Good morning, everyone.

It is 10 a.m.

and I will call this Board of County Commissioners meeting to order on December 9, 2025.

We'll start with a salute to the flag.

And I think that we have some kids here from Glenn Duncan, and they're amazing teachers.

I just want to call them out.

Thank you so much for all your work.

Um the music teacher is Audre Hobson.

The GD principal, uh, Glenn Duncan principal is Ryan Smith, the Glenn Duncan Counselor is Beth Stoker, and the third grade uh class teachers just uh thank you so much.

So are they just standing up and leading us?

Are they going in the well or how are we doing this?

Do we know?

We're just standing up.

Okay.

Okay, in the well.

Okay, come on in.

Come on in, kids.

Yeah.

Hold on a minute.

Yeah.

Oh, yay.

Such a big job.

Hi.

There you go.

Perfect.

Perfect.

Okay, whenever y'all are ready.

I can help start you.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

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

That was beautiful.

And this group serenated us to start off the morning.

Thank you so much.

You're all such hard workers.

We're really proud of you and continue to be good because you know there may be some presence at the end of the month for you.

So thank you.

We're so glad to have you.

And thank you to all the teachers and um administrators.

We're really lucky for your service.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

That was such a beautiful way to start the day.

Thank you.

We have the best kids in the country, don't we?

Yeah.

All right.

Um, Madam Clerk, we will, or actually, um, Manager Thomas, if you'll help lead us into public comment, that would be great.

Roll call, please.

Oh, I apologize.

Madam Clerk, now roll call.

Okay.

Uh, Chair Hill.

Here.

Vice Chair Herman.

Here.

Commissioner Clerk.

Present.

Commissioner Garcia.

Here.

Commissioner Andriola.

Present.

County Manager Kate Thomas here.

Chief DA Mike Lurch.

Here.

And I'm Jan Galasini, your county clerk, madam.

You have a quorum.

Thank you so much, Madam Clerk.

We'll now move into public comment.

Manager Thomas.

Thank you.

This is public comment and comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the commission agenda.

A news time may not be allocated to other speakers.

The commission will also hear public comment during individual action items with comment limited to three minutes per person.

Comments are to be made to the commission as a whole.

And virtual public comment may be taken when facilities are available.

We will have that for Gurlock today.

A speaker's viewpoint will not be restricted.

However, reasonable restrictions may be imposed upon the time, place, and manner of speech.

Irrelevant statements, unduly repetitious statements, and personal attacks that would objectively antagonize or incite others are examples of speech that may be reasonably limited.

The Board of County Commissioners carries out the business of Washoe County and its residents during its meetings.

The presiding officer may order a person removed if the person's conduct or statements disrupt the order or safety of the meeting.

Warnings about disruptive conduct or comments may or may not be given prior to removal.

Furthermore, certain disruptions of a public meeting are criminal access defined under state law, which may result in prosecution inappropriate cases.

Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.

First up, we have Ann Kurzrock, followed by David Spitzer.

Good morning.

Thank you, Madam Chairman and Commissioners.

My name is Ann Kurzrock, and I am a proud Blue Star Mother.

Blue Star Mothers of America was recognized by Congress in 1942.

We are women whose sons and daughters stepped forward to serve this country in every branch, guard and reserve.

But before uniforms and rank, we were simply the moms who packed their lunches and prayed over them at night.

One of our most visible missions is our love from Nevada care packages.

Every year we send hundreds of these boxes to deployed service members around the world.

They are a true community effort, neighbors, businesses, and volunteers all coming together.

You can't miss our boxes.

They're covered with children's drawings and handwritten messages of love.

And a very special part comes from the Washoe County School District through Operation Postcard, where thousands of students write notes that go directly into our packages.

Often those postcards are the very first thing a young service person pulls out.

Inside our packages, our snacks, toiletries, and hand sewn Christmas stockings made by moms and volunteers.

A reminder that someone at home stitched love into every detail.

But most importantly, these packages save lives.

Many service members feel forgotten, far from home, caring more than most adults ever will.

Suicide is the leading cause of death among active duty military.

When a love from Nevada package arrives, it tells them you are not forgotten, you matter, you are loved.

Anything that is too large for our boxes goes to our homeless veterans at the stand down, where we provide essentials and most importantly, connection.

As moms, we see them.

Every month we cook meals at the Veterans Guest House, bringing comfort to those receiving VA care.

We also stand at funeral services, including the unaccompanied at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

In that sacred moment, we become the family, we become the mom.

And that reminds us of our deepest duty, supporting our sisters whose blue stars have turned to gold.

When a mom loses her child, we hold her hand and make sure she never walks alone.

So who are we?

We are moms, we are love, we are love for from Nevada.

Thank you for helping us continue our mission.

Thank you.

That was beautiful.

David Spitzer, followed by Pam Roberts.

Good morning, Chair Hill, County Commissioners, Manager Thomas.

My name is David Spitzer, and I have the privilege of being the executive director at Northern Nevada Legal Aid.

We're a nonprofit private organization of 47 attorneys and staff that have been providing free legal services to our community since 1965.

Some of you may have joined us in October for our 60th anniversary celebration.

In Northern Nevada, we represent children who have been removed from their parents' custody, adults and minors who are subject to guardianships, veterans, the homeless, and seniors with legal issues ranging from evictions to consumer issues and victims of crime and family law matters.

We have partnered with many agencies and local governments across Northern Nevada, but I wanted to take this opportunity to specifically thank the Washoe County Board of Commissioners and Washoe County in general for their continued support for our organization.

And specifically Commissioner Clark, who has sponsored a donation to our organization in item 7E3 on your agenda today.

Thank you very much, Commissioner Clark.

Our ongoing partnership with Washoe County is a vital support of so of source of support for the important work we do representing and giving a voice to those who otherwise would not be heard in the legal system in our communities.

I look forward to continuing and expanding the great work that we've been able to do together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Pam Roberts, followed by Terry Brooks.

Good morning, Commissioners.

My name is Pam Roberts.

I spoke to you back in October 14th regarding the senior board appointments, shared with you about what the accomplishments of the board as well as my own bio.

I just want you to understand how important seniors are to me.

My first job was at 16 years old.

I worked at the Hammond Convalescent Center in Hammond, Wisconsin.

During my overseas teaching in North Way in Wales, student teaching, I regularly visited the local nursing home in Hollywell, North Wales.

Well, I was in law school in San Francisco at the Hastings.

I worked with the General Assistance Advocacy Project, representing folks, mostly seniors, who had been denied or discontinued general assistance.

Well, I worked at the Nevada Attorney General's Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

I prosecuted elder abuse, defended the elder abuse statute at the Nevada Supreme Court, testified in the Nevada legislature to amend the elder abuse statutes and improve them.

I helped the attorney general and the aging services department develop an action plan to better protect seniors from abuse and neglect.

I served on the senior evidence review team.

I developed training materials and taught law enforcement both in Carson City Academy and the local one here at regional law enforcement center about how to investigate elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

In 2008, my mother had a massive stroke in Fallon, Nevada.

Left her without speech and ability to eat without a feeding tube.

I was responsible for making arrangements for her rehabilitation, rehabilitation, selling her home, and later placements in the assisted living homes, where she lived for eight years and died at the age of 84.

My dad was a Korean war veteran.

He had major cardiac and pulmonary issues, as well as a gambling addiction.

After his business failed in Texas, he relocated to Nevada and eventually became one of the many seniors who attempt suicide.

Did you know Nevada's suicide rate for seniors is double the national average?

Family intervention, we convinced him to relocate back to Wisconsin where my brother was.

Thank you.

Terry Brooks, followed by Kimberly Weingarten Gartner.

Good morning.

It's me, Terry Brooks again.

And today I'd like to render on the act of discrimination when it comes to health and gender.

Women have had to go through a lot of discrimination, especially when it comes to the fields of occupation.

And when so many jobs have been less available to women, that means that access to health care is less available to women.

But women are more likely to suffer from abuse, while men are less likely to suffer from abuse.

Women are more likely to suffer from sexual abuse, while men are less likely to suffer from sexual abuse.

And since childbirth is only experienced by women, even more health care is needed by women.

And women usually spend more time taking care of their children than men usually spend taking care of the children.

And having children can be quite the burden to bear.

So it is usually women who need even more health care.

So all in all, when it comes to health care, women usually receive less, even though they usually need more, they usually receive less.

And because women need more but wind up receiving less, that winds up putting women through even more stress.

And when such mothers go through a lot of stress, it can put their children in situations of stress.

Situations such as these still continue to grow.

Health care has improved a lot, but we still have a ways to go.

I would like to thank you all for listening to me today and for putting up with even more of the uncomfortable things that I say.

Thank you, Mr.

Bark.

Thank you.

Kimberly Weingartner, followed by Emma Cates and Harper McDaniel.

Good morning, Commissioners, and I'm here to thank uh Commissioner Clark for continuing to recognize Katie Grace Foundation.

We started in 2017 after the death of my daughter Katie on Plum Lane.

Um and we kind of exploded into a wonderful program of giving back to community.

We had five nonprofits that were our partners, and we now have 300 nonprofits.

Um the sense of our program is uh we pull product from uh large corporations and bring it back to Katie Grace Foundation, our magical warehouse of giving, and we provide um those items to um our 300 nonprofit partners.

Commissioner Clark uh recently recognized us for our help with our veterans organization.

Uh we were able to donate um four pallets of frozen meat to the National Guard when they were on furlough or out of work, I'm not sure what it was, but um but it it was over a hundred thousand dollars worth of meat, and we just want to thank you, Commissioner Clark, for continuing to recognize our program and other commissioners that have not met our program.

We would be honored to um introduce you to what we do in our community.

Um the school that was here today, um Glenn Duncan.

We've been able to give out shoes to them two years in a row.

We have a shoe program that services over um 12 schools in our community.

Um, and it's over 8,000 pairs of shoes that we've given out since the start of our program.

Um but I just want to say thank you and um happy new year and Merry Christmas.

Thank you.

Emma Cates and Harper McDaniel, followed by Blake Vanderwell.

Go ahead.

Okay.

Hello, members of the Washoe County Commission.

My name is Emma Cates.

My name is Harper McDaniel.

Good morning.

Um wild horses are a beautiful piece of the Nevada ecosystem.

They're living pieces of Nevada history with whom we've shared space with for years.

These horses have a hearty diet of sagebrush and the shrubs that grow in our hills.

Um, and they grow and thrive off of these native plants, but some of our citizens have been feeding them, leading to more harm than good.

These horses cannot process the crops we feed to our domesticated horses.

Feeding them can lead to more damage to their digestive system and even lead to colic.

We have horse-owning citizens who leave out spare food for the wild horses, unaware of the consequences.

The horses become dependent on the hay, alfalfa, fruits and vegetables, and other crops left out for them, and stop eating the food they nationally process.

Beyond that, the horses are drawn down into residential and commercial areas from the mountains, leading to them being run over in the streets.

Wild horses are becoming dependent on human intervention, and it's costing them their lives.

Currently, the penalties existing for this crime include a $2,000 fine and a gross misdemeanor charge, but the effort put into enforcing the laws and the penalties once they're broken has been lacking.

My partner and I live in the Virginia Foothills and the Galena area, respectively, and we see horses all the time in people's yards in the streets, eating food that's been left out for them.

Um these laws need to be enforced more strictly for the sake of the Nevada ecosystem and for the sake of the horses themselves, as they are a federally federally protected species through the wild free roaming horses and burrows act of 1971.

It's our civic duty to raise awareness of this issue and to report abuse of the law.

To propose a solution, we should create a mandated reporting system with at least one mandated reporter in these neighborhoods adjacent to the Virginia Range.

If any agent of the law, passionate and educated civilian, or anyone related to an organization specializing in these laws, are living in these neighborhoods, they could be an eligible mandated reporter either willingly or from nomination.

To spread knowledge about how this is causing more harm and good, an educational campaign through something like a news report could also be effective because making sure that those who know that what they're doing is actually hurting the horses when they think that they're helping would certainly do more good than discreetly increasing fines.

And an informed public will make less mistakes because they understand the consequences of their actions, and it will prove that those who continue to do it don't actually care about helping the horses.

These horses are a staple of our beautiful scenery and paint our western landscapes with a wild and free atmosphere.

It is our duty to protect them and preserve their beauty.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Blake Vanderwell, followed by Cooper Richardson.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Commissioners, County Manager.

My name is Blake Vanderwell.

I'm the CEO of Senior Rescue.

We're a nonprofit that provides rental assistance to seniors in Washoe County.

I'm here today to thank Mike Clark or Commissioner Clark again for another generous donation to our organization.

And I would like to encourage the rest of the seniors or the rest of the county commissioners to see what we do.

And here's our report that we provide to the public every month.

