviews for the "20 eighth," beginning at 10:00 a.m., with 15-minute slots and a one-hour lunch break. The committee also agreed to post the interview questions to applicants the day before and to provide a remote Zoom or telephonic option for an applicant who asked for an accommodation.

The committee conducted roll call and approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session. Committee members agreed that interviews will be conducted in the order applications were received and that questions will be emailed to applicants on the Monday before the interviews. Unidentified Speaker 3 moved to adopt the schedule and accommodations; the motion was seconded and passed with committee members identified in roll call responding "Yes." The meeting was adjourned at 4:16 p.m.

The discussion addressed logistics and fairness. Applicant Bob Nemnich, who identified himself as "Bob Nemnich, n e m n I c h," told the committee he has a funeral on Tuesday and asked for an alternative interview time. The panel agreed to place Nemnich at the last interview slot (12:45 p.m.) on the scheduled date and to allow his interview to occur by Zoom or by phone if necessary.

Applicant and attendee Matt Parsley raised a fairness concern about earlier candidates not hearing the interview questions in advance, saying it "favors those that go later" and suggesting questions be posted ahead of time so earlier interviewees have the same opportunity to prepare. In response, committee members agreed to post the questions a day in advance and to email them to applicants.

Committee members and staff clarified technical arrangements and room location. The group discussed that Zoom is available in the basement media room while Webex is the system upstairs; staff said telephonic participation would also be arranged to ensure access. The committee agreed to post signs directing attendees to the basement room (near IT and the veterans service office) so the published meeting notice remains accurate.

Unidentified Speaker 4 read a draft schedule that assigns start times in 15-minute increments, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with Matt Parsley at 10:00 and concluding with Bob Nemnich at 12:45 p.m. Committee members will send a finalized list of interview questions to applicants and each other by 4:30 p.m. on the Monday prior to the interviews.

The meeting included a procedural reminder: a copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act was placed on the back wall for public information. During discussion, a committee member noted a 45-day deadline from the date of the vacancy that calculates out to Nov. 1, which the committee referenced when scheduling; the transcript did not specify the statutory citation for that deadline.

The committee’s next procedural step is to email the questions to applicants as promised and to hold the interviews on the scheduled date with the accommodations described. The meeting was adjourned at 4:16 p.m.