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Record of Proceedings

Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission Meeting - September 23, 2026

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, September 23, 2026
BodyWashoe County, Nevada
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, September 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:09:35

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
4:06

Recording in progress.

4:12

Good afternoon, everyone.

4:13

Uh, I am Vice Chair Sean Hill.

4:15

I will be chairing the meeting today of the Washington County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission, September 23rd, and it is 130.

4:24

Uh, called order.

4:27

We're gonna go ahead and start with a roll call.

4:30

Uh Chair Jones, are you on Zoom?

4:33

Yes, present.

4:36

Uh uh Commissioner Baker.

4:39

Commissioner Dick.

4:41

Commissioner Kinsler.

4:45

Commissioner Joel.

4:47

Present.

4:48

Uh, Commissioner Yvera.

4:54

Just a second.

5:00

Is this Jenny?

5:02

Yes.

5:02

Hi guys.

5:03

Okay.

5:03

I'm going to promote you to panelist Jenny.

5:09

And Commissioner Flingus.

5:13

Commissioner Hill.

5:14

And Commissioner Hill present.

5:16

And uh Commissioner Garcia will not be able to attend today for the Board of County Commissioners.

5:21

We have a core.

5:23

Great.

5:23

Moving on to item two.

5:25

Uh Commissioner Baker, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance?

5:33

To the black of the United States of America.

5:36

And to the Republic from which you stand.

5:39

One nation, under liberty, and for all.

5:51

Agenda item number three.

5:53

Is there any public comment today?

5:58

Mr.

5:58

Kruger, did you want to hear public comment now or is there a certain item you wanted to do it with?

6:03

Go ahead, sir.

6:04

We have Fred Krueger in Chambers.

6:08

Please state your first and last name for the record.

6:18

Thank you for the opportunity to address you, uh, Commissioners.

6:22

Uh I just want to start with an introduction more, and that is that I am retired, but I completed 32 years of federal government service, an additional seven years with the uh state of South Dakota prior to that.

6:35

So I am familiar with workings of state and federal government.

6:39

Uh I want to note I'll state the obvious, obviously state the obvious is that in the light of expansive growth and population increases in Washoe County.

6:51

I think it's experiencing the need for more open space, and that should be an important priority for you folks on the commission.

7:00

Washoe County has a number of regional parks, no doubt.

7:04

I feel, however, that more natural and wild areas should be designated.

7:09

Specifically, an additional or new regional park with open space in the general vicinity of east-southeast of Golden Eagle Park.

7:21

One that would mimic the Hidden Hills Regional Park, which is on the south part of town, south part, southeast east part of Reno.

7:31

The Paha Pa Wilderness Study Area could be part of this regional park.

7:39

Most of the area is currently public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

7:44

What has sparked my interest and concern for standing up and doing this?

7:51

For having a regional park designated in this area twofold.

7:54

One, the recent proposal by the Regional Transportation Commission to develop the Northeast Connector Road from the end of La Posada or through Golden Eagle Park, uh the ballpark area connecting to Interstate 80.

8:10

And I sort of chuckled when I was doing these notes the other day and then reviewing them last night.

8:24

And then number two is Senator Jackie Rosen and legislator Mark Amaday's proposal for land bills, both of those land bills that would cut off substantial acreage uh going to development.

8:39

Uh again, the main benefit is open area, and it would provide benefits would provide the uh wildlife watching habitat development, solitude, and I sort of chuckle when I was walking through the area here, and you see the sign boards that you folks have in the county here that notes just click on your phone and you can get a calming message on your phone.

9:02

I think I'd rather go out.

9:04

Most people would rather go out in the open areas and have the calming nature solitude and many other benefits.

9:10

Uh many partnerships could be uh added to Washoe County, being fish and game, Bureau of Land Management, Cities of Sparks, Reno, Pyote Tribe, as well as the major industries in this community that are causing the building, such as Tesla, Panasonic, Switch, etc.

9:27

etc.

9:28

Lastly, I would like to know who I could design or who I could discuss this proposal with further from the parks and recs commission.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████61%
Youth Programs█████████12%
Transportation Safety█████7%
Procedural████5%
Community Engagement████5%
Fiscal Sustainability███4%
Public Engagement███4%
Budget Equity Analysis█1%
Election Integrity█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission Meeting - September 23, 2026

The meeting was called to order at 1:30 PM by Vice Chair Sean Hill. Roll call was taken, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and public comment was heard. The commission approved the consent calendar, heard presentations on two Eagle Scout projects, and voted on three action items: an easement request from NDOT, and updates to the fees and charges policy and schedule.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the draft minutes of the Open Space and Regional Parks Commission meeting of July 29, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Fred Krueger (retired federal and state employee) expressed support for designating a new regional park with open space in the area east-southeast of Golden Eagle Park, similar to Hidden Hills Regional Park. He cited the RTC's proposed Northeast Connector Road and proposed land bills as reasons for urgency, and noted that most of the area is BLM-managed public land. He asked for a contact to discuss the proposal further.