I know you guys get it too, so I just wanted to put it out there that so far this year, as of November, we have provided direct rental assistance to the community of over $50,000.

The average percent of income that these seniors are paying for rent is almost 72% of their income, which is in my book outrageous.

The clients that we're servicing, their average median income is just above 26%.

Rents are still increasing.

I can tell you we're still getting data that rents are still increasing, even though their income is not.

So we encourage all everybody that we help to get on the wait list for Reno Housing.

Again, I would like to thank Commissioner Clark for his generous donation and his support of seniors in general and this organization.

And I would also like to thank Commissioner Herman once again for her ongoing support of this organization, and I would encourage all of you to do the same.

It is badly needed in this community right now.

Thank you once again.

Thank you.

Cooper Richardson, followed by Donna Claunce.

All right, good morning, Commissioners.

This is my uh first time here.

It's wonderful to be here.

I'm the co-founder and executive director of Boosted Diplomas.

We are an educational nonprofit that provide free tutoring and educational advocacy to foster an at-risk youth here in our community.

And I'm here to thank uh Commissioner Clark for supporting our our programming through a very generous donation that is supporting uh our weekly tutoring and educational advocacy.

And um, as Commissioner Garcia knows as well, so many of our youth that we work with and are at-risk youth uh through uh that go through the foster care program have so many different hurdles that they encounter on a daily, monthly, yearly, like uh full educational uh curriculum time that they experience that we then step in and try to remove as many educational barriers as possible, work with them long term and become some of the most consistent educational supports that these students have in their lives.

Um, educational advocates, once they are paired with students starting in around seventh to eighth grade, follow them all the way through graduation.

Our uh program stats so far have been maintaining above an 80% graduation rate compared to our uh unfortunate uh foster graduation rate in Washer County of roughly 42 percent.

Uh this last year we had about 86 percent graduation, and it's just been amazing to see amazing to see the community partners that have gotten involved and really supporting one what we're doing, being able to provide full wraparound services for our students, and it's just wonderful to be able to get more recognition on one the needs that our foster and at-risk population have in our community and seeing how uh involved our community is getting.

This uh about three weeks ago, we had our largest fundraiser event at the Nevada Museum of Art, where we sold out the event and set a goal to raise 100,000, and the community came together and absolutely smashed it, bringing in over 180,000 to support our programming, and it is just again incredible to see so many people coming in.

And uh Commissioner Clark, I've never met you.

Um, and it's wonderful to see that that has dropped on your doorstep, and you've seen it and been able to take advantage of it and really make and uh have made the uh initiative to support it.

So thank you very much.

I really appreciate it, and thank you all for being here.

Thank you.

Donna Klantz, followed by Todd Bailey.

Morning, commissioners and uh county manager.

I haven't been here in a while, and I just wanted to congratulate Kate Thomas for becoming the county manager rather than our interim.

Um I know that uh we're all in a better place with all of the good leadership that we all have.

Um I'm here to speak on uh item 7C2, which is in your consent agenda, which has to do with the reappointment of the members of the Washoe County Senior Advisory Board members.

Um, this group has really come together over the last couple of years to learn so much about all of the different resources and the kinds of needs that our seniors have by actually studying those things and bringing in experts to our meetings to learn about those things.

The folks that are that have served that are uh looking to be reappointed have profited from all of that information and will be outstanding to come back and serve a second term.

So I I really urge you to to uh follow the recommendations that are there on the list of the memo to reappoint the current um uh folks to the to the county senior board.

It's been a pleasure serving with that group as an advisor.

Several of us have have served on that board from for many years before that.

Now we're community advisors, and we love to bring in all the information and the and then and the um the experts that can help us all do a better job for our seniors here in in Washoe County.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Todd Bailey, followed by Jill O'Leary.

When it comes to the housing crisis in Washoe County, we're gonna have to approach this problem for a number of different angles to actually come up with a solution, and we're gonna have to use facts.

It is a fact that the current Washoe County Commission has had more tax money to spend than any other commission in Washoe County's history, over 150 years.

You've had a tax revenue source that goes up every year, and the development decisions made in this room have created government inflation.

One of the biggest increases in spending as a percentage is the salaries and benefits of Washoe County Commissioners.

Yes, it's true.

The Washoe County Commission is creating homelessness with your votes on spending, on taxes, on development, green energy codes, and your own salaries and benefits.

You have made claims that nobody in Washoe County is paying enough taxes.

People living in new homes do not pay enough taxes, quote, growth does not pay for itself.

People in older homes do not pay enough taxes.

The property tax abatements are the problem.

I'm here to help you with your problem.

It's time to look at the elimination of the property tax on single family homes as a primary residence.

It simply is a big part of the cost of homeownership.

Take a look at your tax bill.

It's five, six, or several thousand dollars a month.

And if you don't pay, you lose your home.

That creates homelessness.

Starting with just one dollar, you should support the elimination of the property tax.

So you can actually own your home.

So you actually own it without the fear of the government taking it away, in this case, Washoe County.

At lower Nevada Taxes.com.

Listen, if Florida can do it, Nevada can do it better.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jill O'Leary, followed by Trista Gomez.

Looks like I have documents to distribute to the board.

Good morning, board of commissioners.

My name is Jill O'Leary, and I'm here with the complaint to request this board and the county manager.

Exercise your administrative oversight responsibilities.

Regarding serious misconduct in the second judicial district in probate courts that has left me a 63-year-old resident, a victim of significant injustice.

I have distributed my complaint and request for oversight.

A few issues of misconduct that require your oversight with the district court or November 3rd probate judge struck my October 7th request for administrative enforcement of filing standards and the certificate of service that was unsigned by his judicial assistant.

A default denied on October 6th 2023, and then two pages of attorney fees entered by the plaintiffs from October 2023, conspiring with the filing office manager to attain default against an answering defendant.

A default entered February 16th, 2024.

After I had attended a court hearing and answered numerous times, and the docket, which shows both a judgment and a default judgment entered on April 24th, 2024.

And on March 9th, the plainest statement that inapplicable and irrelevant heightened standards required by federal civil procedure rules should be ignored.

In addition, I've received no follow-up on my request for the metadata log for the recording of a judgment lien at the Washoe County Recorders.

Given the seriousness of these violations and the ongoing harm to me as an older resident, I request a written response.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Trista Gomez.

Good morning, it's Trista Gomez.

I am gonna leave that up for a minute, but I'm gonna tell you a little story first.

When I was little, my parents would be really upset if I ever called us poor, but they would call us economically challenged.

They might call us resourceful, they might call us very efficient.

They might call us all of those things.

Because you could take a loaf of white bread, maybe two, a five-pound thing of hamburger, and a bag of 10-pound potatoes, and like four different cans of vegetables and six different seasonings, and you can make six different dinners a week.

Everybody could eat, it was great.

You learned how to go to the bathroom really, really quickly because you you might have 14, 9, anywhere from nine to 14 people in a one-bedroom house.

So we even learned how to do it, or you just it just didn't get done.

So we learned how to do a lot of things.

A lot of people live in that era in that way.

But here's what's happening right now, and this is why I talk about the budget so much.

I talk about the budget because of this.

When you are asking those people to pay for salaries of those people, and you're also asking these same people to pay for services that they don't have, they don't have for probably the most well-funded homeless program that I've ever even seen or could even exist.

I mean, it's it's a lot.

I'll talk about more of that later.

These people right here, especially about from maybe here down.

They're one paycheck away sometimes from a pretty catastrophic future.

But you're asking them what right now we're doing as a county, what you're doing as a county.

I'm not part of this, is you're saying we're gonna tax those folks more so that we can fund these people and these people.

And I think that's a gross injustice and misuse of taxpayer dollars.

And the only person who, the only one who's actively saying it is Mike Clark, and I always appreciate Jeanie Herman because she at least votes for residents and not increased revenue.

I'll be back.

There's nobody else signed in, and I believe there's nobody on virtual to speak.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And I think because of a agenda snafu, we have to move into presentations now.

Is that right?

Manager Thomas.

Yeah, we in conformance with the DA, there was an item that ended up on the agenda, which we had previously had in in years past, where after public comment, we would pause, and then that way folks would get here for the 11 o'clock presentations.

Um but DA Large indicates that we can go into those two presentations if the board would like to.

That's great.

So we'll do the presentations and then we'll uh move into our announcements after that.

All right, Madam or Manager Thomas, if you'll lead us into 5A1.

Thank you.

I see our first presentation, but I don't see our presenter here.

Okay, so we'll do 5A2.

Let's jump into 5A2, which is a presentation of the Washhow County Emergency Management River Park Defensible Space Program, and that's given by the Washhow County Emergency Management intern, Elena Barry, and she's here to present with the emergency management team.

Welcome.

Hello.

Hello, Chair Hill and fellow commissioners.

My name is Alana Berry for the record, and thank you so much for having me here.

I'm an intern with Washoe County Emergency Management, and I'm here to do an overview of the River Park Defensible Space Program that I created.

Okay.

So to get this project going, we had to do a few pre-planning activities.

Those activities included ride-alongs with all the fire agencies within Washoe County.

We also created a website and had multiple partner meetings, fire participation buy-in.

I went on three ride-alongs with North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Reno Fire Department, and Sparks Fire Department.

And we also had one meeting with Chuggy Meadows Fire Protection District.

From those ride-alongs, we looked at research areas where problem areas of concern are within those jurisdictional areas.

We looked at neighborhoods that had historical fire problems along with neighborhood demographics, such as veteran status, as well as socioeconomic and ages as well.

So from that research and those ride-alongs, I was able to pick a neighborhood in West Reno called River Park Neighborhood.

This neighborhood consisted of 229 homes.

We chunked this out into a few different groups or phases.

We had the planning phase, which was the ride-alongs and the research.

We did a kickoff meeting with those partners.

Then we started that outreach to those neighbors, to those citizens.

We did door hangers, mailers, a community meeting at a local business.

After that, we were able to get an opt-in from those residents.

We did defensible space inspections, and we also did vegetation removal on those households.

After all of that, we were able to do re-vegetation as well as create a homeowner survey and also a little bit of a hot wash with our partners, and I can go into all of that in the following slides.

So day one, step one, we distributed door hangers, um cert, the community emergency response team was able to distribute all two to 229 neighbors, um, door hangers.

We had about 14 volunteers, and CERT was also able to treat this as an evacuation exercise so that they were able to also get in that practice as well.

Um took about an hour and a half to distribute all this material, so it was also quick to know also how fast they were able to evacuate a neighborhood in the case of um needing to be.

Along with those door hangers being put on the doors, we had the postcard mailers mailed to every resident.

That QR code was um went to the website which had our opt-in, so those neighbors could start opting into this program, and we had both the English and Spanish versions posted on this mailer.

Following that, about a week and a half later, we had a community meeting at a local business down the street.

We had a great turnout at about 40 people showing up.

We had multiple presenters from different agencies, we had living with fire there, myself.

We had another emergency management coworker there talking about preparedness and go bags.

We had multiple signups for this program and also for Smart 91 Smart 911 as well.

So it was just a big group collaborative that we were able to get a lot of information across in a short amount of time.

So now, after that opt-in period had closed, we started with our defensible space inspections.

We had 39 homes participate in this portion of the project.

We had three leading agencies, Reno Fire, Washoe County Emergency Management, and Living with Fire.

And then we had one supporting agency, Team Rubicon, that were following those three lead lead agencies, taking notes about the inspections and observations that were seen.

This took about two days and seven hours total, but out of the 39 homes, we had six properties passed with no work to be done on their homes.

We also had interior home inspections done.

We had 23 homes opt into this.

American Red Cross was able to replace 101 smoke alarms within homes, and 46 people were served.

From all of those notes on the defensible space inspections, we then went into our vegetation removal weekend.

We had 24 homes sign up for this, took two days to complete, and we had about 107.

We had 80 cubic yards of green waste that were collected.

All of our green waste bins were completely full.

So I do want to say thank you to Reno Fire and Waste Management for also being able to put that together.

That was a huge help.

Moana Nursery was able to print off coupons, and every resident that opted into the revegetation portion was able to go to Moana and get three perennial fire-wise plants.

So all those, all that vegetation that was removed, the quote-unquote bad vegetation.

They were able to replace with these beautiful flowers and a little bit of a safer, safer environment.

Moana Nursery donated 117 perennials.

Along with the revegetation, we also did a little bit of a revegetation education.

We had 32 buckets distributed.

So all these buckets included kneeling pads, soils, safety glasses to help replant the perennials that were that they had gotten from Moana Nursery.

Along with that, we had on our website education links from Moana Nursery as well, and living with fire on where to plant those plants and how to plant those plants.

So I just want to go over a few pictures of one resident.

This was, as you can see, that bush is completely up into those eaves behind you can't see, but there is an electrical box, and it's just very overwhelming.

The home.

