The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. Board approves purchase of homes to finalize Lemmon Valley flood mitigation: After the 2017 flood in Lemmon Valley, Washoe County sought a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant to purchase specific residences located within the Swan Lake floodplain that were damaged by the flood. The Board today approved the purchase of 310 Pompe Way utilizing the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security “Lemmon Valley Home Acquisitions Phase I” grant award.
FEMA provides funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant program with a Washoe County match. This program removes residents from FEMA’s identified flood hazard zone at Swan Lake, reducing risk and future costs for the community.
2. Board approves reassignment of Department of Alternative Sentencing personnel to other departments: In October, the Board of County Commissioners began the process of dissolving the Department of Alternative Sentencing (DAS) while maintaining service to the public and to pretrial, probation, and drug-testing clients. Today’s move finalizes these efforts by reassigning staff to other departments or reclassifying positions. Additionally, program equipment, including vehicles, technology assets, and operational supplies, will be reassigned to support service fulfillment and avoid duplicative purchasing.
“I would like to see a memorandum of understanding entered into between the Second Judicial District Court and all the justice courts which details Pretrial Services’ commitment to maintaining and exceeding the service levels that were previously provided,” Commissioner Clara Andriola said. She joined the other commissioners in approving the motion as-is but instructed staff to follow up on a memorandum of understanding.
“I want to specifically thank Sheriff (Darin) Balaam and Undersheriff (Corey) Solferino for their hard work and willingness to step up and protect the community by committing to providing oversight for these probationers,” she said. “The sheriff’s commitment to working with the court to provide oversight of these populations will allow our community to be safer and provide a more supportive structure for our probation officers.”
3. Board approves lease for new warehouse to expand Registrar of Voters and other office space: The Registrar of Voters currently operates out of three locations, with its office space and ballot processing at the County Administration Complex, and two warehouses. The existing warehouses cannot accommodate the new ballot-processing equipment or the new in-person ballot-marking devices, and neither location can meet the increased statutory and security expectations governing election administration.
Washoe County staff located a 49,500-square-foot warehouse with office space that will enable the Registrar of Voters to centralize its records, storage, and administrative staff, while expanding opportunities for public observation during elections. The Board of County Commissioners approved the lease with base rent negotiated to be free for the first six months and $39,600 per month thereafter with standard annual increases. Maintenance is $9,405 per month. The lease structure, including the initial rent abatement and scheduled increases, reflects current market conditions and provides fiscal predictability for long-term planning.
“That savings of six months of free rent,” Commissioner Mike Clark said, “amounts to $237,600 savings that we were able to accomplish by negotiating with the landlord.”
While the Registrar of Voters will occupy the bulk of the building, there is ample room to relocate other programs or functions of the County that may reduce overall lease expenses.
4. Board affirms denial of special-use permit for Golden Valley church: Sierra Builders of Nevada appealed a denial by the Board of Adjustment of a special-use permit (SUP) for the construction of a 15,000-square-foot single-story church and site grading in the amount of 18,000 cubic yards on Rolling Ridge Road in the Golden Valley area.
Members of the Board of Adjustment were unable to find that adequate roadway and drainage improvements existed, that the site was suitable for the intensity of the proposed development, and that the development would not be significantly detrimental to public safety and the character of the surrounding area. Washoe County staff recommended approval of the SUP.
“After watching the meeting, reading the emails, listening to public comment, I could not make finding No. 4,” Commissioner Mariluz Garcia said, referencing the requirement that the project “will not be significantly detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare… or to the character of the surrounding area.”
“The safety and welfare of the residents and parishioners could not be sustained with this type of use at the end of this road,” Garcia said. “The road is too narrow, there is no secondary emergency access, and even with the developer’s conditions… I just don’t think that it will fit with the character of the surrounding area.”
5. Board accepts Annual Comprehensive Financial Report: Washoe County Comptroller Cathy Hill presented the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), which is audited by an outside auditor, Eide Bailly LLC and resulted in an unmodified opinion. The report and auditor’s findings must be presented to the Board of County Commissioners before it is submitted to Nevada Department of Taxation. The approved ACFR is for the past fiscal year, which ended on June 30, 2025. The Board also approved the re-appropriation of $117,880,477 for fiscal year 2025 for salaries and benefits; services and supplies; and capital outlay.
6. Board approves agreement between Washoe County and Madison AI, Inc., co-creators of a government Artificial Intelligence tool: The Washoe County Strategic Plan identifies technology innovation as a key driver for improving public service outcomes, streamlining internal processes, and enhancing transparency and accountability. In May 2024, Washoe County entered into a $150,000 collaborative agreement with M3 Planning, Inc., dba OnStrategy, for the development of an A.I. report-writing tool. The tool was designed to use A.I. to automate research and assist with document generation referencing County Code, Board decisions, and policies.
The collaborative agreement between the County and OnStrategy was designed to balance resource contributions, intellectual property rights, and profit-sharing, while also identifying steps for the potential co-creation of a product for commercial sale through a phased development process. The agreement approved today provides for the recognition and compensation for resource contributions and intellectual property rights.
According to Assistant County Manager Dave Solaro: “Madison AI is saving Washoe County employees hundreds of hours each month; it is a tool that assists with the repetitive tasks necessary to provide services and allows our professional staff to focus valuable time on the job we hired them to do. Over 50 other government jurisdictions across the United States are using the product and I am proud that Washoe County co-created such a valuable tool for local governments.”
Washoe County will receive a $500,000 cash payment, and the County will receive a 10-year license to use the platform, a value of approximately $500,000 in 2025 dollars.
7. Board reappoints Sean Hill to Open Space and Regional Parks Commission: Reno resident Sean Hill is currently serving a partial term on the nine-member Open Space and Regional Parks Commission. The Board reappointed him to a four-year term to begin January 1, 2026. The Commission advises the Board of County Commissioners and Washoe County staff on recreation facilities, development, maintenance, and operations. It also makes recommendations on budgets, contracts, rates and fees, and purchases for the good of public recreation. Hill is the CEO of Sierra Nevada Journeys and has served in the nonprofit sector for nearly 15 years. He has volunteered for numerous boards that focus on education, science, and environmental causes.
8. Board approves allocations of District 3 Special Funds: Commissioner Mariluz Garcia proposed $55,000 of her District 3 Special Funds with $50,000 going to an economic study plan for the Sun Valley area, and $5,000 going to the Great Basin Community Food Co-op to support the Co-op’s Friends of the Foodshed program.
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