Washoe County Board of County Commissioners Strategic Planning Workshop - June 2, 2026
Washoe County Board of County Commissioners Strategic Planning Workshop - June 2, 2026
The Board of County Commissioners held a strategic planning workshop on June 2, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:28 p.m. The workshop focused on emerging technology, digital information delivery, targeted messaging, and service delivery. Board members heard presentations from county staff and provided guidance for the upcoming fiscal year 2027–2029 strategic plan.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Laura Wetherington, a parent and library user, expressed strong support for the library system and requested that the Board consult with the new library director on training for the Library Board of Trustees (LBOT) and consider appointing trustees with experience in the Friends of the Library fundraising group. She highlighted the importance of library computer access for her child, who does not have home internet.
Discussion Items
Technology Landscape and Strategic Priorities
- Bazad Zemanian (Chief Information Officer) presented the "iceberg model" of technology, emphasizing the unseen infrastructure (cybersecurity, data centers, GIS) supporting visible services. He noted that county employee headcount has remained at 2008 levels despite a 24% population increase, and technology staff is 13% lower than in 2008, creating a "technology gap."
- James Wood (IT Manager) discussed cybersecurity as a risk management function, citing recent investments (multi-factor authentication, firewall upgrades) and plans for FY27 (zero trust, AI-assisted detection, a dedicated CISO). He stressed that risk cannot be eliminated.
- Quinn Korbulick (Regional Services Manager) outlined the data management program, which includes a three-year strategy with four goals: governance, training, evidence-based decision-making, and transparency. He noted that AI adoption requires strong data infrastructure and that the county is developing an AI and data governance policy.
- Chris Sarman (County Assessor) described AI tools developed by his office, including an appraisal AI that saves 20% time on allocation processes and a large language model (PEARL) that summarizes emails and suggests responses. He reported that reappraisal workload increased 400% (or 80% per slide discrepancy noted by Commissioner Clark) while staff stayed flat. He stated that AI has opened opportunities to improve equity and error review, but the cost and time to develop technology remain challenges.
- Commissioner Clark asked about the breaking point for staff capacity. Assessor Sarman responded that AI has provided a relief valve but acknowledged that future staff additions may be necessary. Commissioner Clark requested a cost-benefit analysis of adding staff to ensure no property escapes taxation.
- Vice Chair Garcia asked whether the 15 high-priority initiatives from the 2022 technology plan were internal or external. Zemanian replied that the plan balances both, with a focus on enhancing citizen experience, cybersecurity, infrastructure modernization, and automation.
- Commissioner Clark emphasized the importance of cybersecurity and noted that the county is at an inflection point, requiring alignment with HR on evolving skill sets. He raised the topic of open-source software (e.g., IBM/Red Hat's Project Light) and the cost of software subscriptions. Zemanian stated that the county generally prefers off-the-shelf products due to compliance and security update requirements.
Digital Information Delivery and Accessibility
- Tammy Cummings (Digital Communications and Accessibility Manager) reported that the county’s website received 4.7 million unique visits in the past year (13,000/day). She explained that the county met the DOJ’s digital accessibility deadline (April 2026) early, earning national recognition from NACo as one of three recommended counties. She described a shift from a decentralized web model (152 content editors, 6,000+ pages) toward a centralized administration model to improve consistency and accessibility.
- Chris Sarman (Assessor) shared that his office’s website overhaul focused on efficiency, simplicity, and 100% compliance with accessibility standards. He reported positive public feedback.
- Kobe Harkins (IT Manager) demonstrated an AI-powered search tool that answered a citizen query about dog licensing. He highlighted security risks from AI (e.g., data scraping, web crawlers) and advocated for centralized web governance to reduce attack surfaces.
- Vice Chair Garcia noted the importance of language access (AB 266) and praised the county’s proactive accessibility work. Commissioner Clark suggested using data on user clicks to identify barriers and improve navigation. He also recommended cross-departmental AI recommendations on web pages.
