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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

District Board of Health Meeting Summary – September 24, 2026

Meeting Portal — Thursday, September 24, 2026

BodyWashoe County, Nevada

SessionMeeting Portal

DateThursday, September 24, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:29:50

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

Thank you so much.

0:05

We'll move on to item number two, which is the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:08

Dr.

0:08

Kingsley, would you lead us in the pledge today?

0:12

Is it working now?

0:13

Please join me in the Pledge Allegiance.

0:19

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:22

One nation under God.

0:32

Madam Clerk, item three is public comment.

0:37

Comments heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the board agenda.

0:44

A news time may not be allocated to other speakers.

0:46

The board may also hear public comment under individual action items with comment limited to three minutes per person.

0:53

Comments are to be made to the board as a whole, and virtual public comment may be taken when facilities are available.

1:00

Um we do not have any requests for public comment.

1:05

Um, and we did not receive any online requests either.

1:09

Okay, thank you.

1:09

We'll close item three and move on to item four, which is the approval of our agenda for today.

1:14

Unless there are any corrections or changes to the agenda, I'll look for a motion.

1:19

Okay, a motion by Mr.

1:21

Derskull, a second by Mr.

1:22

Anderson.

1:22

Any questions or comments at this time?

1:24

Hearing none, I'll call for the question.

1:26

All those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

1:28

Aye.

1:29

Any opposed.

1:31

Motion carries unanimously.

1:32

We're also voting on our iPads today as a reminder.

1:35

Item number five is recognitions, and there are some great ones this time out.

1:40

So I'll uh ask Dr.

1:41

Kingsley for you to lead us there.

1:44

I believe we have uh Ms.

1:46

Dixon, Deputy District Health Officer who will be announcing these.

1:50

Good afternoon for the record.

1:52

I'm here to honor our um our one anniversary for Craig Peterson with 25 years.

1:59

Craig is a supervisor with air quality management.

2:02

Um Craig not only has 25 years experience with Northern Nevada Public Health, his full 25 years has been in air quality, and he is very proud of that fact.

2:10

Um he currently works in planning and monitoring, and his support of the planning team helps provide data to the community to make informed land use decisions and the monitoring monitoring team provides air quality data to ensure that our friends and neighbors have the data they need to stay safe and healthy.

2:25

We thank Craig for his continuous service to our community.

2:28

I believe he is the longest standing air quality employee that is just continuous air quality.

2:33

So very glad to have him on our team.

2:36

Wow, super impressive.

2:37

And I was looking at the date, uh, 91701.

2:40

What a tumultuous time to have joined an organization and in air quality.

2:45

Yeah, seen a lot.

2:47

Thank you so much.

2:49

And now we'd like to go invite uh Christabel, I believe, from for Health Heroes.

2:55

Christopher comes from our Population Health Department Division.

3:02

Hello, board members.

3:03

My name is Christabel Sotella, and I am here to recognize our health heroes and Washoe SARS for the month of August and Clinical and Community Health Services.

3:12

We have Kristalina Christensen, Donna Wainscoe, and Kathleen Patterson.

3:17

In administrative health services, we have Vicky Arens and Virginia McDonald.

3:21

In Population Health Division, we have Kelsey Zasky, who received two nominations, Raquel DePugh Grafton, who received three nominations, Stephen Shipman, who received three nominations, and Jordan Marchie, who received three nominations.

3:36

And we also have a Washoe Star nomination for Carmen Ras, excuse me.

3:41

And congratulations to all of our health heroes and Washoe SARS.

3:45

A big thank you for all the work that you do to support our community.

3:48

And with that, thank you.

3:50

Thank you so much, Mr.

3:51

Tello.

3:53

Okay, that'll close out item five, and we'll move on now to our proclamations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Health█████████████████████████████████33%

Public Health Awareness████████████████16%

Taxation And Revenue███████████████15%

Homelessness█████████████13%

Air Quality Management███████7%

Procedural█████5%

Public Engagement████4%

Environmental Protection██2%

Budget Equity Analysis██2%

Summary of Proceedings

District Board of Health Meeting – September 24, 2026

The District Board of Health met on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in the Washoe County Administration Complex. The board approved consent items, heard presentations on UNR StreetReach and the 2025–2026 respiratory season, accepted a fee study report, received the REMSA Health monthly franchise report, and approved several enforcement actions and administrative items. All votes were unanimous unless noted.

Consent Calendar

Approved the August 27, 2026 draft minutes.
Approved a Notice of Subaward from the State of Nevada for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program: $896,353 total ($89,635.30 cash match), retroactive to July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Authorized the District Health Officer to execute the subaward, amendments, and MOUs.
Approved a Notice of Subaward for the Immunization Program: $292,423 (no match), retroactive to July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Authorized the District Health Officer to execute the subaward and amendments.
Upheld uncontested violations with $500 penalties: CitiMart (gasoline vapor recovery testing), Gallagher Construction (lack of dust control permit), and Hunt & Sons (gasoline vapor recovery testing).
Accepted the 2026 Annual Report to the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency from Northern Nevada Public Health as the Air Quality Management Authority.
Acknowledged receipt of the Health Fund Financial Review for August 2026 (Fiscal Year 2027).