You can see that we had started completely removing that bush.

Even better, we had the residents outside, and they were very involved, a lot of education, asking a lot of questions, which was very cool.

This is the after picture completely gone.

That bush is gone.

And then the post-revegetation, these this resident went out and got their three perennials, and then also went and bought three more from Moana, and they were absolutely the best, and they loved loved loved the project, and they were super excited about the education as well.

We then created a homeowner survey.

So all the homeowners that participated or not participated were able to go and fill out this survey.

We got 23 responses, and we did get 100% of a response rate that these people would participate participate again if it was offered in the future.

We had a 95.7% response rate of adequate education on defensible space and home hardening.

So a lot of these residents did not know what defensible space was, did not know what their home hardening efforts should be or what they could be.

And now we have created a guidebook for replication to do this again in other parts of the county when funding is available.

And that is all.

Thank you guys.

Wow, I commend you in this project.

Could you give us just a little information on yourself?

Seeing as you're an intern, are you at UNR or what what's going on?

No, I'm actually done with school.

So I graduated last December.

Nice.

That's so great.

Well, I am glad that you applied for our internship program and did this as your capstone project.

This is amazing.

We need this replicated all over.

And so I mean, you had to work with so many different agencies and uh government agencies, nonprofits, as well as um Moana Nursery, so um, and also coordinating with um all those stakeholders, all those residents.

That is just really commendable, and I think you you helped educate community members and also help keep our community safer.

So um, how did we pay for this?

Do you know how we paid for this pilot project?

Yeah, so it was through the green recovery grant.

Um they had $15,000 from me, and then I got five thousand dollars for the um to go towards the the program.

So that money went towards the um, I chose to do it towards the uh revegetation portion, so those kneeling pads, the gardening buckets, the soil.

So that is where that's great, and then what do you want to do next?

The world's your oyster.

I know, yeah.

I'm time will only tell.

Yeah, so do you want to stay in this field emergency management and evacuation study?

I am also um working on the evacuation study right now as well for Washoe County.

And that's what we all are so excited about, as well as obviously this project.

But that's so great.

I commend you.

I'll go down the line for board members, Vice Chair Herman.

Okay, Commissioner Garcia.

Thank you.

I was curious about your background as well.

Thank you for putting the all the hard work into this amazing project from the start to the end.

It just sounds so successful, and and you really um what I really liked about it is you took uh this programming to the community to the neighborhood itself.

I think in local government, we often have this expectation that people come down to our chambers or that people come to this community meeting that we have hosted in you know, ex-location.

But you went into the neighborhood, knocked on those doors, and I think that really is a grassroots, really um nice uh touch point that you had with those um neighbors, and I'm sure they're very grateful, as are we.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Thank you.

Yes, and Commissioner Andreola.

Thank you.

Uh, what a great capstone project.

Those are always fun.

And so to have it not only be fun but relevant is really commendable.

Yes.

Um, my question is um certainly the 17% of the 39 homes that uh were identified or wanted to participate.

How about all of the others?

I think it started with 229.

If the folks in that area want more information, how do they get that information and how are you sharing that so that they can then not have to I'll use the term have missed the opportunity that you uh all worked on so that they can then carry that on because all the partners that you have, whether it's American Red Cross or Living with Fire.

Um I'm just wondering how they too can look at what they can do for defensible space and home hardening.

Yeah, absolutely.

We do still have our um on Watchhood County emergency management.

We still have that website still posted, so residents are still able to go to that website, and then all the different um partners' websites are also on there, Living with Fire, American Red Cross, Reno Fire, and they're able to also get information from those links.

Great.

I just think it's great because maybe somebody was out of town and they just missed it and they would have participated.

So I think having an opportunity to uh inform those that um want to look at this later can do it.

So I I was just curious like how are you communicating that to the other 200 and oh actually 200 and uh less than 200, right?

Yeah, less than 200.

Yeah.

Um I mean, I would love to do it again if uh if and when funding is available to go back into that neighborhood.

And we did have a few um residents call and say that they were out of town for that specific weekend, or various reasons of why they weren't home, but I would also love to be able to go back there as well and be able to finish up or um take the opportunity to take those people that weren't able to get that this opportunity to work on their homes as well.

And maybe the 39 that participated can tell the neighbors.

Yes.

So that is a pretty cost effective way of sharing the success and how to point them to the right direction.

So thanks for your hard work.

Thanks for uh really looking at putting a capstone project that is viable and needed, and congratulations on um you know being with Washa County and coming up with a creative program that is really applicable and needed, right?

Yes, absolutely.

This what this capstone was a lot better than my senior capstone provides.

A lot more, a lot more fun.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Clark.

Thank you for your report.

Thank you.

Yes, so um, we obviously love this.

So there's a website still live, right on the Washoe County site, so people can be directed to all those resources there.

And um, I think that education piece is something that Vice Chair Herman also wants, you know, people to take a lot of this into their own hands.

Defensible space is something we all can do.

And I felt very seen by that that bush because I've got one of those on my house.

So I'm like, I gotta I gotta take care of that.

So thank you for that reminder.

And um, and yeah, we'll we'll look forward to hearing your presentation on the evacuation study once that is ready.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Any other commissioners on this?

Okay.

Well, thank you, and uh have a great rest of your day.

Thank you, you guys too.

Thank you.

And then we'll move back into 5A1 for presentations, Ms.

Thomas.

Thank you.

We have Dwayne Smith here.

He's our division director of engineering and capital projects, and he's gonna provide an overview of the Washoe County sewer utility for you.

Good morning, Chair, board, manager.

Um thank you for giving me the opportunity to come and provide you with a uh a brief update on what we've been working on in the in the Washoe County utility.

Um there is a lot of work going on, uh a lot of focus on uh new capacity, um the environment.

Um so I wanted to to really focus on three things.

I wanted to focus on on the fiscal status of the utility, our user rate and connection fee update.

I want to talk a little bit about treatment capacity and conveyance capacity, how we manage that capacity within the facilities, and share with you uh again just briefly what's on the horizon.

So I believe these topics are are very relevant uh to the overall health of the utility, and I think it's uh will be helpful and meaningful for you as you enter into conversations.

Uh just briefly wanted to to recognize the 30 plus frontline team members.

Uh these are the folks that that deliver the services for Washoe County on a daily basis.

Uh this is the team that keeps everything flowing.

Uh again, what we do uh we provide wastewater treatment and recycled water opportunities.

So over 36,000 customers in four service areas.

We manage a lot of infrastructure.

Um we have to stay in compliance with our partners at the state.

And of course, our primary focus through all of this is to make sure that we deliver the best services that we can to our customers at the lowest cost, maintaining those high levels of standards.

Uh and of course, we're here for new development.

New development can't move forward without uh the appropriate sewer water utilities, and certainly we're a part of that.

And and I'm always want to mention the regional collaboration that we have with all of our other agencies.

I'm referring to places like City of Sparks and City of Reno, or uh other utility purveyors uh such as Tumwa, and of course, again, I want to mention uh NDEP.

We do this uh service in four primary areas.

So the North Spanish Springs is a little different for us.

Again, we don't have a wastewater treatment plant in North Spanish Springs, all of unincorporated Washa County sewers to the city of through the City of Sparks to the Tillmore facility.

But in the South Tricky Meadows, Cold Springs, and Lemon Valley areas, we do own, operate, manage uh through uh reclamation facilities.

Through those, we also take a different approach to our recycled water management strategies.

And I will talk a little bit more about recycled water production in the South Trekkie Meadows.

So our first focus area, and and I'm going to step back just a second in time.

But I wanted to talk about our connection fee and user rates.

As a reminder, we are an enterprise fund, so we fully fund all of our services through connection fees and user rates.

This is really important that we understand then what the fiscal health of the utility is.

And one of the ways that we have addressed these issues is through our 2023 rate and connection fee study.

So as you recall, I brought this to you to the board, and the board approved this in November of 2023.

So we've got a couple of years under our belt with the new connection fee and user rate approach that we're taking.

To address this approach, we uh um we had to look at a at quite a few different scenarios.

And we landed on three primary scenarios, and you'll you'll see that number two there was is what we ultimately move forward with.

But I do want to just briefly mention that prior to this effort, we were really operating as two really independent utilities a sewer utility and a recycled water utility, and needing to meet our goals of uh providing the health and the sustainability of the utility and to really drive forward to that goal of no increase to the base user rates, no increase to the base user rates.

We landed on scenario two, which allowed us through the combination of the sewer and recycled water utilities to recognize efficiencies, and and certainly I would also say that if we hadn't moved that direction, our recycled water utility was at risk.

We would have had to raise our recycled water rates, we would have lost customers, we would have not been in a position to add new customers, and so ultimately uh scenario two gave us that success.

Just three three important points.

No base increase to user rates.

This is a big commitment that we made to our users as we stepped into this rate study.

Again, we've been under this for two years, and we are we are working under those guidelines of that rate study successfully.

We did raise our connection fees.

Connection fees again are there to build capacity to allow new development to connect.

Um we removed recycled water fees.

I just mentioned that a second ago, that it was so important through this process, recognizing that under a combined utility and the philosophy that the users pay from beginning to end, from inception to completion, not just the treatment, but also through the management of that recycled water product at the end, combining the utilities in that way allowed us to zero out those recycled water rates, allowed us to incentivize our existing customers to stay and bring new customers to the table, and we have done that so again we've been operating under this this new user rate approach for two years.

It is working.

Our total fund balance is nearly 125 million.

Um, and our five-year outlook is as anticipated in the rate study.

This graph shows the five-year relationship between revenues and expenses.

So you can see the revenues there in yellow and our expenses.

You'll see that big spike up in 2026.

Well, as you all are aware, uh we're moving through the final stages of our South Tricky Meadows water uh reclamation facility improvements.

We also have a very large lift station project, and we're also moving forward into uh some other conveyance projects as well.

And so you'll see that the that our fund balance is coming down, uh, but you'll see that it basically uh levels off, and um again, just as we expected.

So let's talk just a second about uh treatment capacity.

So this graphic shows that uh over the last 10 years there's been over 10,000 new connections made to Washa County's facilities.

So you can see the preponderance of those connections have been made down at our Stemworth facility down the South Tricky Meadows.

But let's not forget about Lemon Valley and Cold Springs as well, very important areas.

So what this graphic shows is it shows that continued increase in demand, that increased growth that our region has seen, and sets the tone and the expectation for sewer treatment capacity and effluent management.

This doesn't show all the unincorporated Washoe County customers, though, that have connected to City Areno and City Sparks facilities.

So please remember that we again work collaboratively with our city partners.

We through agreements share capacity and share customers.

I think it's again, I just wanted to reaffirm that.

As noted earlier, Washoe County has three water reclamation facilities.

I want to draw your attention to that second column over to the right, the available capacity.

Washoe County, you know, we hear from time to time that that uh that we don't have capacity, or that there's a problem with our capacity, or new development can't move forward because there is no capacity.

So I just wanted to reassure you that there is capacity in all of our uh current facilities.

Um this allows for new development to plan and allows us to meet our obligations to our customers.

That last column is is probably just as important as in terms of the actual physical capacity, and that's the initiating expansion planning.

Um there's a very strong relationship between what we do when we provide capacity for new development, but how do we get there?

We have to plan for that new capacity.

Planning is a big part of what we do in the utility in the utility.

Um facility planning, our master planning, and fiscal preparation.

So again, our user rates and our connection fee adjustments that were made really leads us to to the ability to identify where we need capacity, to plan for that capacity, and then ultimately to build that capacity when it is needed.

So just getting a little bit more depth on capacity, um, because again, it it it is a sometimes a challenging concept.

Um committed capacity is when there has been a will serve issued, and that development or that business, that industrial business, commercial project, is providing flows, we're receiving those flows and treating those flows.

Available capacity is what is left within the treatment facilities and within the conveyance systems to allow for that next uh increment of capacity.

Um key point new development cannot pre-purchase capacity.

It's a come when you're ready, not before basis.

We don't want to have a run on available capacity to really throw our facility planning off.

Again, uh as I mentioned down below, um, our facility master planning is so critical in our success as a utility.

So we work with our partners such as Trecue Meadows Regional Planning.

That they have a fantastic team and really helps us make good decisions about where we're going next.

Uh we continue to always look inside as well.

So we look at our facilities, we look at operational constraints and look for opportunities.

And again, uh I or I just want to really mention that we don't build capacity until capacity is needed.

So I want to make sure that we're all off this fallacy that we go build a treatment plant to the full build-out capacity that won't occur for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years, whatever that is, because of the additional capital costs, but most importantly, the operational and repair and replacement costs that we would see.

It wouldn't be fair to our existing users to raise their rates to pay for capacity that's not needed.

Just quickly want to um touch base on a few things.

