A lot of it is hallmarked by the dome, just like right above me.

And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and divisible with liberty and justice.

Do we have a Marine in the House?

Thank you so much.

We'll move now to roll call, please.

Chair Andreola.

Present.

Vice Chair Garcia is absent.

Commissioner Hill.

Here.

Commissioner Clark.

Present.

Commissioner Herman.

Here.

Manager Thomas.

DA Mike Large.

And I'm Jan Gallisini here, County Clerk.

Madam, you have a quorum.

Thank you so much.

We'll move now to item three, which is public comment.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

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.

Unused 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.

First up, we have Kevin Grant, followed by Tammy Holt still.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Thanks for uh giving me a few minutes.

Um my name is Kevin Grant.

I'm here to talk about the apartment project on Spectrum Boulevard.

I am a large partner in the Investor Investor Group, and we bought the land.

I'm actually the one that gave the project the thumbs up and then brought in the large investor that has majority ownership and control.

We've been working on the project for about six years now.

I really just wanted to introduce myself and let you know that the former developer has been terminated.

It's about ready to hand over to a general contractor anyway.

Uh and I just helped to move the project along and eventually will hire a construction manager to oversee the general contractor.

As you know, this area of the city and county is generally zoned suburban surrounding the uh county facility land.

There are five other residential areas within a few mile radius.

We've been asking to build a secondary emergency access road that is required for emergency access to the neighborhood, which has been added, uh which has the added benefit of providing additional emergency access uh for the county's land as well as other neighbors and futures future neighbors.

The commission remind uh resolved back in August of 2023 to have staff negotiate an agreement to allow the residential project to progress.

That agreement appears to be finalized.

Um, new to this level of detail, but the county is getting a really good deal.

We pay for the road, the infrastructure, we even pay for the gates to the facilities.

You get relief from our easement over your property, which I think is obsolete anyway, and it gives the county great flexibility down the road should you decide to repurpose that land in the distant future.

I'm here simply to put a new face on the project and you let you know that the priors prior developers' involvement has been terminated by the partners that own the land.

Uh we've been building stacks of documents, um, construction documents, utility commitments, civil designs for the road, water, city permits.

We even have landscaping designs.

Lastly, we are committed to doing what we can do help uh with the plight of seniors.

I should point out the construction costs have been rising faster than CPI for very many years, and that is not ending.

In fact, it's worse today.

And I should also point out that while I'm 66 today, Social Security has a cost of living adjustment.

It's backward looking.

We're experiencing bumps in cost of living now, and seniors don't get bump in cost of living adjustments until next January.

So it really doesn't work.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Tammy Holt still followed by Terry Brooks.

Good morning, Tammy Holt still, candidate for Washoe County District 5.

Commissioner, I am here today to speak about item number 11 that you will be seeing later today.

It is an incomplete written code.

There is an issue that came to light when I was in Gurlach that shows that hearings are not to be given or not to be done for anybody who does the grant for the affordable housing.

However, there should be a hearing whenever there's a zone taint, an amendment change without putting that language in the code.

Somebody's gonna get that grant.

And they're gonna want to put 10 homes in a four homes to an acre area, and not have to go through the hoops and not let us citizens speak about it and discuss it.

So it's something that needs to be changed in the code, and I hope that you will, before you guys vote on it the next time that you hear it, that it is changed and those loops are closed so that the developers have to do the right thing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Terry Brooks, followed by Pat Davison.

Good morning.

It's me, Terry Brooks again.

And today I'd like to engage in the topic of discrimination when it comes to housing and age.

There are a lot of elderly people who have lived in houses that they did own, but as they get a lot older, the maintenance work for it has grown.

Taking care of their house involved chore after chore, and as they got a lot older, they just couldn't do it anymore.

They realized that much of their energy came and then it went.

And they would feel more comfortable in a really small apartment.

Some housing owners have respect for the elderly, but other owners discriminate against the elderly.

They refuse to rent to the elderly, calling them old and senile.

They say they'd forget to pay the rent and only live there for a while.

These owners don't want to waste their space to those who are so old, even if such elderly people might wind up out in the cold.

They say that such elderly people are less likely to do a minor repair and are more likely to have an accident like falling off of a chair.

They say that the old are weak and have such poor eyesight that they are less likely to remember to turn off the kitchen light.

They say that the elderly use a lot less hygiene, and because they're old and lazy, they won't keep the place very clean.

Because of all these things, many elderly people may find it very difficult to find a place to stay.

But there are housing owners who do have hearts of gold who make good and safe places available to those who are old.

And I really like coming here.

This might be a good place for me to stay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Pat Davison, followed by General Barry.

Good morning, Chair Andreola and Commissioners.

My name is Pat Davison.

I'm a resident of District 5.

I'm speaking on two agenda items, 11 and 18, because I can't stay.

Both agenda items are development code changes related to housing.

Number 11 is the residential and commercial zoning.

It's a result of state legislation.

I did not provide any substantive comment to the planning commission when that was uh on the calendar because I'm not familiar with commercial standards like I am with residential.

However, the back and forth by your planning commission on this topic was very enlightening.

They virtually, my opinion, dissected the proposal, asked each other questions about current standards versus the proposed, and uh continue to uh have discussion and debate on this, resulting in what is in front of you today.

A great example of the planning commission doing their job doing the heavy lifting for you.

Number 18 is the expeditive process and the new definition for attainable housing, also as a result of state legislation.

I have no additional comment.

I do urge your strong support for that package.

Thank you.

Thank you.

General Barry, followed by Alana Fitzgerald.

Good morning, Audrey Berry, CEO of Liberty Dogs.

Commissioners, thank you for your thoughtful consideration and allow me to speak in support of a Washville County policy, allowing employees to bring service dogs and training to work.

Liberty Dogs is a national service dog training organization and placement program that exists to serve U.S.

veterans, but we cannot do it alone.

It takes a community and policies that make it possible for organizations like ours.

This policy enables us and employees to raise future service dogs for veterans with the support of the workplaces.

That is a powerful extension of public service.

But this is not just about allowing service dogs in the workplace.

It's also about supporting employee wellness, strengthening workplace culture, and importantly, creating pathways to serve our veteran community.

This policy is an intentionally structured with clear safeguards, insurance requirements, and full departmental discretion to ensure there is no disruption in operations.

Participation is extremely voluntary for both employees who would choose to take to bring a qualified dog and those who prefer not to partake.

To be clear, this policy does not change or impact ADA service animal protections.

It is distinctly separate and gives the county full discretion.

We have seen firsthand many times how these programs improve morale, reduce stress, and foster communication, not just within teams, but also across this community.

This positions Washam County, the first, as a leader in innovation, employee-centered policies while also supporting those who have served our country.

We're looking at other organizations, but at this time nobody has adopted the policy because we're just starting to make these presentations.

Hint hint.

So we respectfully ask for your support in advancing this policy that strengthens your workplace, our community, and changes the lives of our U.S.

veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country.

And I'll just say right now that we have we are planning on having over 200 service dogs on our campus by the end of the year.

And it takes organizations, community, puppy raisers, volunteers, those who support this.

We are working to be a best practice, a center of excellence, a North Star in this community.

So anything that you can do is Washwell County leadership to support this, we will be greatly great eternally grateful.

And I can tell you our U.S.

veterans and our K9s would also be grateful.

Thank you.

Thank you, General Barry.

Alana Fitzgerald, followed by Maureen McElroy.

Good morning, Alana Fitzgerald for the record, and good morning, Chair Andreola and Commissioners.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I'm a constituent in District One, and I'm thankful to my commissioner for all you do on our behalf.

With two potential openings coming up on the library board of trustees, I'd like to ask that you consider carefully and question applicants about their reason for seeking a seat on the board, and include questions that can reveal personal or philosophical agendas behind the drive to sit on that board.002 says it is the goal of the state's publicly supported libraries and information centers to provide resources and the trained staff to meet informational needs of all citizens.

But sadly, we have seen over the last couple of years how just one trustee who appears to be driven by an agenda to devalue the needs of some members of our community, how that individual can create challenges and chaos for our library system, the board, and ultimately the members of our community.

I'd also like to bring up the uh that the current strategic plan for the county under the fourth basic focus area, innovative services, emphasizes ensuring equitable access to services.

Having a trustee or trustees who try to inject a personal agenda into board decisions is operating in opposition to this.

So again, I ask you, please be careful in your selections.

I do have one other point to bring up to you today in doing my work.

Uh, it's that about the county strategic plan.

On the website, I don't see any updates past the one issued for fiscal year 2025.

Um, so I'm hoping that a plan and document similar to the long-term goals and annual initiatives is in the work, and uh we'll see something soon.

I'll close with that, and thank you very much.

I truly appreciate all you do and all the um employees of the county do for us every day.

Take care.

Thank you.

Maureen McElroy, followed by Penny Brock.

Good morning, Chair Andreola and Commissioners.

Um, I appreciate this time to speak.

Thank you so much.

For the record, my name is Maureen McElroy.

I'm a longtime resident of Washoe County and a native Nevada.

In acknowledgement of our upcoming National Library Week, which is April 19th through the 25th, and with an eye towards agenda item number 16, the county managers recommended fiscal year 2027 budget.

I'd like to thank the county for maintaining our library systems budget and for not decreasing it.

Although, although we would have all appreciated an increase of dollars to that budget, I know money's tight, and the county is being fiscally cautious, careful, and responsible.

Also, in light of the two library board of trustee positions that are opening up, I'd like to urge the commissioners to keep foremost in mind the gravity of selecting library trustees who truly understand the value and the importance of a free and diverse public library system, one that serves all members of a broad and thriving community.

Libraries are a uniquely American institution, and they serve folks from all walks of life.

Free libraries essentially level the playing field for our citizens by giving everyone free access to invaluable resources, information, entertainment, plus they offer a safe, welcoming environment for folks to just be.

I also provided this document that Dominion design flaw in Dominion.

There's a flaw.

They're not safe.

I found this document since after a 68% error rate with mail ballots was found in Michigan, a forensic audit of Dominion Voting Machines by election experts was before uh was beformed, and they concluded that it Dominion is intentionally and purposely designed with inherent errors to create systematic fraud and it influence election results.

We do not have secure and safe election devices.

But I also want to say that in November of 2025, Register of Voters, Andrew McDonald spent 106 176 million on a ballot marking device from Liberty Vote, whose name used to be Dominion Voting, Dominion Software.

We have all heard of that.

My question is Did Andrew McDonald receive any competitive bids on other ballot marking devices as required by law for large purchases.

I know the county commissioners approved the purchase.

Were additional bids reviewed by the county commissioners before approval?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jill O'Leary, followed by Bradley Carlson.

Jill O'Leary.

Thank you.

Good morning, Commissioners.

My name is Jill O'Leary.

I'm here today to submit for the record a request for action.

To suspend reconstruction on the historic Lincoln Highway.

And a request for action to suspend suspend funding for the Washoe County Competency Court.

I also want to express my dismay at the recent answer Commissioner Hill gave when asked about easing the pain of out-of-control gas prices.

She was given the opportunity to express that as a county commissioner, she could call for a suspension of the RTC 5 perpetual gas tax, but instead answered with a get with the governor has not done a good job of having EV stations throughout the state.

My disappointment in that kind of reply is an understatement.

Taxpayers expect transparency and accountability from all entrusted with public funds.

I will continue to demand complete verifiable information until Washoe County meets the standards.

The request for action have been distributed for the record.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Bradley Carlson, followed by Virginia Larmore.

Bradley Carlson for the record.

Madam Chair, members of the committee.

We've been uh we were organized in 1934 and have been in continually active since.

So we're a little over 100 years or 90, 90 years, sorry, on that.

And um, in that we're uh participating for International Dark Sky Week.

You'll hear a proclamation on that uh in a shortly here, and I'd encourage you to consider that and adopt it.

I also wanted to mention that following international dark sky week, we're gonna be observing International Astronomy Day at the Planetarium up at the University of the Flexian Planetarium.

That's Saturday, April 25th.

So we'll be joined by uh by the planetarium of course, code co-sponsoring activities with that all day and weather permitting telescope viewing in the evening.

And uh Friends of Nevada Wilderness will be joining us there, so we'll have a lot of family-oriented activities going on, and we uh the Astronomical Society of Nevada is just receiving a major donation to our organization.

It's a mobile observatory that we'll be using specifically for public outreach.

We'll be premiering that to the uh to the community on Saturday the 25th.

And uh with that time.

Thank you.

Virginia Larmore, followed by Alan Munson.

Good morning, commissioners, chair Andriola.

For the record, my name is Virginia Larmore.

I am a resident of District 2.

And I don't mean to bring up the past, but as I haven't been here for a little while, I felt compelled to touch on a topic that I promise has relevance.

I watched last month's Sierra Reflections meeting from home while recovering from walking pneumonia, thanks to my kids.

It was long, tempers were high, folks were understandably frustrated.

I found myself grateful for the small win that was gained by a commissioner who fought for a district, not her own, and for the hard questions asked by another commissioner.

But mostly the passionate discussion that ensued, highlighting the fact that we all lost in this deal, all of us.

A lot of unfair press came out of that meeting, a lot of angry finger pointing.

The fact is, in a state that relies so heavily upon property tax revenue, how do we win?

We either grow or die.

We as the public start out as a disadvantage once a developer has its eyes on a project.

The county is incentivized to approve and build housing demands, further incentivize approval.

And while I do not believe that there were any nefarious motives whatsoever to approve this project, the situation highlighted a real problem that our community must face together, regardless of party.

No one is coming to save us.

We either work together for the greater good or we all lose.

Right now, in our backyard, the largest data center complex in the country is expanding.

Billions of dollars in tax incentives and subdies, subsidies went to already multi-billion dollar companies, just so they could gulp down our most precious and already dwindling resource.

This affects us all.

That water belongs to us all.

That loss tax revenue belonged to us all.

How many fire stations could we have built?

All for the promise of thousands of permanent good paying jobs when the reality is more like tens, not tens of thousands, tens.

At the end of that meeting last month, one commissioner said, I like talking to you.

I respect you.

Conversation, respect, collaboration.

Or we all lose.

We cannot afford to lose.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Alan Munson, good morning, commissioners.

And uh I thank you for your service.

Um I just wish to uh I may well some people know me.

Uh I just wish to uh uh I'm a Washa County resident sparks.

I just wish to comment on uh uh the section or uh uh nine and urge you not to uh have ballot boxes outside of legitimate voting places.

Um you know uh uh part of it is we we have a concern with you know voting fraud and and being uh a legitimate and if we just allow for ballot boxes to be in different well, like one of the places might be CARES campus or something.

And and that that's a you know that's an important place.

Uh but uh you know, we we all know about voting, and and I also want to comment that I think it's important to take to do research when you vote, not just to vote, you know, and or have somebody say, hey, vote for this person.

Uh you know, it's important through research.

And so uh, you know, we we all know we're gonna know a month in advance.

Uh we're gonna, you know, get our uh register or votes, uh, you know, the the uh our voting receipt.

And um so we know and we have time to get it in.

Uh, you know, it it worst case scenario gives somebody a stamp to mail it in.

Uh but so I I just urge you not to have ballot box uh vote vote, you know, in non-legitimate registered voting places, if you would consider that.

And and uh, you know, I I thank you for for your time.

I can see uh you're taking what I'm saying seriously, so just don't allow it if if it be uh uh in your will.

Thank you very much for hearing me.

And thank you again for what you do.

Thank you.

There's nobody else signed in in chambers and nobody virtually in incline or girl luck.

Thank you.

We'll move now to commissioners and county manager announcements.

Manager Thomas.

Thank you.

This is item number four, which includes announcements, reports, and updates, which includes board and commission updates, requests for information or topics for future agendas.

I do have two announcements, if I may, it's the first meeting of the month, and we have a couple of board openings.

So I'd like to announce that to the public and to the board.

Um we have two, and you heard it from a previous public commenter.

We have two upcoming vacancies for the library board of trustees.

Um, as you may be aware, this is the board that appoints the library director and helps set library goals objectives, approves policies, monitors the library's finances, and evaluates the library's overall effectiveness.

These appointment vacancies are beginning July 1st, 2026 and end on June 30th, 2030.

And the deadline to apply for these is by 5 p.m.

on Friday, May the 1st of 2026.

So those are two openings for Board of Trustees for the library, and then we have the Board of Equalization, which for those that aren't aware, is this is a board that's charged with hearing appeals that are filed by property owners who don't agree with the value placed on their property for tax purposes by the assessor, and we're seeking applications for two regular members and one alternate.

The two regular members have terms that will begin in January 2027 and are set to expire on December 31st, 2030, and the alternate has the same time frame.

The deadline to apply for those two uh or three rather um seats is by 5 p.m.

on Friday, June the 5th.

So you have a little bit more time on that one.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Herman, do you have anything?

Commissioner Hill.

Commissioner Clark.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

A couple of items on uh on our second page of the uh of the agenda, it says uh I just want to read this and get this on the record.

Documentation, support documentation for items on the agenda provided by the Washoe County Board of Commissioners is available to members of the public at the county manager's office.

Gives the address.

Um, and also uh uh there's a phone number, uh, Washoe County website is as well.

So folks can uh get information about documentation and support documentation, staff reports on that.

There's many times uh here at the meeting that I make sure that we ask presenters follow-up questions, questions that might be apparent if you have an opportunity to read the documentation, but not everybody does.

So that's part of why I ask those questions and get them on the record.

I want folks to understand who are watching this or or looking at this in the future, five days from now, five years from now, 50 years from now, I I want to ask questions and illuminate and and uh and put lights uh on uh particular questions and nuances, and I want to hear voices and I wouldn't like to get it recorded.

So I want to make sure everybody's clear that that's why I ask a lot of questions when I'm up here.

And uh I get a lot of comments from my district, and they appreciate that I ask follow-up questions, and I just uh want to make sure everybody's clear why I'm doing that.

It's not grandstanding, it's making sure that everybody hears it with actual voices in real time and also in the future.

So I would just want to get that on the record.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I uh anything else, Commissioner Clark.

That's it, thank you.

All right.

I have a couple things.

One, I would like to request that we have staff look at the small business licensing.

Um I had a constituent reach out to me.

And so if we look at amending or consider amending Washoe County Code Chapter 25, which again is the business licensing code by modifying or removing the provisions that currently prohibit, if you can remember, they used to be called but beauty parlors.

This is how old this ordinance is, and barbershops from operating as a home-based business.

There are other jurisdictions that allow for this, and I'd certainly welcome the opportunity for uh the board to look at considering opening up those opportunities for small business owners.

I have one more announcement that I'd like to make.

And I was um asked to uh I was invited to the uh Washoe County Senior Citizens Advisory Committee and did a presentation, and I thought you might find some of the information information I shared at that meeting to be helpful.

I think it's uh proud moment when Washoe County can celebrate being the first county in the entire state of Nevada to have veteran services officers.

And so in partnership with the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, uh initiative that I worked on for a while, I mean, probably a year and a half or so, now has an office in the senior centers, and they are, and I'm talking about the Washoe County on 9th Street.

They are there the first and third Monday of every month, and it's a full eight to five.

And so if anyone there um has anything that they'd like to um speak with the VSO veteran service officers from the Nevada Department of Veteran Services, they'll be there.

They're also rotating on the second and fourth Monday of every month at the KARIS campus.

So this went into effect.

