OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission Meeting – November 19, 2025

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, November 19, 2025
BodyWashoe County, Nevada
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, November 19, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:05:11

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

The time is now 1 30.

0:07

The Washoe County.

0:11

Sorry.

0:12

This meeting is being recorded.

0:16

The time is now 1 30.

0:17

The Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission meeting is now in session.

0:24

We'll have a call to order.

0:27

Mr.

0:27

Roman.

0:28

Chris Baker.

0:30

Present.

0:31

Timothy Dake.

0:33

Present.

0:34

Miles Gertler.

0:35

Present.

0:36

Sean Hill.

0:38

Present.

0:40

Kevin Joel said he would either be here or online.

0:44

He's not here yet.

0:46

Tracy Kazinski is here.

0:47

She's just walking in one moment.

0:51

Thank you, sir.

0:56

I'll come back to Commissioner Kacinski.

0:59

Lisa Rhody, I do not see her online.

1:04

And Jennifer Uvera is online.

1:07

Could you please unmute?

1:09

Present.

1:10

Thank you.

1:18

Commissioner Kacinski and Commissioner Joel are both here.

1:21

I'll have the check-in.

1:22

Commissioner Kaczynski.

1:24

Present.

1:25

Thank you.

1:30

Commissioner Joel.

1:32

Present.

1:33

Thank you.

1:33

And uh Commissioner Garcia will not make it today.

1:37

And I would just like the chair would like to say something about Commissioner Roadie.

1:41

And we do have a quorum.

1:43

Yes, thank you.

1:45

Lisa Roadie uh has not is not here, and she is not going to be uh involved in re-upping or getting uh elected again for another four-year term.

1:59

So I would like to recognize Lisa Roadie for her service to the Open Space and Regional Parks Commission, and I just appreciate all of her time and effort and work towards this very important work on the Parks Commission.

2:16

And I am here as well.

2:21

And that concludes uh roll call.

2:25

The Pledge of Allegiance.

2:26

Commissioner Dake, would you please lead us?

2:28

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:33

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

2:40

One nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

2:49

Thank you, Commissioner Dake.

2:52

Instructions for providing public comment and Zoom and telephone.

2:57

Mr.

2:58

Roman.

3:03

I'm going to take it today.

3:05

So uh Zoom instructions.

3:06

This meeting will be held in the County Commission chambers and via Zoom.

3:10

To attend this meeting via Zoom, please log into the Zoom webinar using the link found in the agenda.

3:15

You can also join the meeting by typing Zoom.us into your computer browser, clicking join a meeting on the Zoom website and entering the meeting ID.

3:23

898-2690-0042.

3:28

Alternatively, you can join the meeting via telephone only by dialing 1669 9009128, entering the meeting ID 898-2690-0042 and pressing pound.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████47%
Procedural███████████11%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████10%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Wildlife Conservation█████████9%
Public Health████4%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Fiscal Sustainability████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission Summary – November 19, 2025

The Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission met at 1:30 PM on November 19, 2025, with a quorum present. The meeting included the approval of previous minutes, a vote on a water easement for Lazy 5 Regional Park, a presentation on the May Museum, and updates on the park district feasibility study, operations, and budget. No public comment was received.

Consent Calendar

  • No items were designated for a consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public provided comment.

Discussion Items and Presentations

Approval of September 24, 2025 Minutes

  • The Commission unanimously approved the draft minutes from the September 24th meeting via voice vote.

Presentation: Easement Deed for TMWA (Lazy 5 Regional Park)

  • Project: Fray McClare (Park Planner) presented a request from Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) for a 1,933-square-foot permanent water facilities easement on APN 083-024-06 (Lazy 5 Regional Park).
  • Purpose: To eliminate two dead-end water systems (one in the park, one serving the 107-home Tierra del Sol subdivision) and create a looped system for improved redundancy, reliability, and public health/safety per NAC 445A.6712.
  • Impact: Construction (10 days in April/May 2026) is underground and will not interrupt park use. Disturbed areas will be repaved by TMWA.
  • Fiscal Impact: No charge to the County under NRS 277.053, as it is an easement between political subdivisions for public purpose.
  • Position: Commissioners expressed support for the project, which will benefit the park and surrounding community.
  • Outcome: Commissioner Joel moved to recommend approval to the Board of County Commissioners; Commissioner Gertler seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

Recognition of Volunteer Tim Terrell

  • Presentation: Ranger Nick Stoyer presented a framed Certificate of Appreciation to community volunteer Tim Terrell.
  • Contributions: Mr. Terrell donated over a thousand hours providing wildlife photography, operating camera traps that captured rare scientific observations, and carving elaborate wooden benches and sculptures for parks throughout the county (Rancho San Rafael, Bartley Ranch, Galena Creek, Davis Creek, Lazy 5). His work is intended to inspire the community.
  • Position: The Commission expressed profound gratitude for his generosity and artistry.

