The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. Deferred Compensation Update: The Board of County Commissioners approved amendments to the County’s 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan and 401(a) Plan. Recommended by the Deferred Compensation Committee, the changes expand retirement savings opportunities and provide additional flexibility for eligible employees.
Eligible employees participating in the 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan may elect to defer unused accrued vacation leave, longevity pay (career incentive), and other compensation designated by the County for conversion, in accordance with applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements, County procedures, and Plan requirements. The plan has also been expanded to include permanent, part-time employees who are regularly scheduled to work 21 or more hours per week, as classified by the County.
Eligible participants in the 401(a) Plan may transfer all or a portion of their 401(a) account balance directly to the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (NVPERS) to purchase or repurchase retirement service credit. Qualifying transfers may occur while an employee is still actively employed, without requiring separation from County service first. All transfers must comply with applicable Plan provisions and NVPERS rules.
Together, these changes provide eligible employees with additional flexibility in planning for retirement, including opportunities to increase deferred compensation savings and purchase or restore qualifying PERS service credit.
2. Donations: The Board approved the following donations to County departments and programs:
- Cash donations of approximately $21,000 to Regional Parks and Open Space to benefit the Lazy 5 Summer Music Series, Bowers Park Programs on the Porch, Galena Campfire Program, and the May Museum and Arboretum.
- 70 Narcan kits valued at $3,150 donated by Quest Counseling and Consulting Inc. to Juvenile Services.
3. Law enforcement grants: The Board accepted a $75,000 grant from the Nevada High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force as administered through the Las Vegas Metro Police Department to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in the Northern Nevada Drug Task Force. The grant will be used to cover overtime expenses associated with the HIDTA Task Force, which works to disrupt the market for illegal drugs in the United States and dismantle and disrupt drug trafficking organizations.
The Board also accepted a $44,000 HIDTA Northern Nevada Interdiction Task Force grant that will be used to cover overtime expenses from HIDTA investigations.
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