I know uh uh quite a few of you have been down to the South Turkey Meadows plant.

We're wrapping up that that very uh um uh important project in the South.

Um just as part of that, we initiated planning in 2017.

Construction started in 2020, and we're wrapping that up in the next uh uh two quarters.

Very important project for us.

But it's not just about capacity within the plants, as I mentioned, it's also how we get the wastewater flows to our plants.

And so that first one is the that first uh capital project that I've got listed up there, is is one of our conveyance projects to make sure we're successful in conveying uh wastewater and also safely.

Um that last uh that second project there is the Pleasant Valley Interceptor.

That's to allow for an expansion of our collection system in the very southern ports parts of Washoe County, and also we will be um installing uh recycled water line as part of that project as well.

Effluent master planning.

I mentioned um we do so much uh uh facility planning for our facilities to make sure that we have capacity, but don't forget that the that that recycled water, that effluent that comes at the end of the process is just as important, and certainly in areas like the South Tricky Meadows, um, where we have a very impressive recycled water treatment and distribution system, but it's very important for us to find new places and maximize the use of that recycled water.

So we always are engaged in an effluent master planning.

Cold springs, I just want to quickly mention that with the City Arena's approvement of the Stone Gate development, the changes.

You probably heard some some some word about that.

We're initiating uh master planning uh in cold springs areas so that we can stay in front of new development.

Um always you guys know me, I can't not help but mention how important it is that we really focus on recycled water, opportunities for recycled water, and with those efforts, we really maximize when we maximize the use of recycled water, we reduce our dependency on things like the Trekkie River water and Nevada groundwater, very precious resources.

So to keep doing that in the South Trekkie Meadows, where again we have a world class uh water reclamation distribution system and treatment uh where we have successfully gotten the Hidden Valley Golf course online.

Uh now our focus is going to the West, Anderson Park, Bartley, Lakeridge, and ultimately Washoe Golf.

So you will be seeing some more uh uh information about that as we move into the new year.

I didn't want to close this discussion, this brief update for you without just again mentioning um some of our collaboration with our other regional partners, and your three of you sit on the Western Regional Water Commission under the leadership of Kim Rigdon, the the program manager, uh Manager Rigdon is has taken is taking us regionally down the path to look at opportunities, options, needs, and approaches for what we might see uh as a change in the way that we provide regionally wastewater and recycled water uses uh into the future.

So I just wanted to make sure that you are fully aware that Washoe County is a participating member in that process.

Um again, I just wanted to reaffirm thank you for your support and approvals of our rate and connection fee study and 2023.

That really set us on the right path for uh our fiscal sustainability.

Um we continue to manage our relationship between capacity and planning within our facilities to make sure that that we are always responsive for new development.

And over the year you're gonna see more information coming to you uh regarding some of those capital projects and new capital projects on the horizon.

So uh thank you for giving me an opportunity to give you an update.

Thank you.

And I think that this board um is and so proud to partner with you and your team on ensuring that we did not increase our utility fees when that is happening across the board all around this country, and so I think that um you know I'm very proud that we have been part of that decision making, and thank you for your leadership on that.

I will go down the line on questions, Vice Chair Herman.

I really appreciate your presentation.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And Commissioner Garcia.

Thank you so much.

I have a question about the purple pipe, so if you can go back a couple of slides, that would be great.

Um the opportunity to tour Stemworth was one of the most eye-opening experiences that I've had in the three years I've served.

And it's incredible the capital needs to put these mechanisms in place and these processes in place.

It's really fascinating and important work.

And I think the um we forget about recycled water a lot.

Um, we we have this huge holdings tank there down at the Stemwharf um area in that orange box, and then you gave me that purple pipe map after I took the tour, and that's what really kind of opened my eyes and um seeing the different uses and um applications that we because we need to get rid of the water.

Um so the purple pipes running, it's already run, you know, kind of northeast, and now it's going west.

Um I was just curious about recent conversations you and your team may have had about the new opportunities you discussed.

We're always looking for new opportunities for users to take on the recycled water, but particularly like as things like data centers become more prominent in in discussions throughout the region.

Are you seeing any new businesses, technologies, or industries coming forward with recycled water needs, and if so, I'd love to hear about any of those updates.

Yeah, through the chair to the commissioner.

Certainly um I think there's two things that have set us in a in an interesting place.

First of all, I think regionally it's known the high quality of recycled water that we do produce in the South Tricky Meadows and the ex and the investment that we've made in this process.

And I think what's also caught people's attention is the fact that we zeroed out the commodity fees for all the right reasons.

And so, yes, we do get phone calls and get people interested in what opportunities might exist in the future.

We are also interested in those opportunities.

When we think about, for instance, ORMAT in the South in the South, uh, they do use cooling water for some of their approaches.

And so we've been in discussions with ORMAT over the years.

Now there's always challenges, right?

There's always potential chemistry issues or conveyance issues, water quality issues.

And so that's part of what the team does is enter into those discussions, understand what the opportunities might look like, invest time, invest money in exploring those opportunities.

And as we develop those, we come back with with um with recommendations and and and the next step.

We we really do focus though in the South Turkey Meadows on construction water.

We focus on irrigation water.

So we are looking for those those new opportunities like the ORMATs or potentially maybe even collaborations with the cities and some of the work that's going on down in the Tricer area and the in the large demand for recycled water down there.

So these are some of the conversations that are absolutely occurring, and we certainly look forward to to those opportunities to again reduce our dependency on Nevada groundwater and on Truckee River surface water.

That's really the big goal.

So I guess my follow-up question would be if people are interested in exploring if it's a possible or viable solution for their business or initiative, do they contact the county directly, or what's the process for interested parties?

Yeah, usually um I'll get a phone call, one of the one of the other staff will get a phone call.

Um we do uh have um uh again uh speaking about manager rigdon, manager rigdon at uh Western Region Water Commission does have uh um periodic and regular meetings where she brings all of the utilities together and we talk about opportunities, and she has been leading an effort to understand best what our region's recycled water opportunities are.

You've heard a little bit about this as well.

So there's a lot of avenues for that information to kind of get in, or those uh potential questions and and opportunities that come into the system.

And uh to Commissioner Garcia's question isn't the Story County site also doesn't it help with some of that as well, or what is that used for?

Well, that's not an a project yet.

But it I know the dream.

So what is the thought?

What is the um what it what's the dream behind that?

Because is it helping with some of those industrial uses in Surrey County?

Absolutely.

Um, what we do have identified there is um through some discussions over the past decade, um, residential project um in Story County that would ultimately sewer to uh the South Tricky Meadows and then receive potentially recycled water back for parks, streetscape.

Okay, so single family.

That's what that really represents.

But I have to tell you, Chair, that that there has been questions about if we did move that way, how easy would it be to loop back into the tri-center as well?

So these are that's yeah, where I a lot of the water usage is happening, and I know that they've got their own issues, and they're the they're the biggest uh you know data center location, I think, or one of the biggest in the world.

So um I think that yeah, that's really interesting that you're having those conversations on that.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Andrea.

Thanks.

Um it's so exciting to finally see dates that are projected for the topic of the regionalization of sewer and wastewater, and to know we're now from 1A to 1B with a February, January slash February 2026 recommendation that hopefully will be coming as exciting.

And to really, you've mentioned it several times, and I had a note to also recognize Kim Rigdon and the Western Regional Water Commission, which many of us serve on.

And the dedication of all of you regionally and the expertise that you bring in terms of truly balancing planning and potential growth with what is actually required before anything is approved.

I think there's a lot of misunderstanding of the extensiveness that anything has to be uh you can't pre-purchase as you put it.

You can't pre-purchase something in advance of anticipating a project.

Nothing can move forward if infrastructure isn't there.

And I think that the fact that you're also balancing the capital investment.

So I too will remember the Stemworth tour.

And congratulations on the purple pipe in Hidden Valley, so thank you for that.

But I do uh want to just ask you a question, just for clarification purposes.

A lot of times folks use enterprise fund.

You've used it in this presentation.

Would you be so kind to share with everyone what that term truly means?

When you say that the connection fees that the developers pay go into an enterprise fund, what does that really mean?

And if you could share that, that would be great.

I I bring that up just again through the chair to the commissioner, that it's really important to recognize that the sustainability and resiliency of the of the utility is really based on our planning, the good work that the financial folks do to make sure that we do have the funding available both for new capacity and we achieve that through connection fees.

We don't rely on the general fund for capacity improvements.

We don't go to the general fund and ask for funding to build new capacity or to uh maintain and repair our existing infrastructure.

That is all done through the efforts of the enterprise fund, whose tasked with developing everything from financial structures, uh connection fees, user rates.

We of course rely very heavily on our strong team, starting with Abby and with our financial managers and our comproller and our budget managers who we couldn't be successful without their their oversight and their management of what we do.

But from a funding standpoint, that's where we we achieve our goals, our our directed goals of providing for new capacity.

Um I mentioned user rates as well because user rates are then what's our are collected and used to pay for electricity for our people, for our trucks, for all the things that we need to do to be a solvent and resilient utility.

Um we talk about that relationship between capital projects, building new capacity.

I want to reaffirm that that is one of the reasons why we don't expand facilities.

I mentioned a second ago, we don't expand facilities to full build-out capacity because our user rates would be so high to help manage that.

So these are some of the things that our financial folks really help us do is make sure rein us in sometimes, I should say, um, as we're moving forward with with uh with projects and making sure that we have that that relationship between connection fees for new development, user rates to help us uh stay uh uh solvent and and providing and supplying those services.

Again, we don't rely on the general fund for those those pieces directly, and when we do provide uh need those services, the utility also pays the general fund for that that uh support.

So thanks.

I think it's really helpful to understand that truly it's a restricted fund, and I'm gonna use that term specifically for its purpose, and it's paid by connection fees from the developer.

Um I do also want to, I feel I need to recognize Tomwa for being a partner since I serve in that board, as long as as well as the Truck Emotion Regional Planning Governing Board as well.

Regionally, I think the fact that everyone with your expertise and many others in the jurisdictions are truly coming together and seeing the opportunities for efficiencies and not putting it on the backs of taxpayers in terms of rate increases is to be commended.

And I just want to publicly thank you because you all work really hard in these meetings, and we all serve in other boards and capacities, and we understand some of what you're already talking about, but in fairness, you all are working hours and hours and hours to provide an infrastructure in our community that's sustainable, and I think you should be recognized for that, and looking at really truly working with regional partners.

When people are crossing a road, they don't know necessarily if they're in what unincorporated or they're in the city of Sparks or the City of Arena or whatever the jurisdiction is.

And I am just beyond excited to see that in being appointed in April 2023, and this being one of my first initiatives to see what we could actually do and to have it come with a possible date of January slash February of 2026 as a time for celebration.

At the same time, the balance of it all is really important because the infrastructure is taxing and we all feel it.

So thank you for all you do.

We'll be really anxious to get the update in, I'm guessing February or March after we see the results.

Will Kim be doing that?

I just wanted to quickly make sure that the shows is as we've identified in in phase 1A, which that uh you saw a preliminary presentation November 5th, I believe it was through the Western Region Water Commission.

That deliverable, the final document for phase 1A should be coming out very quickly.

I did talk to Manager Rigdon yesterday and she affirmed that.

The next phase is phase 1B of the regional discussions.

That work will begin in the January-February time frame.

That's building on what was understood and learned through phase 1A, and this will help us understand what those actual alternatives that that um could be advanced forward to address those challenges and objectives that were identified in phase one A.

Um that work will begin in January and January, February of next year.

So it will come back in July, or what do you think?

I don't want to speak for Manager Rigdon.

I know she's but she's gonna make it happen.

Okay.

So we'll well, Madam Chair.

I'm I'm hoping that there's an opportunity when we do see the results, which the report is going to be coming, that maybe if there's enough to actually look at that catapult to the next level.

I think it's really important for everyone, understand all the hard work that everyone's been doing to address the needs of our community as we see growth and what that really means and how it's not being put on the backs of taxpayers is really really important to share.

Facts matter.

And so thank you for all of your hard work.

It's always a pleasure um having uh you say several times that the study that's now two years did not fall on the backs of increasing the base user fees.

So thank you.

Yeah, I'm very happy about that.

Thank you.

And Commissioner Clark.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for your report and uh thank you for the good work you do.

Thank you.

All right.

Well, we will see you in 2026.

Thank you.

All right, we are going back to item four.

Um now that it's after 11.

Manager Thomas.

Thank you.

Item number four is commissioners and county managers announcements, reports, and updates to include board and commission updates, requests for information or topics for future agendas.

I have one thing.

If I might.

Uh we are we have a board opening.

It's a board trustee position with the Carson Truckee Water Conservancy District.

Speaking of water, uh, that's our theme.

Uh this board was formed in 1958.