Their first day, if you will, was January 12th, and I'm gonna give you some numbers that I think are important.

So from January 12th through February, and we're gonna be communicating this out to everyone.

72 veterans were served.

Of those 72 veterans, 66,287.57 cents were actually connected to those 72 collectively with retroactive payments.

That's 72 veterans.

25,789 and 68 cents were new monthly compensation identified.

A total of 309,476 and 16 cents for those 72 were uh identified and annualized benefits.

That's amazing.

And so the chair of the advisor board, she did the math real quick.

I mean, it's over three million dollars if we're serving approximately 80.

The goal of the partnership between Washoe County and the Nevada Department of Veterans Services and a meeting with Colonel Devine, who is the director of NV and N V DS.

It's really a tough.

I'm gonna say the Nevada Department of Veterans Services and her staff was to actually look at Washoe County and look at having this be a model.

So when the legislature comes into play, the data that's gonna be collected can be presented to the legislature with the goal of having VSOs in all 17 counties and think about what that would mean.

There are um thousands and thousands of veterans that are eligible that may not know they're eligible.

So I'm wanting to make sure that everyone is aware of that.

And again, the county has been very gracious in looking at how we can share this information and how we can be a benefactor of connecting veterans with the benefits they deserve.

I also want to share some information at the CARES campus because they go to the CARES campus.

429 seniors were served.

Um, 51 of those were veterans, and 71% of those veterans were seniors.

So it's really we all know that there are a lot of great things that are happening at the county, and I thought I'd take this moment to celebrate the hard work and partnership that we have in place.

So thank you for the opportunity to share.

Okay.

If there aren't any other commissioner comments, we're gonna move now to proclamations.

And the first proclamation is 5A1, a proclamation for the week of April 19th through the 25th as National Crime Rights Victims, Victims Rights Week, and we have Commissioner Herman who's going to be doing that.

We have District Attorney Hicks who will be joining along with others.

So thank you, Commissioner Herman.

Welcome.

What's the dog's name?

I think everyone inquiring minds want to know.

I'm gonna tell you all about okay.

Stay tuned.

Thank you.

I'm short.

All right.

The Board of County Commissioners proclamation.

Whereas Nevada crime statistics show that in 2025 there were 5,756 domestic and elderly incidents.

And 10,407 property crimes in Washoe County.

And whereas being a victim of a crime can have a myriad of lasting effects, including physical, psychological, social, and financial issues.

And whereas each of us has a moral responsibility to actively participate in the healing of others, and to create safe environments for victims of crimes by providing support, access to critical services and above all hope.

And whereas we must listen to crime victims and create new options for support to ensure they can receive help and seek justice, show survivors that hope and a better future are within reach and recognize that countless victims never report what happened to them.

And whereas National Crime Victims Rights Week provides an opportunity to recommit to supporting crime victims.

And whereas we are reaffirming our commitment to creating a victim service and criminal justice response that assists all victims of crime throughout the year.

Now, therefore, the Board of County Commissioners does hereby proclaim the week of April 19th to 25th as crime victims' rights week 2026, dated this 14th day of April 2026.

And I am one of those victims that uh probably nobody ever knew happened.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

I'm gonna skip aside over here.

Welcome.

Good morning.

Um thank you for uh doing this proclamation.

So uh the DA's office and the sheriff's office.

We wanted to bring this forward.

Uh we do this every year.

Uh Victims of Crime Week starts April 19th, and it runs for the entire week.

And it's an important measure because it's an opportunity to for all of us to kind of reset, reinvigorate ourselves to make sure that we are taking care of crime victims in whatever way we can, whether it's removing barriers they face, whether it's supporting them, uh, whether it's making sure cases are prosecuted and arrests are made for those who victimize those victims.

Um I know now this is my twelfth year as the district attorney how serious Washoe County takes protecting its crime victims.

I see it every day.

It starts with the sheriff's office, who by the way, their victim advocate is here with us today.

Um, and they they right from the minute they get a case, they take their victims so very seriously.

And then when that case gets handed off to the DA's office, we do the same.

Uh we have uh uh several victim advocates, all of which are uh in trial right now, taking care of victims.

That's why they're not here.

But I do have two investigators here, and I'm gonna get into case, our dog in just a second here.

Uh, but but it is a culture in the sheriff's office, it is a culture in the DA's office to take care of crime victims and to seek accountability on their behalf.

So I wanted to bring our facility dog today.

I don't know if you all have met her yet.

Her name is Case.

Um, that was by happenstance.

We didn't name her case, but now we get to say cases on the case, which is uh which is is nice, but um case is a specifically trained facility dog that came from canine companions.

Uh, her handler, Terry Salter, who's an investigator in my office, had to go through very specific and arduous training in order for us to have case in the office.

Um but case is a game changer on a top on top of being the newly appointed mascot of the DA's office, she's um so incredible with victims.

That's what she's specifically trained for, and she has a um a definite uh favoritism towards child victims, which is something near and dear to my heart.

That is one other thing I wanted to say is victims of crime week always falls during April, which is also child abuse prevention week, and you see all the pinwheels out there that reminds us to make sure we take care of our children.

Uh but um we have used we use case in all kinds of different ways.

Uh we use them when our prosecutors have to meet with victims, and um she helps calm them.

Um she has sat with victims as they've had to testify during trial up on the witness stand, and I have seen firsthand uh the amazing um calming presence she has when people are facing extreme anxiety, which let's face it, being a victim of a crime and then having to come to court and testify is it can be as about as extreme as it gets.

Is it can be as about as extreme as it gets?

So um I wanted you all to see case and um certainly she'd love your pets if you want to come down and see her.

But um, but I want to end it with on behalf of the DA's office and the sheriff's office to thank you all for doing this proclamation.

And I know all of us who are hearing this and will commit to supporting crime victims, as we always do here in Washoe County, but the fight never ends, and we can always do better.

So thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

I don't know if anyone else wants to say anything.

If case can go on cue, like I don't know if that's a possibility.

I'm kidding.

Is there any public comment?

There's nobody signed in.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for coming and thanks for all you do, and thanks for crime rates going down, sir.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Commissioner Herman, was that a motion?

Okay.

We have a motion by Commissioner Herman.

Do we have a second?

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, I'll call for the question.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you.

So we'll move now to 582.

Commissioner Herman, thank you so much.

A proclamation for uh for the week of April 12th through the 18th, 2026 as National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

So I don't know if anybody is here from dispatch or the sheriff's office.

If you'd like to come up.

Thank you.

I think we should keep case here too.

Just saying for the day.

After the policy, I guess, after the policy.

Thank you, Commissioner Herman.

Yes.

Um the Board of County Commissioners proclamation.

Whereas behind every emergency response that takes place in Washoe County, there is a team of dedicated professional communications specialists who are often the first and most vital link between our citizens and emergency services.

And whereas Washoe County Communications specialists are the lifeblood of information for more than 500 public safety personnel, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing a critical safety service to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Gurlach Royal Ambulance, the Gurlack Volunteer Fire Department, Pyramid Lake, Paiute Tribe Police, Tribal Police, I'm sorry, um, Pyramid Lake Fire and Rescue, uh, Reno Sparks, Indian Colony Police, and the Washoe County Department of Alternate Sentencing.

And whereas the 22 communication specialists, three communication call takers, and six supervisors who serve at the Washoe County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center, have exhibited compassion, understanding, and professionalism during more than 120,000 calls for service each year, covering an area of approximately 6,700 square miles with over 114,000 residents.

And whereas every Washoe County Communication Specialist is certified by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch and Emergency Medical Dispatch, Emergency Police Dispatch, Emergency Fire Dispatch, and EDQ qual so that they may produce provide a substantial contribution to the treatment of medical pay patients, apprehension of criminals, and the suppression of fires throughout Washoe County.

Now, therefore, the Board of County Commissioners does hereby proclaim the week April 12th to 18 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

Dated this 14th day of April 2026.

Thank you.

Would you like to speak?

Um I did not form anything uh formal, but the sheriff's office wanted to just uh Can you state your name for the record, please?

I'm sorry to interrupt you.

Yeah, no problem.

Thanks.

Captain Gamboa, Francisco Gamble with Wash County, the patrol division.

Thank you.

Uh we wanted to just show our unwavering support and admiration of our telecommunicators.

They're often the unsung heroes of our everyday public safety.

Uh we see everyday calls, we see huge critical incidents.

They often make social media, the news.

The one thing they're not seeing on the social media is the person running the call from the beginning, the person that receives the call, the person that is talking to the victims, the person that is helping getting the safety uh the assets to the call.

And when the call is done and everything's wrapped up, they see what the law enforcement has done, they've seen what has medical done, they've seen what fire has done.

They don't see what the telecommunicators have done.

And there is a big debrief and event for all those people.

And sometimes they have been the forgotten ones because they just live the exact same event that we did.

And then they just move right on to the next call without uh any wavering.

So the sheriff's office wants to um make it known how much we support them and our continued admiration for them.

So thank you so much, everybody.

Thank you.

Anyone else want to say anything?

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Is there any public comment?

There's none.

Commissioner Herman, was that a motion?

Thank you so much.

We have a motion, a second.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor signify by saying aye or hitting a button if you're available.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thanks for all you do.

We'll move now to 5A3 proclamation for the week of April 19th through the 25th, 2026 is National Library Week.

Thank you, Commissioner Clark.

I don't know if Jamie Hemingway is here.

Oh, she's coming.

Okay, here we go.

Oh, hey, how are you?

Nice seeing you.

Good morning.

Spanish Springs Library in the house.

Whereas libraries spark creativity, fuel imagination, inspire lifelong learning, offering space where individuals of all ages can find joy through exploration and discovery.

And whereas libraries serve as vibrant community hubs, connecting people with knowledge, technology, and resources, while fostering civic engagement, critical thinking, and cultural enrichment, and protect the right to read, think, and explore without censorship, standing as champions of intellectual freedom and free expression.

And whereas libraries provide free and equitable access to books, digital tools, and innovative programming, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of background, have the support they need to learn, connect, and thrive.

And whereas libraries nurture young minds through story time, uh STEM programs and literacy and initiatives, fostering curiosity and lifelong love of learning, while partnering with schools, businesses, and community organizations to expand access to essential services and strengthen the community.

And whereas libraries empower uh job seekers, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners by providing access to resource, resources, training, and opportunities that support career growth and economic success.

And whereas dedicated librarians and library workers provide welcoming spaces that inspire discovery, collaboration, and creative creativity for all, and libraries and librarians and library workers across the country are joined together to celebrate National Library Week under the theme of find your joy.

And now, therefore, the Board of County Commissioners does hereby proclaim the week of April 19th through 25 as National Library Week.

This is dated on the 14th day of April.

It's perfected by the uh chair of the county commission, Clara Andreola, and uh this is of course in the form of a motion.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Anyone would you like to say a few words?

Sure.

Come on.

Come on.

This is for you.

Let's get a picture in a minute here.

For the record, Jamie Hemingway, Public Information and Development Officer for Washoe County Library.

Um, and I we thank you greatly for acknowledging um this wonderful commemoration with a proclamation.

Um as was mentioned in the proclamation by Commissioner Clark.

Um, libraries are for everyone.

We offer a multitude of services for all ages.

We literally will help and anyone and everyone who walks into our doors.

Um, so we're just we're really excited to be able to celebrate that um and just bring the joy of library of libraries to the community.

So just a good way to remember that our staffers work very hard every day to show up for the community and be there to provide services, library services to everyone.

And just for the record, I did wear my library joy shirt today, so trying to kick it off in style.

Thank you.

While they're doing the photo, we can at least say congrats.

Is there any public comment?

There's none.

So we have a motion by Commissioner Clark.

Do we have a second?

We have a second by Commissioner Herman.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none.

All those in favor signify by saying aye or press the button.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you so much.

We're going to move now to item 5A4, which is a proclamation for the week of April 13th, 20 through the 20th of 2026, Nevada Dark Skies Week.

And we have some folks in the room that I'm going to be reading this.

This you may recall is an item that we'll, as a commission as a whole, will be looking at in terms of an ordinance.

So I thought it was only appropriate since I've been working on it to read the or so.

Excuse me why I make my way down.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I'll go ahead and read a proclamation based on the Board of County Commissioners.

Whereas the opportunity to experience a naturally dark, star-filled night sky inspires wonder, fosters interest in science and nature, and supports the growing astroturism economy as travelers seek out rare, naturally dark destinations.

And whereas excessive artificial light has obscured naturally dark skies, denying most Americans, including those in urban Washoe County the experience of a natural night sky while also harming human health, disrupting wildlife and ecosystems, and wasting an estimated three billion dollars annually in energy and resources, contributing to pollution and reduce energy security.

And whereas Nevada, particularly sparsely populated, populated far northern Washoe County, is home to some of the darkest, starriest skies in the country, including the Massacre Rim International Dark Sky Sanctuary, certified in 2019.

And whereas Washoe County's other public parks and open public lands managed by local, state, and federal agencies, serve as vital refugees for natural darkness, supporting a nocturnal ecosystem where wildlife can thrive free from the disruptive effects of the artificial lighting and provide abundant opportunities for pristine stargazing.

And whereas recognize that excessive artificial light can be reduced by the use of responsible outdoor lighting practices.

Washoe County in 2025 included dark skies as a top policy priority in the envisioned Washoe 2040 master plan.

Now, therefore, on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, do hereby complain proclaim the week of April 13th, 2020 as Nevada Dark Skies Week.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Say anything.

Anybody want to thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair and members of the Commission.

Good morning.

My name is Pam Dupree.

And with me today are Bradley Carlson, who is the president of the Nevada Astronomical Society.

We have Jordan Stone, who is the vice president of the Nevada Astronomical Society, and Chelsea Kinchlow from the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation.

She runs the program at the state level that certifies dark sky places in the state of Nevada.

So we're very very pleased that the state of Nevada is so bought in to the idea of promoting dark skies.

We are all registered advocates for the nonprofit Dark Sky International.

That's the organization that launched International Dark Sky Week back in 2003.

We want to thank you so very much in advance for your action today.

You have really helped to bring attention to this very important issue.

Here in Nevada, of course, it we are just so fortunate that we're able to enjoy some of the darkest skies in the country.

With our wide open spaces, our sparse rural population, and our dry uh high desert air, we are able to see more stars on a clear night than about 90% of the country's population.

But that, of course, is only if we venture out and away from our urban areas.

Otherwise, all we can see is a very small fraction of which what's actually out there.

And that's of course because of all of the artificial light in our residential and commercial areas, which is not dark sky friendly.

In other words, it's too bright, it shines upward, not downward.

It falls on the cool blue rather than on the warm amber end of the color spectrum.

And typically it's on all night long.

We are thrilled that you and your staff recognize that for many reasons, light pollution is a problem, and it can be fixed by simply implementing Dark Sky International's five principles for responsible outdoor lighting.

We can make a big difference, like night and day, you might say.

So, and I'd also like uh to make uh uh shameless pitch for uh the uh Department of Motor Vehicles official Save Starry Sky specialty license plate.

It's a beautiful plate, more than 5,000 have been registered in the two years that it's been available to the public, and proceeds go to help promote the preservation of dark skies throughout our state.

Um again, uh thank you very much uh for this opportunity.

And we um as a group of just dark sky advocates would be happy to come back sometime if you'd like to put an item on the agenda and we can talk in more detail about dark skies and what we can do to uh to preserve them.

Again, thank you.

Anyone else?

Sure.

My main uh for the record, Bradley Carlson, um, president Astronomical Society Nevada.

Um thank you for accepting this proclamation.

Um I wanted to just say that uh Dark Sky Week is uh a nice week out of the year to raise public awareness.

But we Nevada, we are blessed with Dark Skies 365 days a year.

And this has um direct uh impact implication on all the good things that were mentioned in the proclamation, but also um tourism, business, visitor counts, um, all directly play into this because we have these dark skies, we have people traveling from all over the world um to the Western US to experience this.

And um we, the Astronomical Society of Nevada, our one of our main missions is outreach and education of the public.

We're here as a resource, so feel free to reach out to us for any anything as well as Friends of Nevada Wilderness and the uh Nevada Department of Outdoor Recreation.

Um, so we we uh you can find our our website is Astronomy and NB.org.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, how we can take it.

Oh, I'm not gonna be, I don't mind.

Um thanks again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Before you all leave, you made a comment about coming back.

So because this is a priority for Washoe County, we'll make sure you come back when the ordinance comes before us.

Okay.

Um, is there any public comment on this?

There's none.

I'm gonna go ahead and make that in the form of a motion.

Do we have a second?

We have a motion, a second.

All those in favor or any further discussion.

All those in favor, you can press or signify by saying aye.

Any opposed?

Looks like motion is gonna carry unanimously.

Thank you so much for the opportunity, and thank you for everything that you all have done in terms of all these proclamations and staff as well, and coordinating all of this as well.

So there were four proclamations.

Um we'll move now to item number six.

Thank you.

County manager.

We're on 6A1, which is the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

We have Abby Pike here from the Extension.

She's the Extension County Coordinator.

She's gonna present our fiscal year 2025 annual impact report.

All right.

Um good morning, Chair Andreola and Commissioners.

Um, my name is Abby Pike for the record.

I am the Extension County Coordinator for Washoe County, and I'm here today to provide an overview of our programs, activities, and impacts um during fiscal year 25.

Let's see.

Perfect.

Okay, so a little bit of background information on extension.

Extension is a major unit of the University of Nevada, Reno, dedicated to providing practical research-based community education.

We identify critical community needs and create educational programs based on research to address those needs.

We implement ongoing program evaluation and needs assessments to ensure that our educational offerings impact and improve the lives of Washoe County residents.

Extension is the result of a partnership between county, state, and federal governments.

In Washoe County, we receive funding from the Ad Velorum property tax and appropriate it to implement educational programs in the fields of community and economic development, youth personal and family development, health and nutrition, horticulture, agriculture, and natural resources.

Our flagship program is 4-H youth development.

This is a learning by doing program where youth ages 5 to 19 participate in hands-on projects in a variety of delivery modes to support curiosity, skill development, and lifelong learning.

These programs are really fun.

They're youth driven, so youth pick the projects that they want to work on, and they work with adult volunteers and their peers to go through the year, work through these projects, and learn life lessons along the way.

The highlight from this year was our in-school STEM enrichment programs.

Our 4-H staff went into classrooms across the county in elementary schools to implement one hour STEM lessons.

These supplemented the curriculum that the students were already learning and provided an exciting activity that helped them learn more about the topic and really drive those lessons home.

That this was the first year that we were fully implementing that throughout the entire school year, and we reached more than 6,000 youth that we normally don't see in our 4-H program.

So it was an exciting way to reach more people in our community.

Our Living with Fire program provides practical research-based recommendations on preparing for wildfire and reducing wildfire threats to our homes and communities in Northern Nevada.

This year we hosted the, well, last year we hosted the 2025 Fire Adapted Nevada Summit, which brought together over 200 attendees.

These attendees represented a broad coalition of government agencies, nonprofits, community leaders, and homeowners who came together to share knowledge and discuss the most research, updated research on adapting to wildfire.

We also host a variety of trainings for contractors who do wildfire defense work, like creating defensible space and home hardening.

And we work directly with HOA leaders and community leaders to figure out how their individual communities can best adapt to wildfire in our region.

Okay.

