Washoe County District Board of Health Retreat and Budget Meeting – February 26, 2026
Washoe County District Board of Health Retreat and Budget Meeting – February 26, 2026
The Washoe County District Board of Health held a special retreat and regular meeting on February 26, 2026. The meeting began at 9:00 a.m. with roll call establishing a quorum. The retreat focused on strategic planning, incorporating findings from the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), workforce planning, and financial sustainability. The board also approved the proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 and discussed new financial guiding principles.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the agenda (motion by Mr. Driscoll, second by Mr. Anderson, unanimous).
- Approval of the January 22, 2026 meeting minutes (motion by Mr. Brown, second by Mr. Driscoll, unanimous).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jamar May (culinary entrepreneurship student and founder of Mars Mobile Mungeys) requested clarification on how Northern Nevada Public Health interprets the word "stand" under Senate Bill 92 regarding sidewalk food vending. He described his proposed low-capital, stand-based model and asked how local implementation aligns with state law.
- Carrie Kelly (Renown Health) expressed support for the joint community health assessment process, highlighting the benefits of shared data, reduced duplication, and coordinated action to improve community health. She emphasized that the assessment is a "call to action" for all partners.
Discussion Items
- Strategic Planning Direction: The board participated in an icebreaker sharing impactful personal/professional advice, then received a presentation on the CHA/CHIP. The top four community health priorities identified were: 1) Mental Health, 2) Access to Health Services, 3) Economic Stability, and 4) Health Risk Behaviors and Early Detection. The board discussed NPH’s role as both a direct service provider and a convener/advocate. Multiple members stressed the importance of aligning these priorities with the sequential intercept model and addressing maternal and child health as a cross-cutting issue. The board generally supported the top four priorities for the next three-year planning cycle, with a request to better integrate maternal and child health into the CHIP.
- Fiscal Sustainability & Budget: Staff presented a detailed financial overview showing that salary, benefit, and overhead costs are growing faster than revenues (72% and 75% increases since 2019, respectively). The fund balance is projected to approach the minimum reserve by 2028 without corrective measures. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 includes a $1 million above-base request from the county to address shortfalls. The board discussed the need for priority-based budgeting and compliance-driven resource allocation.
- Financial Guiding Principles: Five proposed principles were presented: 1) maintain ending fund balance between 10–17%, 2) achieve 100% cost recovery for fees (with independent study every five years), 3) dedicate $500,000 annually to community health investments, 4) align resources with foundational public health services, and 5) enhance financial reporting to the board. The chair recommended that principle #1 be elevated to a formal policy (rather than a principle) and called for an additional principle on priority-based budgeting tied to compliance. No action was taken; the board provided direction for staff to refine.
Key Outcomes
- The board approved the proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 (motion by Mr. Brown, second by Mr. Anderson, unanimous).
- The board provided direction to staff to proceed with the top four CHA/CHIP priorities as the focus for the next three-year strategic plan, with integration of maternal and child health and cross-system collaboration (e.g., sequential intercept model).
- The board directed staff to bring back principle #1 (fund balance) as a separate policy item on a future agenda and to consider adding a principle on priority-based budgeting with compliance drivers.
- The meeting adjourned at 12:02 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Meeting to order at 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 26th for the district board of health. And it's going to be a great meeting. I can just feel it in the air. And it's warm and it's not snowing. So we're we're going to celebrate that as well. Like to go ahead and call uh roll call, please. Umbrella. Okay. Dr. Duarte? Here. Dr. Denko is not present, and Devin Reese is not present. We do have a quorum. Thank you so much. I'd like to ask Dr. Marte if he were due the pledge of the motions, please. It's to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Indivisible liberty justice for all. Comments heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person. It may pertain to matters both on and off the board agenda. Time may not be allocated to other speakers. Comments are to be made to the board as a whole, and virtual public comment can be taken when facilities are available. 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 untagonize or incite others are examples of speech that may be reasonably familiar. Warnings about disruptive conduct or comments may or may not be given prior to the more certain disruptions of a public meeting or criminal access to find under NRS, which may result in prosecution inappropriate cases. Um which was forwarded to the board members and is listed to the record. And we do have one request for public comment. Um I'd like to call out Jamar May. You're welcome to use the podium. My name is Jamar May. I'm a culinary entrepreneurship at Chucky Meadows Committee and a business management student at the University of Nevada Reno. I'm also the founder of Mars Mobile Mungeys. The original Mars Mobile Mungi's sidewalk stand model was developed as a practical learning step, a way to gain real-world learning experience before investing the significant capital required for a full trailer build-up. As a student studying both business management and culinary entrepreneurship, my goal has always been to build responsibility, gain experience, and scale appropriately. Senate Bill 92 establishes sites, sidewalk food vending as lawful regulated business activity in Nevada. The statute defines a sidewalk vendor as someone selling food upon a public sidewalk from a convenience. Including without limitation, a push cart, stand display, title-driven cart wagon showcase or rack. The word stand is explicitly included. My original concept was intentionally designed as a controlled limited risk sidewalk stand aligned with N NPH food safety and equipment standards, not a pushcart and not a full mobile food trailer. The design was conceptual and proposed a simple structured setup consisting of two tables under a tent, a portable steam table that have been dedicated solely to maintaining holding temperatures for precooked meats and canned nacho cheese with a portable griddle position outside of the tent and used strictly for hot finishing. All primary food preparation would have occurred at a permitted commissary kitchen. The setup also included a generator to safely power the steam table and lighting. A stand-based pathway was not presented as viable. I recognize how fortunate I am to be able to take that route. But many aspiring small business business owners cannot afford the capital required for a full trailer build out. Senate Bill 92 was to reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers while still maintaining appropriate food safety standards. So my question is simple.
openpublica.com