Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners Meeting

by | Dec 15, 2021

The following are highlights from today’s Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting:    

1. Board approves $40 million in federal economic recovery funds: Washoe County received just over $91.5 million in federal funding through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) to help the region “lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.” Community Reinvestment Manager Gabrielle Enfield today presented an allocation of $40 million for 23 projects across county services necessitated by the pandemic. Examples of projects include: 

    • Washoe County Cares Campus and Safe Camp capital: approximately $26 million  
    • Kids Kottage emergency beds: $800,000  
    • Public Defender’s Office and District Attorney’s Office case backlog personnel and work stations: $3.7 million  
    • Sheriff’s Office deputy sheriff’s positions: $1.9 million  
    • District Court courtrooms audio/visual upgrade: $1.2 million  
    • Health District mobile outreach vehicle/command post: $490,000  

The proposed projects fall within the American Rescue Plan Act (and the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund) eligible uses, include a proposed implementation process, and come with extensive compliance and reporting requirements. View the full list of projects, eligible uses of funds, and key principles of SLFRF here. The county has until December 2024 to obligate the funds, and until December 2026 to spend them, and any unused funds will be returned.  

While Commissioners discussed concerns that the large amount of relief funding be allocated judiciously and responsibly, they noted that the proposed projects – including personnel – are in areas with great need.  

The Commission expressed concern with meeting the needs of each department and how to best utilize federal funds to address the needs of the community while also moving cautiously to prevent a future financial bind.  

“I have no problem with the programs listed here, these are needed updates to these departments – courts, Sheriff’s Office, Human Services Agency – they need this money desperately to continue to operate. They’ve been operating on bubble gum and popsicle sticks,” Chair Bob Lucey said. “We should remember that we grew by 66,000 people since the last census in 2010, and since 2020, I believe we’ve grown even more.”   

The Board unanimously approved the funding, particularly noting the new positions within the Sheriff’s Office that will be added.  

“I’m grateful that at least in the North Valleys, we’re going to have more deputies on duty, and the crime rate will go down. I’ve pushed for that, and I thank them for that,” Commissioner Jeanne Herman said. 

In a related action, the Board approved an amendment and extension of the Emergency Rental Assistance funding to the Reno Housing Authority for COVID relief. The original term for the $6 million in rental relief was slated to end on Dec. 31, 2021, but has not been used in full, so the Board today extended the deadline to Sept. 30, 2022.  

2. Board ends COVID emergency declaration: The Board of County Commissioners declared a state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 31, 2020. In the time since the initial declaration staff from all regional entities have worked in cooperation and collaboration to provide services necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Washoe County. Emergency declarations allow the Board and County Manager to direct funding, limit gatherings, commit to mutual aid agreements, and other various actions related to the emergency. Today’s action ended the declaration of emergency but acknowledged that COVID-19 is not gone and the potential threat to the health and safety of the community is not over, and an emergency can be declared again if necessary.  

3. Approved resolution sets a fee schedule for public-records requests: Public-record requests have increased in recent years to the point of demanding excessive staff time and diverting staff from their assigned duties. There have been instances of a requestor failing to retrieve or open the county’s response to an enormous request after county employees arduously labored to fulfill the request. Other requests are so broad that it would require one fulltime employee’s dedication for several years to fulfill. For example, at least one such request captured approximately 300,000 emails, which the requestor refused to narrow, according to the staff report on the agenda item.  

During the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Oct.  12, 2021, a schedule of fees for public-records requests was discussed, and staff was directed to conduct more research specific to the actual cost of fulfilling these requests. Today’s presentation to the Board of County Commissions further described the cost of staff time and resources assigned to fulfill public-record requests, as well as exemptions for fees. The previous proposal defined “actual cost” staff time as anything over two hours to fulfill a request, to be charged at the rate of the position assigned to fulfill it.  

Today’s revised proposal provides a standing fee waiver for up to 10 hours of staff time, which brings it in line with some other government entities in Nevada. The proposal also sets a flat hourly rate for staff time, waiving any actual costs for hourly rates above the flat rate. The resolution only applies to county departments not under the leadership of elected officials. The resolution was approved unanimously. The county’s full public-records request policy can be found here.  

“You did an amazing job providing clarity to the fees to ensure that we’re not over-charging on hours,” Commissioner Alexis Hill said. “I appreciate the problem-solving that the District Attorney’s Office did on this.” 