Our Master Gardener program trains volunteers in the community to provide research-based information to anyone who is interested in gardening in Nevada, which we know we can be pretty challenging.

So we need all the support we can get from our master gardeners.

This year they answered community questions from 1,865 Washoe County residents.

We also started the junior Master Gardener program, where we provided weekly horticulture STEM education in the Lumelson Academy grades pre-K through five.

And then the students were able to go to the Master Gardener Greenhouse for a field trip, which was very fun.

They got to get their hands in the dirt, as you can see there.

And that, of course, is another exciting STEM STEM project that we get to engage our youth in.

A core value of extension is strengthening civic engagement.

Civic engagement is important because it empowers our community members to work together with their neighbors, like community organization like nonprofits and their government leaders to create positive changes in their community.

We partner with Washoe County to support the Washoe County Leadership Academy, which I am a part of this year and really enjoying it.

This is a nine-month journey hosted by Washoe County staff where community leaders get to experience a behind-the-scenes view of government and develop leadership, civility, and conflict management.

Extension Professor Marlene Rabori provides the leadership development trainings.

And for our class project this year, we are also partnering with Trucky Meadows Fire and Extensions Living with Fire program to look at how we can improve home hardening and wildfire resilience in our underserved communities like Sun Valley.

I also want to highlight during the Nevada legislative session, 32 4 H youth from across the state were able to travel to Carson City, visit the legislature, learn about the state government, meet with their representatives and discuss the issues that matter with to them, and also visit with President Brian Sandoval, who is a former 4 Her himself.

So that was so cool for the youth.

It really helped them build that leadership experience and learn more about engaging with their local and state government.

All right.

Our SNAP Education program provided nutrition education throughout the year to low-income residents and families in Washow schools, early childcare centers, and community sites.

I think overall they reached over 2,000 unique individuals to provide information on how to eat healthy and live an active lifestyle, especially for those who receive SNAP benefits.

They learned how to make those budget dollars stretch farther and help their families.

We also hosted the first Washoe Healthy Kids Festival, which was a very good time.

Over 250 families with children ages three to eight were able to visit the festival.

The youth learned about how vegetables grow.

They got to dig in a garden bed to dig up sweet potatoes.

They got to taste a healthy smoothie made with sweet potatoes, and they got to pick out vegetables from our farmers market to take home and try with their families.

A variety of our extension programs provide workforce development.

We work with industries to make sure that their workers have the most up-to-date information to make sure that they are like doing good work in their communities and strengthening the workforce for those industries.

For example, we have our radon education for realtors program.

Radon is radioactive gas that is prevalent in Nevada and can cause lung cancer.

So in addition to providing free tests to homeowners, we also educated 181 realtors on the importance of testing for radon during the home buying process, with the hopes that this will reach even more people as the realtors work with people in our community every day and can talk to each and every one of them.

We also worked with pesticide applicators and weed management professionals to help them get their certificate and to make sure that they are applying pesticides appropriately to protect our watershed and wildlife.

And finally, we know that child care is a difficult is a difficult challenge for many of our families in northern Nevada.

So we worked to educate over a hundred early childhood educators on the best practices for childhood development, and we're able to help them receive their child development associate credential.

So this trains new people entering the workforce of early childhood development so that they can strengthen that workforce and help increase access to child care in our community.

And finally, I have our fiscal report here.

On the left hand side, we have the expenses by revenue source.

And here you can really see that extension is the result of a partnership between the county, state, and federal governments.

We really rely on that income to provide education at all levels in this state.

And I will note under grants, most of that is federal funding, in case you're wondering why the federal chunk is so small.

And then on the right hand side, we have the Washoe County Extension Fund summary.

I will talk a little bit about this more when I come to present the budget in a few months.

But you can see our expenses were less than our revenue, so our budget is pretty balanced.

And then the money that we hold in reserves, those are mandatory contingency for grant losses, contractual obligations, and we set aside funding for bridge funding for expected grant losses.

And I want you and the county staff to know that I'm available anytime if you have any questions or if anyone wants to discuss opportunities to collaborate with Extension or help implement some of our programming in their area.

So are there any questions that I can answer for you right now?

Thank you, Ms.

Pike.

Does anybody have any questions?

Commissioner Hill.

Thank you.

Y'all are doing great work.

And I think it's amazing that you're able to fill that federal gap for healthy eating education because I know that we lost that at the beginning of the year.

Can you speak a little bit more to what that program looks like and what it used to look like and kind of where the gap is so the community understands?

Of course.

Yes, I appreciate that.

I made a note, they will probably ask about it, so I'm happy to talk about it.

So we worked with the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.

They were able to get permission from the federal government to use carryover funding for SNAP education to continue implementing their SNAP education curriculum through, I believe, June of this year.

So that is still being primarily federally funded.

However, after June, we will completely lose that federal funding.

One of them is our program officer who can identify needs in the community.

She's she's worked with Extension for I think over 10 years.

So she is a really good asset, and we are excited to keep her on board with Washoe County funding.

So we won't necessarily continue implementing the SNAP education curriculum that is provided by the federal government.

But we will work with the university and the extension system to find the most up-to-date nutrition and healthy living curriculum that we can continue implementing in our community.

It may look different, like we may be reaching different populations with different curriculum, but we're going to all work together to make sure that we can provide the best services that we can despite those federal funding changes.

Great.

I have just two more things, Madam Chair.

So for your early childhood development certificate, that's amazing.

Have you been doing that a while?

That function.

Ooh, that's a good question.

I think it's been implemented for at least the last three years.

I'm not sure before then, but yeah.

That's a traditional the provider pays, right?

For the certificate through extension, or is it a free?

I believe that it's free.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

And is it also in-home providers who can come to the or is it just is it's not required, right?

Or do you need that for to get your stars with the state?

For the child development associate certificate, that one is required in order to offer the programming.

I am not sure.

So I will have to double check on if in-home providers are able to access that as well.

Uh just always looking for ways to support our early childhood development professionals and make sure we have more access to that.

So just keep this board informed on you know what we can do to support you and their your efforts.

There's also folks are really stepping up in philanthropy to see how they can support early childhood development.

And so I'm not sure if you talk to some of those people that have been working in that space, but I'm happy to connect you because there's people who really want to help with that, the system and support the system in a better way in Nevada since we're in a child care desert, as you know.

Um, so um great work there.

And then I just would like to um tell my board members who have not been uh to the greenhouse.

You've got to go.

It's an incredible experience, it's worth the time.

And uh you're just doing great work over there and really interesting work and uh seeing how we can also provide food locally and how we can make that a priority because we all know when I8 is shut down.

We are in trouble.

It's like a three three to five days.

And what what are we gonna do with real food in our community?

So ways that we can support you in your efforts to ensure that we've got locally grown food.

And I know our chairwoman is really pushing agro tourism and making sure that we have access to that on the state level and locally in Washoe County with our codes, but um it's it's just really great work you're doing there as well.

So um, you know, it was a wonderful tour, and um, hopefully the rest of the board can join you in the future.

So thank you, madam chair.

Welcome.

Any other questions or comments?

I would like to thank you for the presentation.

And I also like to um recognize that that you and our extension is not just here in Washoe County, and I think that's really important.

And so I'd like to give you an opportunity to just talk about that it is statewide, and there is um, I think a unique uh opportunity for various counties to actually mold it into what's beneficial for their county and actually tailor and customize those delivery opportunities.

And so I thought I'd give you an opportunity to share that because I think it's something that people just think you're here in Washo and you're not.

Thank you.

I do appreciate that.

Yes, I can confirm we have 2020 extension offices across 15 of Nevada County Nevada's counties.

Um, for this presentation, of course, I focus on Washoe County to represent the funding that we receive and to talk about what we're doing here in the community.

But it is so important to have these resources statewide, especially in the smaller communities where they don't have as many nonprofits, they might not have as much government funding to provide these supportive services.

It is critically important.

Um, I grew up in Fallon, Nevada in Churchill County, and I was a result of the 4-H program there.

So I yes, I can attest.

Like we work all across the state, we support our communities.

There are programs that are based in other counties that do work here in Washoe County, but I could not fit it all into 10 minutes.

So yes, we are all across the state and we really appreciate your partnership.

Yeah, and I do think that's really important to echo that.

And I know that uh the Nevada Association of Counties, so both commissioner and Herman and I both sit on you come many times and share a lot of the great work you're doing, and we all appreciate it.

I I also just really feel that it's important that you know and everybody knows that tonight at 5:30 in these chambers is agritourism feedback opportunity as well.

And if you haven't thought about it, I'd encourage you to come tonight.

Um, we're looking at uh encouraging agritourism as a priority for our communities.

So I think you'd have a lot of great things that you might offer.

So hopefully we'll see you here tonight.

And my last comment is I'm guessing since you're part of the Washoe County Leadership Academy, you might have had a little influence with a little when you when you pose which project and choosing Living with Fire and some of the things.

So thank you for doing that, by the way, and thanks for the whole group for looking at helping our community be safe.

Yeah, well, you'll be hearing more from us, I believe, in June.

So I look forward to it.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Great.

We'll go ahead and close out 6A1 and move to 6A2.

Manager Thomas.

Thank you.

We are welcoming Brenda Scaleri, who's the director of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.

She is here to discuss the America 250 Nevada and her statewide efforts to educate, engage, and celebrate Nevada's contributions to the nation's semi-quincentennial.

Welcome.

Thank you, Madam Chair and Commissioners.

I'm happy to be here to share the state's work on America 250 this year.

I'll start at the beginning, which is there we go.

Governor Lombardo created the America 250 Commission in the summer of 2024 by executive order.

It's a uh a body that is chaired by a representative Amaday, and they have been working in conjunction with a group of nonprofit and business leaders in support of this mission.

We will celebrate the anniversary of our nation's founding by recognizing the diverse contributions of Nevadans and promoting civic education and engagement.

Though that mission reflects these tent poll themes developed by the National America 250 organization, learn, engage, and celebrate.

And those are admirable, certainly.

We we understood that in these uh politically charged times, we'd need to better understand how they how uh these would fit in Nevada.

And though we know that parades and and fireworks are amazing, we really preferred to do something that would have a lasting impact even after July 4th.

So the commission and our state staff have been working to fundraise for the following programs.

Uh the first is our Nevada Stories Project.

This is led by Brad McMullan, who is the folklorist for the Nevada Arts Council, and he has been working with uh nomination, nominated um uh interviewees and and conducting interviews with um certainly famous and well-known Nevadans and historians, but then also maybe some not so famous um but vital contributors in local communities.

So that podcast series will be available this spring.

Um, I believe we're scheduled to begin on Memorial Day, and that will be broadcast on K1R and KNPR.

Um we've also invested in an online platform called Their Story, uh, through which anyone on their phone or or desktop can contribute a story, and we'll be archiving and curating those and then develop uh an interactive uh exhibit in our state museums.

The Civic SEAL Scholarship in partnership with the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement and the Department of Education is in support of volunteerism.

Uh just the spirit of volunteerism, which we know has kind of fallen off uh countrywide over time.

Um so this uh it with the um generous sponsorship of Nevada, the NV Energy Foundation, it awards educators and students who are committed to the civics curriculum.

So it will be a stipend for educators to commit to the programming and um you know buy any materials or uh uh education they might need to take it on, but then also those students who have completed the curriculum and have the civic seal on their high school diploma will have a 2500 scholarship for higher education in Nevada.

Um so quite proud of this one.

The commission um uh awarded the first round of of students and teachers in in March.

Our second cycle ends on applications are the deadline is May 9th.

So if you know any students or educators uh who might be interested, um please uh have them head to America250 Nevada.org to apply.

The next program is Nevada Gives.

We've been working with the organization Nevada Volunteers uh on 69 or 62, I'm sorry, um, community volunteer events throughout the state.

And these are anything from cleanups to food drives to youth service organizations.

And the award itself through MGM Resorts International is for a stipend for any materials that they may need to make the project successful.

And this is has just been incredible.

There's a full list of the awardees on the website.

And please take a look at that.

They are underway right now and will continue through the spring.

Here's uh some photos of some of the uh events that have already taken place, um, including at our state parks.

Some of the park staff are in some of these photos.

And it as you can see, it's it's groups large and small have participated.

We also had the legislature approve some lodging tax um devoted to special grant rounds through Travel Nevada and the uh Nevada Arts Council.

So Travel Nevada has awarded 14 uh organizations throughout the state with awards uh for programming and events that can capture the America 250 spirit.

There's a full list of those on our website as well, but um uh in it for example, um, there's an event and programming surrounding the California Trail in northeastern northeastern Nevada.

Um there's a program along uh the Pony Express Trail, the historic that uh historic route.

Um so again, wanting to support their events and their celebration, but also uh we the um awards that were more heavily weighted if they were programs that uh were uh had a higher impact and could um live on beyond 2026.

Um and then the Nevada Arts Council also has a grant, and I have Tony Manfredi here, the executive director of the Nevada Arts Council to tell you about that.

Good morning, Tony Manfredi for the record.

I am the executive director of the Nevada Arts Council, uh, your state arts agency serving Nevada and ensuring that all Nevadans receive the uh civic economic health and educational benefits of the arts.

As Director Scolari said, we were uh the beneficiary of an additional 250,000 of lodging tax in the Nevada Arts Council budget during the last biennium.

We also received an additional 25,000 in our state partnership agreement from the National Endowment for the Arts, our federal partner.

Um that agency is uh doing really well, and the state partnership agreements that are like the Nevada Arts Council occur in 56 state and jurisdictional regions across the country.

Um, and it is a real tribute to see both the state and the federal government invest public dollars in the arts.

We know they are in and around and through everything and help us be better.

Um we are excited about this commemorative uh America 250 initiative, and our goal was to look at public art.

We all decided that we would try to get some public art components in at least every county, uh, or that's our goal, every county within the state.

Um, we're doing quite well.

We have about 19, uh, given our funding allocation.

We have about 19 um public art initiatives that we're looking for or looking towards.

Um we've identified communities across the state.

Uh, we're still in the process of kind of collaborating.

Um, it's really critical in this work that we're not coming in as the state and saying, we're you have to do a mural.

You have to do some public art, and this is what it's going to be.

So our engagement in this has been really robust.

We're going into these communities, we're having public meeting uh conversations with them about one, do you want something like this in your community?

Uh two, if you do, where might you want this?

Where might be a really uh recognizable place that the community can engage around.

And then three, what might that be?

And again, not wanting this to be necessarily political at all.

It is a commemoration.

Um, you know, Nevada wasn't even around when the signing of the declaration occurred.

Um, but we know the significance that our state has had on the country, and certainly the significance that all of our communities have on the state.

So we're really about trying to tell those stories.

And it's a remarkable thing around cultural tourism when you tell these stories and when you have these authentic experiences that are happening.

You know, people come and visit, they stay longer, they spend more money, so there's an economic impact there.

But it really is a sense of pride for a lot of these communities as well, and and telling their story and galvanizing their community around this commemorative action, really getting us towards that more perfect union.

That's what we're all trying to do is get towards that more perfect union in this uh grand experiment that is the United States.

So we're excited to be a part of it.

Um there is um possibilities within Washoe County that we're exploring.

If you have any that you're interested in sharing, please um reach out to me.

My information can be found on our website.

Um, and I can I can leave that in with the group here.

Um, but again, appreciate the the opportunity to share this uh this information with you all.

And thank you for all that you're doing too within Washoe County.

I am a resident of Washoe County, born and raised here, second and third generation Nevada.

Um, and uh I appreciate this community um so much.

And I know it's uh all the challenges that you all have to have to manage.

So appreciate what you're doing.

Thank you.

Just have one more slide here.

Um just want to encourage everyone to visit our website.

We do have a great community calendar that has all of the awarded events through our grants, but then any um any vetted, any approved America 250 Nevada event is listed there.

Um you can also follow us on social media.

Uh, we have a newsletter you can sign up for to learn about um all of these events that we're spotlighting.

Um, and then also share your Nevada story online through the their story app.

Um, thank you so much, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thanks.

Any questions by any of the commissioners?

Commissioner Hill.

Thank you so much.

Great presentation, great work, and uh what a wonderful way, an opportunity to celebrate Nevada's history as well.

And uh, I'm wondering on the mural project where it will be cited in Washoe County.

I'm assuming with 19 murals, we're gonna try to hit up every county.

Uh, do we have to that was the goal?

That's that's a Tony question.

Hi, Tony Manfreddie for the record.

Um, thank you, Chair uh Commissioner Hill.

Um, right now we're looking at actually uh a spot at the Reno Livestock Events Center has been identified there.

Um a public murals.

Um, and but we have cast a little bit of a net there.

We've asked on our website for opportunities that people might have.

Hey, here's a good spot, here's what we're thinking.

But right now we've identified one in Washoe County.

Um there are they're all over the state.

So again, there's 17 counties.

We've tried to also try to get into our tribal nations where we're able, and it's just kind of based on interest and and that so, but we do have one identified, as I said, at the at the Livestock Event Center.

Wonderful.

Well, I can't wait to see it.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I was uh selfishly also thinking what a great opportunity since the state fair.

And uh Dr.

Gokachia is bringing it back after years and years.

What a great opportunity to document America 250 with all the attendees that'll be there June 13th through or June 11th through the 13th at the Reno Livestock Event Center.

If you haven't already thought of that, Mr.

Manfreddi.

This is totally a long time, I know.

No, no, this is uh Tony Manfreddy for the record again.

Um interestingly, the the intent is to um unveil the mural at the fair, and we're having uh an art show there as well with um Nevada artists.

That's the idea.

So yeah, that's we're excited to see that event return.

Thank you.

That's great.

Well, thanks for a great presentation.

I'd also maybe encourage you to think about if you haven't doing a presentation at NACO.

You'll have all 17 counties represented in one room, and I think that might be another wonderful opportunity to get on the agenda.

That's a wonderful idea.

I'll just put it in a plug for Travel Nevada will be at the state fair with their uh Dark Skies activation, and America 250 will also uh be present.

And then but thank you so much.

A lot of dots connected today.

Thank you so much.

Appreciate it.

All right, we'll go ahead and close out item six and move to donations.

Um, Commissioner Hill, if you would mind.

Would you thank you?

My honor, while Commissioner Garcia is traveling to um make this will be all in the form of a motion um and make recommendations for the donations on our agenda today.

We have 7A1, which is a donation of 47 Narcon cat kits that were um uh donated by community members of Quest Counseling and Counseling Inc.

to juvenile services.

So thank you very much for Quest for your leadership on that.

Um, 7B1.

We have um various items that have been donated in the value of 12,983, and then also monetary donations um to of uh $15,127.36 cents um to the uh Washoe County Human Services Agency Child Protective Services Fund to support welfare activities and um the list of uh businesses as well as individuals is below, and it just shows how much um people want to support the work of Washoe County.

And then also monetary donations to uh $15,127 and 36 cents to the uh Washoe County Human Services Agency Child Protective Services Fund to support welfare activities and the list of uh businesses as well as individuals is below and it just shows how much um people want to support the work of Washoe County.

We appreciate that.

7B2 is to accept donations totaling in um $2,336.99 cents from multiple donors, as well as monetary donations of $500 from the Second Baptist Church to support our CARES campus, our place, crossroads, and other homeless services, and it shows that people are really um supportive of our work for our homeless programs.

7B3 is to accept various donations totaling uh $2,380 uh dollars as well as monetary donations of uh $1,140 to the Human Services Agency Senior Services Fund, and we appreciate those folks.

