Commissioners issue proclamation for wildfire awareness month

The Churchill County Commission acted on a number of agenda items at its meeting May 4.

Linda Brown from the University of Nevada, Reno’s Extension office in Churchill County discussed wildfire awareness and a campaign to protect home and property.

“Our communities have prepared for wildfires,” Brown said.

Although Fallon and its surrounding area in the Lahontan Valley doesn’t experience wildfires like the communities in western Nevada and eastern California, she said the excess water from this year’s snowpack will lead to the growth of more weeds.

Commissioners presented Brown with a proclamation recognizing May with the Nevada Wildfire Awareness Campaign of “Protect our Home, Prepare for Wildfire.”

In other action, commissioners acted on the following agenda items:

• Approved a merger and subdivisions parcel map application filed by the Fernley Business Park for property adjacent to the county line and railroad tracks west of Fallon. The parcels do not cross county lines and are solely located in Churchill County.

• Appointed Tara Price to the Library Board to fill an unexpired term ending June 30, 2024, replacing Bill Williams. Commissioners appointed Matthew Johnson to fill an unexpired term on the Park and Recreation Commission through June 30, 2026. Jeff Goings resigned to take a seat on the Planning Commission.

• Approved a performance agreement between Idaho Asphalt Supply and Churchill County that outline a one-year period to complete road improvements on Bango Road west of Fallon.

• Approved a conservation easement deed for a portion of property as requested by Mills Dairy. The owners plan to build a modern dairy barn on the property. The current facility has room for 350 cows, and a new facility will increase that amount to 480 milking cows.

• During commissioner comments, board Chairman Bus Scharmann commended the local students who volunteered April 22 to help the community.

Scharmann said 130 students volunteered to provide sandbags to 19 homes that are vulnerable to being flooded. He said nine varsity baseball players also helped the day after they played a game in Elko.

At the second meeting of April, the commission acted on the following items:

• Approved $3,000 for the Lahontan Valley Claybreakers and $3,500 for the Fallon Armed Forces Day Event.

• Approved FTA 5311 and 5339 Grants for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 for the CART Program and Agreement for Operational and Capital funding, if FTA funds are available.

• Approved health insurance renewal for employees and retirees of Churchill County at an estimated additional cost of $40,000.

• Approved a request from Geof Stark, the county’s personnel director, to participate in the county’s Retirement Incentive Plan and to have the county purchase one year and 11 days of PERS credits at the cost of approximately $61,665.

• Approved a Subrecipient Agreement between the State of Nevada, Adult and Disabilities Services Division, and Churchill County Social Services for $33,560 for the purchase of an outreach vehicle for the William N. Pennington Life Center.

• Approved the purchase of GeneXpert System to support expansion test processing from the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory for the Churchill County Satellite Lab in the amount of $68,312.

• Ratified an agreement between Churchill County Social Services and the State of Nevada, Department of Health and Human Services for $20,000 for the purchase of the CDP Environmental Health Software.

• Ratified funding from the William N. Pennington Foundation and Churchill County Social Services for $20,476 for the purchase of a new stove/oven for the Life Center.

• Approved a revised Professional Services Agreement between Churchill County and Pictometry International, a Delaware Corporation, for $44,720.00 for a two-flight aerial imagery project.