Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners Meeting

Jan 26, 2021

The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:    

1. Manager Brown provided an updated on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine: County Manager Eric Brown addressed the status of COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Washoe County. The State of Nevada received significantly less vaccine this week than anticipated. Washoe County ordered 10,000 doses this week but received approximately 6,500 doses. It is anticipated that 60 percent of this week’s allotment will be provided to the 70+ age group and 40 percent for essential workers. 

As of Sunday, the Health District had administered about 87 percent of the vaccines from its previous allotment. On Monday, the Health District received 6,510 total COVID-19 vaccine doses of both Pfizer and Moderna, and of that amount, 4,170 are for second doses and 2,340 are for first doses. The federal government issued guidance that six doses of vaccine could be extracted from one vial instead of five doses, meaning that a tray of Pfizer that used to have 975 doses now has 1,170 doses.  

Residents are actively using the tools available on covid19washoevaccine.com. More than 25,000 people signed up to be on the COVID-19 vaccine waiting list for those 70 years old and older and more than 3,000 people filled out this online COVID-19 Washoe survey form to see which priority tier they belong in (Spanish version here). The website has received 11,000 unique visitors since it launched two weeks ago. 

2. District 2 Special Funds approved for Greater Reno Community Ice Skating Association: To support the newly completed Reno Ice rink, the Board approved $10,000 to support the facility’s sewer connection fees. The allocation comes from funds that are specially designated per district for projects that benefit all Washoe County residents. Each district has $20,000 for special projects that may be granted to nonprofit organizations for religious, charitable, or educational purposes, or to a government entity. This allocation is for District 2, represented by Chair Bob Lucey, and will allow all residents to enjoy year-round skating and ice sports. Reno Ice is the result of fundraising work by the Greater Reno Community Ice Skating Association, a nonprofit formed to promote affordable ice-skating-related sports and recreation.  

3. Board reviewed the county’s legislative principles for the 81st Session: The Nevada State Legislature will convene on February 1 for the 81st Session. Washoe County has outlined its principles that will guide staff, lobbyists and elected officials as they work with legislators on bills and policies that may affect Washoe County residents. Details of the principles are available here, and are generally described as: 

  • Respect for Governmental Roles 
  • Recover our Economic Strength 
  • Regional Solutions to Service Provision 
  • Communications 
  • Legislative Communication Policy 

“This is going to be such a different year for all of us in regards to attending in person. It will be very difficult to address members this session and have face to face conversations with them. We’ll need to be prepared to address changes that happen during the session,” Chair Bob Lucey said. “If you watched Gov. Sisolak’s State of the State, one of the biggest discussions will be the budget, and cuts sometimes come in the way of unfunded mandates, and we have to subsidize or fully lift those mandates on our own. Defense will be our best opportunity to minimize any exposure we may have to those bills.” 

4. Board accepted a grant for low-cost pet spay/neuter program: Washoe County Regional Animal Services provides low-cost spay/neuter clinics to pet owners experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. To help cover the cost of these clinics, the Board accepted a grant in the amount of $30,000 from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). This is an additional grant on top of $20,000 received in June 2020. The grant may also cover the cost of medical procedures, vaccinations, and care supplies for pets entering Human Services Agency facilities. The clinics and veterinary care help decrease the number of unwanted animals that often end up in animal shelters.  

“I recently visited Animal Services, and I was so impressed with this program. It’s really exiting how they want to expand this program to help people with spay and neuter,” Commissioner Alexis Hill said. “They’re doing really innovative services over there, and I wat to commend them for that.” 

5. Board approved grant from UNR to fund Opioid Treatment Program in county jail: The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office received a grant from the University of Nevada, Reno, to continue the creation of an Opioid Treatment Program at the Regional Detention Facility. This grant, just over $69,000, continues the work of previous grants dedicated to opioid treatment at the detention facility and will fund two contract positions: a discharge planner and a behavioral health specialist. Funding will also cover program-related expenses.  

6. A resolution was passed to adopt changes to the Tahoe Area Master Plan: Amendments that apply to all parcels in the Tahoe Area Plan, which generally includes the communities of Incline Village and Crystal Bay, were adopted to keep Washoe County’s plan aligned with the 2012 Regional Plan adopted by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). These changes include goals and policies relating to land use, transportation, conservation, public services and facilities, recreation, and implementation.  

“I appreciate the community members who have given feedback on this plan. The reason that I will be voting to approve this plan, once this plan is approved, there’s a lot of opportunities for Washoe County to do some better community panning in Incline Village,” Commissioner Alexis Hill said. “Looking at traffic studies, looking at parking, and looking at the community questions, how can Washoe County have a better presence in Incline Village? This includes police, courts, and opportunities where we can hear what the community would really like to see. We need to look at this holistically, and that is why I’ll be moving to approve this plan.”