So uh that's in the form of a motion.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you.

Do we have any public comment?

There's no be signed in.

Okay, we have a motion by Commissioner Hill.

Can I have a second?

Commissioner Herman, thank you.

Motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none.

All those in favor signify by saying aye or press the button whenever your preference.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you so much.

We'll go ahead and close item seven and now move to item eight, which is consent, and it's uh eight a one through eight G6.

Do any of the commissioners want anything pulled or any further information on any of the consent items?

Hearing none, do we have any public comment?

There's none.

All right.

I'll go ahead and ask for a motion at this time.

Move to approve.

We have a motion by Commissioner Hill.

Second.

Commissioner Herman, thank you so much.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

We'll go ahead and close item eight now, and we'll move to Commissioner Herman, if you wouldn't mind doing the block.

Thank you.

And am I on?

Uh 10.

No, I mean, yeah, yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um, so the items are 10.

Or yeah, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, which is over a million dollars.

Um, 17, which is quite a few dollars as well.

So I just wanted to put that little figure in there.

Um, and these are our and this is a motion.

And you said 17, correct?

17.

Okay.

So just to um be clear, um, Commissioner Herman, thank you so much for recommending 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17.

Is there any public comment?

There's not any comment on any of those items.

Thank you so much.

We have a motion by Commissioner Herman.

We have seconds.

Commissioner comments.

Yeah.

Sure.

And I do a I think we need to have a second before we can do that exactly.

I'm trying.

All right, I'm trying.

Second.

We have a second by Commissioner Hill.

We'll now call for discussion.

Commissioner Clark.

I'd like to talk about item 10 and uh come to my attention that uh it's some good news that uh that lease was negotiated, and uh we've got uh six months free rent and uh four months.

Four months for the the remainder of the the term of the lease.

I think that was a big savings.

I think it was uh we should salute our staff for for uh negotiating that lease, and it's an opportunity to save taxpayers uh a large amount of money.

Uh the county has got a massive budget of over a million dollars, a billion dollars, and uh we should use that buying power to negotiate for any and all leases, any and all contracts.

Uh we've got a tremendous amount of uh financial impact in this county, uh, some 80 percent, over 80 percent, I think is uh salaries and wages for for our employees.

They in turn spend that here for their dentists and doctors and goods and services, and so we have a large financial impact in this county, and we should be using that uh to benefit the folks that actually pay the bills for us, and that's our constituents.

So I want to commend the staff for for negotiating uh that uh lease and saving the county a lot of money.

And in that particular case, the library uh there at uh that's uh center.

I mean, we're the anchor tenant of that library, that center, and and we're keeping that center, uh the the owner of the center gets the rent from us and can pay property taxes and on and on and on.

So it's just a just a win-win for for the whole community.

Uh Mr.

Rob Roth.

Uh apparently he's a big fan of the uh library, and uh he he's listening to us, and he's lowered the uh lease and the annual escal escalator by by three percent.

So these are all wins for the community, having a nice library centrally located, and uh we're saving money on the the cost of the rent.

So I want to commend the staff for for doing that.

Great job.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll also echo that no change to the lease in years and rotor investments of Nevada Limited Partnership in Washoe County.

Literally have um been doing this and enjoying their generosity for several years.

It hasn't changed.

So I think uh I'll definitely echo Commissioner Clark's thank you to the Roder Investments and the owners and the staff.

Any other comments?

All right, we have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you so much.

We'll go ahead and close out the block vote and move to item number nine.

Manager Thomas.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This is a recommendation that the Board of County Commissioners acknowledge the receipt of the registrar of voters' selection of early voting at election day polling locations and to schedule the 2026 primary election pursuant to NRS.

Just want to make note, I know we've got um folks here from the Register Voters Office, but for those that aren't clear on the process on this one, NRS states that at a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, we are to inform the board of the site selected for the polling locations.

So I if people are wondering, you know, is this the opportunity in the public wondering is this the opportunity to sort of talk about those locations?

That has long since passed, and I know the commissioners have been involved in these locations.

So this is simply the acknowledgement, and it though it is for action.

I wanted to make that clarity on the record.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

And do we have someone in the Mr.

McDonald?

Thank you.

We have staff here if you have questions.

And they can run through those locations for us.

We're joined by registrar Andrew McDonald and assistant or deputy registrar, Reggie Greer.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for all your hard work on all of this.

Thank you, Chairwoman.

Gonna provide some handouts real quick.

Okay, great.

Good morning, Andrew McDonald, for the record.

Uh Washoe County Registrar voters.

I'm here to answer any questions you may have, where I can I have notes prepared if you'd like me to kind of go through a few things.

Thank you.

Does anybody have any questions?

I think it would be helpful just in terms of really some of the challenges that you had and how you all have overcome them.

And I know seeing Reggie's shaking his head, you might have been a part of that too.

I I think that um it's helpful for everyone to understand the process that you went through, and if you wouldn't mind just sharing that.

Sure.

Thank you, Chairwoman Andriola.

Um, let me just start out by saying if I could first, um, the handouts provided are for early voting and election day vote centers with corresponding numbers on the map for easy reference.

Uh, this is the same map that will be provided in the sample ballot booklet going out on April 23rd for the uniform and overseas citizens and out-of-state voters.

And also in the in-state sample ballot booklet that will start being mailed on May 20th, if not earlier.

Uh, this uh primary will have 22 early voting locations.

Most will be open from 10 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

15 of those early voting locations were the same locations from the general election.

Seven new vote centers will be uh opened for the primary in one new belt, one new ballot drop box at the Nevada CARES campus.

19 of the 22 early voting locations uh will transition to election day vote centers, and two of the three mail ballot drop boxes will also transition to election day.

Moving forward into election day, there'll be 50 election day vote centers open from 7 a.m.

till 7 p.m.

or until the last voter that's in line at that time gets to vote.

44 of the vote centers are the same from the 2024 general election.

Six are new with two new drop boxes for election day at the CARES campus in Somerset Senior Living Center.

Twenty-six of the 50 vote centers were provided by the school district, the Washoe County School District.

So a big thank you to the school district for helping us out.

And six of our own Washoe County libraries are also helping us out, which proves that the library serves the community in multiple ways.

For Washoe County, we're giving 11 vote centers for this election season.

We'll have one super center at Reno Sparks Convention Center with 30 ballot marking devices there.

Special thanks to you, Commissioner Chair Andreola for negotiating down a what would have been 4300 hit to our department is now free, absolutely free.

So thank you for allowing us to have that cost avoidance to use those funds in other ways for our department.

I appreciate that.

Mailballot drop boxes.

All mail ballot drop boxes only locations.

So all mail ballot drop box only locations will be staffed with a bipartisan team of three individuals.

And those will be staffed during open hours and locked when not in use.

All mail ballots are received at the end of the day, and all those ballots will be heading back to headquarters.

That's very important.

There was a public comment on that earlier.

All other mail ballot drop boxes are within the Washoe County vote centers themselves.

And again, we we uh have bipartisan teams in all those vote centers.

And again, all mail ballots are removed uh and brought back to headquarters at the end of the day there also.

So those are some of the statistics of the election.

As you all know, all the contracts expired after the 2024 general election.

So we have been hot and heavy trying to get new contracts.

We were also um had a settlement agreement with Department of Justice and we knew to focus on getting vote centers that had accessibility.

We went through a whole heat map and provided all kinds of data to look through and pour through to make sure we're meeting the community needs in the community.

Of course, there's a few places that probably uh due to ADA compliance that we didn't get to that we wanted to that we'll try to hit for November.

Um, but where we hit the snag is the 170 point Department of Justice ADA checklist.

Um that proved difficult to find locations that were 100% ADA compliant.

Uh we did our best, we did our best, and finally the show must go on, and we had to find locations that weren't ADA compliant, but per Title II of the American Disabilities Act.

As long as I can put a curb side voting program in, an ADA curb site voting program in, um I will be compliant, and that's exactly what we are doing.

Uh I mentioned this earlier, but it's the first ever state of Nevada ADA curb side voting program in the state.

So we're pretty proud of that.

In the midst of all that, we also will be transitioning to ballot marking devices this coming primary and beyond.

Um the state and uh Washoe County will be moving forward in that direction with a tangible full-length ballot being printed at the vote centers.

So, what does all this mean?

It really means that Washoe County elections are more modernized, more secure, and more accessible than ever before.

I'm proud to go above and beyond offering almost double the amount of voting locations for early vote and election day that is authorized by NRS.

To find a list of these vote centers, you can simply visit Washoe County.gov slash vote centers, which is available now.

Our e-sample ballot, which will be available on our website on April 25th, through the sample ballots that will be mailed out starting on May 20th.

And we'll also be referenced copies at every single vote center, uh, a few in English and a few in Spanish.

Um, so that's the what I wanted to get out.

But yes, there have been challenges specifically around ADA, and we've done a lot of hard work.

Reggie, uh my deputy has done an amazing amount of work trying to work with libraries, cities, uh, rec centers, officials, et cetera, trying to get these locations.

Thank you for the question.

Thank you.

And I appreciate you addressing the public comment or um, can you just share that piece one more time so we can be really really clear on what was stated?

Yes, thank you.

Sure.

So all mail ballot drop box only locations are staffed with a bipartisan team of three individuals the entire time they are open.

Why three?

Because if someone needs to go to the bathroom, if somebody needs to take a break, etc., there's always two people there ensuring that there is no funny business going on at that drop box.

I appreciate it.

And I believe that Mr.

Munson's still here.

So if he has any questions, I'm hoping you have an opportunity to talk to him.

I also um I'm gonna just ask if you could speak with Ms.

Brock and share about the state and the RFP and how that all worked.

And I think that might be helpful in terms of the compliance and that we did follow the law.

Absolutely.

Are there any other questions?

Commissioner Hill.

Thank you.

And thank you to the chair for negotiating that fee with the RCVA, seeing as that room tax in in northern Nevada is uh still very healthy.

So it I appreciate them being patriots.

We should definitely do a award for them.

I know we've spoken about doing a Patriot award for our businesses.

Um and our librarians and folks who host these sites to hopefully create excitement and incentive for future businesses to want to help us with this in the future because it's so tough when we do not have uh publicly owned spaces in a lot of Washoe County and uh the publicly owned spaces we have that our partners can't make ADA compliant because they don't have the funds or the capital funds to do so, or the timing didn't work.

So I know for the presidential election, we are really going to have to figure out um some solutions for this to make sure that we have more opportunity for folks to um vote in person throughout Washoe County.

Um so I I was thinking um after this election, um maybe that we try to coordinate that Patriot celebration or certificate or however the chair wants to do it, um, you know, to bring these businesses to come to the board um and we can celebrate them and maybe do some press around them saying, you know, we appreciate you stepping up since so many businesses are like, no, you know, keep politics away.

And it's like, you know, you need to help us.

This is representative democracy.

We need support from all of our community to be successful.

So I know you guys have just worked so hard to find all these locations.

I think you've done a great job and all those heat maps, really educated the way that you did this on who is going to these spots and how we can make sure that there are no lines.

And so I just appreciate your work and want to continue to see how we can support you and ensuring that um these folks can um help the county and uh make sure that we can lead on that.

So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Hill.

I I'd like to follow up, if I could maybe comment and open it up to other commissioners.

But that was one of the I think really um heartfelt um discussions with the RSCBA about their patriotic uh place here.

And their that location is so central and there's so much parking and it's so big.

And so I think that um as we see those opportunities reveal themselves.

I think others then will hopefully be able to have a good domino effect, and we can again celebrate their generosity.

Thank you for that, uh chairwoman.

We we did lose Reno Town Mall because of ADA issues, specifically for a vote center.

Uh doesn't make a lot of sense.

So having that location, the Reno Sparks Convention Center on election day with blowing it out to be a super center, I think is very, very important.

Well, and kudos for to you for actually starting that.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Clark, do you have anything?

Yes, I do.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um thank you, uh Andrew for your report um and information.

I I've got a couple of things that again I want to re-emphasize.

You've answered the questions before, but I'd like to get them back on the record uh about uh uh removed from the rolls about how many folks uh removed from the rolls for lack of participation.

Uh about two years ago, we had uh over 40,000 uh ballots that were returned for for uh inability to deliver to to the addresses and uh and I just wanted to find out a bit more about that.

Uh how many how many names have been removed from the rolls because of lack of participation, and do you anticipate over 40,000 ballots coming back?

I think I think that you're uh on track for good clean role.

So we appreciate that at the treasures, and we appreciate that at the assessors, and we certainly appreciate that at the registrar voters.

Can you give us uh an update on how uh accurate you think the rolls are gonna be this time?

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Clark.

Uh Andrew McDonald for the record.

So, yes, we have done list maintenance and we continue to do list maintenance.

Uh, number one priority in our department.

I would say I don't have the exact numbers on me, about roughly 72 to 75,000 people have been either canceled or inactivated since you have uh voted me into um not office but through the department of zone appointment here.

Um so that is above roughly 15 percent or so of Washoe County voter rolls.

Uh it's quite extensive, but again, the voter did not take action to vote in the uh presidential PPP primary nor general.

Uh so we are able to, if they are already inactivated to cancel them.

If they didn't vote, we were now able to inactivate them.

So there are specific rules around the NAVRA 33 day process.

If they do not take action, we send out cards and those cards come back, then that starts the clock to uh for us to inactivate those voters.

So I would say we are extremely confident that of course it's not going to be zero ballots that come back because this is a very transitional county.

Um we do about 300 to 500 updates on the voter registration system a day.

So at the close of registration, we do our best to get as clean as possible.

But from that point forward, uh people will be coming in and out of this county.

So there will be some mail ballots that do come back undeliverable, but to the tune of 22,000 plus, uh, absolutely not.

I'm hoping, I'm hoping for two to five thousand.

I know I'm on record saying that, but I really hope that we are as clean as possible going into this election.

Thank you.

That's a great improvement.

I mean, at the end of the day, we need that's a foundational basis for the whole election, is the accurate roles.

Uh that being said, if somebody was removed and they still want to uh participate, how what's the cutoff time and how do they get back, get back on the rolls and and uh if they want to participate in this up and coming election?

Yeah, thank you for the question, uh Commissioner Clark.

So, in regards to if they're inactivated and it's after the close of the roll, they will have to go into a vote center and update the registration and vote that way.

Uh, they would be they would not get a mail ballot because they're inactivated.

Um, but the last day to uh to let me see here, sample ballots.

I had I think I thought you might ask me a question like that.

Last day to receive a mailbout is the 26th of May.

Um, last day for us to mail a sample bot is the 21st, in-state ballots on the 11th of May, out of state.

Um I don't have the exact answer, I don't think to your question.

Um, I will get back to you in regards to the exact last day you're asking uh for folks to I think we were asking the close of registration, is that right?

Yeah.

Um, will that be posted on on your your uh website and make that information available to anyone?

Absolutely research that thing.

I've just got so many dates in front of me.

I understand.

I apologize.

I don't want to put you on the spot.

Yeah, uh I guess it's say it will be safe to say without putting words in your mouth that they could go to your website and and and find out.

Absolutely.

Actual actual dates.

Yes, yes, sir.

Thank you.

Yep.

Thank you.

Commissioner Herman, do you have anything?

No.

Great.

Well, this is an actionable item.

So is there any public comment?

There is.

Thank you.

First up, we have Penny Brock followed by Maureen Cunha.

Thank you.

Penny Brock for the record.

Many voters in Washoe County are concerned about the three drop box locations.

Governor Lombardo vetoed a bill last session where the Democrats were asking for standalone drop box locations.

He vetoed that bill.

One reason why is because in Nevada law right now, a drop box location can only be at a polling place.

The CARES campus is not a polling place, as are neither of these other two.

So this is the law is being ignored when the ROV put these on and asking you to vote for that.

The biggest problem with voters is the CARES campus.

The CARES campus is now being managed by former county manager Eric Brown, who brought in to our county mail-in ballots, drop boxes, dominion, so on and so forth.

So we are concerned about the CARES campus being on this list for many, many reasons.

We would ask that you please follow the law and rule and remove these drop box locations.

The good news is under the Save Act pending in the Senate, is we won't have drop boxes or mail-in ballots, et cetera, et cetera.

As a backup Trump, President Trump has issued an executive order within the last couple of weeks, making our elections a national emergency.

If the Senate does not pass the SAVE Act, the executive order will kick in.

President Trump is saying if a state or county does not follow the SAVE Act or this executive order, they will lose their federal funding.

So we are watching what is happening closely in Washington, DC.

And 80% of Americans, both Democrats, Republicans, Independents, want the SAVE Act passed.

Nevada, Washoe County is no different because we want fair, honest, transparent and secure elections.

We do not have transparent, secure, fair, and honest elections in Washoe County.

I went through that earlier when I spoke.

Why not?

So I would ask you to please vote against or just take this off your motion and not have the three standalone drop boxes on the list.

The other issue, there's no security cameras at these drop boxes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Maureen Cunha, followed by Cynthia Perin.

Maureen here.

I guess Maureen is not here.

Um Cynthia Perin.

Good morning, Commission.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

I too have concerns about the drop boxes, and especially that one at the CARES facility.

You know, I am aware that the management of the CARE facility is a tremendously difficult job, but certain failures of internal controls at this location have been quite well documented.

Failure of residents to consistently sign in and out is one issue, and the continued use of illegal drugs is still a problem.

So our concern is that the drop boxes are not connected to a polling place.

Uh that is an inability to ensure the security of the drop box.

Is it unreasonable to question the placement of such drop boxes at such a potentially risky location?

There is a crisis of confidence now in the United States over election integrity.

And the previous speaker talked about the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship and voter ID at the polls.

And uh I'm concerned that the addition of these drop boxes would continue to undermine the public confidence in our election system in Washoe County, especially given since our governor did veto AB 306, which would which stopped extra drop boxes throughout our state.

Our ROV just stated that there are more than double the vote centers available this election season.

So I am concerned that there's probably there is maybe no need for these extra unmanned drop boxes.

And I just urge you to consider your constituents in a rational manner.

We we uh it's not a big ask.

And often we come here and many times our concerns are maybe a bit ignored.

So if you could kindly consider dropping the drop boxes, I'm sure your constituents, your voting constituents would certainly appreciate that.

Thank you.

Maureen Cunha, followed by Trista Gomez.

And I have a document to distribute for Ms.

Cunha.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm Maureen Cunha.

I live in Alexis Hills district.

Um this is about the drop box issue.

Um, to promote trust in our elections.

The drop boxes that are placed.

I've asked the commit county commission to remove all three ballot drop box locations not in compliance with Nevada state law.

I've given out uh the document specifically I researched the Nevada state law, and um I've given it to each of the commissioners.

Please remove it from Nevada CARES campus, Reno Sparks Italian Indian Colonies Smoke Shop, and Somerset Senior Living.

These are listed at the bottom of both the 2026 primary early voting locations and the 2026 primary election day locations.

These are not secure.

They are not polling places.

Thank you.

Trista Gomez.

Good morning, Trista Gomez for the record.

Um was at a debate the other day, and um it was per CD2 candidates.

And they were all talking about why they wanted to be, you know, how what they felt like was the most important issue.

And one of the candidates said, we have to restore trust with from between the public and the elected officials.

And he was the only one who said that.

I thought that's a really good, that's a really good goal.

