The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. Board hears presentation on opioid needs assessment: Washoe County has received $1.85 million from an opioid settlement with Johnson & Johnson, and in the Feb. 21, 2023, meeting, the Board of County Commissioners agreed to enter into another settlement between Walmart and the State of Nevada. SB 390 (passed in 2021) related to Nevada’s Opioid Litigation Funding requires a community needs assessment to identify trends, gaps, and needs pertaining to opioid use in Washoe County. Washoe County Human Services Director Amber Howell presented this assessment to the Board.
Nearly three dozen community organizations and service providers participated in the assessment. A survey was also conducted in August and September 2022, with 336 respondents. The survey showed a high level of concern about fentanyl and methamphetamine use. Washoe County has seen a sharp rise in the number of children entering foster care due to parental substance abuse, and a rise in the number of opioid-related deaths.
While the assessment identified positive areas, such as drug supply control, focus on recovery rather than punitive punishment for use, and prevention efforts for youth, there are several gaps in service as well. The assessment identified five primary recommendations for Washoe County:
- Ensure funding for the array of opioid-use disorder services for uninsured and underinsured Washoe County residents.
- Incentivize providers to initiate buprenorphine in the emergency department (ED), as well as during inpatient hospital stays. All EDs and hospitals should have providers that will provide buprenorphine induction as well as involve care navigators to assist with setting up outpatient resources for continued care and management.
- Use a multidisciplinary approach to providing overdose prevention outreach and education to BIPOC communities in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
- Implement Child Welfare best practices for supporting families impacted by substance use.
- Increase detoxification and short-term rehabilitation program capacity.
“I know about substance-exposed infants, I know all this, but to see it all wrapped up into one presentation is very overwhelming,” Commissioner Mariluz Garcia said. “The good news is that the recommendations really address the areas where we lack, and we have the opportunity to allocate these funds in a really strategic manner, and I’m supportive of the five recommendations you have and the comprehensive nature of this assessment.”
2. Board approves proposed settlement with Washoe County School District: In 2020, Washoe County settled with Incline Village residents for the overpayment of property taxes. Each entity that received and utilized property taxes were required to pay a portion of the settlement, an action that the Washoe County School District appealed. The settlement between Washoe County and the Washoe County School District, approved today by the Board, dismisses the school district’s appeal and results in a compromise of only the portion of property tax distributions to the Washoe County School District’s Debt Service Fund, the approximate amount of $2,500,000, but not to exceed $2,992,000.
Commissioner Mariluz Garcia disclosed that she works for the Washoe County School District, and through consultation with legal counsel, she determined that she has no personal or financial interest in the item on the agenda and could participate in the vote.
“I want to thank you, Commissioner Clark, for your work on this. You’ve spent a large part of your career as assessor on this,” Vice Chair Alexis Hill said. “This is a great solution, and hopefully the school board will approve it and we can move on and continue to work together as a region. This is very exciting to me.”
3. Board approves list of appointed county positions: Human Resources Director Patricia Hurley presented a list of the current appointed positions in Washoe County. These positions are unclassified and are appointed by the county manager, the Board of County Commissioners, or others.
Hurley also presented a process for approval related to recruitment and retention of unclassified employees. The recommended process includes having Board-appointed employees provide an annual report to the Board, and including a member of the Board on the second interview panel for positions that are appointed by the Board. Commissioner Mike Clark requested that the Board member on interview panels rotates so that every member is able to participate in the hiring process, and that complaints against department heads be sent as information only to all county commissioners. Commissioner Mariluz Garcia requested a small change to the annual report requirement: that the appointed employee has the option to provide the annual report via email.
4. Board approves donations to Regional Parks and Open Space: The Board of County Commissioners approved the receipt of donations totaling approximately $1,400 to Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space from various businesses and organizations and individuals.
Cash donations received at this time are dedicated to general donations to the Come In From The Cold series at Bartley Ranch Park, Bowers Mansion Iron Ranger, general donations to the May Museum, May Arboretum garden memorial brick, maintenance, and improvements. Ray and Barbara Fretz donated a wooden map box with turn-of-the-century maps, valued at $200.
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