Members of the Carson City Fire Department and the Living With Fire organization joined the Carson City Board of Supervisors on Thursday to recognize May as Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month. The theme this year is ‘Plan, prepare, take action.’
Photo by Scott Neuffer.
State efforts on two fronts — workforce development and public health — appeared before the Carson City Board of Supervisors on Thursday in different forms, but both got local approval.
First, supervisors unanimously approved a workforce development program at the Carson City Library spearheaded by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). Second, supervisors unanimously approved an interlocal agreement between the state and city health department that will channel new funding from recent legislation.
The library program is the result of an interlocal contract between GOED, the city and the library and a $1.47 million award from GOED that will fund a senior workforce development professional on site as well as new technology to help people explore potential career paths.
Carson City Library Director Joy Holt told the Appeal the program targets underserved populations – women, minorities and those entering the workforce – between high school and higher education with trade programs for Nevada’s “resilient” industries. She identified five resilient industries: HVAC, healthcare, IT, advanced manufacturing and logistics.
The new program builds on the practice of individualized career mapping and the Nevada Career Explorer platform, which can be found at https://nv.headed2.com. Holt said new headsets will allow jobseekers to explore careers, interests and skillsets through virtual reality field trips.
Thursday, Supervisor Lisa Schuette described the program as forward-thinking.
“I love this. I love this idea. I love this project,” she said. “I think about the saying, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know,’ and I think this is one of those opportunities that bring awareness to people who otherwise might not consider a particular career.”
While the new position will work statewide as well as in the Carson service area, the library currently has a workforce development and social services coordinator and existing relationships with schools, state agencies and other workforce organizations, Holt said.
Mayor Lori Bagwell asked what will happen if the state-funded position disappears in two years when the contract expires. Holt said the state position will work side-by-side with existing staff, including the existing workforce coordinator, so the library can carry the program forward. She also expected the state contract to cover licensing for the VR programming.
“It was very important to us at the library that it remain sustainable,” she said.
In approving an interlocal agreement between the state and city health department, supervisors also facilitated a boost in public health spending. Carson City Health and Human Services Director Nicki Aaker explained the money came from Senate Bill 118 in the last legislative cycle. That bill appropriated $15 million from the state general fund to public health improvement statewide. Carson will receive $262,101.18 for the next two years.
Supervisor Stacey Giomi said the legislation was supported by the Nevada Association of Counties.
“The goal for NACO in this regard — and it’s one of our key platforms — is to sustain this funding from the state,” he said. “Nevada is, no shock, near the bottom in public health funding and is one of the few states that doesn’t fund public health at the local level from the state. So, this was the first run at trying to get that done. And I think the key to doing this … is to demonstrate to the Legislature success and improvements.”
Aaker said the 2022 Quad-County Regional Community Health Needs Assessment (including Carson, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties) identifies four areas to which the new funding will be applied: access to basic needs, access to healthcare for specific populations, mental and emotional health, and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.
“To date, the health department staff have had an opportunity to give us their ideas for funding,” she said. “We had a community health improvement plan workshop on April 25 that also gave us more input … As we go through those ideas, some of them will be put forth for further discussion at the June 6 Board of Health meeting.”
Aaker said because of the legislation, Nevada has gone from 50th in the nation for public health spending to 46th, “but with the caveat that some of the states have not reported.”
To Giomi’s comment about showing lawmakers improvements from the funding, Aaker said, “We need to be very mindful as we go forward.”
In other action:
• Supervisors met with members of the Carson City Fire Department and the Living With Fire organization to declare May as Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month. The theme for this year is, “Plan, prepare, take action.”
For information, visit www.livingwithfire.org.
• Supervisors also recognized Historic Preservation and Archaeological Awareness Month. Bagwell and Carson City Historic Resources Commission Chair Mike Drews presented awards to Sarah Martin for her working preserving the Rinckel Mansion on Curry Street and to Sue Jones, spouse of late Supervisor Stan Jones, to honor Jones’ contributions to the city’s historic district.
• Pulling the item off the consent agenda, supervisors unanimously approved a total $171,575.82 contract with EagleView for a term running through Sept. 11, 2031. The contract is for aerial imagery and access to cloud-based software and records. The assessor’s office uses the program for property tax appraisal purposes, but other departments such as CCFD and CCSO use it as well, said Carson City Assessor Kimberly Adams.
Adams told supervisors the city has contracted with EagleView since 2006, and aerial imaging is allowed under state law and is common practice across the state and nation.
“We do mass appraisal. Our parcels have grown tremendously within Carson City,” said Adams. “When I began with the assessor’s office, we had over 14,000 (parcels). We have now over 20,000. In order for three appraisers to conduct mass appraisal, we have to be able to utilize aerial photos. This is not a drone that flies around. It is actually a very high-tech aircraft that flies over Nevada … once every two years. It captures pictures from several different angles.”
• Pulling the items off the consent agenda, supervisors accepted two right of way dedications: Crimson Circle as offered in a final map for Emerson Cottages and a portion of Parkland Avenue as offered in a final map for phase 2 of Little Lane Village. The final maps were approved in 2021 and 2022, respectively, but the street improvements have been completed.
The vote was 4-1 with Supervisor Maurice White voting no. White noted he has consistently objected to such right of way dedications. He said it’s inappropriate to add roads to the city’s roadway inventory “that we cannot afford to maintain.”
Schuette stressed the value of providing public access. Bagwell argued the time to vote against dedication is during the tentative map stage, not during the final map stage when projects are committed. White countered that he also voted against the tentative maps.