Really good goal.

And I've heard I heard Ms.

Thomas say that these all of these locations have already been determined and they were already determined, and it's been long past to know this, but these concerns that people have about the drop boxes in general, in addition, specifically to the drop box at CARES, they're not invalid concerns.

They're incredibly valid concerns.

We know that the CARES campus has a large portion of those folks, are not from here.

They're not from this county, and many of them are not from the state.

I have picked up two people on freeways, put them in the back of my truck once in a storm snowstorm from other states and brought them to the CARES campus.

I know that people are coming here from other places.

And I think it would be prudent and in good faith and goodwill to simply recognize this concern in advance.

I I can't imagine you didn't know that it was gonna be a concern.

I can't imagine that you didn't think in advance.

Like I'll bet you people are gonna be have I I bet you think there's gonna be some reservations about having a having a drop box near a location where we know pretty definitively that there's a large portion of people that are not from here.

I can't imagine that this would be a surprise.

And so these folks behind me, they you've already said this this is this is not something that is negotiable.

I'm saying that we're asking for it to be considered.

There's some mechanism somewhere to reconsider it, and it's a valid concern, and that's that's what we're asking you to do.

And I feel like it would be a huge bolster to public trust and relationship between public leaders and the public to consider their very real reservations about problems that are well documented.

And that's all.

There's nobody else signed in.

Thank you so much.

Do we have any questions?

Commissioner Clark.

Yes.

Uh this is a big concern for the citizens, and uh I've asked uh Mr.

Large if he could weigh in.

He says he needs to do some research.

I'd also like to have uh Andrew come back up and and uh address the concerns specifically about uh the governor's uh ruling on uh drop boxes and how you intend to make sure that uh legal residents are able to only legal residents are able to use the drop boxes at the specifically at the CARES campus.

It seems seems to be a big concern with the folks, and and I think we need to uh give people some answers that maybe we'll uh help them uh with their thought processes.

Thank you.

Uh Andrew McDonald for the record.

Thank you, Commissioner Clark, for that question.

Um, just to be clear, uh Governor Lombardo's veto was to veto requirements to establish additional drop boxes, specifically requiring drop boxes between early voting and election day.

Not that I couldn't provide more drop boxes for the election.

Um the second part of that would be we do staff them again with bipartisan teams.

They are in uh facilities uh inside the facility, not outside of the facility, meaning they're not left unattended on a um sidewalk, if you will, or inside a facility.

Um those boxes are locked at the end of the shift.

So if observers want to come and observe the mail ballot drop box so that we are doing the right thing while it is open, uh, we welcome uh that behavior also.

Um at the CARES uh facility, if you don't mind, I'm gonna have Reggie Greer come up.

He actually negotiated that contract with the county cares facility and explain um where that drop box is and if there's something we need to do potentially to move that drop box to for the public to feel better.

Reggie, please for the record, Reggie Greer, uh the deputy registrar voters.

Um so with the care can't CARES campus specifically, that drop box, it has to be in a publicly accessible place.

So it will right now it's planning on being at the entrance.

So if you've been to the CARES campus, um, the main facility, there's the mailroom facility and the main facility where those double sliding doors are.

The plan right now is to lock down one of the sliding doors to provide an area for the drop boxes or for the drop box.

So any member of the public can come, drop off a ballot.

Additionally, um, like uh registrar McDonald said, they will be staffed as well too.

It will not be behind security to where only CARES uh attendees can vote and uh put their mail ballot in there, it will be accessible to the public.

Follow-up question.

Sure.

So so I'm I'm not familiar with the security there.

Tell us about what you know about if you know about uh security cameras.

Uh will this all be filmed uh with public records?

Can folks who are concerned about this get copies of the of the uh uh videos of of the drop box being used, it says, is that going to be available?

Do we know that?

I don't I don't know who else might answer that question, maybe Mr.

Large or yourself, but uh as far as security cameras uh uh and accessibility for folks who want to monitor that.

So as far as as the specifics of security goes, I don't know the specifics.

Um what I do know is that they have a hefty security presence right there at the very front, right next to where the drop box is going to be.

There's a metal detector, there's a desk that you have to check in at.

Um there is a large security presence right there with our Washoe County security.

I believe it's allied that we're using there.

Um as far as cameras go, I'm not sure.

I would imagine there's a ton of cameras, but I don't want to speak on that because I don't know the details.

But if we're talking about other facilities as well, too.

Not every facility has a camera, and I'm pretty sure most facilities, you know, they're not just handing over um just video of it at a Save Mart or at another location for a vote center or a drop box throughout the county.

So I understand the CARES campus is a um is a hot topic, a point of discussion, totally understandable, understand some of the concerns there.

But as registrar McDonald said, you know, you do have to be a registered voter to get a ballot.

So it's not like random ballots are going to just be showing up there.

Sure.

I'm on your side.

I'm just trying to quell the the distrust that we have in the public.

And so this is different than uh uh another location.

This is a county facility, and I'm gonna ask the uh county manager to maybe explain a little bit about what type of security we have there because I don't know.

And and let's make sure that the folks get a chance to hear that, and and you don't know, so maybe maybe uh the county manager can share with us.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Clark.

I'm actually pulling up the cameras right now at the CARES campus and seeing the ones that are on the first floor in the welcome center, which is the building that you're referring to.

So there is additional security that's at the facility.

And I think that the item to note is both that the area will be staffed for the drop box, and that we do have um the only percentage that of people that are from out of town in that facility is last check.

We've averaged 16%.

So we have a lot of our residents that live at that facility and in the neighboring areas, including the weekly motels and such that might not have access to transportation.

And so we wanted to find a central location for those individuals that live in the surrounding neighborhoods as well.

And I think this um area offers that.

So we'll uh we obviously hear the concerns of the community, but we also want to make sure that every member of our community that lives here can have access to the ballot boxes.

Um, if you come from out of town, chances are you're not getting a mail on ballot.

So I think that there's some some learning we can do, but some security provisions in place, so we'll be sure to watch it closely.

Sure.

Thank you.

And I just wanted to that to get on the public record so everybody can that that has concerns can have have a better understanding of what we're trying to do.

Everyone needs to have an opportunity to vote.

I'm I'm on the I'm on the side of the registrar voters and and uh the side of the voters.

People need to have the opportunity, but the other concerns that we have here from from citizens is I I think if we can we can uh quell those um mistrust that might be out there, I think we'll all be better off.

Thank you.

Commissioner Clark, uh Michael Large from the District Attorney's Office for the Record.

Uh in regard to your question with regard to the legality of drop box locations.

I want to assure this commission and the public commenters.

My office works in conjunction with um the register of voters on a daily basis in regard to making sure that we are we're betting and making sure that our sites are compliant with law.

Um we are also tracking all potential legislation and potential litigation that it has to do with uh voting as we move closer and closer to these elections.

We're you know, we are communicating almost daily with the ROB's office to make sure that we are gonna be fully compliant with the law, Chapter 293 of NRS and with federal mandates.

So that thank you for the clarification.

Thank you.

Um Commissioner Herman, do you have a question?

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Mr.

McDonald.

Um you've heard our public speakers.

They're speaking from their heart.

They have the same concerns that I have.

We have discussed those.

You and I want I just every single one of them has a definite problem with our elections that are planned.

And I know that we're working towards following the law and all the rules and regulations that have been handed down from Warcraft, DC.

And I cannot accept what you're telling me because it's there's too many things that are different between what you're proposing and what we're hearing from the public.

I hope that after studying what the people actually said today, that you'll go back to your office and and double check to see that you are following the law to the in every way.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Herman.

Thank you.

Um, I have a couple clarification um questions, and it actually speaks a bit to what's already been said.

Um, you know, as the chair, I like to facilitate everyone having an opportunity before I speak.

And I just want to get clarification on a couple things.

You know, AB 306 was vetoed by Lomardo.

That's a fact.

But you did bring up a point in terms of what the provisions and why he vote vetoed it.

And I'd like you to speak to that because the reality is is that there was it appears to have additional locations that were being presented by by others in this bill.

Um, and that there was even a time window that looked like it was going to be different in terms of the final day and election day.

And so, how is that different from AB 306 to what you're proposing?

I just like that clarification, please.

Uh thank you for the question, Chairwoman.

Um, so I try to be as prepared as possible for these meetings and any possible question that comes up.

I don't have that right in front of me.

However, I can tell you the veto specifically was for adding additional locations after the close of early vote through uh the weekend and Monday until election day.

Um so that's what the V the veto is to in his mind take care of.

Uh so those locations were not added.

Okay.

Additional locations.

So let me ask you a different question.

Um, I know that there are three locations, and the other two locations aren't actually being addressed, at least it appears.

They've been commented on, and they're certainly within your recommendation.

But um, the Indian colony and the senior center, those those how are those different?

I mean, I do I I'm hearing a lot about concern about the CARES campus, but I'm not necessarily hearing a lot of concern about the um the locations.

And I realize that you're looking for opportunities, right?

Additional opportunities for people to have accessibility, which manager Thomas echoed.

Um, I'm just wondering like what is the security, how does that work in the other two locations as well?

Thank you.

Uh Andrew McDonald for the record.

So uh the Indian colony, uh again, if the Native American uh tribes ask for something in this regard for voting, we must give it to them.

It's very cut and dry.

Therefore, we are giving them a location, a email ballot drop box location at the Indian colony uh smokeshop.

That has been a long-standing mail ballot drop box location for many, many elections.

Last election, we actually had Somerset Senior Living Center to serve some of that community over there because there's just not a lot of vote centers in that area.

Um, therefore, we uh have used that for the first time this last election in the general.

So they are staffed exactly the same, same rules apply, same locking of the mail ballot drop box at the end of the day, same bipartisan team of three um exactly the same rules apply.

Well, that's what I wanted to have you share that these aren't those aren't necessarily new locations in terms of being um a part of the elections, and I think um asking for all three is interesting.

I don't I could have forgotten, but I don't remember that being a requester in the last election that those two locations specifically be removed.

Um, so there weren't any problems with the last election with those two, any identifiable uh concerns that you have.

I'm just asking not that it was brought to my attention.

Okay, and then um, you know, I also think it's important, and I really appreciate uh Miss Kunka, I don't know if I'm pronouncing her name correctly, more Miss Maureen Kunka, who shared the um the uh summary that was reported about Governor Lombardo's veto of it because it also included individuals to return a ballot on behalf of a voter under specific conditions are required.

So when a bill is vetoed, the whole thing is vetoed.

So if something's not right, the whole thing may have to actually be vetoed.

And I think that's important to put on uh the record in terms of how the process, the legislative process works.

There could be one thing, even though the rest of it may be fine, that uh the veto has to take place, you can't necessarily pull out a provision.

And so um when legislation passes, you either are gonna pass it as is or go through or have the governor choose to sign it or veto the whole thing.

So um I think that's also important.

I do think that um you have deadlines, is that correct?

Absolutely.

And what are the deadlines?

And I know you have a lot of dates, but I'm asking because the clarification of the legality of some of the things that have been brought up are really important.

They're important, and we have a responsibility.

Our oath actually puts us to follow the law, even if we don't like the law.

We have to follow the law.

That's what we took an oath and signed.

So, my question is is that if we are confident with uh DA Large's statement that he's in constant communication with your office and with the Secretary of State, any other uh entity that has a legal authority over elections, if you will, that everything will be followed.

That's my understanding.

Is that how that works?

Yeah, Andrew McDonald, for the record, that is absolutely true and correct.

Uh Chairwoman Andrew.

So let me ask another question.

Can we actually I'm gonna um uh put this to DA Large.

Can we put a contingency in the motion that may seem repetitive, but not to me, that we include the fact that all the locations, including the three ballot locations, follow the law and have uh the assurance of full security that is expected for any other requirement that is dictated by the state or federal.

This this board can make that motion in regard and put contingencies on it.

I would bring I would also bring back to what commissioner or what uh manager Thomas said earlier, that this is just an informational item.

The by coming here today and providing these ballot locations, the ROV has complied with Nevada state law, which is what he is required to do.

Um staff will continue to vet as we've made the assurances.

If this board feels more confident in making a motion that says that we will be vet continuing to vet the legality of these sites, then this board has that power.

Well, that's what I'm gonna recommend because I think it's important that we have the public be assured that we follow the law, and if we don't, that there are consequences that um are in place if we don't follow the law.

And I know that I've said this several times.

The only thing that separates us as commissioners and a judge is we don't wear a robe.

We have to follow the law.

Um, and so I really think it's important that people hear that we have that obligation, and if it means to reiterate that and in the motion, I think that that would be helpful.

I also think it puts uh the um well, I know you follow the law, but I think it puts you on notice, if you will, that we all have a responsibility as oversight and governance in terms of policy to ensure that you are doing that, right?

And so I think that that's a really important provision that I'm gonna ask for consideration, bless you, uh, for consideration to be uh included in the motion, even though it's statutorily, if someone were to read the motion that's being recommended, it has a statute that is in place.

But I do think um if it's possible, I think coming back, and there were some questions um that you know weren't um necessarily clear that I think need to come back and just give us an update.

I think that would be really important as well.

So I'd like to request that that you come back and give us that clarification on security on how we're assured that it is essentially an update on the locations and the security of it and the following of the law, and it could be a quick update or a long update, depending.

So, manager Thomas, is that something that you think would be helpful?

Thank you.

Yeah, I mean, we we obviously need to move forward on the item D if at all possible, but sure, we can certainly have um the registrar come back.

Real quick, you would ask this board has asked that if there are things that are put on the record that are incorrect that we clarify them.

And there was a statement made that Nevada law doesn't allow polling locations or drop boxes outside of polling locations.

And I just want to make clear to this board that um the Vada law does not prohibit drop boxes outside of polling locations.

In fact, it explicitly authorizes in some cases requires those ballot drop boxes at polling locations and other approved locations at NRS chapter 293.

I can let um DA Large speak more to the legalities of that, but I know Register McDonald talked a little bit about the tribal requirement.

Um we have to have drop boxes at approved locations, including within Indian reservations upon tribal request per state law.

So I just want to make sure that was on the record.

They're a sovereign nation.

Right.

It's it if I could much we can do, yes, Mr.

McDonald.

Uh say one more thing to um if I could answer uh Commissioner Clark's initial question to me.

Close up registration is on May 12th.

So that's the last day a voter um can register and get a vote by email ballot.

After that, they would have to go online or in person uh to register to vote and come into a vote center to vote in that way in person.

Very well, thank you.

I've got another comment I'd like to make as well.

Okay, I finished mine really quick.

Real real quick.

Absolutely.

Um I am also uh manager Thomas, you just made a comment that I think is really important, and that is to um if if comments are made that need to be clarified, that one was made that the former county manager is running the CARES campus.

Can you please uh address that, please?

Uh thank you for the question, and that is absolutely false.

The the CARES campus is under the purview of Washoe County as you all know through um contract approval, we do have volunteers of America who serves as our operator at that location.

Um we have leadership there that does not involve the former county manager.

I can't get into what his role is, other than I know it has something to do with strategy at VOA, but it is not correct that he's running the CARES campus.

So thanks for the clarification.

If if that does occur, I'd appreciate that being brought to our attention, like immediately.

Thank you.

And just um the registrar will be back before you on May the 12th.

I hope that timing works out for you.

I think that's the one where he's going to be joined by the Senate for the buttons for Yeah.

Can I say of course thank you, uh Andrew McDonald for the record?

We did have to give the secretary of state our voting locations as of yesterday.

Um so they eventually will be putting those out on public their public website to for the voters to to see.

Um just wanted to throw that out there so you guys know that I was hoping today to get that approval to tell them that they can go ahead and move forward with that.

They may move forward even without me uh saying so.

So thank you.

Commissioner Clark.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um I appreciate all the public commenters.

I appreciate your information.

I appreciate uh Mr.

Large's information, uh certainly the county manager and uh my uh colleague uh Ms.

Herman.

Uh at the end of the day, it's gonna boil down to this for me.

I'm gonna trust the three nonpartisan observers.

Okay, security cameras, where they're located.

I think we have to trust our other fellow citizens, three nonpartisan folks with eyes on, as long as that's happening.

We got to put our faith in in our neighbors and uh and uh allow them to observe what's taking place, and if they see anything that they think is uh improper, they they who do they notify and and let's get to the bottom of that.

And and if that if we have impartial observers, we've got to trust these people.

I don't think you're gonna get three people that are gonna come up with some kind of scheme or conspiracy.

I just don't think that's gonna happen, but it could, but I don't I hope it doesn't.

And but at the end of the day, I'm gonna trust our fellow citizens observing this.

That's that's how I'm gonna lean on this.

Thank you, Commissioner Clark.

Um, I also would just remind that all of those go through training as well.

So, and there's a process.

I have one more quick question.

There was uh um a concern of um an out of state somehow maybe getting a ballot and putting it in.

I mean, I'm not talking about just CARES campus.

You could say that anywhere.

Somebody could be from not here and not be eligible to vote.

So there's a process in place for a lot of verification, and so that would be caught.

That would be absolutely caught.

If someone's not eligible to vote, whether they're from out of state or whatever the reason may be, that process is following the law and will be caught.

Is that correct?

Absolutely.

Even if that person gets a hold of somebody else's ballot, signs it, it comes back, it's gonna get rejected through our sorter uh through automatic signature verification.

If it doesn't get rejected, there it'll get it rejected by humanized uh bipartisan teams of two looking at that signature and every single reference signature since you've been a voter for the last whatever 20, let's say years.

We're gonna check every single signature on your file.

If it doesn't match there, we'll send a cure letter out to that voter.

Um, and then if they don't cure, then obviously that it's potential that person uh obviously voted the wrong ballot.

Yeah, and we would never open it and extract it.

I think it's important that everyone understand that there is a process for eligibility in various ways, not just out of state.

And I and I really wanna commend you and the county manager, um, you know, and your team, because everyone wants elections to be fair, equitable, and transparent.

And everyone wants the assurance wherever they cast their vote, that is exactly what is actually recorded and then counted, and then whatever the outcome is.

And I think that um you've done a great job.

You and your team have done a great job in instilling the beginning of a real broken trust that was in Washoe County, and I'm not suggesting that the lift isn't still needed, by the way.

And I think you all know that.

We've had conversations before, and there's some things that are gonna come back to even what we're doing here at Washoe County that are standards that are being put in place with the Center for Internet Security and some things that we're doing to actually build that trust and transparency, because that's exactly what is expected, and that's exactly what we need to deliver.

Period.

And so you should be commended, and it's hard when you're up here and you're hearing these things, and I hope that the folks that come, whether they're here or whether they're listening or whether they're thinking about it, reach out to your office.

Because I think sometimes when people have real valid concerns, if they go to the office and hear and investigate and get the facts, it's helpful for them to actually ascertain what is the next step, what are the things that we need to do, what are we missing, and then and then have those conversations with the experts that you are, and even legal if it needs to go to that level, and it should.

We're in the customer service business.

That's what we're in.

And elections are there isn't anything that we do, in my opinion, that's more important than elections.

Yes, we do a lot of other important things, but that's right up there, right?

So thank you.

You need to be you know everyone needs to say thank you.

You are a breath of fresh air from what it was before.

A breath of fresh air, all of you.

Thank you for saying that.

Commissioner How Oh, I haven't ready for a motion when you are madam clerk.

Yeah, Chair.

Any other comments?

Hearing none.

