The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. County Manager invites residents to Election Open House and provides updates: County Manager Eric Brown announced that there will be an Election Open House from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday to demonstrate the new Poll Pads that voters will use when signing in to a Vote Center. Staff will also be available to answer questions about the election process.
“I want to applaud the efforts of the Registrar’s team, which has stepped up to take on the task in front of them,” Brown said. “We’ve had unwavering support from the Secretary of State’s office, which has sent us personnel and expertise.”
2. Animal Services fees and fines to increase next year: The Board approved a revised fee schedule for Washoe County Regional Animal Services (WCRAS) to go into effect January 1, 2025. The fees are related to licenses and permits, field enforcement, shelter operations, vaccinations and veterinary services. The update includes changes to certain automatic and discretionary fee waivers and a phased increase for the Variance Permit Annual Fee, Dangerous Dog Annual Fee and Exotic Animal Permit Annual Fee.
WCRAS fees have not been updated since 2005, and the specific recommendations are based on a Cost of Services Study conducted by MGT Consulting, staff input, and input from the Animal Services Advisory Board. Moving forward, WCRAS intends to update the fee schedule every five years so there is not such a significant percentage increase in fees in the future.
3. Board approves amendment to opioid settlement to pursue claims against Purdue Trust: The Board approved an amendment in the One Nevada Agreement opioid settlement to allow outside counsel and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office to pursue claims against individuals, and their trusts, of those who contributed to the opioid epidemic. This follows decision by the United States Supreme Court on June 27th that impacted United States Bankruptcy Court’s approval of the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Plan.
4. Board approves renewal of contract with Dominion Voting Systems for upcoming election: Dominion Voting Systems provides the software and hardware for voting systems used in Washoe County. Dominion Voting Systems is one of only two vendors certified for use in Nevada. Their system offers touchscreen voting and direct record entry capabilities, which align closely with Washoe County’s needs.
The contract was signed in 2017 and extends through December 31, 2025. The annual renewal fee is $389,785.
5. Board approves the following donations: County Commissioners unanimously approved the following donations:
- $200 from Maximilian A. Stovall and $200 from Kathy Breckenridge to the The Second Judicial District Court in support of the Washoe County Law Library. Both donors are dedicated volunteer attorneys for the Lawyer in the Library program.
- Numerous monetary donations totaling just over $3,200 to Washoe County Regional Animal Services; food and treat donations from the SPCA valued at nearly $22,000; food and goods estimated at $8,900 from numerous citizens and businesses.
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