Reno Reporter

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

1. Washoe County Manager’s Office receives prestigious Distinguished Budget Presentation Award: The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has awarded Washoe County the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, which was acknowledged by the Board of County Commissioners today. This is the highest form of recognition in governmental budging and recognizes how well Washoe County’s budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications device. This is the 20th year that Washoe County has received this respected award. The Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget document was prepared by the County Manger’s Office Budget Division, led by Budget Manager Lori Cooke and now-retired Chief Financial Officer Christine Vuletich.

“These folks can work anywhere. They can go into finance anywhere at any major company in the nation. That’s the caliber of people that we have in our organization,” Chair Vaughn Hartung said. “I want to thank all of you for being here and for the hard work you do. We get clean audit after clean audit, and that comes down to you just paying attention to details.”

2. Washoe County Emergency Management receives state grant to fight terrorism: The Nevada State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) awarded just over $31,000 to Washoe County Emergency Management in the form of the United We Stand grant, intended to improve state and local government planning, training, and response to acts of terrorism. The grant will be subgranted to member entities of the Local Emergency Planning Committee to provide equipment to first responders and first receivers.

3. Board approves state funding for the Sparks Recovery Court: Sparks Justice Court received $31,500 from the Judicial Counsel of the State of Nevada to continue the operation of the Sparks Recovery Court. This special court program was established in 2015 to provide offenders access to drug and alcohol treatment programs.

4. Board approves numerous donations to county programs and departments: Donations must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Today’s donations included:

• $3,200 to Parks & Open Space and the May Center from various donors, including Great basin Credit Union and the Washoe County Green Team 
• $300,000 from the Wilbur May Foundation for the general operating support of the Wilbur D. May Center and for temporary museum exhibits.  
• Dental kits valued at $328 from Liberty Dental Plan to the Nevada Cares Campus. 
• $6,966 in cash donations to Washoe County Regional Animal Services for the humane care and treatment of sick, injured, stray, abandoned or at-risk animals.  

“This community is wildly supportive of the voiceless,” Commissioner Kitty Jung said. “I want to thank all the generous donations here and hope that it’s motivated others to make donations or volunteer. I don’t think I’ve ever lived a community with people who are so generous.”

5. Commissioners allocate District Special Funds: The Board today approved allocations from District 1 and District 4 Special Funds to support nonprofit organizations that benefit their respective districts. District 1 is represented by Commissioner Alexis Hill, and District 4 is represented by Commission Chair Vaughn Hartung.

• $1,000 to the Tahoe Fund to support the 2022 Lake Tahoe Summit 
• $5,000 to Moms on the Run, which supports women in northern Nevada diagnosed with breast or gynecological cancer. 
• $2,500 to Donor Network West to purchase keepsake items for donor families whose loved ones are honored at the annual Tree of Life leaf placement ceremony. 
• $2,500 to Nevada Donor Network Foundation to provide outreach and education about organ and tissue donation.  

Monica Myles, community development manager for Nevada Donor Network, spoke to recognize the donation in honor of Nancy Ponte and her daughter, Haylee, who was an organ and tissue donor at the age of 19. 

“I’m here today to thank you for your generosity and for the county’s generosity, and for your support of our mission,” Myles said. “We’re very, very grateful and we promise to use these funds in a way that will make you, the county, and the Ponte family proud.”

6. Board conducts public hearing to amend Master Plan and regulatory zone related to Highland Village II: The Master Plan amendment is a request to reconfigure the boundaries of the Suburban Residential master plan designation, decreasing that designation from 16.7 to 14.7 acres; and reconfigure the boundaries of the Rural master plan designation, increasing that designation from 1.67 to 3.68 acres on three adjacent parcels (APNs 508-020-04, -42 & -44) in Sun Valley.

The regulatory zone amendment is a request change the regulatory zone on the same 3 parcels from 16.706 acres of Low Density Suburban (LDS – 1 dwelling unit per acre) and 1.676 acres of General Rural (GR – 1 dwelling unit per 40 acres) to 14.702 acres of High Density Suburban (HDS – 7 dwelling units per acre) and 3.68 acres of GR on 18.382 acres, and reconfigure the boundaries of the proposed HDS and GR zones to match the proposed Master Plan Designations.

The board also introduced and conducted a first reading of an ordinance adopting a development agreement between Washoe County and LC Highland 2, LLC for Highland Village II, limiting the gross density to 4.5 dwelling units per acre for the ±18.3-acre project for a maximum of 82 total dwelling units.

This is an item that has been discussed previously and was approved unanimously. A second reading will be held on Sept. 13, 2022.

“We have kicked it around for a while. This zoning now is less than it was when we started, so I think that we can allow this because it follows the rules that we have set for them,” Commissioner Jeanne Herman said.  

Original source can be found here.