Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners Meeting

by | Jun 21, 2022

Board of County Commissioners

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

1. Board approves amendment to One Nevada Agreement opioid settlement: In July 2021, the Board of County Commissioners entered into the One Nevada Agreement, which provides the allocation model for distribution of any monetary recovery from the defendants in opioid litigation between all governmental entities within the state of Nevada. An amendment was adopted to reduce attorneys’ fees to 15 percent. Today, the Board approved another amendment to the agreement, which allows the Nevada Attorney General’s Office to divide the recoveries in accordance with the One Nevada Agreement and payment calculations.

The One Nevada Settlement is between the State of Nevada and distributor defendants AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, and opioid defendant manufacturer Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.   

Commissioner Bob Lucey commended Washoe County counsel Michael Large, who presented the amendment to the Board. “This has been one of the most difficult settlements we’ve had to work through. It’s challenging and complex, and I commend you for the time and energy you’ve put into this.” 

2. Board approves FY23 collective bargaining agreements: Through collective bargaining agreements between representative employee associations and Washoe County Human Resources, the Board approved the final two-year agreements for beginning July 1. These include: 

  • 5 percent cost-of-living increase this year, and 3.5 percent next year, and a one-time payment of $500 for full-time employees covered under the Washoe County Employee Association and $1,800 for full-time employees covered under the Washoe County Sheriff’s Deputies Association and the Sheriff’s Supervisory Deputies Association;  
  • Changes to career incentive, bilingual pay, leave of absence and resident remote area pay for employees under the Washoe County Employee Association  
  • Updated agreement language regarding salaries of personnel, sick leave, discipline and grievance, leave of absence, shift bidding, examinations, uniform and clothing, and duration of agreement.  
  • Updated agreement language regarding Crisis Intervention Training Pay, health care subsidy, medical plan, Incline resident differential pay, discipline and grievance, and duration of agreement for sheriff’s deputies; and for supervisory deputies, the addition of updates to agreement language related to temporary supervisory pay, retiring deputy ID card and badge, education incentive pay, safety equipment allowance, and duration of agreement  
  • Crisis Intervention Training pay of 5 percent rolled into base pay for sheriff’s deputies and supervisory deputies  
  • Pay grade structure adjustments based on critical labor market study conducted by Korn Ferry for the Washoe County Nurses’ Association supervisory and non-supervisory bargaining units;   
  • Eight hours of personal leave credit effective July 2022 and 16 hours personal leave credit in January 2023 and January 2024 for those covered under the Nurses’ Association bargaining units; 
  • Amendment to the Nurses’ Association agreements and the Confidential/ Management employees to include career incentive in parity with the WCEA.  Confidential/Management employees also received a one-time payment of $500 for full-time employees.    

For more information, see the individual staff reports here:  

3. Board adopts 2022 Hidden Valley Regional Park Master Plan: Washoe County Parks & Open Space has conducted extensive research and public outreach to develop a master plan for Hidden Valley Regional Park. The biggest concerns identified through the process were related to traffic and an increase in park use; impacts of the wetland and recharge areas on groundwater, stormwater runoff and nearby septic systems; mosquito abatement related to the wetlands; illegal activities occurring in the park at night; and a potential road easement through the southwest corner of the park.

The recommended improvements in the Master Plan include adding constructed wetlands and recharge infiltration areas with a nature trail; repurposing the existing horse arena into an informal recreational turf field; adding restrooms and landscaping; reconfiguring park circulation; and developing a bike park and pump track. The plan also includes an extensive trails component, identifying trail sections to decommission, reconfigure and add, including an ADA-accessible trail.  

“Thank you for your work on this,” Commissioner Alexis Hill said to the Community Services Department staff. “It’s very exciting what we’re going to be doing in the Hidden Valley area.” 

4. Board approves permit for Incline Village Fourth of July drone show: The Incline Village/Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau applied for a license to conduct a “Drone SkyShow” for the Fourth of July in lieu of fireworks. The Fourth of July celebration is expected to draw 3,000 attendees to the north Lake Tahoe community, and the license will allow for traffic control and includes a community clean-up day after the event. The Board conducted a public hearing at today’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, and voted unanimously to approve the license. The drone show will provide a celebration that is high-quality, innovative, environmentally sustainable, and fire-safe.

5. Board approves District Special Fund allocations for districts 3 and 4: Each county commissioner may propose District Special Fund support for projects or programs that benefit their respective districts. Today the board approved two allocations for districts 3 and 4.

Commission Chair Vaughn Hartung proposed an allocation  to improve traffic conditions in his district. Washoe County Community Services Department – Roads Special Revenue Fund — a governmental entity — for use to improve traffic conditions in District 4. The allocation of $10,000 will go to the Washoe County Roads Special Revenue Fund. The Board approved the allocation.   

Commissioner Kitty Jung allocated a total of $63,500 to benefit the Sun Valley region of District 3. Projects include:  

  • $8,400 for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office to purchase a Stalker Rotatable Speed Alert Monitor for use along Sun Valley Boulevard and any subsequent areas in Washoe County  
  • $13,913 to the Washoe County Community Services Department, Operations Division, to contract with T&T Lawns Plus for cleanup and disposal of debris, soil, trash, and green waste from the drainage routes along Sun Valley Boulevard  
  • $35,172 to the Sun Valley General Improvement District to replace the pump room solar panels at the Robert & Norma Fink “Sun Valley” Pool  
  • $6,015 to the Washoe County Communications Division to purchase audio/visual equipment that will allow the Sun Valley Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) to be conducted as a hybrid meeting, in-person and via Zoom.  

6. Board appoints members to the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment: The Washoe County Planning Commission hears and decides applications for abandonments, certain special use permits, and tentative subdivision maps, and makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners regarding the County’s Master Plan and county codes. Members of the Planning Commission serve four-year terms, and must be residents of unincorporated Washoe County and must be registered voters. The Board today appointed Daniel Lazzareschi to the Planning Commission representing Commission District 1, which is generally the area of Incline Village and Crystal Bay, the forest area along the west side of Mt. Rose Highway, and portions of the southwest Truckee Meadows, and Rob Pierce representing the At-Large North of the Truckee River.

The Washoe County Board of Adjustment hears and decides appeals concerning zoning regulations or cases involving administrative or special use permits and variances. The five appointed members of the board each represent one of each of the five commission districts in Washoe County and serve four-year terms. The Board today appointed Kathie Julian to represent District 1. Julian has lived in Incline Village since 2017 and currently serves on the Incline Village/Crystal Bay Citizen Advisory Board. 

7. Board commemorates Juneteenth Independence Day: Commissioner Kitty Jung read a proclamation honoring Juneteenth Independence Day, the day that the remaining slaves were freed on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

“Juneteenth is a way for us, as dignified Americans, to recognize a history that is not lovely, but it is still nonetheless a part of this nation’s history,” Jung said. “It is our responsibility to ensure that we are going to continue to work on being a more perfect union, and the only way to do that is to make sure that the rights are enjoyed by all men, women, and children of the U.S.A., no matter color, creed, or race.”