It serves Carson City, Churchill County, Washoe County, parts of Douglas, Lion, and Story Counties to maintain minimum capacity for the Truckee River.

This board also reviews river encroachment permits and water resource projects to ensure they do not interfere with the river's channel and provide the greatest benefit to the region.

This is a partial four-year term beginning at the time of apport appointment by the Nevada State Governor's Office, and it ends on December 31st, 2028.

Your deadline to apply is 5 p.m.

December the 17th.

So thank you.

Yes.

And Vice Chair Herman.

No, you're good.

Okay.

Commissioner Garcia.

Thank you.

Just a quick um invitation to the public.

The Regional Transportation Commission, RTC, and I sit on the board.

Uh last year, I believe it was we approved uh an initiative to move forward with looking at neighborhood network plans.

And I wanted to let the folks who live in Sun Valley and Panther Valley know that there's a community workshop being held tonight, um, Tuesday, December night at Hug High School from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

And what this does is it gives um folks an opportunity to hear about ways that we can improve um the walking and biking and rolling through our neighborhoods.

These are going to be tailored to the specific needs of these communities, and it's really important that we hear from the constituents themselves.

Uh they will result in um what they refer to as quick build projects, and so we'll be able to see those taking place throughout the community in a relatively uh short amount of time.

So I include I encourage you all to keep an eye out on what RTC is doing in terms of the the uh pedestrian safety uh measures that they're taking.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Andreula.

Okay, Commissioner Clark.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I I've got a couple of items.

Uh one of the first ones I want to talk about is holiday parties and parades.

Uh we had a very unfortunate incident happening at Cold Springs on Saturday night following a holiday parade.

Somebody crossing the street, uh, a couple of folks crossing the street, and one guy they both got run over, one died, and I think it's very important uh was we have these community uh parades that people understand that uh you know uh drinking and driving and then parading and having a good time could lead to some tragedy if if people aren't careful.

And I think it's very important was we have these community uh parades that people understand that uh you know uh drinking and driving and then parading and having a good time could lead to some tragedy if if people aren't careful.

Uh so many times people cross the street, they can see the car's headlights and they presume that the car can see them, and and that isn't really uh what takes place.

So just very unfortunate situation.

I know that we've got uh some uh parades happening in in the South Valleys, and I think uh out in uh Spanish Springs as well.

I just want to make sure everybody's aware of uh uh just safety first out there, so so we don't have these this type of tragedies around the holidays.

Uh wanted to bring that up.

And then uh I talked with uh uh manager uh excuse me, manager Thomas yesterday uh about uh boards and certain boards that we have, and I'm involved in a couple of boards, uh Citizens Advisory Board, the the senior board, and and there's some confusion about uh time of service and appointments and how they run, and if you're they're area specific, if you have to live in an area, and uh and uh I think a lot of folks uh need to be reminded of that when they're appointed.

And I see that on the agenda here today.

I think it's pretty clear there, but uh I think there's some other boards.

We have what over 50, 60 different boards in the county.

I make sure everybody's aware of uh if you move out of an area, if somebody else moves out, if somebody uh decides to resign, they need to bring that to the county's attention rather than try and refill those positions uh uh internally because it's part of our our job is to to approve those those type of things.

So just um happy to see it's clearly spelled out today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I had a meeting for the Tahoe Transportation District oh my gosh, was it this week or last week?

Um yes, last week, and they were discussing the old elementary school property um and discussing what will be done with it next.

And um they have asked that Washoe County engage with um the Tahoe Transportation District on potentially a property swap or a workforce housing project.

And so I wanted to formally ask if we could have staff look into that and then bring I think we need to bring an item for more than two hours of work um on that item um in the new year um to discuss what that could look like and if we have the resources and also the sheriff's office also wants to engage potentially on a justice center up there.

So there's many different pieces happening, and I want to make sure I'm keeping the board informed if we are going to get engaged, so um if we could have an item in January come before us on that.

Uh additionally, I had a discussion with our communications team on potentially making sure that we when we do media buys, we are all encompassing uh different languages and different language media outlets.

And so um I don't know um how those conversations are going internally with staff, but if it's something that we need to make a change to our purchasing um policy, um it that could come back to the board as well.

Because I want to make sure that if we're engaging in any of those things that we're equitably uh making sure that community members can participate in Washoe County activities.

So I think those are my only two items for today.

Thank you.

And with that, we are going to move into donations, and if Commissioner Garcia could help us with that.

Thank you so much.

Oh, you're fine.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair.

It's um very great to see people, uh private citizens step up to to give and support to the county.

And so today we'd like to say thank you to Linda Gross Close for throwing her support behind the Washoe County Sheriff's Office with a private donation of a thousand dollars.

So with that I move to approve.

Thank you so much.

I'm looking for a second.

So vice chair, sorry, she beat you to it.

And Madam Clerk, is there any public comment?

There is none.

Thank you so much.

We have a motion and a second on donations.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, please say nay.

And I oh, it's on your screen.

There you go.

And that motion passes unanimously.

Thank you, everyone.

We're now moving into our consent items.

Do any board members want to pull a consent item?

I'm not seeing that anyone does.

Madam Clerk, is there any public comment on consent?

There is.

First up, we have Pam Roberts, followed by Wendy Hammond and Mitch Hammond.

Thank you.

Yes.

Good morning, Pam Roberts.

I'm speaking on 7C2, uh dealing with the appointments for the senior advisory board.

I just want to for this board's uh knowledge, review what the role is of the senior advisory board.

It's in uh chapter Washa Code 45.425.

That's um at a minimum in the following areas.

We're supposed to work with the uh director of human services in the senior division center, senior services director.

Development of long and short reach agency goals.

If you recall, I shared with this body an 11-page master plan document that we've been working on for two years.

Um, provide input on programs, services, and needs within the community.

We do that on a regular basis at our monthly meetings, reviewing the quality of agency services provided, providing technical assistance as applicable, reviewing and making recommendations regarding the division's proposed budget, reviewing and providing input to the director regarding community trends and needs.

The board has no monetary authority.

We don't approve money, we don't get to say we can advise, but we're really advisory only.

Notwithstanding all that, our board has done a lot of wonderful things.

And those people include Edward Lamb, who's on the slate today, Mary Ann McAuley, who's on the slate today, Mac Rossi and myself who are wanting to be reappointed.

But we also have three new members that are on the slate, and Gwen, Alan D.

Stefano, and Monica Wedd.

And just so you understand the process.

What has happened in the past is uh announcements for openings go on, go out, and we actually had like 23 applications at one point, and we're like, whoa, I'm in, we have to try to sort through all these.

Then we tell them about coming to a meeting.

We'd like to meet them, have them talk about why they want to be on the senior advisory board.

Unfortunately, all 23 didn't show up, or maybe fortunately, but six did.

And so, based upon the conversations with them, the board made recommendations regarding those people that you see on the slate today.

This board has been extremely active.

It's unfortunate that due to some delays, I told you last time I'm not gonna lay blame.

I'm not into blaming things, but there's been some delays, and hopefully we'll understand better about how we need to fill these positions in a more timely manner.

But because of those delays, the board's been down to six people instead of 11 plus two alternates, and that has slowed us down.

The board hasn't been able to work on this master plan.

So hopefully today you guys will all vote this slate in, and we can get back to work helping the seniors in our community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Wendy and Mitch Hammond, followed by Nancy Rifkin.

All right.

Good morning, Commissioners, and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you guys today.

My name is Wendy Hammond.

I'm here with my husband Mitch Hammond, and we are here on behalf of our foundation, the Lizzie Hammond Foundation.

We're deeply grateful for your generous support.

Our foundation was created in honor of our daughter Lizzie, a bright, fun spirited nine-year-old whose life was tragically cut short in a bounce house accident in South Rhino.

In the days following her passing, our family made a promise that what happened to Lizzie would never happen to another child.

That promise is what began the foundation and continues to fuel everything we do.

Most families see balance houses as simple fun.

Very few know how quickly they can become dangerous when they're not anchored properly or when wind speeds exceed safe limits.

We learned far too painfully that even one missed safety step can change a family forever.

Since then, our work has centered on education, prevention, and advocacy.

We have created safety resources for parents and communities, trained event organizers and collaborated with schools, nonprofits, and state agencies with support from partners like you.

We were able to advocate for and help pass Lizzie's Law, which is the state law AB 198.

This year, Nevada's first legislation requiring clear anchoring standards and wind speed limits for inflatable devices.

It ensures operators follow consistent enforceable safety practices so that children across our state are protected.

Your donation directly strengthens this mission.

It allows us to expand safety education, distribute operator posters statewide, support youth and family outreach programs like our blessing bags, and to continue building safer environments for Nevada families.

Every resource we share, every training we host, every parent we reach carries Lizzie's legacy with it.

We want to offer a very special thank you to Commissioner Clark for championing community safety and for supporting the work we do.

Your leadership and care for local families makes a meaningful difference.

And we are truly honored to have your partnership from our family to yours.

Thank you for believing in our work for standing with us and for helping us ensure that Lizzie's legacy is one of safety, love, and protection for every child in Nevada.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Nancy Rifkin, followed by Susan Mushke.

Good morning, Washu County Commissioners.

Thank you so much for your consideration for a donation to the Nevada Veterans Coalition.

Again, my name is Nancy Rifkin.

And the Nevada Veterans Coalition was founded by a handful of veterans who wanted to maintain a beautiful cemetery out in Fernley.

And they started by pulling weeds and spending time out there and just making sure that it just was really a beautiful place that you know drew people to it.

And over time they started to see the services that were going on in that that there wasn't an honor guard.

So they um formed an honor guard, and we now do um full military honors and services four to six or eight services a week, depending on the weather.

And um it's just uh been such an honor to be a part of this organization and see what they do and how they honor the veterans and their families.

And that is the foundation of what we do.

But um many of you are probably aware of Memorial Day that we organize every year out there and Reese Across America, and that's coming up this weekend.

So I would encourage you if if you haven't been before to carve out some time, and it's at nine o'clock this Saturday.

And um again, we just really appreciate your consideration because we do um we are 100% uh volunteer and we rely on donations, and um we've just been able to keep this great organization going and contribute to the community with honoring veterans.

So thank you so much for your consideration.

Thank you.

Susan Mushke followed by Mac Rossi.

I'm sorry if I mispronounced your last name.

Is it on?

Yes.

Good morning.

Um, my name is Sue Meiske for the record.

Thank you all for allowing me to be here, the commissioners, county manager.

Um, I am here um to speak in support of the nominations um for the Washoe County Senior Advisory Board.

I am uh an associate member, which means that I've been appointed by the board to provide expert um assistance, and in my case, it was to help with the development of the master plan that we worked on for the last two and a half years.

Um but I'm here today to speak in support of the seven individuals recommended for appointment to the senior advisory board.

All four of the individuals that were recommended for reappointment, I've had the honor of serving with over the last two and a half years.

Each of those individuals bring important and unique um understanding interests and energy towards uh issues affecting seniors in the county.

Um, and of the three uh folks that are um recommended for appointment, um they also bring important new ideas, interests, and experiences to the board.

So I really um encourage you to please approve the slate as it has been presented, the entire slate.

Um these volunteers are amazing.

Um they do great work.

Um they don't get a lot of credit for it, so I want to give them as much credit as possible, and I hope that you all can support their nominations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mac Rossi followed by Shane Picanini.

Good morning, my name is Mac Rossi, all the commissioners and the manager.

All the commissioners and the manager.

I'm speaking on behalf of one of the reappointments myself.

And I'd appreciate your support.

I would like to continue on working with the seniors as far as for outside activities, better food conditions, and show you my dedication.

I've gone ahead and changed my hair color to white so I could blend in more with the seniors.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Shane Picanini.

I I got an email from Shane.

He left.

He had to leave sadly.

So that's everybody who's signed in.

Okay, thank you so much.

With that, if there's no uh no one wants to pull anything, I'm looking for a motion on consent, please.

I'll move it approved.

Thank you, Commissioner Andrilla, Vice Chair Herman.

You got the second.

All right.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, please say nay.

And I think that passes unanimously as well.

It passed unanimously.

I don't know why it didn't pop up.

No worries.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Okay, now to our vice chair to help us with a block vote.

Vice Chair Herman.

All right.

This would be in the form of a motion.

And number eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen.

And I'm kind of excited about item 11.

Yay.

That's so great.

Thank you so much.

All right, we have a motion on the block vote.

I am looking for a second.

Madam Chair.

Yes, Commissioner Andrea.

Um procedurally, if you'd like to go with a second, but I am going to request an item to be polled.

Yeah, do I apologize?

Oh, that's okay.

If you want to do the second, and then you can request for um a change.

An amendment to amendment to the motion.

Well second.

Okay.

So we can get to the procedure.

Okay.

So and then for comment, Commissioner Andriola.

Thank you.