Okay, I moved to acknowledge receipt of the registrar of voters selection of early voting and election day polling locations for the 2026 primary election.

Pursuant to NRS as outlined in the staff report.

Would you mind amending in any other local laws, federal or state, they're applicable?

Absolutely.

We can add that.

Thank you.

I know it's redundant, but I appreciate it.

Thank you for that amended motion.

We have a motion by Commissioner Hill.

Do we have a second?

Second by Commissioner Clark.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, I'll call for the question.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Pressing the yes button.

Aye.

Any opposed, say nay or press no.

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you.

Keep up the great work.

Keep us apprised.

Let us know what resources you need because we want you to be successful, which means everyone else will be successful.

Thank you, Chairwoman and the board.

I appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Well, move now to item 11.

And with this is an introduction and first reading.

If we could get that read into the record with the ordinance, please.

If introduced, this will be bill number 1946, which amends Washoe County Code Chapter 110 development code in Article 302 allowed uses in Article 406 building placement standards and establishes new Article 403 to allow multifamily residential use types in commercial regulatory zones and to prescribe requirements and development standards for such projects.

Thank you.

Mr.

Young.

Good morning, Chair Commissioners.

I'm going to say Dr.

Young.

Oh my goodness, I did not say Dr.

Young.

Dr.

Young.

Good morning once again, Chair Commissioners.

Thank you very much.

This is development code amendment 25005, uh, residential and commercial.

You may recognize it as one of the uh how one of the amendments in the housing packages that the planning department has been bringing forward for a while now.

Um this is uh in response to the Washoe County strategic effort to increase availability and affordability of diverse housing types, and we have specific language in the master plan, vision washer 20 uh 40 that suggests we should do this type of thing.

Uh a series of housing code related amendments have already come before you.

And if anybody's interested in in seeing those and hearing those, they have been coming forward for a while.

Now you can see those on our master plan implementation page on the planning homepage.

This particular amendment to provide uh multifamily uses in commercial areas is consistent with our master plan.

Uh our master plan has some language suggesting we should be more flexible in the zoning code for this type of thing.

But also, and perhaps even more importantly, while we were already pursuing this because of your strategic priorities.

During the legislative session, we paused to see what the legislature would do.

And uh, because they were working on on something similar, and they ended up uh passing legislation AB 241 that mandates all jurisdictions in Nevada permit the buy-right development of multifamily in any commercial zoning district.

So uh that gave us uh much more specific direction to follow in in our own pursuit of this school.

Uh we were allowed to include mixed uses so that you could do both residential and commercial.

It doesn't have to be just commercial.

So we uh have opted to propose standards for mixed use as well.

The summary of the proposed standards that you can find in the staff report are of course we had to uh establish some densities.

We only had a density for our neighborhood commercial.

Um, so we had to establish densities for all of them.

We were going with nine in neighborhood commercial, 14 in general commercial and tourist commercial.

Those numbers were developed in response to a uh a survey of where our uh neighborhood commercial is and where our general commercial and tourist commercial is and what what type of intensity it most closely matches in terms of residential uses, and we determined that uh the high density suburban uh densities are consistent with the neighborhood commercial intensity, and we determined that the uh low density urban is consistent with uh general commercial and tourist commercial, so that's where those numbers came from.

We have uh if you want to do a mixed use, we are asking for minimum percentage of commercial use types.

Uh we are allowing civic use types at a maximum amount.

Uh we have standards for parking and landscaping included, of course.

Uh we have included a maximum height of 35 feet for residential and mixed use projects.

Uh you can't exceed that with a special use permit and go up to the height of the zoning district you're in, but uh the general commercial tourist commercial heights are are quite high and inconsistent with those uh residential zones that we already have.

So we have uh established a maximum height of 35 feet, and we are of course requiring uh municipal water and wastewater services.

You can see here just the code where we have gone through and established that it is allowed by right.

Uh currently the code allows five units per acre in neighborhood commercial with a special use permit.

That was prior to the legislative action.

That was one of the things that we were looking at, and how to expand that concept to the other zoning districts.

But after the legislative session, we are required to make these uses allowed in those zoning districts.

Here's an example of how we establish the density in the code.

Uh, once again, these are intended to match existing zoning districts, low density urban and high density or uh yeah, high density suburban as um somewhat equal or compatible intensities of use.

So uh we didn't just make these up.

Uh we tried to come up with something that seems to match um what's out there on the landscape already.

So um the planning commission did hear this.

Um they their the version you were seeing uh matches their requests to make this uh concept much more uh compatible with residential and to appear and function and look more residential than commercial, even though it's in a commercial zoning district.

That was their uh general request and the outcome of their meeting, and so the ordinance that you have before you represents those requests from the planning commission.

Here is a motion for you uh uh should you choose to go forward uh represent an introduction and first reading.

Thank you.

I'm available for any questions.

Thank you, Dr.

Young.

Any questions?

Commissioner Hill.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Dr.

Young, you've helped with the Tahoe area plan in the past, and uh you'll have to remind me does the Tahoe Area Plan also allow for this mixed use already?

Because I seem to remember that it doesn't.

Are we going to need to change the Tahoe area plan?

Will that be coming our way as well to comply?

Uh um the Tahoe Basin uh including all of the Nevada portion of the Tahoe Basin was excluded from this legislation.

We do, though, have to answer your question.

The commercial zoning that exists in our part of the Tahoe Basin is already all mixed use.

Okay.

We we don't really have any exclusively commercial zoning.

All the places where you can do intensive commercial, you can also do multifamily.

Okay, I seem to remember that there was some issue of someone who maybe it was setbacks in the Tahoe area plan where we couldn't figure out um what the developer wanted to do with setbacks.

Does that sound familiar?

Or we can talk about this offline.

I was just curious.

But I'm glad, I'm glad to hear that uh won't necessarily have to come back for us to us on this issue where it's excluded.

And this is just a note.

Um, you know, I certainly support the policy um that came down from the legislature because we want to see more housing.

However, we need to remember as far as taxes come in, you know, housing pays 3% more a year.

Guess what commercial pays?

Nine.

So this could have just it has nothing to do with you know, making sure we approve um and move forward with complying with state law, but this potentially could have an effect um with Washoe County revenues in the future uh if we don't fix our broken tax system.

So uh that's all I have.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Welcome.

Any other questions?

Um, I have a question.

I thought it was really interesting that AB 241, as you've stated, also um, it was a mandate.

So all counties are having to comply.

It wasn't uh something that we thought about doing.

We have to do this.

But it is not only the mixed use, but for the in residential and commercial, but also civic.

And I'm just wondering like where does that fall?

Uh yes, uh that was not part of the legislation.

Okay.

When we as a staff sat down and looked through our use tables about the uses that are allowed in commercial.

Um just to try and get a sense of what this was going to mean to us and how this might work and how they may fit together.

Um, we notice that we have a lot of civic uses that may be perfectly appropriate in this context.

Okay.

And so we chose to include civic uses as um as an opportunity for landowners to choose if a a daycare or there's so many civic uses that that may fit into this.

And so we wanted to uh before somebody came forward to us and we had to tell them no, you need a development code amendment to add that.

We wanted to just add it now.

Yeah, well, thanks for getting ahead of that.

Thanks for giving.

I mean, really, I wanted to point that out because I thought it was really great to think ahead and to um try and do what you can when you have to do it.

So this requires um a motion, um, but do we have any public comment?

There's no public comment, and it just needs an introduction.

I am aware.

Thank you so much.

Um, we are going to call for a motion, and we do not need a second, and so I'll call for a motion at this time.

Thank you.

Uh, I moved to introduce and conduct a first reading of bill in nineteen forty six as outlined in the staff report.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Great.

Is there anything else?

Here's what I'm going to do.

Uh, we've been here.

It's it's uh twelve forty seven.

I'm just going to take a ten minute break.

Maybe you'd be actually, can we just be back?

We'll be back at one.

Let's be back when I'm going to call for a recess at one PM.

Thank you.

Go ahead and call this meeting back into order at one pm.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, madam chair.

Item sixteen is a recommendation to acknowledge the status report and possible direction to staff on the county manager's recommended fiscal year 2027 budget, which is the fiscal year July first, twenty twenty-six through June thirtieth, twenty twenty-seven, with estimation estimated appropriations of approximately one point one billion dollars, which incorporates board priorities of funding for existing contract obligation supplies, utilities, personal cost.

Excuse me.

Capital improvements and operations.

It also maintains the county's assets and infrastructure needs, and it directs the county manager to return to this board with the certified tentative and final budget for adoption that's going to be at a public hearing scheduled for May 19th of this year.

We have Laurie Cook, our budget manager here to present the item for us.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

For the record, Lori Cook, division director for budget for Washoe County.

And we'll just jump right into fiscal year 2027 tentative/slash recommended budget on the state side, those mean the same thing.

So it's the tentative budget that must be submitted to the state by April 15th of every year.

There will be obviously another opportunity for discussion, direction, and then the final budget on May 19th.

So when we look at the financial outlook and recommended budget for fiscal year 27, so that's uh July 1st, 2026, ending June 30th, 2027.

We have the same or very similar information as has been presented over the past few months.

In fact, the quite a bit of information was provided at the January budget workshop, both at a national and local economic uh from those perspectives.

Some things that changed.

So we did get some information last week, or information was released last week related to consumer price index, uh otherwise known as CPI, sometimes referred to as inflation.

We did see a jump or an increase from a 2.4 to a 3.3%.

Majority of that is based on uh price of energy.

So if we look at the second to last uh item on this list, uh that is one of or the main driving factor related to energy costs outside of that uh energy jump.

The uh food index is unchanged, and um, so the core inflation remained relatively contained, although we all know that when you know those oil and associated gas and and those other prices go up, there are the trickle-through effects, whether it's transportation or food or or these other um items that we do see those.

Um, but as far as total inflation or overall inflation, the energy prices are causing that surge.

The federal funds rate, so uh as uh also described in January, that overnight rate.

So while long-term rates don't necessarily always follow when those go up or go down, those are being kept steady.

It's unclear the next um Fed meeting is the end of April.

It's unclear at this point whether they would uh continue to decline, and so those are called basis points.

So think of it in terms of 25 basis points as like 0.25 percent.

So if you have 50 basis point reduction, it's about a 0.5.

So you would go from one to 1.5 or from 1 to 0.5 uh either way.

So it's unclear with the inflation information and any unemployment information.

Um what will happen at that meeting?

So right now, year to date, calendar year to date, they haven't made any additional uh decreases, they haven't increased.

Uh US GDP, so this was um highlighted in the March presentation, but right now we have not gotten information that that has changed again.

So we had a real GDP increase of 0.7%, which was revised from 1.4%.

That's a significant decline of various reasons for that.

Uh last quarter four, but a lot of uh analysts are talking about being impacted by the government shutdown, so not being able to spend when there's not budget to spend.

Unemployment, so the March national rate is at 4.3%.

This was just released last week, and labor market shows low higher, low fire environment.

So the Nevada rate obviously is higher, it has been trending higher for quite a bit.

The Washa County rate is also slightly higher than the national rate.

Some of those key factors that have been provided, at least by the Department of Employment and Training Resources or DEITER through the state, uh, seasonal unemployment and structural unemployment.

So it wasn't the particularly this year, but last year, we talked about that it's a persistent mismatch between the skills of the job seekers and the jobs that are available.

And we know that you know the university is pitching in there, or the university system rather, to try to, you know, fix that mismatch or work on that mismatch, but we are still seeing the impacts of that.

Then when we talk about the impacts per the Supreme Court ruling on tariffs, that's just going to continue to uh most likely work its way through the court system and whether that ends up uh resulting in refunds or how that all works out.

Um we'll just you know, we're kind of on standby with that.

Then that probably the most headline news or the most in front of us is the growing conflicts in the Middle East and how those um actions, I guess, for lack of a better term, um, how those are impacting uh both national and then how that flows through to our local economy.

And we have also seen um the property tax revenue, just that rate of growth slowing.

So we will talk about it a little bit in the five-year forecast.

Um initially, we uh when we looked at previous years and trying to use a conservative estimate going into fiscal year 27.

We had an increase of about 6.5%.

And what we got from the pro forma from the state, so taxation, so the assessor's office as well as the treasurer's office, they compile information, they get the role information, they I'm gonna say feed it, they feed it to the state, the state puts it into their pro forma, the state does centrally assess, the state also gives us the net proceeds of mining, and then there's the new development rate that goes on to the roles at 100%.

There's no abatement, those types of things.

And so when we got those numbers back, we're looking at 5.2%.

So that not only impacts what we're looking at for fiscal year 27 in terms of available resources, but what we want to forecast in the outer years, right?

We want that to be as accurate as possible.

So it is lower.

Um, so the increase is lower.

It's not flat, it's not, you know, it's reducing, it's just that increase is uh not as high.

And we've seen that with with consolidated tax as well.

So we saw these huge, close to if not over double digit in CTACs, particularly over COVID, which was we know kind of why now weren't anticipating it, um, and we've seen that you know slow back down, so more normalized.

This all provides a little bit of the context as to right the recommendations and what we're looking at in terms of forecasting.

So before we get into the actual recommendations and you know, some of the more I don't know when say interesting, because this is interesting to me, but um, we have taken steps, and some of them are more recent, some of them are um I don't want to say older, but some of them are you know a decade back, but we're still seeing impacts to those.

Um, the picture on the right is just to that's the loneliest road in America.

Anyone knows that that is highway 50, um, is there's road behind, but there's also road ahead.

So it's not that we haven't done anything as an organization to try to become more streamlined, more efficient, save funds, whichever, you know, however you want to look at it.

We have done that.

So within the community services department, as an example, that used to be five departments, five separate department heads, five separate department head support, five, you know, whether it's clerk uh clerical support staff, whether it's uh division director or deputy, whatever you want to call it.

So I did analysis of the the management structure before and after, and in today's dollars, the change of that management structure is saves us two million dollars a year.

So of course, there are some activities in some departments that are more prone to be able to handle something like that, right?

Where you don't uh necessarily uh you can employ other means, in many cases technology and and do other things to address those needs.

I'm talking about the human services agency.

So back in 2016, after the retirement of the prior senior services director, so that department head, that position was rolled into human services agency and not as a separate department.

So that was um I say rolled into there, but right.

So those activities now are not being performed by two separate departments, it's under one department umbrella.

And then in late 2023, September of 2023, housing and homeless services, which initially was under the umbrella of the manager's office, also was moved or absorbed or integrated into the human services agency.

So with all of those changes, their management structure has not increased.

So basically, what has happened is we've created or leaned into a whole new regional initiative without increasing those management positions.

So when we talk about that, and that goes to the next point of reorganizing reallocation, um, disillusion, not disillusion, that sounds weird.

Departments being dissolved.

And most recently we've seen Department of Alternative Sentencing and those activities not going away, but those activities being reallocated to different uh whether it's the courts, human services, the sheriff's office.

There was also this board voted and abolished the office of the incline constable.

And there have been other things we've looked at, such as turning our golf operations to operators.

So we're not in the golf business, so to say, divesting of water resources, so that uh turning that over to Tumwa, which was 2015-2016 time frame.

Um, those are just some of the high-level examples, but there are other divisional examples, uh, administrative hearing office.

Uh there are um, so there's quite a few of those that are ongoing as we would expect to be continuous improvement should be obviously an expectation.

When we look at personnel, um, even though we do not have, and I want to get this out there early, and we'll talk about it again.

We do not have a hard hiring freeze, but we do have departments who will hold positions vacant voluntarily to either offset an expense.

We have that from a department coming uh for this budget process.

Now that's one time, but every time is appreciated, as well as uh some departments will hold those positions vacant, they review the organizational structure, and sometimes they employ contractual or temp to what is the right classification, what's the best way to deliver this service.

Um those are not requirements from the perspective of you know being told to do it, it's what departments are doing.

And when we talk about personnel, we talk about personal growth, head count growth, um, just some though for the final budget presentation.

I'll uh reinsert the a little more detail.

But since fiscal year 2008, which is kind of what we pegged to in many ways, which was pre-recession, it's also pre-we had property tax abatement, but with the recession, right?

We saw the the really a detrimental impacts of those declining property values.

But when we compare the fiscal year 2027 certified uh demographers population in Washaw County, our citizens, we have 110,000 more.

So that's a 27% increase in citizens.

We as Washaw County have 16 fewer FTEs.

So for me, that's pretty staggering number.

Um, essentially, if you call it flat, you've you know increase your population, and a lot of the population that we have that we've had different discussions about, whether it's an increasing senior population or an increased vulnerable population, we're providing services to them, right?

In some way, shape, or form through our departments or through referral services or working with state agencies or community partners.

So being able to do that just reinforces the other ongoing realignment, reorganization, looking at structure that focus at a departmental level because it wouldn't have happened any other way.

Then we talk about technology, um, and that kind of um overrides or becomes I don't say commingles, but right, there's an overlap with process improvements.

Um but right, we we're going down the road of you know being remote and having there's a lot more opportunity for online engagement, whether it's uh submitting payments, whether it's submitting for permits, whether it's um online appointment may whatever it might happen to be.

So that has expanded.

We have multiple different case management systems, whether it's through our judicial function, um, we have employed to the extent possible, automation, robotics, AI.

Uh there are a uh there's one particular item in this budget going forward for a department and looking at using a technology product or technology solution to read reports and help do things that human eyes uh used to do, and um, you know, just maximizing uh because we know that even a flat budget when you have more to do is it is kind of like a decrease, right?

So um expanded virtual engagement, right?

We have Legistar, we've been able to use Zoom, we have regional regional permits, which can lead us into the to the next couple of topics.

So there's a lot that staff has looked at, and it's something that is ongoing.

Technology services has completed a I'm calling it application survey, so they know you know what department is using what and then how we how we best use that and how we maximize it and um moving forward in that way.

Other part of process improvements, right?

We've looked at uh physical space, right?

That started in earnest in the great recession, kind of like how can we get out of lease space and save ourselves some money?

Um but there's also how do we provide the best amount of service.

And so recently it's not a reduction of space in particular, but what's the best for registrar voters, for example, right?

So we have their new warehouse coming online.

So there are a lot of different um things that they they happen all the time, and I don't want to lose sight of those because departments are really doing the work in that arena for best use, you know, best and highest use.

So re-established um infrastructure investments that obviously is a is a core goal, strategic objective.

Um, and it's more than just we think of I mean, roads is important, it's more than just roads, right?

We have technology infrastructure, we have our building infrastructure, and just as a point of information in fiscal year 2007, which was pre-recession, our transfer, general fund transfer to the capital improvement funds was 12.4 million dollars.

Our base transfer in fiscal year 26 to the capital improvements fund is two 12.5 million dollars.

Okay.

So when you put that in round numbers, it took us 20 years to get back to that base, and that doesn't account for inflation.

So those are just some um we talk about re-established infrastructure investments, uh strengthening our regional footprint.

So talked early about housing and homeless services.

We've also embarked on the uh P25, so the public safety radio system.

We are the lead local agency on that, and that includes infrastructure.

Um we started updating our radios before this infrastructure change.

So um, but still, right?

That's ongoing.

Those radios don't last forever.

I wish they did, they're kind of expensive.

But um, we have our CAD RMS, we have the Acela system.

Um, we've had extensions or providing service beyond or within Northern Nevada, whether it's the regional medical examiner or the crime lab, there's just um behavioral health.

