Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners meeting

Commissioners approve 22 early voting locations for 2018 General Election

Reno, Nev. Sept. 25, 2018. The following report highlights several important agenda items from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting:

1. Board of County Commissioners accept early voting locations for upcoming General Election. The Washoe County Registrar of Voters Office presented Commissioners with the 2018 early voting locations for the November 6, General Election. The Registrar of Voters Office is anticipating nearly 50 percent of Washoe County’s registered voters will take advantage of early voting.  During each election cycle, the Registrar of Voters Office seeks to provide a sufficient number of locations that will allow voters in each geographical area of the community to access a location near their home or place of work.

Commissioners approved the 2018 Early Voting Locations and Schedule which offers two additional locations and later hours from the Primary Election, for total of 22 locations throughout the county with hours ranging from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday - Sunday.

2. Commissioners approve a purchase agreement for the Nevada Shared Radio System. The Nevada Shared Radio System (NSRS) is a shared statewide communications network to be used for daily operations, interagency communication, interoperability and emergency communications, supporting 19 regional partners. The NSRS is faced with the immediate need to replace the entire Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system as the current vendor has announced “product end of life”, and to replace with a system of current and nationally recognized technology.

To preserve the current arrangement of shared infrastructure, Washoe County, NV Energy and the State of Nevada, acting through the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) have been working together over the last several years to develop and implement a framework of LMR system and to select a vendor to replace the statewide LMR system.

After a rigorous procurement process completed by the NDOT and several months of negotiations, including evaluation teams and combined scores for each vendor, Harris Corporation, Communications Segment was selected.

Today, Commissioners heard a presentation from Quinn Korbulic, Washoe County Technology Services, on the need for the system, the shared ownership and collaboration, the procurement process and next steps. The purchase to build the new NSRS would include infrastructure upgrades for 10 existing sites and adding five new sites and new end-user radio equipment.

Next steps of the plan include approving the contract with Harris Communications, finalize a funding plan and work with regional partners on implementation strategy. Commissioners approved Washoe County to enter into a contract with Harris and ultimately replace the NSRS system.

3. Commissioners approve transportation grant for rural area seniors of Washoe County. Commissioners approved a $29,000 agreement with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) for the Non-Urbanized Paratransit program to provide transportation for Washoe County’s seniors and people with disabilities living in Gerlach and Incline Village. 

RTC has provided funding to Washoe County seniors and disabled individuals through transportation programs for Gerlach and Incline Village since 2005.

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