Madam Chair and Vice Chair Herman.

I am asking for consideration of pulling item number 15.

Okay.

And if you would be amenable to amend your motion, I certainly would be amenable to seconding that.

All right.

Are you okay with pulling item 15, Vice Chair?

Yes.

Okay.

So with an amended motion, and you still have the second.

Okay.

Any questions on that from the board?

I'm not seeing anyone.

And then Madam Clerk, any public comment on those items?

There is none.

Okay.

We have a motion and a second on block.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, please say nay.

And I think that also is unanimous.

We have was that our the vote, or is that I think it's just on delay today.

I got mine.

Okay.

You got yours?

I got mine.

Okay.

Um let me try it one more time.

Okay, thank you, Madam Clark.

Okay, now let's try to vote again.

Ah, thank you.

There we go.

And I think it's just delayed.

It was unanimous.

Okay, that was unanimous.

Thank you so much.

Well, we'll move in to item 14 first.

15.

Um, yeah, well, we have 14 and then 15.

Um, but I also wanted to point out um that um for vice chair Herman, just to give a little love.

So on item 11 that was just approved.

Um, I just want to give a lot of um credit to Vice Chair Herman and our team for getting that um eight-mile entrance to the Black Rock Desert, um, that county road 447 funded.

I also know that manager Thomas has been working on that since she started at the county, or even before you were at the county, actually.

Um, so big credit there.

And then um I do want to give a lot of support to um uh the state of Nevada for the during the special legislative session.

I don't think that folks know that the county was awarded 7.5 million dollars in general funds to help with our jail-based mental health program.

And so I know that a lot of work went into that.

Um, Ms.

Mateovic, our sheriff's deputies, as well as um, I know our the folks who are working on mental health initiatives at the county.

I I don't have all the names of people who'd worked on that, but I do want to say congratulations.

We're so thrilled that we got that funding.

So that was a very big deal as well.

Okay.

Thank you for that.

We'll now move into item 14.

And welcome.

And manager Thomas, if you'll lead us into that.

Sure.

I'll give you a quick overview.

Item 14 is a recommendation to approve our Washoe County Opioid Use Needs Assessment for 2026 through 2029 and the Washoe Opioid Abatement and Recovery Fund Plan for 2026 to 2027.

We have Lauren Beale here to present to us.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Hi everyone.

Lauren Beale, granted community program analyst for the record.

You are getting two big chunks of paper.

One is the Washoe Opioid Use Disorder Needs Assessment, and the other is the associated Washoe Opioid Abatement and Recovery Fund funding plan.

Yeah, we're gonna first talk a little bit about how we kind of got to this point right now.

As I think everybody knows, the opioid epidemic has had major impacts on our community.

This is way too many lives lost.

This is families that have been harmed, communities that have been disrupted.

Lots of challenges for our systems.

And this was why the county as well as the state and other municipalities decided to pursue lawsuits against the manufacturers and distributors for their role in the epidemic, and that is why we are receiving 41 million dollars over 20 years, of which we've received 10 million so far.

The settlement, they had specific use of funds in the language of the settlements.

So those were to make sure that we spent the money on ways to remediate the impacts of the opioid epidemic.

And then the state, on top of that, had additional statute that was put in place to ensure that we don't supplant funds and that we conduct a needs assessment every four years.

The first needs assessment was for 2022 to 2025, so that's why we needed to do another one.

Um, and in 2024, we awarded the first four million approximately of that 10 million we've received so far.

So for the past year, we have been meeting and talking to people and learning uh to do this needs assessment.

And we have to use a community-based participatory practice uh per state statute again.

So we had a steering committee of community stakeholders as well as a living experience advisory board that was guiding our work.

We collected secondary data from state surveillance systems, from our different community partners and their programs from our departments.

We also collected primary data.

We had 748 people respond to a survey.

We did focus groups and key informant interviews, and that all led to the really big document in front of you, which is you know 200 plus pages.

Um, and so a quick snapshot of what's in there.

In the 12-month period that ended in February 2025, there were 179 overdose deaths in Washoe County.

Washoe County's overdose death rates are higher than state and national averages.

Fentanyl has largely replaced other opioids on our drug market, so you're really not seeing heroin or illicitly manufactured um opioids like oxycotton and oxycodone anymore.

It's really been replaced by fentanyl.

And despite a very common misconception, fentanyl is not in all of the drugs.

I know a lot of people think it is, but uh most of the time weed is just gonna be weed.

Um meth is just gonna be meth, uh, which is not great either, right?

Uh, but uh it's not really gonna be always adulterated with fentanyl.

There are occasions where there are trace amounts of fentanyl, which is why it's important to still encourage people to test their drugs to make sure that they're not accidentally overdosing.

Um then polysubstance use is a continued major challenge in our community.

People use meth and fentanyl.

Uh, and meth is still the number one illicit drug of choice in Washoe County.

So, some other findings from our conversations.

Treatment access and navigation is a major challenge in Washoe County.

There are long wait lists, people don't know which insurance they have and which places take their insurance, and so this causes people's window of change to close while they're waiting to get access to services.

We need to be ready to provide services immediately when somebody is ready for change.

We also had some great work happening to connect people who are disconnected from services that got defunded in October of 2025.

I know everybody is housing is top of mind for everybody, and that's true too for our you know, family members and our friends and our community members who are using opioids or in recovery from opioids.

You really do need stable housing to even start engaging in recovery, and then once you're in the recovery process, you need to be in a safe supportive space so that you can maintain your recovery.

Going back to a place where maybe you've overdosed or where people are actively using can really cause a setback for somebody.

And then our behavioral health workforce is burning out at extremely high rates.

This is because we have pretty low pay, not great time off options, and insufficient training for those people, in particular the peers, the people who have gone through recovery processes themselves.

They are trapped in these entry level roles, and they're not given opportunities to grow and learn and move up within the workforce.

We need to continue to minimize morbidity and mortality.

I've already kind of hammered home that we have high overdose rates, but this is also bloodborne pathogens and other illnesses that people have.

The number one thing that people who were using opioids actively talked to me about was actually dental care.

That was their major health concern.

And there's a lot of stigma that prevents people from accessing treatment and care.

And then, of course, families and youth, they we need more supports for them.

Substance use is intergenerational, and we need to break that cycle by providing whole family care, so not just for the parent, but for the parent and child individually and as a unit to try and kind of heal the wounds in that relationship.

And that can include the grandparent, aunts, and uncles.

There's a lot to heal.

And then prevention education is outdated and inconsistent.

Kind of along with our treatment access and navigation, systems coordination can be improved.

We have fragmented services that are not necessarily speaking to each other.

There's not great program evaluation data, and then that data is not shared in between organizations.

And part of that is because of you know limited resources and people kind of competing for those.

And I know everybody in here talks a lot about system involvement and just a system involvement and making sure that we interrupt people going deeper into the systems.

And that's really important again for our people who are using opioids.

We want to make sure that if they're on medications for opioid use disorder, that they are maintained when they enter the jail, and that then when they leave the jail, they are immediately connected to more services.

And as one mom who lost their child said, they can't seek recovery if they're dead.

And this is you know part of the main thing we want to keep people alive and healthy so that they can you know be a part of our community again.

So we collected all that information, we thought about it, and we came up with a series of strategies.

And this is the other document in front of you.

Uh, and we shared these strategies.

First, we took a look at the state statute and the settlement use of funds and made sure that they aligned and we weren't gonna you know break any rules.

And then we presented those to the steering committee to get their feedback, made some revisions, and then we brought it back to the steering committee, the living experience advisory board, and we had a public community meeting to do some prioritization.

And so from that information, we learned that the community really wants to continue two of the priorities from the original assessment, which is overdose prevention and outreach, and this is really the education and knowledge that goes along with the tool of Narcanernal Oxone, not just making sure that people have the tool in their hand.

Child welfare supports of providing whole family support to heal families impacted by opioid use.

And then some new priorities that came up were this targeted outreach and care navigation, making sure that we're going out to people who are disconnected who might not know where services are and connecting them to the appropriate services, but not just that one time.

We stick with them and we navigate them through the whole system so that they get all of the resources they need.

Expanding housing services.

We kept this pretty broad.

We have to keep it specific to opioid use because of the litigation documents, but we want to make sure that wherever there's momentum in the community that we can kind of bring this funding to bear with that so that we can get more housing for folks and make sure that they are maintaining their recovery.

Mobile health and street health, so this is bringing health care to people, talking about you know, some of these health care issues that aren't necessarily the top of mind when we think about opioid use disorder, but are top of mind for the people who are struggling with opioid use.

Program evaluation to assess what's actually working in the community and for whom, and peer-led workforce supports.

This is a mental health and behavioral health support for peers and providers by peers and providers to make sure that they aren't burning out, but also to give them resources and a place to like talk about what's going on in their lives, what their needs are that are separate from the same spaces that maybe their clients are participating in.

And so our next steps will announce the next if you like everything.

We will announce the next NOFO in 2026 to address these priorities.

Continued collaboration and coordination with our community partners to kind of address that system fragmentation, and then we will have to do another needs assessment in 2029.

That is all.

Oh, that's all.

That's all.

You've been working so hard on this.

So and I know you've been out in community and really connecting with folks who have this lived experience, getting them what they need.

I wish we had more money to invest in housing and crossroads because we know that program works, and especially with the expansion of the family crossroads program.

I wish we could put more money towards that program because I know that we have waiting lists on those programs, don't we?

I'm pretty sure every single crossroads program has a waiting list.

Yeah.

And the bummer with crossroads is that once you graduate, then we have to find you permanent housing, and that's also a crisis in our community.

So it is definitely tough to fight.

But I'm I'm so glad that you're learning about what people need on the ground, and this is incredible.

This report.

So I'll go to the vice chair first for questions or comments.

No comments, but um, it's amazing what you've done.

Yeah.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

And Commissioner Garcia.

Thank you.

I'm gonna start calling you Dr.

Beal because this is literally uh PhD dissertation, 190 pages, 48 pages.

Uh, well done.

And I've seen firsthand how much you're in the community, how you know the people doing the work that have booths on the ground.

So I really commend your passion and your leadership on this.

Um, you've delivered an incredible roadmap for us to follow, and so we are uh fully indebted to you.

I um co-presented uh I you were voluntary to pop up and help me present at a JTN thing, and and one of the first things I said to the providers in the room is please don't burn out.

And I didn't realize that that was actually one of the findings.

I mean, we know that we have a shortage of uh you know the behavioral workforce and and people that are doing this type of work, but it's um all jokes aside, it it is hard, hard work, and the work can't be done unless these um practitioners providers are healthy, the nonprofits that they represent are healthy and that all the system is is working um collaboratively.

I wanted to give you a chance to uh highlight the living experience advisory board.

Um, it's in the report.

Um, I saw that they were they had the chance to do some of their own ranking, but if you could just touch on that and just um before I close, just thank you again for all your hard work.

Yeah, absolutely.

So the living experience advisory board, we did a couple of different things with them.

They provided guidance and feedback on all the tools, so the survey tools, the interviews that we did, they kind of guided what were the questions and and refined some of the questions to make sure that we were asking things that were important to them as well.

Um, we actually, from the survey that was originally done, we added a whole new section specifically to ask people who are currently using substances questions about their experiences.

And so they gave that guidance, but they also we provided them with training to go out into community and talk to people and do the survey themselves so that we were reaching people that wouldn't necessarily talk to me or talk to another you know county representative, but you know, would talk to somebody who was in a similar place to them to really make sure that we were getting a wider view of what was happening.

Um, and then they also you know came back and looked at the data and said, okay, here's where we're with what what resonates with us, what doesn't make sense to us, and they did their own prioritizations uh session of looking at it from what what they think would work in our community and what they thought we should be doing, and kind of ranking it based on those questions.

And on the lack of transportation, hopefully you know that Commissioner Garcia and I can support those efforts if you let us know well in advance on bus passes and things like that.

I know that that's also a barrier.

Yeah, absolutely.

I'll talk to you more about that.

Yeah, let just let us know.

Um we want to support folks in recovery.

Commissioner Andreela.

Yeah.

So thank you.

For doing all this hard work.

And I know it wasn't you, it was everybody collaboratively, but thanks for your passion about really making a difference and using these funds to help change and impact lives.

But you mentioned during the slide, one of the slides, and you don't have to go back to it, but you were going to do uh one-page summary and give it to your to give it to the collaborative partners or something to that effect.

And I'm wondering if there might be an opportunity to keep us in mind in terms of updates, because this is a lot of work.

And I think maybe Commissioner Garcia knows President Sandoval for an honorary PhD, but I do think sometimes that it would be helpful to be able to get how things are progressing if the chair so feels that would be that.

But I do think it's important because there's a lot of work here and there's a lot more work to do.