May Museum Program Update

  • Presenter: Wes John, Curator.
  • Overview: The museum celebrated its 40th anniversary. It hosted 87+ events in the past year (double the previous year) with approximately 9,000 attendees, serving weddings, community programs, and as a park information hub.
  • Improvements: New mask wall display from storage, GIS mapping of the Double Diamond Ranch, restoration of signage, and renovation of the indoor garden court with 100% live plants and repopulated koi ponds.
  • Community Engagement: Internships with UNR and vocational rehabilitation, local artist gallery and gift shop, food and toy drives.

Park District Feasibility Study Update

  • Presenter: Eric Crump, Community Services Director.
  • Progress: PROS Consulting completed over 80 stakeholder interviews. A statistically valid survey is being finalized for release in early December 2025 to gauge public interest.
  • Discussion: Commissioner Kazinski asked about the survey (mail-based, incentivized). Commissioner Joel asked about distribution methods. Chair Jones emphasized the project's importance. Commissioner Garcia noted a park district would be a new entity with an elected board. Commissioner Hill appreciated the regular updates.

Parks Operations Reports

  • Presenter: Stephanie DRC, Operations Superintendent.
  • Rancho San Rafael: New inclusive playground opened. The "Meet the Turkeys" event drew 1,500 visitors.
  • Davis Creek: Received 150 donated trees from Moana Nursery for restoration.
  • Lazy 5: Master plan update initiated with Kimley-Horn.
  • Davis Creek Campground: Commissioner Joel asked about reopening the campground. Staff stated the design phase for water and power is ongoing, and construction may not be complete for the 2026 season. Eric Crump noted Washoe County has contingency funds if insurance proceeds are delayed.

Director's Report and Budget Outlook

  • Riverbend Trail: BoCC approved a trail easement from TMWA.
  • New County Manager: Kate Thomas.
  • Budget: FY 2025 was better than expected. FY 2026 outlook shows costs exceeding revenue, necessitating careful planning. A detailed budget presentation is expected in January 2026.

Commissioner Requests and Announcements

  • Chair/Vice Chair Election: Chair Jones requested this be agendized for the January 2026 meeting.
  • Mural: Commissioner Garcia announced a district-funded mural by Autumn Harry at Riverbend Park to deter graffiti.
  • Future Reports: Commissioner Joel requested a Galena Creek master plan update. Commissioner Hill requested a formal Davis Creek campground update.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes: Unanimously approved the September 24 minutes and the recommendation for the TMWA water easement.
  • Directives: Staff directed to bring future agenda items on the Davis Creek campground reopening timeline and the Galena Creek master plan.
  • Appreciation: Presented Certificate of Appreciation to Tim Terrell.
  • Scheduling: January 2026 meeting will include the election of a new Chair and Vice Chair.
  • Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 2:35 PM.

Meeting Transcript

The time is now 1 30. The Washoe County. Sorry. This meeting is being recorded. The time is now 1 30. The Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission meeting is now in session. We'll have a call to order. Mr. Roman. Chris Baker. Present. Timothy Dake. Present. Miles Gertler. Present. Sean Hill. Present. Kevin Joel said he would either be here or online. He's not here yet. Tracy Kazinski is here. She's just walking in one moment. Thank you, sir. I'll come back to Commissioner Kacinski. Lisa Rhody, I do not see her online. And Jennifer Uvera is online. Could you please unmute? Present. Thank you. Commissioner Kacinski and Commissioner Joel are both here. I'll have the check-in. Commissioner Kaczynski. Present. Thank you. Commissioner Joel. Present. Thank you. And uh Commissioner Garcia will not make it today. And I would just like the chair would like to say something about Commissioner Roadie. And we do have a quorum. Yes, thank you. Lisa Roadie uh has not is not here, and she is not going to be uh involved in re-upping or getting uh elected again for another four-year term. So I would like to recognize Lisa Roadie for her service to the Open Space and Regional Parks Commission, and I just appreciate all of her time and effort and work towards this very important work on the Parks Commission. And I am here as well. And that concludes uh roll call. The Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Dake, would you please lead us? Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Commissioner Dake.

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