Discussion Items

  • Eagle Scout Project – Eagle Meadows, Galena Creek Regional Park: Logan George (Troop 443) presented his project to replace the fire pit, install a flagpole, and improve drainage. The work was completed on May 30, 2026, with 7 adult and 11 youth volunteers. Materials were donated by local businesses. The statue on the old fire pit was created by a local artist. The commission thanked him for his service.
  • Eagle Scout Project – Davis Creek Regional Park Registration Sign: Abhinov Kaluri (Troop 15) presented his project to rebuild the registration signboard destroyed in the Davis Creek fire. The project used 35 volunteers, 256 total volunteer hours over five work days, and was completed on August 1, 2026. Total cost was $3,379 (park contributed $2,000; scout provided $1,300). The signboard features two 4-foot-deep concrete footings, a double-sided board for fees and rules, and a metal roof. The commission thanked him.
  • Rancho San Rafael Multi-Use Path Easement (Item 7A): NDOT requested an easement of approximately 10,381 square feet within Rancho San Rafael Regional Park for construction and maintenance of a multi-use path along North Virginia Street (from McCarran Boulevard to Panther Drive). The path will be 8–10 feet wide, plant mix (asphalt) on aggregate base, with lighting. NDOT obtained an interlocal agreement with the city of Reno for day-to-day maintenance. The project is estimated to cost $8 million, with bid opening October 15, 2026, and construction from February to fall 2027. Staff recommended approval, and the property is Land and Water Conservation Fund deed-restricted, requiring state review. The commission voted to recommend granting the easement for no charge.
  • Update to Open Space and Regional Parks Fees and Charges Policy (Item 7B): Minor language updates, including removal of golf enterprise fund references, addition of restriction for reciprocal government use to typical business hours, and clarified refund language (no cancellation fee for date/location changes). Approved.
  • Update to Fees and Charges Schedule (Item 7C): Proposed an average fee increase of 8.4% to reflect CPI increases since 2023. Data entry errors were corrected: Bowers Mansion pool pavilion rental to $100 (not $95) and swim admission to $8 (not $10). Added cleaning/security deposits for aquatic pavilions. Commission approved, effective October 1, 2026. Discussion noted historical cost recovery averaged 14% vs. 12% goal, and that fees were benchmarked against Reno, Sparks, Carson City, South Lake Tahoe, and Boise.
  • Pros Consulting – Park District Service Plan Update: Eric Rump reported that the draft feasibility study and service plan are nearly complete. A joint meeting with Reno and Sparks parks commissions is scheduled for October 26, 2026 (evening) in chambers. An additional public survey on priorities and funding structure will be sent to previous respondents.
  • Parks Report: Superintendent Stephanie DRC reported on summer programming, including Galena Campfire (over 200 attendees), Lazy5 Summer Music Series (averaged over 1,000/week), and Dragon Lights installation (opens Oct 2, runs through Nov 29). Phase 2 of South Valleys Regional Park expansion (two softball fields, concession/restroom) construction started, with groundbreaking Oct 12 at 4 PM. Canopa Ranch Trailhead celebration on Nov 12 at 10 AM. Lazy5 master plan public workshops: virtual Sept 29 and in-person Oct 1. Next commission meeting moved to Nov 19, 2026 due to Thanksgiving.
  • Director's Report: Eric Rump noted the Board of County Commissioners awarded the bid for the next phase of South Valleys Regional Park (softball fields, restroom/concession, ingress/egress). Recovery from Bug and Hawk fires ongoing; no parks damage.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Approved.
  • Item 7A (Easement): Motion to recommend to BCC granting NDOT an easement for the multi-use path (10,381 sq ft) for no charge. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 7B (Fees Policy): Motion to approve updates, effective Oct 1, 2026. Approved.
  • Item 7C (Fees Schedule): Motion to approve schedule with corrections and 8.4% average increase, effective Oct 1, 2026. Approved.
  • No other action items.

Meeting Transcript

Recording in progress. Good afternoon, everyone. Uh, I am Vice Chair Sean Hill. I will be chairing the meeting today of the Washington County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission, September 23rd, and it is 130. Uh, called order. We're gonna go ahead and start with a roll call. Uh Chair Jones, are you on Zoom? Yes, present. Uh uh Commissioner Baker. Commissioner Dick. Commissioner Kinsler. Commissioner Joel. Present. Uh, Commissioner Yvera. Just a second. Is this Jenny? Yes. Hi guys. Okay. I'm going to promote you to panelist Jenny. And Commissioner Flingus. Commissioner Hill. And Commissioner Hill present. And uh Commissioner Garcia will not be able to attend today for the Board of County Commissioners. We have a core. Great. Moving on to item two. Uh Commissioner Baker, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? To the black of the United States of America. And to the Republic from which you stand. One nation, under liberty, and for all. Agenda item number three. Is there any public comment today? Mr. Kruger, did you want to hear public comment now or is there a certain item you wanted to do it with? Go ahead, sir. We have Fred Krueger in Chambers. Please state your first and last name for the record. Thank you for the opportunity to address you, uh, Commissioners. Uh I just want to start with an introduction more, and that is that I am retired, but I completed 32 years of federal government service, an additional seven years with the uh state of South Dakota prior to that. So I am familiar with workings of state and federal government. Uh I want to note I'll state the obvious, obviously state the obvious is that in the light of expansive growth and population increases in Washoe County. I think it's experiencing the need for more open space, and that should be an important priority for you folks on the commission. Washoe County has a number of regional parks, no doubt. I feel, however, that more natural and wild areas should be designated. Specifically, an additional or new regional park with open space in the general vicinity of east-southeast of Golden Eagle Park. One that would mimic the Hidden Hills Regional Park, which is on the south part of town, south part, southeast east part of Reno. The Paha Pa Wilderness Study Area could be part of this regional park. Most of the area is currently public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. What has sparked my interest and concern for standing up and doing this?

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