I'm also really interested in learning how the sequential intercept model connects into this.

Um and I'll look forward that to that maybe being as a follow-up uh presentation as you roll out those next steps.

Absolutely.

And we do update data on all of the programs that we fund on the website.

It shows how much money we received, where it's gone, but I will absolutely make sure that when you do any other one pagers that we send it to your way.

But reading it is nothing compared to the enthusiasm that you bring.

So I think we'll welcome that wonderful opportunity.

So thank you for all your hard work.

And Commissioner Clark.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for your report.

Uh one quick question.

Are these both of these reports available on the county's website?

Can the public access these uh online?

They will be.

I was waiting for you all to say that you liked them and that you approved them before I made them live.

Fine, fine, I understand.

I'll get a chance to review that then.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay.

If we don't have any other comments or questions from board members.

Oh, you have a comment?

Oh.

Uh then I am looking for a motion on uh yes, go ahead, Commissioner Creston.

I'm sure I'll proudly uh recommend to approve the Washoe County opioid needs assessment and the ORF plan, the funding plan as presented in the staff report.

Looking for a second.

Oh, second.

Thank you, Commissioner Andrew.

And Madam Clerk, any public comment?

There's nobody signed it.

Okay, we have a motion and a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, please say nay.

And it's on your screen.

We're just on delayed.

Sorry, it's taking so long.

All good, it's not your fault.

It was unanimous.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

And congratulations.

Thank you for your work, and we'll stay in touch.

We want to hear the updates on the progress.

Okay.

We'll now move into item 15, Manager Thomas.

Thank you.

Item 15 requests board approval to transfer the local assistance and tribal consistency fund grant funds of a minimum of 10.5 million dollars, which includes principal and interest, uh, to the community foundation of Northern Nevada.

All but $500,000 of these funds will be used for the creation of a Washoe Behavioral Health Endowment Fund, which will allow us to use a portion of the income from that endowment to support the operations and maintenance of the Washoe Behavioral Health Center.

If the annual operations and maintenance of the uh Washow Behavioral Health Center are satisfied, and if there are funds in excess, those funds may at the discretion of the county manager or his or her designee be placed into the existing regional behavioral health initiatives fund at the community foundation to support strategic behavioral health initiatives.

In addition, the board's going to use the designation of that $500,000 that's pulled out of there to support the regional behavior behavioral health initiatives fund for a potential payment to renowned health to support the crisis care center upon completion of a written agreement with Renown Health.

After a two million dollar contribution from the state is exhausted and conditions in the agreement are met.

And it'll authorize that any remaining funds designated to renown that are not utilized remain at the community foundation for Northern Nevada and be designated to the crisis response system.

So lots going on in there.

I understand if there are questions, but I'll turn it back over to the board.

Great.

And are you the lead staff member on this item?

Um I'm the lead staff member on all.

I know you are.

I know.

Um, so if there's any, I mean Commissioner Andrella.

We've got the community foundation renowned is here.

We've got Julia here.

We've got our behavioral health administrator, and you have your CFO here.

So we've got all the folks.

We got all the people.

Awesome.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Uh, Commissioner Andrew, I'll start with you.

You had pulled the item and then we'll go on.

Um I I really appreciate uh you all being in the audience.

I I'm hoping if um the chair is okay.

I really think that um getting a snapshot of what the importance is of this was why I wanted to pull it.

I pretty much spend 24 by seven.

I will either thinking about this or certainly out in the community trying to do what we can to share the great work that Washoe County is doing and the model that is not typically a government model.

I when I speak with folks who uh operate businesses and share how this is going to work, it's really not on the backs of taxpayers.

It's really a model, and I think to the Hammonds who were just here a moment ago and hearing about losing their daughter, mental health was what sh you know the mom had brought up.

Mental health is permeates throughout our entire community, if not the nation.

And I know I when I speak with people always say the Washoe County Behavioral Health Center for Children.

And I think the fact that this is for children and the gap that's being filled after West Hills left, and the model that, as I already mentioned, that's in place, and that's what I was hoping, Madam Chair, that we could have a brief overview.

I know all of the commissioners are well aware of this initiative, being that it was on our strategic planning meeting that we unanimously approved moving forward.

But I do think it's we got we have a lot of information.

And so I think putting this top of mind and really understanding the investment and the difference that we're going to make in the lives of children in our community is important, and that's why I pulled it.

So if I could maybe Miss Raddy might be able to help provide that, and then I was thinking that it might be helpful to follow up with the fiscal model and what that looks like in setting this up with a community foundation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair, for the opportunity, Commissioner.

Um I believe we have some slides.

They're good to go.

That clicker is right there on the podium.

Okay, I see it.

So let's just uh start briefly with what the Washoe Behavioral Health Center is and why, in particular, as uh Commissioner Andreola emphasized that this is so important for our community.

So in 2021, um, unfortunately, this exp this community experienced the closure of one of our key behavioral health providers in the form of the West Hills Hospital.

Um, when that um facility closed, it was widely recognized that blew a big hole in our behavioral health system of care.

And this excuse me, this county commission and the leadership of the county decided that that was not something that we were willing to stand for, and um, under your leadership, we use some federal dollars, some uh American Rescue Plan Act dollars to purchase that facility and to start working towards plans to renovate that facility so we would not lose those services in our community.

So that project has been underway for quite some time now.

We've been able to secure somewhere around 28 million dollars to continue that renovation, and that uh there are folks here from CSD who could comment on it, but demo demolition is well underway early in next year.

You'll you'll see receive the final bid package that will help us to uh finalize the building.

The building's important.

But what happens in the building is probably more important, um, and what will happen in that building is a series of um behavioral health services for children.

Some of those those uh exist in our community but just don't exist to the scale that we need.

So, an example there would be a psychiatric residential treatment facility.

This is an inpatient uh three weeks to three months-ish residential treatment, where not only will we meet the behavioral health needs for those children and adolescents, but also their schooling, there'll be art, there'll be uh different activities, there, you know, obviously we take care of them 24-7, feed them, house them, etc.

But in addition, we're gonna have an outpatient clinic.

So the intent there is that these families can have one sort of behavioral health home.

So if they're they start an outpatient and step up, that that they can stay within the same facility.

If they start in outpatient, they can step down and still have their outpatient needs met.

And then there are two um different services that we are contemplating in that facility that are innovative that don't currently exist in our community today.

One is what's known as a crisis stabilization center.

Um the other part of this agenda item is we have been able to open a crisis stabilization center for adults, 18 and over, but we do not have a crisis stabilization center for children.

Um how many of you have ever been to the emergency room?

Once or twice.

Is it a therapeutic environment?

Not necessarily.

They do a wonderful job, of course, to meet the emergency medical needs.

Um, so think of this as a urgent care for behavioral health needs.

So instead of showing up at the emergency room, you can show up at a facility that is designed specifically to meet your behavioral health needs.

And then finally, um, being thoughtful about the needs of our foster care families and postadoptive families.

We are looking at if we can integrate emergency respite, so this is when behaviors are escalating and people need a timeout.

So that's why it's important.

We talk about capital projects, we talk about building, but at the end of the day, these are meaningful services that will help address the needs of children and families in our community.

And the last thing I would say about why it's important, or well, the last two things I would say about why it's important.

We're hoping for it to be a teaching facility.

We have a shortage of behavioral health providers in our community, and that is important.

And at any given time, there's about 50 kids in our community from Washoe County who have to go out of state or down to Vegas to receive care.

And that is incredibly challenging for families, and we want to keep more of those kids and families home.

So it addresses a critical community need and really fills some of the gaps in our community.

We will be soliciting for an operator.

We don't intend to operate it ourselves.

We intend to go out for an RFP to say, hey, we can bring this building to bear.

What what expertise and services can you bring to bear to make sure that we're meeting these needs?

And this particular item allows for the operations of the facility.

I don't mean the medical care, but I just mean the lights and all the kinds of things that we need to do at an operational level to be covered through an endowment.

That means that that won't be hitting or hurting the county's general fund or some of the other programs that we care about in our community, but rather that these expenses will be able to be covered on an ongoing basis through this endowment.

That is the intent.

So it keeps those resources that we do have focused on patient care and not necessarily on keeping the lights on.

The other piece is the Renowned Crisis Care Center.

So you will all have remembered me coming up here multiple times now and talking about our crisis system of care.

Our crisis system of care is this very transformational work that we're trying to do as a collective, it's a community, it's a broad-based collaboration to transition people who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis out of the current status quo system, which is call 911.

If somebody rolls, it's likely going to be first responders, police fire ambulance.

And if you go someplace, you're either going to end up at the emergency room or jail to a behavioral health crisis system of care where you call 988.

Hopefully, if we're able to roll someone, it's a behavioral health mobile crisis team.

That's the part we're still really working on.

And then finally, if you need someplace to go, it's a crisis care center.

Again, the crisis care center is innovative, new to Nevada.

We haven't done this before in the state of Nevada.

It's a significant commitment on the part of the operator in that they are required to be operating 24-7 so that at any time that you find yourself in crisis, you can walk in their doors.

And there's a significant amount of money needed to start up.

And so in this particular instance, we had $6.2 million of federal funds that had been committed through a competitive RFP process to the operator in our community, which is renowned.

That funding covered the remodel of the facility over on the NAMS campus.

It covered some IT medical records kinds of things, and then it covered some startup funds because you don't go from zero to a hundred on something like that, and it doesn't pencil for the first period of time while you're waiting to get those services ramped up.

The operator has to hire enough staff and enough and be ready to take all comers 24-7, but they don't necessarily have all comers immediately to be able to bill insurance and to be able to reimburse that model to make it sustainable.

In the long term, the belief is that it is sustainable.

But again, I will say this has never been done here in the state of Nevada.

We've got one open in Clark County.

Now we've got this one.

Thankfully, Renown was willing to step up.

So those $6.2 million, some of it was spent, but the rest was clawed back by the federal government.

And so the funding, the center opened in February, closed again, and thankfully renowned was granted two million dollars from the state of Nevada, and they were able to take that money and go ahead and open their doors.

And the county through this action is committing another $500,000.

The state's money will be drawn down first.

It's basically gap funding to close that gap.

And if they make it through all the state money, then they would be able to draw down the county's money just to cover that startup window of time.

And again, it's intended to be a sustainable model moving forward.

Good morning, Madam Chair, Madam Vice Chair, members of the Board of County Commissioners, Abby Yakovan, Chief Financial Officer working on this project.

So LATCF is the local assistance and tribal consistency fund.

It's part of the American Rescue Plan Act funds.

You accepted those funds of 9.4 million dollars in October of 2022.

And they have few restrictions on them.

We are not allowed to use them for lobbying, but there are fewer restrictions on them.

So we got creative and are trying to make them sustainable.

So to make the funding sustainable, we had two choices.

One, we could spend it all at once on a project that was eligible.

There were many projects that were eligible, but we decided to propose to a more sustainable model for many reasons.

And our proposal is to transfer these funds to the uh community foundation of Northern Nevada, create an endowment fund, which can be invested with a slightly longer strategy.

We're looking at this as a longer, longer term uh than our normal investment, which is for cash flow needs normally when within the one to three and three to five year uh programs.

They can we uh uh community foundation has more flexibility.

As uh Ms.

Raddy mentioned, the first uh $500,000 will go into a one-time uh fund for uh the renowned crisis care center and the remaining funds of about 10 million dollars when we include the original 9.4 million dollars of disbursement plus about $600,000 of interest are proposed to remain in perpetuity.

There is a fee of $75 basis points or three quarters of one percent that will uh be retained by the community foundation for investment advisory service and custodial services because these are now in their uh name and they will be managing them.

This uh these funds are proposed to be used for the operations and maintenance of the Washoe Behavioral Health Center.

And when I say operations and maintenance, Ms.

Raddy and I were talking about this, and it's it's not for major capital improvements, there will not be enough funding there.

But we're assuming there'll be about 450,000 a year to offset lights outside maintenance, inside maintenance, and things like that, so that we can part of the reason is to signal to potential uh vendors that we uh care about this we're invested for the long term and it's not dependent upon general fund fluctuations.

And if there's excess in addition to the four and a half percent that we're proposing uh to be remitted to the county annually, uh those funds would go into the regional behavioral initiatives fund uh to handle the projects that are surrounding uh the the participants that are coming to the different centers and hospitals and programs for all behavioral health initiatives, really.

And we feel that this is an ideal strategy because as I mentioned before, the community foundation can focus on longer term investing, their goals and priorities can be different than ours.

We will have a dedicated investment advisor, and it's the same gentleman, uh Ken Lambert from Pivine Capital, who used to manage uh PERS investments of about $35 billion, so we know he is uh qualified in the market, knowing uh the resident expert and and Nevada expert as well.

So we we feel very comfortable with that.