There is a whole host of things of strengthening that regional footprint.

Uh, we've updated the budget process with um more collaboration and engagement.

We can always, always, always, in my opinion, we can always do better.

Um, but uh trying to get more information out there, have it available, um, have opportunities for discussion.

And then this um, it's not the last thing, but it's the last item on this list of uh diversion investment growth.

So that's what the stay tuned for more to come, is that will be part of the uh robust discussion at next week's uh strategic workshop.

So there's all kinds of um, there's all kinds of good information coming.

I'm not gonna steal anybody's thunder, but it's good.

Not going to read this whole slide, um, but again, we need to balance resource allocation with current fiscal condition while accounting for future commitments.

So that's that long range or that longer range perspective.

Um, if too much is reduced too early, right?

We're trying, we're trying to pivot too early.

We could potentially need to preserve with either restorative efforts or maybe we forego a potential community investment.

If we don't do enough in a timely fashion, right, then it's more severe measures.

So it really is a balancing act.

But again, just to go back to what framed um these recommendations is the same tenants that we've seen over the past three, maybe going on four years now of maintaining services, commitments to our employees, so keeping employees working, um, and re-emphasizing that hard hiring freeze that is not in this recommended budget.

There is some natural savings related to turnover, um, but there's nothing in there related to hard freezes, and then of course, as always, use our reserves wisely.

So, general considerations, obviously, we are at risk if if you want to use that term for national and local economic impacts due to federal policy.

So, we keep an eye, I mean, in fact, one of the items obviously, right somewhat, I think, right before, maybe two items before.

What happens if there's changes in you know federal election law, right?

So there are um, so it's more than just monetary policy, you know, there can be other impacts as well.

Sustainability costs growing faster than the revenues that support those costs.

This is not new information, but this is just a reiteration and a reframing, if you will, revisit.

Um, we look at property tax, is the largest revenue across all funds.

Uh so for the county, it's between 70 and 75% of our total revenue.

Uh, for the general fund, it's approximately 52%.

The note, this is not including one-time revenues for fiscal year 27.

Um, there is some one-time uh fundraising budgeted, uh, which is intended for the Washall Children Behavioral Health Center in the general fund.

So that is not recurring.

So when we adjust for that non-recurring, we have property tax at 52% for fiscal year 27 property tax abatement.

Um, we're looking at 87 million across all funds, 78 million in the general fund.

So, what that is for those who might not know is that based on the property tax cap of either 3% for your low cap or residential, 8% for your general or your high cap.

Those are the maximum that they can go up.

What we're seeing is that value of that abatement.

So that is funds that property owners or property taxpayers don't pay.

It doesn't get paid and go into like a sitting account somewhere or anything.

It literally stays in the taxpayers' coffers, so to speak.

For the general fund, that's 78 million dollars in fiscal year 27.

So and that comes from the state's information on the pro forma.

There, in addition to abatement, there are exemptions and other items.

And so this is just the abatement portion of it related to the 2006 legislative session on abatement.

C tax is approximately 32% of and these have state steady over the past couple of years, past few years, not including one-time revenues and then interest income.

So we have seen that bolstered quite a bit, and it's about one and a half, 1.5% of total revenues.

And just a note that we look at when we look at the outer years, if we anticipate using fund balance or reducing fund balance, then that interest earned rate, we have to look at that going down as well.

Even if the rate stayed the same, if you have a smaller balance, you're gonna get less interest.

When we look at the cost inflation side, so the the right hand side, we have personnel as the largest cost across almost every fund, not every fund, capital funds are slightly different.

They don't one fund has a position in it, but they don't normally have the people in it.

But 78% of general fund expenditures.

So when you look, oops, excuse me, total expenditure is about 78%.

Services and supplies, 21%.

Then we have general fund transfers that support other governmental funds, but those funds are also impacted by inflation.

So I don't want it to appear as if, okay, well, the general fund is having these struggles, but that's not applicable to other funds.

So for example, special revenue funds.

We have uh property tax uh funds that receive property tax, animal services, senior services, child protective services.

Um while we see those property tax uh increases coming through, we also see these these impacts of cost growth also.

They have people, they have contracts in those funds, right?

So it's not just across the general fund, all funds need to look at it from a sustainability perspective.

And then we have infrastructure.

So I think it was a I can't remember it's public comment, but it was somebody who presented today that you know talked about cost of construction and cost of these investments is rising faster than CPI.

Um, and we've lived that for many years now, um, and we continue to see it.

So it shouldn't hopefully be a surprise, but the uh given our current fiscal situation, uh, we did have fiscal year 27 budget requests of close to 46 million for the general fund and 4.2 little about 4 million for non-general fund.

Both of those included requests for new positions and uh in particular general fund shifting positions off of different restricted funding sources, grants, other restricted funding sources.

Um obviously that's not something that uh could be recommended because it's not sustainable.

So given the landscape, we also want to, and this is has been provided in previous um presentations, but to go back to what are the themes in the feedback that we get when we're talking about um service services, and so right exploitations, service level service delivery, personnel, and infrastructure technology.

Again, these are a little bit of teasers going into next week's uh workshop on the 21st.

So now kind of the part people get excited about.

What is what is the budget?

What's going on?

So we talk about total appropriations, that's expenditure authority, that is transfer authority, and it is also for the general fund contingency.

So that's the total appropriations across the board, and this was a message that was provided or we've discussed with elected officials department heads, uh, no net new positions, right?

There could be reallocation between departments, there which there has been, uh, which has been um it really exciting to see that idea of sharing resources or or coming up with alternative solutions.

So what we're looking at right now is in the general fund net reduction of 3.38 FTEs, and those are full-time equivalents.

That could be four positions, for example, if one of them is not a 1.0 or full-time.

Non-general fund, that's a net reduction of 4.9 FTEs.

The majority of these are vacant positions.

No, they're all vacant positions.

Uh, in the non-gener, it's mostly if a grant uh if we've had grant funding expire, if there was an associated position, it's vacant, then it comes off the books because per door board direction, per board policy, an authorized position or positions only authorized if it's funded.

So we have to find funding.

Reclassifications are only approved with permanent offsets, and that's across all funds because again, um, although there might be slight differences, these things that are impacting the general fund are also in many cases applicable to non-gener departments.

The library budget reflects the same budget as previously included in the expansion fund.

So basically the same as all the other general fund departments.

And if you remember the current year that we're in, so fiscal year 26, that rate was rolled into the operating rate.

So we have a tax rate that used to be discrete and segregated that now is in the general fund operating rate, and now those expenditures are also in the general fund.

So no budget reductions, uh, but also no, you know, handle the same as other departments with personnel increases and those kinds of things, but not above base per se.

Increase the general fund transfer, Northern Nevada Public Health.

Um, so this is the same as prior year or the current year we're in, which is fiscal year 26.

Um, general fund transfer to roads, uh, there's separate slide on that, which we will get to.

Um so that would be uh another increase.

We have some remaining ARPA funded positions, those are our support positions, um, and having them with the remaining interest, having those funded.

And when we talk about permanent permanent assets right now, we're talking about minimum of five years.

Uh so looking at that, and then how does that uh roll into the outer years?

And then continue the enhanced communication, uh, briefings, workshops, board meetings, whatever that might happen to be for everybody to have an opportunity or get the same information.

The information regarding the functional and department fund budgets.

So, you know, if we talk about public safety and what are those departments and what are those budgets, that's in the appendix section.

So that would be slide 28 and 29, uh, which is appendix or supplemental to this actual presentation.

As the largest fund, we start with the general fund.

And here are highlights of those recommendations.

Again, these are things that are different above base being reallocated, not our normal base ongoing, right?

So this is not our total budget, these are the things that are changing.

Um right now, recommended a chief information security officer that is included in that net reduction.

So we are still not increasing positions in the general fund with permanent funding identified.

Contingency increase, um, the thought or the discussion has been to get it to the 3% maximum allowable per statute.

Um, especially with a lot of outliers, right?

So we have um in the upcoming year, upcoming fiscal year, we have another legislative session.

Uh we have in fiscal year 28, the end of fiscal year 28, our collective bargaining agreements, right, will be up for renegotiation.

They expire.

So when we have contingency, or we get, you know, a September, we get a bill from the I don't want to throw them under the bus, but we might get a bill from insert agency here that we didn't know, or that it's gonna have an increase, and versus taking from other department budgets, we can request contingency, those come to the board.

Uh those have to be approved by the board, those contingency requests.

Um, increased ongoing general fund transfer for the regional computer aided dispatch records management system.

So talked about that a little bit with our expansion into regional, um, and so that has to be built in as that project makes progress, right?

We have those ongoing um costs associated with that support, our portion of that support.

One-time transfer to the golf fund for improvements to Sierra Sage golf course with operator repayment over time.

So the operator will recoup through however they handle their fee structure, and then that pays back to the general fund, and that is in the forecast.

Um, just of note that that is still our facility.

Uh, we don't want the facility to fall into disrepair.

We want it to be available.

Um, there are questions about this activity and you know, perhaps availability of municipal golf with you know, lack of availability of municipal golf.

Uh yeah, not trying to throw anybody under the bus, but we don't know what's gonna technically happen with Red Hawk and what you know, it's just there's a there's a lot going on, but knowing that that is an important activity service uh for our community.

We see the detention medical services contract, so um that contract with NAFCAR increasing, uh it's a fairly large increase part of that is getting juvenile services.

Um the uh Wittenberg Hall or the detainees, the juvenile detainees on that contract, they have valiantly tried to borrowed or been loaned staff, uh nursing staff from other departments, and they just it just is not working, and that is not discretionary.

Uh we you know have to provide medical care, we have to feed you know people who are in our custody.

So, but it's a fairly large increase, so we just wanted to point it out.

Reallocation of positions duties and budget.

So talked about that a little bit earlier with um alternative sentencing, and then the increased support for contract with Torquimino's fire protection district, and this is um sometimes referred to as NT22, so support of north of township 22.

So Red Rock, and I'm not good with geography, but that Red Rock getting into Gurlac, that whole area and receiving uh or getting uh updating our interlocal agreement for uh that activity for TMFPD as the subject matter expert on fire to provide those services.

So jumping back to roads, said there'd be separate slides.

There are a few separate slides.

Um talking about uh increasing the recommendation increase that transfer of by four million.

What this does is addresses by another four million, we increased the transfer last year.

So we have addresses short-term gap needed to maintain the current pavement condition index, the PCI, right?

There are ongoing structural deficits in the fund, and we know that there's potentially there's a lot going on when it comes into the the world of fuel tax and roads maintenance and those types of things.

But when we talk about PCI, um and we will look at it in the next slide, but right now the the board's policy on PCI condition is 73.

Right now, our PCI is 68, and it actually declined from last year.

So when we were up here last year talking about it, it was 69.

Um what causes that, right?

So if we look at the next slide, you can see the majority of our roads when we look at it as the current condition, are not in the very good to good, but they still those very good and good percentages still help that average, right?

So it's a law of averages.

Uh most importantly, if we look at reconstructing resurfacing roads, right, at that price per square foot, that is I'm gonna look down here real quick, 10 times approximately 10 times higher than taking care of it before you have to replace it or resurface it.

So just as a you know, takeaway, um, and the pictures I think are good or are good information to say, well, what does that mean?

What is you know, PCI 60 or 69?

What does that look like?

Um, but obviously, like a lot of things that we invest in, um, preventive maintenance front-end um investment um saves us in the long run.

So when we look at these impacts to the general fund five-year forecast, this looks different than it did in January.

Uh, we have had some board action taken in the interim.

Um, and so again, this includes as was referenced in a previous slide, the one-time revenue replacement for the Washville Children Behavioral Health Center.

Um, that's anticipated in fiscal year 27.

It also includes the board's approval of the one-time transfer to the capital improvement fund for the support of that project, the Washell Children's Behavioral Health Center.

That was the 17 million dollar one-time transfer that the board approved.

So this rolls that in, but for the most part, this is kind of an as-is.

We haven't had new or different revenue sources, we haven't made um any other or additional changes to service provision.

Um, so again, it's um and the assumptions are on slide 27.

So in that appendix, um, is in slide 27, and then the detailed sources and uses, which is what right, this is summary of that are on slides 30 and 31 at the end.

Um, so the shape of it is the same that we've been talking about, where we see this these deficits and actually growing or compounding deficits in the outer year.

Um, but this is just updated for the tentative recommended budget as well as year-to-date activities.

The other thing that's updated in there, and we can talk about it, or we can leave it for later, is um our estimation of C tax.

And so we did true that up.

So um, as uh discussed in March, uh we're looking at estimating a four and a half percent increase through the end of this year, so through June of 2026, and then a three percent, which is um commensurate with uh when we were talking to the cities of what they're looking at as well.

And it's if you look at the final revenue projections from the state, it's still lower than the numbers the state gives us, but we um we don't really use, we don't have a history of using the state's numbers when it comes to consolidated tax.

So when we look at those revenues or sources again, we can see with the pie chart, but you can see right the majority of that is consolidated and property tax.

So when we talk about a deficit or what causes a deficit, if we know that 82% of general fund, you know, revenue has a weighted increase in this case for 27% of 3.6%, right?

So if we have C tax at 3% and it's 30%, that's almost a 1% increase.

5.2%, it's about 50%, that's about 2.6%.

Uh we see that as a weighted increase.

That's the majority of the funding that we have.

So when we have our costs exceeding that, and then it's not made up or backfilled or however you want to say it, with these other categories, charges for services, licenses, and permits.

Um, that's where we see this, right?

That's where we see the deficits.

This is by function.

So we get the question a lot of the functions.

So this is general fund appropriations by function.

So public safety is the um, I guess number one, but it's the highest percentage.

It's not just the sheriff's office, public safety.

If we look at the department pages, but we've got public guardian, public administrator, medical examiner, juvenile services, uh, emergency management, they're plethora of different, but the largest is the sheriff's office, but it's not the only public safety function.

Then we have judicial, uh which includes the courts, but also district attorney, public or indigent defense, so public defender, alternate public defender, transfers to other funds is now the third highest category.

So that's whether it's a transfer to the roads fund or transfer to indigent fund or oh gosh, transfer to insert fund here.

Uh uh public health, Northern Nevada Public Health, that's another transfer out that is in there.

Culture and recreation includes both library, libraries and parks.

And so we have seen that category obviously go up in the expenditure portion from moving those expenditures out of one fund and moving them into the general fund.

So it's not that there was this big explosion or increase in budget, it's where it's being accounted for.

Public works is um community services, and then we have other, which is our um, I don't know what other is, sorry, about my notes.

Oh, like community support, um, different um different areas uh within LN welfare goes in there too.

The majority of welfare uh expenditures are identified or accounted for in separate uh outside of the general fund.

So that includes that uh welfare function as well, and then contingency.

So that's that 2% or that recommendation to increase to 2%.

So here's a dollar, and um for a dollar that goes out for general fund.

Well, what is what is that pay for?

What is or what is that support?

So salaries, wages, employee benefits, not a surprise, right?

Those are two largest um expenditure categories, services and supplies, transfers out, and then contingency.

So it's just a different way of looking at it from you know the pie chart of you know, just okay, what is that?

What is that dollar support in terms of the categorical uh budget or categorical expenditures?

Then we talk about other funds, and it's not that other funds are not important, um, but our budget's kind of split.

We're about half-ish general fund and half-ish all other funds.

Uh so these are other governmental funds.

So these do not include our proprietary funds that are later in the presentation.

Um so we see health, that's northern Nevada Public Health library expansion.

You can see that budget is at zero because now we're showing that in the or we have that accounted for in the general fund going down the list.

Animal services, we have senior services, regional public safety training.

So what this shows is on the in the left column, it's the revenue and other sources, the right column is appropriations, and then it's either a use of fund balance, which is when you see the negative, or it's an increase to fund balance, which is a positive, or it's flat, which you'll see as the zero.

So there's nothing when we look at there's a lot of times we have one time.

So if we look at capital improvements fund, uh we look at you know a reduction or appropriation decrease or decrease of fund balance of 13 million dollars was because we're planning to spend some funding and do some projects that we have the right, we're not they're either continuing or multi-year, and we're using um the current fund balance for those.

But we do look at those.

Um my staff has worked with department staff, but they've worked really hard on all of these special revenue funds with their own five year forecasts.

So uh we need to look at those in terms of when requests come in, even outside of the general fund, what that looks like in the longer term.

Capital improvement funds.

So the total budget in these capital funds, this does not include capital investments and roads fund, it doesn't include capital projects and the utilities fund.

These are our three capital funds.

We see the capitals facility fund that is a property tax rate, five cents if we want to put it in those terms.

The majority of that, about 82% is passed back to the state and the cities.

So when we true up what we think that revenue is going to be out of 12.7 million dollars of revenue, 7.6 million gets sent back to the state, 1.43 million um goes allocated to the cities, so that's the cities in total, and then um our portion, we do take a portion of that to fund roads to fund the roads fund, about 2.4 million a year.

So these are the appropriations as we did last year.

Um we are we refine the process so that we are using year-end actuals to then true up the budgets for projects going into the future year.

So we don't have um, I don't want to say it was inflated, but we have better and more realistic numbers rather than trying to figure out well, how much do we think we're gonna spend before June 30th, and then how much are we gonna spend next year?

And a project can get delayed or a project can get accelerated, those types of things.

And so it allows us to have a better reconciliation and it allows the budgets to be reflected in the financial system much sooner.

So um, and that value is about 80 million dollars.

So if you looked at two years ago and you looked at the capital improvements fund, it might look like it's a huge decrease.

We've changed our process.

This is commensurate with um the adopted budget for the year that we're in.

Some new projects on the on the horizon.

So this TS, the sorry, it's technology services.

I should have spelled that out and not used an acronym, undesignated.

That's for ideas with either automation, um robotics, whatever we want to talk about technology that would fall under that capital to help with efficiency, and um, so it's within the capital fund.

Then we have uh the from general other previous general fund transfers, uh, we do have some support related to uh the warehouse, so the British Hard Voters Warehouse, and then we have items on there that are related to our current or ongoing.

So when we see this 13.5 million general fund transfer, that is what we're what we would call the new base.

And that's you know, earlier slide I was talking about.

We were, you know, in 2007, we were at 12 12.7.

Um yeah, we're a little bit higher than that now.

Then in the parks capital fund, there's all there's a lot of cool stuff going on over there.

There's some stuff that's contingent upon grant funding, but these are the projects that are in the new projects.

So there's ongoing recurring projects, multi-year projects.

This isn't all projects.

You will see all projects when we present the five-year uh CIP as a separate item to follow the budget on May 19th.

So proprietary funds, uh, enterprise funds really operating similar to a business, and internal service funds are those where we're recouping and we're providing service to ourselves for lack of a better term.

Um, health benefits fund, so that's not the health fund, that's the health benefits fund.

So that's um retirees and and current employees, equipment services, that's our fleet, and the majority of our fleet, and then risk management fund.

So these are our proprietary funds, they are accounted for with operating revenues, operating expenditure expenses.

It's it's a little bit different than a governmental fund, but um we can see those total appropriations are 100 and almost 157 million.

So, what is this as just a recap, right?

So we have this total budget.

This is the same as you know on the whatever slide three or whichever one it was for total budget.

Then if we look to the right, that is uh by function, and that is functional order.

So if you want to sort it a different way, let me know for the future.

