Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners meeting

Innovative new IBM system for Courts, support for affordable housing project, and more

Reno, Nev. May 28, 2019. The following report highlights several important agenda items from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting:

1. Second Judicial District Court to partner with IBM on innovative new program. Commissioners acknowledged a $500,000 grant from the State of Nevada, Department of Health and Human Services, to the Second Judicial District Court (SJDC) to build INSPIRES, a juvenile justice data sharing and predictive analytics program with IBM. The grant funds will be used to work with IBM to build the INSPIRES system and the service fees for use for one year.

Currently, the SJDC and partnering agencies cannot currently gather, collate, or assess data at the speed of children’s needs, primarily due to the data for each child held in different databases with no central hub for joint access. Implementing the INSPIRES system will save money through timely assessment and by avoiding duplication of services. Additionally, with INSPIRES, the SJDC and partnering agencies can quickly and dynamically identify gaps, react to urgent and emergent needs in real time, and coordinate services to meet needs in unprecedented ways. The INSPIRES system will also enable the ability to forecast trends, like teen suicide, school failure, and vulnerability to sex trafficking, before they happen to try to manage problems in advance.

“This proactive and innovative solution for local government puts children and families at the center, finding the right service, for the right child at the right time,” says District Judge Egan Walker. “Instead of coming to the courts four different times about four different cases, this will enable us to coordinate our services to save time, resources and help us to best serve our families.”

2. Commissioners approve Affordable Housing project bonding authority. The Commissioners approved a resolution transferring Washoe County’s 2019 Private Activity Bond Cap allocation in the amount of $5,798,463.39 to the State of Nevada to support the construction of 420 affordable housing units.

Each year Washoe County receives an allocation of Private Activity Bond Cap funds from the State of Nevada. Per Nevada Revised Statute, Washoe County may, by resolution, transfer all or a portion of this bonding authority to another political subdivision of the state or to the Nevada Department of Business and Industry for allocation to specific affordable housing projects and programs. Washoe County utilized this process to support numerous affordable housing projects, however it has been a full decade since the last opportunity to support an affordable housing project arose.

Commissioners approved using these funds to support the Dandini Spectrum mixed-use development project which will include approximately 420 multi-family affordable housing units.

3. Board of County Commissioners reverse the decision on the Incline Village Cell Tower. Commissioners heard from appellants and citizens regarding the Board of Adjustment’s decision for the construction of a new wireless cellular facility, or monopine, a cell phone tower designed to resemble a pine tree. The monopine would consist of a 117-foot high stealth structure with a minor deviation to vary the height standard by 5 feet.

After public comment and a presentation from the appellants, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously decided to approve the appeal and reverse the decision of the Board of Adjustment and deny issuing a special use permit to construct a monopine in Incline Village.

4. County Commissioners approve Juvenile Services learning program with University of Nevada, Reno. The Board of County Commissioners approved an agreement for service-learning, internships and field study placements between the University of Nevada, Reno, Board of Regents and Washoe County Department of Juvenile Services, to establish a cooperative program for students to earn school credit and enhance their career development.

“This agreement will allow us to continue our invaluable partnership with UNR, streamline processes and provide opportunities and experiences to prepare our youth at Juvenile Services for professional  fields,” says Frank Cervantes, Director of Juvenile Services for Washoe County.

5. County Commissioners approve re-appointments. The Board of County Commissioners approved the following re-appointments:

• Re-appointment of Larry Chesney, current member of the Washoe County Planning Commission, to the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission for a term beginning July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2022.
• Re-appointment of Sarah Chvilicek, the Washoe County Planning Commission to represent Commission District 5, to fill a term beginning on July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2023.
• Re-appointment of Brad Stanley, to the Washoe County Board of Adjustment to represent Commission District 2, to fill a term beginning on July 1, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2023.

“These are thankless jobs and these individuals carry a lot of work,” remarked Vice-Chair Bob Lucey. “I want to thank them for their service.”

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