Top headlines from the Board of County Commissioners meeting

Commissioners honor County Manager during last meeting, appoint Interim County Manager

Reno, Nev. June 11, 2019. The following report highlights several important agenda items from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners meeting:

1. Commissioners honor outgoing County Manager John Slaughter with proclamation and appoint Interim County Manager. After 33 years serving the people of Washoe County, today marked the last Board of County Commissioners meeting with County Manager, John Slaughter. To commemorate his outstanding public service, Commissioners honored Slaughter’s career with a proclamation and a goodbye video.

“John has spent his entire career serving our region, and the last five years as County Manager,” remarked Commission Chair Vaughn Hartung. “It’s rare to see someone dedicate their career to one organization these days, but we are certainly grateful you did.”

While a national recruitment is currently underway to find Slaughter’s replacement, during the meeting Commissioners appointed Assistant County Manager, Dave Solaro, as Interim County Manager.

2. Commissioners hear an update on the NNAMHS campus. Commissioners heard a presentation of the first quarterly update from Assistant County Manager, Kate Thomas, regarding the Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health System, or NNAMHS, campus. The presentation included project history, construction schedule, population impact and next steps.

“I think this project has the potential to be a national model for how to solve the homeless problem we are faced with today” says Commissioner Marsha Berkbigler.

3. Washoe County continues commitment to support the arts & events in our region. Commissioners approved a $25,000 grant award to benefit Artown, a month-long summer arts festival, featuring over 500 unique events at over 100 venues in 31 days.

Commissioners also unanimously approved the business license application for the Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation for the Barracuda Championship 2019 golf tournament. The Barracuda Championship 2019 golf tournament is in its 21^st year and will be held at the Montreux Golf and Country Club from July 22-28, 2019.

By supporting the arts and events, like Artown and the Barracuda Golf championship, Washoe County is helps support the economic growth to our region resulting in millions of dollars of economic impact to our area.

4. Crystal Peak Park Improvement Project to bring improvements for parking and ArTrail project. In response to community needs, Commissioners approved the Crystal Peak Park project which includes the construction of a paved road that connects the upper and lower parking lots. Additionally, construction also includes the site improvements associated with the Washoe County ArTrail project, which consists of a concrete foundation, pathway form the parking lot and benches. The contract was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, Spanish Springs Construction, Inc. in the amount of $114,444 to perform project construction and site improvements.

5. Commissioners approve collective bargaining agreement for Cost of Living Adjustments. Commissioners approved three-year collective bargaining agreements for Cost of Living Adjustments, or COLAs, to the following employee groups: Washoe County Public Attorneys’ Association (WCPAA), Washoe County District Attorney’s Investigator Association (WCDAIA), Unclassified Management, Non-Represented Confidential employees, District Court employees, Justice Courts employees (excluding Justices of the Peace), Juvenile Services employees, Truckee River Flood Management Authority’s Executive Director and General Counsel. All agreements included a base wage increase of 3% for the first year and a 2.5% increase the second and third years. The WCPAA employees will also receive a $1,000 lump sum in the second and third years of the agreement.

Washoe County complies with our statutory mandate to engage in collective bargaining for employees pursuant to NRS Chapter 288.

6. County Commissioners approve re-appointments to the Washoe County Regional Animal Services Advisory Board. The Board of County Commissioners approved the following re-appointments:

• Re-appointment of Jill Dobbs, a representative of a humane or rescue organization with a term to expire on June 30, 2023.
• Re-appointment of Irene Payne, an individual with an interest in promoting the health and safety of animals in Washoe County, with a term to expire on June 30, 2023.

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