But in our system general government is 220, judicials 230.

So they are in order, but not alpha order or uh size order, magnitude of order.

Uh so we have the 976 million, and what functions those support, and then again the proprietary funds um separated by enterprise funds and internal service funds for the total budget.

So the next time we will get together is May 19th.

Um, so we will uh we have to publish uh that uh intention to have that public hearing.

It's a public hearing on the tentative budget, which has already been filed, but we have to wait for it to be certified by taxation, and then the board adopts the final budget.

It's how statute is written, and I I just go with it.

Um and the final budget has to be filed by June 1st.

We cannot have that final uh budget hearing or that hearing on the tenante budget until after or no earlier than the third Monday in May, and we have to have it submitted to the state by June 1st.

So we have a really tight window uh related to that part of the statutory process.

The five-year capital improvement plan that has to be filed with the both the state and the debt management commission of the county, particular county that has to be done by August 1st, which means it has to come to this board prior to August 1st, and then the debt management policy and statement of indebtedness, they both have that same deadline.

So of course those have to come um before you and to the board prior to the August 1st filing deadline, they go to the same uh both the department of taxation and the clerk.

So more information in the other slides.

Um as far as appendix information.

One that is so these are the assumptions related to the five-year forecast.

So if you're interested in the well, where did these numbers come from?

This is where these where these numbers are coming from.

Um slide the last slide or the last piece of information.

That these are the departmental breakouts.

So what are these by function and how does that relate into departmental budgets?

These are not, these are in the order of how they best fit, honestly, on the page.

Uh, just because I can't have a bunch of the the big charts all on the same page because they don't fit.

This is general fund sources and uses.

This page, this uh slide 30 is the sources, and you'll see that the um there's one time that's in green, so it's highlighted because we have to account for those one time in the five-year forecast.

We can't include them year over year.

And then the uses, and there's also some one-time uses identified uh both from this year, that's that 17 million that we talked about, and then for next year, or 27 is next year.

Total appropriations by category, service supplies, salary and benefits, personnel, transfers out other the majority of others contingency.

Here we have by type, so it's the same information, but also by function.

These are expanded.

This is the expanded information for those other governmental funds.

So it talks about where they, you know, what type of uh revenue, whether it's uh property tax, which is ad valorum, other revenues, and then these are the uses.

So uh this is just more detail as to the rolled-up chart earlier in the presentation, and then this is the property tax overview.

So the proposed um rates, the ones that are in blue are what um are changes.

So we have a youth services levy, which is used to fund China Spring.

So down in on that facility has been um taken out of their wing or taken uh Douglas County, and so there's a certain amount that we have to pay that we're required to pay, and that is the amount or that we have to allocate to recoup that fund, that funding, and then the debt rate um had we had to increase that a little bit, so from 0.0057 to 0.0059 uh as the um with the assessed valuation being a little bit the increase being a little bit lower.

Um, and it doesn't mean the taxes are increasing, so I don't want to misspeak or have any any kind of those are offset by that very top operating rate.

So our bottom line tax rate that levy for Washau County, that 1.3917 is not going up, it's not changing.

Um it's been the same rate since fiscal year 2005, so 23 years, and then um on the right-hand side is we have a base rate for all of Washow County.

It doesn't matter where you live.

It doesn't matter if you have a GID or like I'm in the unincorporated county, so you know I have a uh rate for uh Tricky Mano's fire, that's that base rate, but then right you see below that.

So we have the school district.

If you live within the incorporated cities, they have their tax rate.

Uh we have different, you know, state of Nevada has uh 0.17, and then if you're in a particular general improvement district, um they have rates as well.

So the total rate cannot exceed the 366 cap.

Um, so the total overlapping tax rate.

But when somebody, if you look at your bill and you see the 366 or 359 or or whatever it is, um, the portion that comes back or comes to Washow County is the 1.3917.

Um, but then you can see from that list that a lot not a lot of it, but um there is a large portion of it that's allocated or restricted for particular use.

So whether it's senior or the capital's acquisition, that capital's facility tax.

So those just they're not part of the general fund and they have specific uh requirements and specific uses.

That's all.

Thanks.

So for those that are still awake.

No.

Thank you.

Really, this is a lot of great information.

But manager Thomas, would you like to add anything or share anything before we move into this item?

Thank you.

Um we were going to do opening comments, but Lori was so excited to get into the we into the budget that she's she went over me.

But the reason I wanted to make opening comments was actually just to thank staff.

Um, you've got a billion dollar budget that is covered in 25 slides with appendices, and it's no small feat to put this together.

But really, what I think we got right this go-around was communication.

Um, the budget team was really wonderful and in preparing this very fluid document.

And every time you make a change, somebody else has ideas, and there's something that comes up.

So I really want to shout out to the entire budget team and Lori and our CFO for the excellent job that they did on preparing this.

And then I wanted to um thank the department heads.

This was a pretty inclusive process.

And so department heads are really uh prevalent and seated at the table as we went through the budget Congress, and then we went through it again at the department head meeting after we talked to all of you.

And so I'm quite sick of talking about the budget.

Um, I know not everybody is, but boy, we've we've really covered this quite intensely.

And so I wanted to thank everybody for that.

And then lastly, just the commissioners.

I mean, you've been willing to meet and talk about it and show up and hear about it and not skip meetings and give good input.

And so thank you so much for the process, which I finally see is tying into the strategic planning process.

So that's a huge win.

I'm excited to next week have the plan workshop on the first iteration of the strategic planning.

Um, we're always reminded if nothing changes, this is what the budget will look like, and we freak out in 2031 or whatever it is.

And part of the strategic planning effort is to make those changes so that we aren't in that position in the out years, and that's going to take all of us.

So, anyway, that's just what I wanted to say.

So, thank you for indulging me.

Thank you.

Um, if I may, before we open it up, do we have public comment on this?

Would you be so kind?

Thank you.

We have Trista Gomez.

Thank you.

No, somebody just ring me in microphone.

It'll be faster for us to all.

Trista Gomez, I love a good budget.

Because I'm running for office, really learning a lot about some of these issues with budgets and employee budgets.

And in all the jurisdictions, the employee budgets are the large, large, large majority of the jurisdictional budgets.

And um, there are a lot of things that now I I understand this is a touchy subject, right?

So I I just want to say that about 95-ish, we'll say ish, so I don't get in trouble for saying something that's not completely correct or factual, but 95-ish percent of residents throughout the county don't have 80% guaranteed defined benefit at retirement.

95-ish percent of the residents throughout the county don't have access to the level of benefits that Washoe County or City of Reno and City of Sparks do.

I couldn't buy it.

The benefits available to county employees, I could not buy.

They're not available.

Maybe I've worked in the county before, and I made more money as a social worker in the county than I did or still do in the private sector.

Many people are hard-pressed to leave the county and find a comparable salary or position in the private sector.

Now that there's exceptions, right?

Some of the professional jobs, the lawyers and the engineers, some of these things, but the clerical positions, the support staff positions, they unmatched, unmatched.

Now you could find a couple examples and tell me that I'm wrong and tell me that I'm not factual, but it's true.

And when you when 78% of the Washoe County budget has to do with employees, I think it's prudent to remember that compensation and monetary value, monetary consideration, are directly related to power or priority.

And when you're talking about those kinds of things, and you're talking about 95-ish, give or take a percent or two, percent of the residents not getting 80% of their top three years, not hoping that the market performs when they retire.

And those levels of salary and benefits going to the budget.

And it should be a conversation because that is not possible in many cases through the private sector.

Thank you.

There's nobody else signed in.

Thank you so much.

I'll open it up to questions for Ms.

Cook.

Commissioner Hill.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and great work.

Great presentation.

On the Sierra Sage golf course transfer, which I um think it makes sense uh to invest in our resources.

Um are we going to require prevailing wage for that work because it's government funds?

Okay.

Sorry.

Uh for the record, Lori Cook, yes, that will be a requirement.

It's a county owned facility.

So we'll be working with the operator also as a note is um the we will be making payments directly.

So we're not just going to be cutting a check to somebody and then you know having to go through that process.

So that's why we needed the budget authority in the golf fund and not just the transfer.

Got it, got it.

Thank you.

And then I'm sorry, I'm confused still about this juvenile services, the the two vacant nursing positions.

Do they have they don't have NAF care?

No, that's the problem.

Yeah, that's yeah, that's a problem.

Right.

So what happens is they actually so juvenile um uh working through, you know, with the the needs has two APRNs, so advanced practical registered nurse.

Um, we just call them APNs, but APRNs, and um, they have had extreme difficulty recruiting, hiring and keeping those positions filled, but at the same time they have to provide those medical services to the juveniles that are in detention.

So right now the director of juvenile services is working with the sheriff's office as they're going through the negotiation with NAFCAR.

So adding them to that contract or adding them in is um obviously we haven't done that before, so it's going to increase the cost, but they are also getting uh abolishing for lack of a better term, those two vacant positions that they they can't fill, they can't keep them filled.

Why?

Is it pay?

Do you know any?

I'm not sure, uh honestly.

Okay.

I don't know if HR knows I'm because I don't know if the health district also experiences that as well, but um just it seems strange.

Yes, it's a problem.

Okay.

I'm looking at nodding heads.

Got it.

Thank you.

Um and then on the roads fund, um, I'm I'm glad that we're going to continue those transfers.

Um, it would be great the way that we have outlined our other capital expenditures specifically, like um where we're putting our funds for parks, where we're putting our funds for other capital outlays of money, if there could be a list of what the road the road improvements would be.

I don't I don't see that in this package.

It'll be included when we have the more detailed information.

Um, I think, well, I don't want to speak for people, what has happened in the past is they've kind of said, okay, where our plan is kind of contingent on our funding.

Yeah.

So once that they know that this is a fairly firm recommendation, then they can come up with their plan, and they have provided that in the past, and we've brought it forward as part of the final budget.

And public safety improvements are only improving condition of the roadway, we're not necessarily doing public safety improvements as part of the roads plan for investments because all of these county roads, and it um I don't know if other commissioners experience this, but I have a lot of constituents reach out.

This is unsafe, or this needs a crosswalk, or this needs a sidewalk or whatever the case may be.

And you know, making sure that we have we we don't necessarily have the funds um, I understand for many of these projects, but if that is also part of this package, um, it would be helpful to know and kind of know the outstanding things that we still need budget for, and um it that would be helpful in the next presentation.

Okay, what the with the recommendation with the existing or what the resulting gap would still be.

Yes, just because I have with there's a form you fill out when you want a safety study done, and then there's I know a list of priorities for the you know how to get those safety improvements online, and I just don't ever know where that's at.

So um, and maybe that's a separate presentation.

But um, if the if those funds do not include safety improvements, and they're just ensuring that we can keep what we got, and I understand that too, but um that would be helpful.

Um so thank you.

Sure.

That's all I've got.

Uh great work, looking forward to continuing to have the dialogue, but I feel comfortable with the budget moving forward.

Thank you.

Commissioner Clark.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, and thank you for your for your report.

You know, lots and lots of information to digest.

And uh the good news is to uh to um manager Thomas's point is all the meetings we had leading up to this.

Uh this really made a big difference in understanding this.

Uh unfortunately, all the public and the people in the audience and other places didn't have the opportunity, but what we did, and I think it was very informative to to meet in advance and have meetings on a regular basis.

It uh really uh illuminated a lot of the uh the issues with with the budget.

Uh I've been involved with the budgets here since 2015 as a department head, the assessor's office, and and and collecting uh a lot of these funds that fund the government, but um you know, being on the other side now and and uh being at the commission level, it it's uh a different overview of of that.

And I think you you've done personally and your staff have done an excellent job to just share all of this information with with the uh commissioners.

Uh I want to go to uh page uh seven if we could uh can we go back to that uh presentation on page seven.

I specifically want to look at the property tax abatement.

You could take a moment, please.

Is it still available?

Once it's up there, I'm ready.

Okay, yeah, page page seven.

Thank you.

So the the property tax abatement over on be on your your left side there, 78 million dollars.

That's the abatement for people that get uh the uh the cap, right?

3.3 percent for owner-occupied single family owner occupied.

And then the rest of it is uh anything else from uh you know shopping centers to data centers to car washes to whatever.

Yeah, to not qualify anything that's not owner-occupied.

So on that 7.8, and and I think this is something to point out, and I want to point it out and make sure this is on the record, is that's money that's staying in taxpayers' pockets, right?

And so knowing people the way I know people, I don't think anybody's opened Swiss bank accounts with that money, you know.

And if you look at the number of about 189,000 parcels in the county, my my math is right.

That's you know, about under about 500 per per property.

So again, nobody's opening Swiss bank accounts, but that's still being used in the county to enhance our our C tax and our C tax stays up because people are buying tires and good, you know, oil changes and whatever else, goods and services.

So that money is is not really escaping our our tax in the in the fact that it's still being used and circulating the economy to keep weight staff and restaurants and and and uh every everybody else uh gets a piece of that as it churns around in the in the county.

So I that's a different way of looking at it, and and I I think people need to put that in the proper perspective too.

We can't just keep taxing and taxing because the more we take away, the less people have to generate funds in the county.

So uh I just think it's important to note that that 78 million dollars is is going to be regenerated time and time and time again in the county and help with the C taxes.

So I just wanted to bring that out.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Herman.

Thank you.

I um I actually would like to extend a huge thanks to Commissioner Herman for Pilt.

She and I both, you've heard it many times.

We both still serve on the Nevada Association of Counties and Pilt is a big subject.

And I just want to thank you, Commissioner Herman, for looking at not only that, but um having Trekky Meadows Fire be a benefactor and our community as a whole.

So I want to make sure that everyone understands that that came from you.

So thank you.

It's just a small part.

It's it's it's a big part.

I think uh Chief Edwards would be saying thank you as well.

Um I also uh had um just some comments about the roads.

Um I think I had to be included, so uh Commissioner uh Commissioner Hill was already kind enough to uh point that out.

But I do think it's really important in terms of the point that you made on the preventative piece, because as we prolong this, the cost of that is going to increase and it's gonna be exponential.

And your point of 10 times higher was well uh noted uh when you said that.

Um I also think from the budget workshop, we've all learned the term of increasing at a decreasing rate, right?

And that's what's happening, and so we have to live within our means, and I think I'd really like to extend a huge thanks to you, the team, manager Thomas for um meeting with everyone, as everybody's already shared the commissioners, but looking at what I've been saying for the last few years, and that's looking at how we can prioritize the budget that actually has mandated requirements, and then those that aren't, and then how we balance that and moving towards a priority-based budgeting um process is really gonna help.

I think as we move, it's not something we can just turn a light switch on and moving in that priority uh-based budgeting, but I do wanna recognize all of you for listening to that request and looking at at moving in that direction.

And the uh manager Thomas has been um very kind in assuring me, and I just want everybody for full transparency to know we are moving in that direction.

It's not going to be for this year, but we are even incorporating some of that into this year.

So I wanted to make sure that was fully transparent.

I've been calling for this for several years, and to now see it start matriculating into the process is is really helpful.

I also want to give manager Thomas a huge um shout out, and to all the department heads because that budget caucus is really important.

Everybody, in my opinion, has to look at being fair and equitable.

And every department is always important to the department head.

That's just the reality.

And it becomes, I think, really a powerful leadership that you've exercised in sharing with everyone how we all have to do this together.

We are gonna have to do this together.

I think you um pointed out during the beginning of the presentation how those efficiencies have panned out and saving.

It sounds like it's not a lot when you're talking about a billion dollar budget, but in looking at um the savings of two million and the regionalization and how we look at that, how we can incorporate technology, those things are I think an opportunity when you have budget crisis.

When there's uh a lot of money, people don't look at things the same way.

This is the this is the time to do it, and it's really encouraging to see what that looks like.

I would like to also when you come back, um, give uh update on where we're at with the checkbook.

I look at it, it's just a regular item on on my computer.

So I look at it all the time in terms of activity.

It seems to have stayed almost constant, which I think is a real uh kudos to our community who are wanting to dive in.

It doesn't show you who's looking, it just gives you percentages, but it's great, and I think that that is um something that we should also share.

And then I'll just add that I know I've asked for this, and I know that um time is precious and capacity is always a factor, but I do think looking at how we can um re uh institute the the video and some of the things so that we can share with everyone that this budget is transparent and that we have the ability to to pull down things and compile things, you can pull reports, you could print the whole thing if you have lots of paper and you want to support whatever company you purchase paper from and ink and maybe a new printer.

But um, I I do think it's important that we we re-communicate that out, especially while we're in this budget budget time.

So those are um my only comments, and then um certainly the final budget on on May 19th.

And I would uh continue to hope that we can uh have this continuous process improvement and show those examples, Ms.

Cook, that you showed in terms of creating, for instance, the two mega departments, some of the um things that you've mentioned during that on page five, where you went through those those I think should continue to be highlighted because it means everyone's working together to solve this.

So things are definitely going to get tighter, but we'll see what that uh looks like as um numbers start coming in, right?

Because everything is increasing at a decreasing rate, it seems except maybe costs, maybe a few things, but most of the important things are increasing at a decreasing rate.

So thank you so much.

If there aren't any other questions or comments, this is an actionable item.

We've called for public comment.

I'll entertain a motion at this time.

Uh move to acknowledge the status report and um the discussion uh from the BCC as outlined in the staff report.

Second.

We have a motion.

Do we have a second?

Commissioner Hermann, thank you so much.

Any further discussion?

Hearing now, I'll call for the question.

All those in favor signify by saying I want to press the button.

And any um opposed.

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you, and thanks to the entire team, and thank you, Manager Thomas, and to all the department heads and all the staff and all the 3,000 plus employees who understand that we're all going to do this together.

We're all going to do this together.

Everybody okay.

Um, we'll move now.

We're gonna close item 16.

We'll move to item 18.

Um this is a public hearing and a second reading and a possible adoption of an ordinance.

So we'll go ahead and listen to that and get the bill number.

If passed, this will be ordinance number 1754, an ordinance to establish an expedited review process for qualified attainable housing projects and for affordable housing types in compliance with assembly bill 540, formerly bill number 1945.

We've already heard this.

Does anybody need to hear a presentation?

All right.

Hearing none, I'll call for public comment.

There is none.

Thank you.

I'll go ahead and uh ask for a motion at this time.

Ordinance number 1754.

Move to adopt ordinance number, what was it, 1754 as outlined in the staff report?

Great.

Do we have a second?

Commissioner Clarks, a second.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye or pressing the button.

Any opposed motion carries three to one.

Thank you so much.

And we'll go ahead and close item 18 and now move to item 19.

Manager Thomas, this is public comment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This is your final public comment and comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person.

It may pertain to matters both on and off the commission agenda and unused time may not be allocated to other speakers.

Please make your comments to the commission as a whole.

There's no one signed in.

Thank you.

We'll go ahead and close public comment at this time.

Move to item 20, which is commissioners and county manager announcements.

Manager Thomas.

These are reports and updates to include boards and commission updates, requests for information or topics for future agendas.

I do not have anything for you.

Commissioner Clark.

Commissioner Hill.

Commissioner Herman, just a reminder that tonight at 5 30 and here, agro tourism, be here.

This will be a great, great opportunity.

There's also a survey that's available online if you can't make it.

So anyway.

Anything else?

All right.

We're gonna close item 20 and we're gonna adjourn at 215.

Thank you so much for a great meeting.