4. County Manager’s review is approved, contract extended: The Board of County Commissioners discussed the performance evaluation of County Manager Eric Brown, unanimously agreeing to increase his salary 10 percent and offer a 5 percent bonus. Chair Lucey noted that his entrance salary was on the low end because, while he had vast executive experience, he lacked experience in municipal government. Brown’s contract was also extended a year, to end in November 2024.  

Brown was hired as county manager in October 2021 and per county statute must undergo an annual review at a public meeting within a month of his employment anniversary. A panel of 40 stakeholders including commissioners, direct reports, department heads and elected officials, and external stakeholder contributed to the review, and majority of responses were “exceeds expectations” or “meets expectations” in every category.  

Brown presented an overview of his achievements in 2021 that directly support the county’s strategic plan. Looking forward to 2022, Brown outlined areas he will address in the new year, including improving citizen engagement, expanding broadband, and leveraging federal COVID-19 recovery funding for local programs. Among his key goals for 2022 are:  

    • Successfully renew employee association agreements  
    • Continue to improve staff responsiveness to constituent and Commissioner requests  
    • Complete transition of Housing and Homeless Services from Reno/Sparks interlocal agreement  
    • Improve Washoe County development planning and permitting process  
    • Strengthen bill draft request development  
    • ARPA funding administration 
    • Strengthen and expand Commissioner Support Program 

“I consider this a calling,” Brown said. “This has been a collection of my life’s experiences and education in technology, customer service, marketing, healthcare, and public health, that has led me to this place. I look forward to continuing to serve you and the communities that you serve.” 

Commissioners praised Brown’s leadership and strategy, particularly with Brown’s efforts to meet residents and respond to their concerns. A resident spoke during public comment to commend him for attending Citizen Advisory Board meetings, and implored the Board to do whatever it takes to keep him as County Manager.  

“What you’ve done over the last two years is not a measure of your intelligence or where you’ve come from, it’s really the person you are. You have truly led this organization pridefully with a level of ownership and detail that most would not be able to give,” Chair Lucey said. “You’ve not only exceeded my expectations, you’ve blown the doors off those expectations and I think you’ve done a phenomenal job at that.”

5. Lease approved for Our Story Inc. to use county property at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park: Our Story Inc. is a local nonprofit dedicated to collecting and displaying the history, heritage, culture and achievements of underserved communities in northern Nevada. Through a five-year lease agreement approved today by the Board of County Commissioners, Our Story Inc. will use the garage structure at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in Reno for a museum exhibit depicting the efforts of the Black Springs Volunteer Fire Department. This museum will provide educational opportunities on northern Nevada’s rich minority history and chronicle the culture and accomplishments of the Black Springs community.  

6. Karma Box Project wins 19-month contract to run county’s Safe Camp: The Board of County Commissioners approved a 19-month contract to Karma Box Project in the amount of approximately $848,000 to operate the Safe Camp program, with the option to renew for three one-year terms.  

Safe Camp is the sanctioned camping program for those experiencing homelessness that opened in June of 2021. It is located adjacent to the Cares Campus, which houses the region’s emergency shelter, and provides a route to housing by providing case management and basic needs with a focus on housing. A request for proposals was issued to find a long-term operator, and Karma Box Project was the only respondent to the RFP. 

The Board also conducted a public hearing on the transfer of Washoe County property adjacent to the Cares Campus to Northern Nevada HOPES to operate a health clinic for those seeking shelter at the Cares Campus. The Board previously approved a resolution that this is the best use of this parcel of land, and today took the next step in that process by holding a public hearing. 

7. Board declares December 14 Marsy Kupfersmith Day: Sparks resident Marsy Kupfersmith, accompanied by Sparks Councilman Donald Abbott, was recognized by the Board of County Commissioners for her commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of senior citizens in the community. Commissioner Vaughn Hartung read a proclamation declaring Dec. 14, 2021, Marsy Kupfersmith Day. The proclamation notes that Kupfersmith was “central to the creation of the Sparks Senior Citizens’ Advisory Committee” and that she was named the 2020 Senior Citizen of the Year for the State of Nevada.  

“It’s a true honor for you to have this day,” Chair Lucey said. “I know the tireless days and nights you put into this, along with Commissioner Jung, and you truly are one of the best.”

8. Special District Funds allocated in Districts 1 and 5: The Board approved recommendations to allocate Special District Funds for projects in Districts 1 and 5. Commissioner Jeanne Herman, representing District 5, recommended three allocations of Special District Funds for projects in her district:

Commissioner Alexis Hill also recommended three allocations for District 1: 

###