The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:
1. EDAWN presents economic outlook for western Nevada: Taylor Adams, president and CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), presented an overview of the region’s economic outlook for the 2024-25 fiscal year. EDAWN is a public-private partnership tasked with attracting, expanding, retaining, and developing business in western Nevada. It has had a role in developing such industries as transportation/logistics, technology, manufacturing, aerospace/defense, and clean energy.
One of its areas of focus is startups, and in 2024 EDAWN hosted the inaugural Reno Startup Week, attracting more than 1,000 attendees to learn about and celebrate entrepreneurism in Reno. Additionally, EDAWN has invested more than $200 million in venture capital in the last fiscal year, assisting 190 startups; helping launch 30 new startups, and funding seven new startups, bringing 123 new startup jobs into the area.
“The companies that start here and grow here will always be our stickiest customers,” Adams said. “They are the companies that are here because they believe in the cultural pillars that define us as a community.”
2. Board approves vouchers for veterans housing assistance: The Board approved five Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development valued just over $1.4 million. These vouchers will support veterans with rental assistance and case management at the new Permanent Supportive Housing building on the Nevada Cares Campus, which is slated to open next month. The 50-unit, $21.9 million ground-up construction was funded by a Home Means Nevada Initiative Funds grant from the State of Nevada Department of Business & Industry Housing Division with the express purpose of providing affordable housing with services for homeless households who face complex medical, mental health and/or substance use issues that are co-occurring.
3. Board approves donations to County departments and programs: Donations to the County must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The following donations were approved today:
- $1,500 from the Boys and Girls Club of the Truckee Meadows to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office for the Reserve Deputy Program;
- Just over $2,200 from the Hot August Nights Inc., and $1,500 from the Reno Air Racing Association, Inc., to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office for the Citizen Corps Program (CCP);
- $5,000 from Lucky Beaver Reno, LLC to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office;
- 20 Wal-Mart gift cards and 30 Target gift cards at an individual value of $50 each from the Washoe Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Foundation accepted by the Second Judicial District Court, CASA Program.
4. Board approves allocation of District 1 Special Funds: Chair Alexis Hill allocated a total of $75,000 to numerous nonprofit organizations in Washoe County:
- $38,235 to Tahoe Transportation District to support and develop multi-modal transportation projects and transit services in the Washoe County portion of Lake Tahoe;
- $15,000 to Incline Village Crystal Bay Community and Business Association (IVCBA) for the Nevada Main Street program;
- $10,000 to St. John’s Children’s Center to cover the cost of installing a mandated back flow valve;
- $5,000 to Latino Arte to support the Fiesta on Wells, a special event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month;
- $2,850 to MidTown Reno Foundation to support MidTown Snowflakes, an annual winter tradition lighting up MidTown;
- $2,020 to Washoe County Community Services Department (CSD) Regional Parks and Open Space to cover park fees at the Hawkins Amphitheater for Gospel Fest;
- $1,895 to Word of Life Ministries to support the audio equipment provided by Starsound Audio, Inc., at Gospel Fest 2025.
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