The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. County Manager Eric Brown announces retirement: Washoe County Manager Eric Brown announced his plans to retire at the end of this month to pursue other opportunities. During his County Manager’s announcements, he outlined achievements that he feels place the county in a strong position for the future.
“I’ve never been comfortable talking about my own accomplishments, so I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the more than 3,100 employees of Washoe County who have helped lift this region above the pandemic, serving our most vulnerable populations, bringing technology to all corners of this vast county, and navigating an increasingly challenging economy. If my legacy includes the recognition of their important work, then I’ve succeeded and can leave with great pride.”
These achievements include:
- Guiding the region through the COVID-19 pandemic, innovating the county workforce to minimize layoffs and maintain expected levels of service to residents.
- Achieving the highest-ever employee satisfaction rating at Washoe County.
- Assuming the lead on regional homelessness and completing construction of the Nevada Cares Campus. The final phase of construction is a 50-unit permanent supportive housing facility that will open this summer.
- Prioritizing behavioral health and acquiring the West Hills mental health hospital, hiring a behavioral health administrator, and launching the Opioid Action Plan.
- Expanding broadband internet to Gerlach residents.
- Allocating $91 million in ARPA funds through the Community Reinvestment Program.
- Implementing the regionalized Computer Aided Dispatch Platform for Consolidated EMS/Dispatch/Fire Operations
- Washoe County hiring its first-ever Environmental Sustainability Manager who worked quickly to develop a Climate Action Plan.
“When County Manager Brown took this job in 2019, it would have been impossible to predict just how much we needed and would come to value his leadership and innovation, particularly drawing on his experience with the Telehealth network, and navigating this region through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Chair Alexis Hill said. “Manager Brown made a reputation for collaboration and establishing partnerships across jurisdictions and industries that have served the county immeasurably. We cannot thank him enough for his service and his legacy. Knowing him, he won’t be idle in retirement, and we wish him the very best.”
During the Board meeting on June 17, the Board will consider an agenda item outlining the forthcoming steps in the County Manager recruitment process.
2. RSCVA CEO presents 2024 tourism research findings: Mike Larragueta, president and CEO of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA), presented the results of the 2024 Destination Research. The research was conducted by Future Partners, and Director of Research Alex Molin, Ph. D., detailed the traveler and resident sentiment trends, and provided a deep-dive into the visitor profile.
Visitors to Reno-Tahoe are predominately from California, with Sacramento and the Bay Area making up more than a quarter of the total visitation. Gaming and Lake Tahoe are the primary draws, with outdoor recreation – including snow sports – among the top reasons visitors travel to the area.
Tourism is still the No. 1 economic driver in Nevada, and in northern Nevada, overnight visitors average $273 per person per day. The economic impact of this is understood by most residents, according to the study. Seventy-two percent of residents believe that tourism is important to Washoe County’s economy, although more than a third of residents also believe that the economy is too dependent on tourism.
“I think it’s a great snapshot of who our visitor is and what our residents think of tourism, and I am excited and optimistic as our residents are about the future of Washoe County,” Chair Hill, who also serves on the RSCVA Board of Directors, said. “Seeing that we have such a strong drive market, even with a potential recession, I am hoping that people will still see Lake Tahoe and Reno as their back yard and feel that it’s accessible to come here.”
3. Public Guardian presents annual update: Washoe County Public Guardian Tracey Bowles gave her annual update to the Board, highlighting the work of the 20 full-time equivalent employees in her department. The Public Guardian is tasked by court appointment with managing the personal and financial affairs of vulnerable adults, and protecting, preserving and managing their assets.
More than two-thirds of their clients are over the age of 60, and the average length of active guardianship is just under nine years. Each case manager carries approximately 22-24 cases per year. Bowles noted that her office is working to strengthen protections against elder abuse and is working with city and private partners to increase the supply of accessible, affordable, adaptable housing, particularly for the 55-65 demographic.
“You’re fighting for dignity every single day, and you cannot think of more compassionate work than fighting for children and adults who are vulnerable in our community,” Commissioner Mariluz Garcia said. “I applaud you and your team for your service and your dedication.”
4. Board approves food contract at Nevada Cares Campus: The Board approved a sole source waiver and contract with Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada to provide food services at the Nevada Cares Campus for one year, with an option of up to four one-year renewals. The contract is not to exceed $400,000 per year. The Nevada Cares Campus serves three meals per day, 365 days per year. Because of its location within the City of Reno, it must meet the City’s requirements for providing public meals within city limits. Catholic Charities is the only entity that is both licensed and holds the property authority with the City of Reno to provide this type of meal service.
Catholic Charities will provide the staffing (paid and volunteer), food and other items to provide this service.
5. Board adopts resolution to create a regional parks district: The Board moved forward with a resolution to approve an interlocal agreement between Washoe County and the City of Reno to create a regional parks district and develop a service plan. The service plan will investigate the feasibility, outline funding strategies, services, and facilities to be provided, explore the governance structure and establish a service boundary before the Board can make a determination on the creation of a Park District.
The county’s cost of the plan is $100,000, $20,000 of which was also approved today from the District 3 Special Fund.
“I would love to acknowledge that most of the heavy lifting that this endeavor took was done back in 2017, to pass this enabling legislation in the state of Nevada for us to be eligible to have a parks district here in Washoe County,” Commissioner Garcia said. “This is a really big deal for our region and the torch has been carried by a lot of individuals… This is a monumental day for us as a region.”
6. Board approves donation from the Wilbur May Foundation: Since 1984, the Wilbur May Foundation has subsidized the Wilbur D. May Center operations and maintenance at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park and maintains a commitment to donate a total of $200,000 each year to support the May Center. The Board approved a total of $300,000 from the foundation – $200,000 for operating costs and $100,000 for temporary museum exhibits.
In a separate item, the Board also approved a pass-through cash donation of $5,000 from the Rocky Mountain Information Network to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office for the Western States Sheriff’s Association in support of a 2025 conference that was held in March in Reno. The conference is an annual event that harbors regional networking opportunities providing updates in industry trends, national statistics, product and technology enhancements available to law enforcement.
7. Commissioners vote to fill open board seats: The Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the following appointments to boards and commissions:
- Clinton D. Hohenstein was reappointed to a two-year term to the Nevada Local Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council, which consists of 19 voting members, including two members from each county in the State with a population of 100,000 or more.
- Christopher Baker was appointed to fill a partial term on the Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission. The term will expire on June 20, 2027.
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