The fund is side by side with the larger behavioral health priority, which we feel signifies long-term commitment to this project to any potential operators who may want to come and partner with us and and uh put a proposal in for this.

And ensures the long-term life uh viability of the building and for and the infrastructure, not the huge renovations, uh you know, chillers, roofs, things like that, but your operations and maintenance.

We feel that there's enough here that most of that should be covered.

So the mechanics and the next steps.

You augmented this fund uh by increasing the budget to allow for us to transfer the interest portion uh to the community foundation.

We always had appropriation or budget authority to transfer the original grant amount over of $9.4 million.

But the state law here requires you to take action for us to increase a budget for any reason.

So we had to augment the fund at the last meeting uh for the interest income to be moved over to community foundation.

Once they're transferred to the community foundation, the first 500 will be split off for that crisis care center, and then the second portion will be invested uh in those longer-term investments for that long-term sustainability.

The goal is for those operating funds because we'll always be a year in arrears, so we're never trying to time the market.

We're gonna invest, we'll have a year or a little more under our belts.

Uh, we'll have those proceeds to place into the you know, once the center is open, we'll be we'll be able to hit the ground running because we will have a year to uh to invest.

Uh, and and so we're looking at that this as a really great timing for for this project.

Um, and the crisis care center funding is available right away, but as um Ms.

Raddy mentioned before, renowned will exhaust the state's contribution, and we'll also need a written agreement with them to to ensure the terms and conditions are met based on your your vote today.

With that, any one of us will be happy to take your questions or comments.

Thank you.

And I think you know this is so creative because I well, my understanding on the West Hills piece, and I don't want to speak for the company is that maintaining that building was not something that they could build into their business model, and uh hearing from people who have stayed there and who West Hills has helped them.

They're like, please, Washoe County, invest in that building.

We really want to make sure it's a better experience for people experiencing these um crises.

And so um, I think making sure that we have that sustainable funding for maintenance is brilliant, and I really appreciate the work on that.

Thank you so much.

All right, um, we'll go down the line, Vice Chair Herman.

All right.

Lots of information.

Really appreciate all your work.

We've been in this together, haven't we?

Yeah, and uh, I don't have any questions.

I'm just all ears right now.

Listen, so thank you.

And Commissioner Garcia.

I just wanted to thank um the community foundation for being such a great partner with Washoe County.

This is a creative solution.

It's nice to know that we'll have that little cushion at little 450,000 approximately a year to know that we can lean on that for those ongoing maintenance.

And I did want to give Manager Thomas a chance.

Um, this was a this these funds were approved back in 2022 before I was elected, many of us on the board.

Um, so if there's um any acknowledgement or um staff time or contributions to help kind of bring this idea to fruition, I'd like to give you an opportunity to kind of shine the light on on a little bit of the history of how we got here.

Well, first of all, I want to thank uh the board for your steadfast willingness to not spend this thing six ways to Sunday.

Um I know that I've had conversations with your predecessors as well as this board, and the willingness to support setting aside a number of this magnitude so that it can be sustainable is to be commended, and it's a true sign of leadership.

Um so I'm really excited about it.

I had the opportunity to run a program um early, early in my career off of a settlement that came from waste management, and I spent the interest income on a used oil recycling program as an early analyst in a public works department.

And so this concept was one that uh when we brought it forward, the team really wrapped their minds around works.

There was a whole bunch of people that worked on the ability to make this happen and be sustainable, and so yeah, you see the folks that are in this room, there are many others that were involved.

Um and then coming up with a really useful and sustainable way to fund Washoe Behavioral Health Center so it isn't a drain on the taxpayer dollar, I think is is really commendable.

So just thank you all for your leadership on this.

I can't say enough about your willingness to be steadfast and and put this in a way that it can serve people in the long term.

So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Andrew.

Uh thank you.

I I think from a simplistic uh standpoint for me, the fact that this public-private partnership, thank you to the community foundation, thanks to the foresight, um, as Commissioner Garcia just mentioned uh long before.

Well, I guess Commissioner Herman, thank you for being a part of that.

Um, where you're literally having the operator when the RFP is let when that process is done, who will be the operator of executing the facility and helping children in their most vulnerable time.

Right now, the gap that exists is as Ms.

Raddy already pointed out, is a hospital.

A hospital is not the place to have the care that's needed for that child, um, whether it's the trauma or sex trafficking or foster care or whatever it might be, but then also the teaching opportunity.

But the fact that the RFP, whoever that operator is going to operate it, and then the sustainability of the endowment funds will keep the lights and and keep all of that, and it doesn't hit the general fund.

Certainly is to be commended by everyone who put this together.

So thank you, Vice Chair Herman, for having that leadership as well since you were here and we weren't.

Um, thank you for the dedication of really taking this on because it hasn't been done.

I know with that when I speak with various folks across the state and talk about this.

It's um it's really something to be proud of, and the fact that we were able to begin this uh renovation, if you will, and create a model where the RFP will actually have the operator do what I've already shared now several times.

I share it so much because it's it's an unusual situation.

Most of the time when you have a program, especially of a government program, there's always some type of government funding that has to continually feed it, and that's not the model.

So to save children's lives to make a difference to have Lizzie Hammond when the the Hammonds, I wish they were here, and have the ability to even have advisory groups where they can help, and there's been some discussion about that when that's ready.

But thank you.

It's a big thank you, and I can't hopefully wait too long.

I don't know what is the anticipated time of the operation, the facility being done, the RFP going out, and us seeing maybe the first client.

Well, not us seeing, but the operator seeing the first client.

So uh this board will still have some decisions to be made in the February timeline about the next GMP that comes up that is when you will get the full number of what's gonna cost to finish this thing.

Assuming that like that's a couple months from now, and you need a lot more information, right?

But assuming that that GMP were to move forward successfully, we should be able to open it in the first half of 2027.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Commissioner Clark.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for your report.

And I'm wondering to Commissioner Andrew's point on the Washoe Behavioral Health Center.

I know the the main focus is for children.

Have we thought of adding for children to it?

The title, I know we've landed on, I don't know, it's already a long title, but um just to make it clear, you know, who we're serving, and I don't know if it helps with fundraising or if that is something that we should even get involved with.

I unofficially add it.

Maybe I shouldn't have disclosed that in public, but it is for children.

So I don't know.

I think I'll let Miss Raddy answer, but for me, I think there isn't any bigger gift than to have specialty folks saving the lives of children.

So again, thank you.

Well, uh for future discussion, it sounds like just add another C on that thing.

Um but that that I think this is an exciting day.

I think this board has been doing some really monumental lifts that honestly the state should be doing, but we are uh we're standing this up because we know that we need to help kids in our backyard, and honestly, this will help when when we went to the interim committee on finance at the legislature, we're gonna be helping all of northern Nevada, let's be real, because there's no other facility for the rest of the state.

So um something to be proud of, but also realizing that we're gonna need more resources right as we open, but um cannot wait for that first half of 2027.

Very exciting.

All right, if there's no other comments from the board, I am looking for a motion.

Madam Chair, I'll move to approve this presentative.

Thank you, Commissioner Andrilla.

Second, thank you, Commissioner Garcia, and Madam Clerk, any public comment?

Okay, thank you very much.

We have a motion and a second.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed, please say nay.

And it's on your screen if you haven't hit the button.

It was unanimously.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Oh, good.

Okay, we are now moving into I can't believe it, our final public comment.

Uh Manager Thomas.

That's right.

The comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the commission agenda.

Unused time may not be allocated to other speakers, and please make comments to the commission as a whole.

Thank you so much, Madam Clerk.

First up, we have Trista Gomez, followed by Kathleen Yarte or Catherine Yarte.

Oh, forgot the one.

All right, Trista Gomez for the record.

I can't help but notice that Commissioner Andreola steps out every single time.

I'm in my second public comment.

So I just wanted to note that.

Um so now that we've talked about this model, and I there's a couple things I want to say.

I don't think any resident is opposed to, you know, I mean, obviously, we want to really adequately fund essential services, constitutional offices.

You know, what are essential services?

What do those constitute?

As a community, can we figure out what those are?

These are really important things.

And in many jurisdictions over the country, and I'm blessed to be able to travel often.

Um, you know, there's a lot of people who handle those essential services and those constitutional offices really, really well.

And then there's communities that have some funding, just like what we just heard, where there's you know, sustainable funding for some of these um for you know these programs that are badly needed.

And if there was any room in the budget, even if there was a surplus afterwards, and all of those costs weren't necessarily taken care of, there would be plenty of room to maybe augment or or sustain those, you know, to some degree.

But what happens when the budget is 27 million dollars a year over budget, is that you're looking for increased revenue sources.

And when you're looking for increased revenue sources after you've raised the budget 40% and you've increased the budget, you know, well beyond its its capabilities, is what you really do is you start to create barriers here.

Um you know, your old people, your young people, your people trying to start out.

That's this that's this demographic.

And so when we have no extra money, and I would really encourage you to look at your 2019 budget because it was a beautiful piece of work.

It was lovely.

And your accounting people that year did a phenomenal job of making sure that they said you shouldn't spend this money without being able to sustain it.

It's a great budget.

I'd really encourage you to.

But when you start talking about increased revenue, and we've looked at this a lot in different jurisdictions, and when I travel, you can see it on the streets, the crime, the garbage, the lack of businesses, the overt regulations, the things that really impact this population really significantly.

If you don't control those, you end up with the problems that we see in other jurisdictions that haven't controlled that.

We're starting to be that jurisdiction.

That's a that's a problem we're currently starting to have.

And so I would encourage you to pay attention to this population.

This is where this is what I'm looking at, and address those people's needs.

Thank you.

Catherine Yarte.

That's really low.

Good afternoon, Catherine Yarte for the record.

Um, I don't have anything major.

I just wanted to go back to the presentation, uh, item 5A1 from the um uh capital projects and the review of the sewer and wastewater.

I thought that was a fantastic presentation, and I just had an idea that I wanted to pose to the board.

Um I know he was discussed.

We had at the end been discussing the water usage for data centers and the lack of potable water and trying to take some of the pressure off of the Truckee Meadows and uh the Truckee River and our groundwater.

So, would it be something to consider to require businesses that don't need potable water to operate, such as data centers that are using it strictly for cooling, to require them to use reclaimed water and cover the cost of additional filtration at their own expense because it is their use that is causing the water to not be effective for what they need.

Um that would take less water out of potable water.

The idea that you were using potable water to cool a data center when we could be using it to take care of our citizens feels very wasteful when we already know how limited our water basin is and how little water rights are to go around as someone who had to buy water rights as part of my business because we do take care of livestock and people with it.

Um this was something that came up and crossed my mind during that presentation, and I just wanted to share it on the record as an opportunity to explore to potentially utilize that reclaimed water in an effective way and put the burden back on the developers and the businesses coming in rather than the citizens.

So thank you.

There's nobody else signed in.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We'll now move into item 20, Manager Thomas.

This is your final commissioner county manager managers' announcements, reports, and updates to include boards and commission updates, requests for information, or topics for future agendas.

Do you have anything else for us?

Okay, Vice Chair Herman.

Okay, Commissioner Garcia, Commissioner Andrew, Commissioner Clark.

Thank you.

No comment.

Thank you.

And I miss this and the original comments.

I want to give a huge shout out to all of the county staff who've been working so hard to be generous this holiday season with the clerk's silver sleigh award.

And so I was hoping that our Madam Clerk could just give us an update on what has been happening with this and give a little support to our staff who are so generous and that they serve our community and then they give back to our community.

We have the best staff in the region.

Go ahead, Madam Clark.

Certainly.

You challenged the employees of Washoe County and Washoe County as a whole, and this was a month ago or so.

So far, when the Silver Slay project started, the employees have donated $9,455.

And this is a competition, and so and we have to the food bank.

So this is a um a by department by the full-time employees per department.

So not surprising, the public guardian's office is in first place.

Wow.

They have 20 employees, and they have donated over a thousand dollars.

Amazing.

Second place is human resources donating a thousand twenty-five dollars with only 21 employees.

Third place is the clerk's office, 17 employees with over 800 donated.

Fourth place is the county manager's office, $990 donated with 32 full-time employees, and fifth place is the treasurer with 550 donated and 21 full-time employees.

So I know there is a strategy for some departments.

They like to wait till the very end and dump it into the pot.

But um, and that being said, you only have until the 19th to save your pennies and dump them all at the end.

Um we will recognize at the very end the department who contributed the most dollar value, um, but for the competition, it is based on the number of full-time employees.

So thank you, uh all of the employees.

This has been a tremendous um undertaking and almost $10,000 in the first two weeks.

Yeah, that's incredible, and thank you for your leadership, madam clerk on that as well.

So thank you to the employees.

We have the best employees.

Okay.

Uh if there's nothing else from the board, it is 12 36 and we are adjourned.