County upset organizations not working together

Churchill County Commissioners stressed Thursday organizations must work together on picking dates when they are planning events.

Yessenia Maldonado-Clark, treasurer for Cancer Warriors for Central Nevada, requested assistance from the county for advertising and T-shirt costs and other miscellaneous items that were purchased for the Red Neck Shindig that was held Saturday.

Commissioner Pete Olsen asked Maldonado-Clark how the event turned out.

Maldonado-Clark said there were other events taking place that day and the weather hindered the event as well.

“We still held our 5K run, which we had three runners,” Maldonado-Clark said. “I think because of the weather and the competing events, we also competed against Street Vibrations in Reno and Genoa Candy Dance. There were also other events going on county-wise, Domestic Violence had their event going on and I believe they had a 5K run as well. We were competing with quite a bit.”

Commissioner Bus Scharmann said Cancer Warriors is an important group ,and the work that is performed by the group is valuable.

“I’m having a hard time because I don’t know if it’s the dates you’re selecting or what but something isn’t working,” Scharmann said. “Last year’s event, which my wife and I were involved in, wasn’t successful either, and it seemed like it was competing with so many other things and you had a small group of volunteers working their rear-ends off, but most importantly very few people attended which it sounds like it happened again.”

Scharmann suggested the commissioners contribute $500 to the organization but with the stipulation the organization gets “its act together.”

“This is a group that is important,” Scharmann said. “But somehow you need to gather with the other groups or you need to revitalize this group before you come back to us in a year. I, as a commissioner, have a hard time contributing dollars to a floundering organization, but this is what I’m seeing. I don’t want to cut you off completely because I believe that the work you’re doing is very valuable.”

The organization is working to attract more volunteers and spread the word about the organization and all that it does and what is being accomplished, Maldonado-Clark said.

Olsen, though, said Saturday’s rainiy weather isn’t the organization’s fault.

“I think the paper (LVN) was spot on in saying that everyone needs to look at the dates and also get together with other organizations in the community,” Olsen said. “I like the idea that you’re trying to tackle something that’s very important. Cancer has hit my family hard. I understand you’re trying to help people, and I like the idea that the funds stay here to help people locally. But when we have to be good stewards with the public’s money and have to do the right thing, I have to give you the same encouragement; we need to see some improvement.”

The commissioners agreed and approved community support funding for Cancer Warriors for the Redneck Shindig in the amount of $500.

Other items the commissioners approved and/or discussed include the following:

Approved Churchill County to submit the Housing and Community Need Assessment as revised and proceed in releasing the county applications to the public.

Discussed the Churchill County Library Repurpose project including timeline, relocation of services and utilizing web based products.

Approved to appoint Jean Beatty and Marilyn Hedges-Hiller to the library board of trustees to fill terms that expire Oct. 31, 2018.

Approved adding Robert G. Adams to the list of approved substitute justice of the peace.

Approved Demar Dahl’s request to covert two sewer connections to one water connection, thus reducing the number of sewer connections in the agreement to 28.4.

Approved DeVere Karlson to participate in the retirement incentive plan based on the significant financial savings her retirement will provide in the future. Furthermore, since there is funding available in the FY15 budget to accommodate her request, and Karlson publicly announced her proposed retirement in December 2013, this is reason to waive the deadline for submittal of a formal request to the county manager.

Approved to uphold the decision of the Churchill County’s Social Services Director in the termination of Vanessa Edwards and Richard Westbrook from the Transitional Housing program effective Sept. 5, 2014.