Top 5 things you need to know about the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting

Congressman Mark Amodei updates County Commissioners on federal and local issues.

Reno, Nevada. Aug. 11, 2015. The following report highlights several important agenda items from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015. Videos of County Commission meetings are replayed regularly on WCTV (Charter Ch. 193). You may also watch videos-on-demand online.

1. Congressman Mark Amodei updated Commissioners on several issues. Congressman Mark Amodei provided a federal legislative update to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that included information about various appropriation bills, public lands bills and the status of Congress. He discussed protecting the sage grouse, the transfer of Bureau of Land Management land to the State of Nevada and his support for economic development. 

Rep. Amodei discussed Nevada’s four year drought and said the federal government needs to collaborate better with local government on water issues.

“Any groundwater discussion within Nevada should go through the State of Nevada’s Water Engineer and not be controlled at the federal level.”

Rep. Amodei said he is working with the Desert Research Institute to use drones as a way to gather better data on our climate and identify what areas are in most need of water and in jeopardy of receiving less in the years to come.

Rep. Amodei and Commissioner Vaughn Hartung agreed to work together on funding cloud seeding to help boost snowpack.

Additionally, Rep. Amodei discussed Interstate 11, which is a proposed interstate highway that when complete would enhance travel and commerce between Arizona and Nevada and eventually through Northern Nevada and Canada.

To see photos of Rep. Mark Amodei at today’s meeting with Washoe County Commissioners, head online.

2. County Commissioners agree to co-sponsor the 2015 Great Reno Balloon Race. For the second year in a row, Commissioners agreed to co-sponsor the Great Reno Balloon Race (GRBR), the signature event at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. As part of becoming a co-sponsor, the Board agreed to waive the $6,000 rental fees to use the park for seven days. The GRBR attracts 100 balloonists and more than 150,000 spectators every year.  The County-owned Rancho San Rafael Park boasts more than 574 beautiful acres and has been home to the world renowned race since its inception in 1982. The GRBR is Sept. 8-14.

3. Board approves a Sun Valley Citizen Advisory Board, Commissioner District Forum Saturday, Aug. 15. Washoe County Commissioners approved establishing the Sun Valley Citizen Advisory Board (CAB). Upcoming CAB meetings will be scheduled for Sun Valley residents on a quarterly basis for a total of four per year. CABs are focused on but not limited to neighborhood planning and development projects, providing feedback and a two way discussion between the community and elected officials.

In addition to CAB meetings, Washoe County Commissioners hold District Forums to provide an informal opportunity for citizens to connect with local leaders. Commissioner Jung and Commissioner Herman are hosting a forum in Sun Valley on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 9 a.m. The event will be held at the Sun Valley Community Center, 115 W. 6th Street. All are welcome to attend.

“The Sun Valley CAB is coming back by hard work and perseverance by the citizens,” said Washoe County Commissioner Jeanne Herman, Dist. 5. “We will be answering your questions on what you have in mind this Saturday during a forum hosted by Commissioner Jung and myself.  I am so glad the Sun Valley CAB is back.”

4. Approval of grant agreement for Washoe County park improvements. The Board approved a $314,000 grant from the William N. Pennington Foundation and Washoe County to help improve infrastructure at parks. Parks at Lemmon Valley, New Washoe City, Golden Valley, Forest, Hidden Valley, Martin Luther King Jr. and Wilson Commons Parks will all see improvements. The grant will pay for the resurfacing of one playground and nine sports courts throughout the County’s park system.

5. Presentation from the Washoe County Assessor’s Office.  As part of the Board’s strategic objective of regional and community leadership, a representative from each department from Washoe County will give an overview to the Board about their achievements, their vision for the future and how they provide quality public service.

During today’s meeting, Washoe County Assessor Michael Clark and Chief Deputy Assessor Josh Wilson, presented before the Board and said the Assessor’s Office has created more than 1,889 new subdivision parcels and added more than 1,300 new homes this calendar year.

“These numbers show we are moving in the right direction as far as the economy goes and we are extremely optimistic about where the trends are headed,” said Clark. “Although we aren’t seeing the number of new homes we saw prior to the recession, we are making a comeback.”

Wilson said the Assessor’s Office has many goals for the future, one of which involves developing a personal property Internet search page. He said they are also in the process of transferring all hard copy records into a digital form so fewer errors occur.

The Assessor’s Office oversees the following:

• Inventories of all property subject to taxation
• Validates changes in ownership records of real property
• Creates and maintains all parcel maps and the GIS parcel layer for the County.
• Tracks and verifies property tax cap/economic abatement info.
• Processes and approves requests for exemptions on real and personal property

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