Presentations & Discussion Items

UNR StreetReach (Presentation 8A): Jane Fox, Director, described the collaborative program providing street-based healthcare to unsheltered individuals. As of the presentation, StreetReach had interacted with over 1,000 individuals, provided services to 436, and signed 302 as patients. Services included 200+ blood draws (identifying 18 past hepatitis C, 12 active, and 2 HIV infections), 92 wound care treatments, and 65 nursing assessments. With WARF funding, a new mobile clinic will expand preventive care, chronic disease management, and behavioral health services. Board members expressed support and noted potential partnerships with REMSA and other agencies.
2025–2026 Respiratory Season Insights (Presentation 8B): Dr. Danika Williams, epidemiologist, reported that influenza caused 509 hospitalizations and 27 deaths, COVID-19 120 hospitalizations and 8 deaths (all 65+), and RSV was moderate with over 1,700 lab-confirmed cases. 70% of hospitalized influenza patients were unvaccinated, and 59% of influenza deaths occurred in unvaccinated individuals. The board discussed declining vaccination rates, especially among older adults, and the role of misinformation. Dr. Williams noted that NNPH was selected for a national wastewater cohort to enhance respiratory surveillance. No action taken.
MGT Air Quality Management & Environmental Health Services Fee Study (Item 9): MGT presented a cost-analysis showing that current fees recover approximately 66% of the $14.7 million annual fee-related costs. Under a cost-based scenario, recovery would reach about 99% (97% for AQM, 99.5% for EHS). The board accepted the report and discussed the timeline for potential fee adoption (January 1, 2027), outreach to permittees (press releases, postcards, workshops), and the need for a sustainable cost-recovery policy. A motion to accept the report carried unanimously.
REMSA Health Monthly Franchise Report (Item 10): Barry Duplantis, CEO, reported that in August 2026, REMSA responded to 8,105 EMS calls and transported 4,925 patients. Average priority-one response times: Reno 5:35, Sparks 6:22, Washoe County 8:41. Patient satisfaction score was 99.5% (from 120 surveys). Laura Lingeman, Integrated Health Manager, highlighted two programs: (1) community influenza vaccine clinics for homeless individuals (262 vaccinated last year, 63% homeless, 33% had not received flu vaccine previously) and (2) the Mobile Integrated Health high-utilizer team, which helped a homeless individual (Bob) reinstate Medicare, connect to services, and obtain permanent housing. The board accepted the report unanimously.

Key Outcomes

Approved consent calendar (items 7A–7H) unanimously.
Accepted the MGT Fee Model Assessment and Development Report unanimously, with staff to return with business impact survey results in October and potential fee adoption in December.
Approved the REMSA Health Monthly Franchise Report for August 2026 unanimously.
Upheld the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board decision denying the appeal of Red Hawk Golf Club (Notice of Violation AQMV26-0005, $500 penalty dismissed) unanimously.
Adopted the Business Impact Statement regarding revisions to Dust Control Regulations (Air Quality Management Part 040.030), finding no significant economic burden on businesses, unanimously.
Approved the 2027 District Board of Health meeting calendar unanimously.
No public comment was received at either the opening or closing public comment periods.
Staff reports for Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services, Population Health, and the Office of the District Health Officer were acknowledged without additional discussion.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you so much. We'll move on to item number two, which is the Pledge of Allegiance. Dr. Kingsley, would you lead us in the pledge today? Is it working now? Please join me in the Pledge Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Madam Clerk, item three is public comment. Comments heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the board agenda. A news time may not be allocated to other speakers. The board may also hear public comment under individual action items with comment limited to three minutes per person. Comments are to be made to the board as a whole, and virtual public comment may be taken when facilities are available. Um we do not have any requests for public comment. Um, and we did not receive any online requests either. Okay, thank you. We'll close item three and move on to item four, which is the approval of our agenda for today. Unless there are any corrections or changes to the agenda, I'll look for a motion. Okay, a motion by Mr. Derskull, a second by Mr. Anderson. Any questions or comments at this time? Hearing none, I'll call for the question. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed. Motion carries unanimously. We're also voting on our iPads today as a reminder. Item number five is recognitions, and there are some great ones this time out. So I'll uh ask Dr. Kingsley for you to lead us there. I believe we have uh Ms. Dixon, Deputy District Health Officer who will be announcing these. Good afternoon for the record. I'm here to honor our um our one anniversary for Craig Peterson with 25 years. Craig is a supervisor with air quality management. Um Craig not only has 25 years experience with Northern Nevada Public Health, his full 25 years has been in air quality, and he is very proud of that fact. Um he currently works in planning and monitoring, and his support of the planning team helps provide data to the community to make informed land use decisions and the monitoring monitoring team provides air quality data to ensure that our friends and neighbors have the data they need to stay safe and healthy. We thank Craig for his continuous service to our community. I believe he is the longest standing air quality employee that is just continuous air quality. So very glad to have him on our team. Wow, super impressive. And I was looking at the date, uh, 91701. What a tumultuous time to have joined an organization and in air quality. Yeah, seen a lot. Thank you so much. And now we'd like to go invite uh Christabel, I believe, from for Health Heroes. Christopher comes from our Population Health Department Division. Hello, board members. My name is Christabel Sotella, and I am here to recognize our health heroes and Washoe SARS for the month of August and Clinical and Community Health Services.

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