Targeted Priority Messaging and Service Delivery
- Nancy Lewinhagen (Communications Director) described efforts to use diverse channels (podcasts, social media, press kits) to reach residents. She highlighted the region-wide emergency website (emergencywashoe.com) developed collaboratively with Reno, Sparks, RTC, hospitals, and others. The site aggregates real-time data on road closures, evacuations, NV Energy outages, weather, air quality, and traffic maps.
- Bethany Drysdale (Media and Communications Program Manager) reported that the county is building a regional PIO network with quarterly meetings and tabletops to ensure unified messaging during emergencies.
- Dave Solero (Assistant County Manager) outlined plans for a single point of entry in Building A, consolidating front counters into a customer service center led by 311 staff. The concept, still in early design, aims to reduce confusion and improve security. He noted that the Registrar of Voters will vacate space after 2026, enabling reconfiguration.
- Nancy Lewinhagen also mentioned that TMCC is developing a unique government call center certification for 311 staff to enhance customer service culture.
- Vice Chair Garcia praised the emergency website’s comprehensiveness and requested that messaging be shared with elected officials to ensure unified dissemination.
Key Outcomes
- The Board provided guidance for the FY 2027–2029 strategic plan. Staff will incorporate feedback from the three workshops (December 2025 interviews, April 2026, and June 2026) and develop a draft plan for adoption at the August 2026 board meeting.
- The Board acknowledged the county’s national leadership in digital accessibility and technology innovation, specifically the assessor’s office.
- Staff will continue developing a centralized web administration model, a data and AI governance policy, and a single point of entry design for Building A.
- The Board requested a cost-benefit analysis of adding staff to the assessor’s office to ensure full property tax capture.
- No formal votes were taken; the workshop was for discussion only.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I'd like to call the Board of County Commissioners meeting on June 2nd at 1 p.m. to order. And if I could have Mr. Sarman do the salute to the flag. Yeah. And to the Republic, for which it stands one nation under God and divisible with Liberty and Justice Ross. Thank you. We'll move to roll call, please. Chair Andreola. Present. Vice Chair Garcia. Here. Commissioner Hill is absent. Commissioner Clark. Present. Commissioner Herman. Is absent, sorry. Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Large. Present. County Manager Kate Thomas. Here. And I'm Yvonne Strickland, Deputy Clerk. Thank you. Well, it's exciting, right? To have our workshop about some great topics that I think are going to be very interesting. And I'll go ahead and kick it over to Manager Thomas, please. Thank you. We are on to public comment and public comment is welcome during public comment periods and limited three minutes per person per public comment. Unused time may not be allocated to other speakers. And please make your comments to the commission as a whole. Laura Wetherington, hi Laura Wetherington for the record. Thank you for your service and for the opportunity to speak. I want to especially thank Commissioner Clark, who is my commissioner, for all he's done for the library. And want to I want to encourage each of you to do all you can to support literacy and self-education in our county. I'm the mother of a kiddo who's learning how to read, and he's also learning how to navigate the online catalog. And last week he checked out 23 joke books. And all I have to say about that is why did Socrates like the French fries? Because they were made in ancient Greece. When I told my kiddo I was coming here today to ask you to support the library, he had his own message. He wants you to know he's seven, and he thinks that the compute computers are really good at the library. Um as a bit of context, he doesn't have computer access at home. So having access at the library is pretty special to him, and it's pretty special to me because I know when he logs in with his library card, the computer recognizes he's under 18 and automatically applies restrictions to the computer, and he's got access to computers in the children's section where the tables and chairs are just his size. So I've come today to ask you two things. One ask about the training for the LBOT, and another ask about selecting future trustees. As a parent who's geeked out about reading, I was heartened to hear that you all are already considering minimum standards for all your boards. In the last year, I heard a library test trustee reference training they'd all taken, and I applaud you and them for that. As you consider what they might need going forward, I want to ask you to consult with the new director. If I understand correctly, the constitution of the library board is somewhat unique within Washoe County. I think that's because it's both a volunteer and a governance board.
openpublica.com