Commissioners approve full-time park maintenance position

Churchill County commissioners discussed a wide range of topics at their meeting Feb. 1.

During public comment Jackson Barbee represented the Churchill County Future Farmers of America and shared a recitation of the FFA Creed by E.M. Tiffany entirely from memory. After he finished, Commissioner Myles Getto asked Barbee what the creed means to him.

“It means all of the struggles that people have come through over the years of FFA to get to points of leadership,” Barbee said. “And it also, I believe, helps with learning how to speak in public and be able to face something that you don’t want to do.”

Commissioners also:

• Replaced three seasonal employee positions with one full-time park maintenance position at the 3C Event Complex. Jorge Guererro, Churchill County Parks & Recreation director of community activities, said the complex has been seasonally short-staffed for the past several years because the three positions have been difficult to fill.

In the remaining four months of the current fiscal year the budget will see a small savings with the change, but the budget will increase by about $1,000 next fiscal year.

• Ratified an agreement between Churchill County Social Services and the Nevada Department of Business and Industry Housing Division for $16,788.80. The Housing and Urban Development Emergency Solutions Grant provides funding for homeless assistance, homelessness prevention and other eligible activities.

Shannon Ernst, director of Social Services, said that this particular agreement is retroactive to July 2023 and specifically supports the program’s administration and outreach efforts.

• Ratified an agreement between Churchill County Social Services and the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public and Behavioral Health Rural Clinics for $72,890 to support the Rural Nevada Continuum of Care Program.

• Ratified a fiscal year 2024 funding award between Churchill County Social Services and the State of Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division for $18,549 to support the Nutrition Services Incentive Program.

• Renewed a two-year contract with real estate appraiser Mark Stafford to assist in appraising and defending the appraisals of complex properties in Churchill County. Stafford’s currently ending contract was initially approved in 2020.

• Selected Best Development Group as the most responsible bidder under the request for proposals at 2255 Casey Road.

• Approved a proposal from EKAY Economic Consultants, Inc. to update the Churchill County Housing Needs Assessment and Labor Market Study for $14,700.

• Adopted Resolution 3-2024 to establish the special revenue “Opioid Litigation Fund.”