County Commissioners met last week in a regular meeting to address several housekeeping issues, including a zone change for property at Beasley Drive and Carson Highway. This ultimately cleaned up several parcels zoned C-1, the general commercial zoning typically retail. These parcels are surrounded by C-2 zoning, and commissioners changed the C-1 to C-2 to match the rest of the parcels that allow for heavy industrial uses.
Additionally, commissioners denied Ralph and Debbie Mills' request to abandon a 60-foot road easement and related easements on a lot at 4572 Bebe Ann Way. They approved a merging of lots in Hazen for Allen Hughes, which included the abandonment of multiple rights-of-way within the Hazen Townsite map. They also approved a parcel map application for seven lots filed by NEV DEV LLC for property located on Desert Hills Loop.
Commissioners also approved the transition of the State Public Health Lab satellite to a county public health lab, to be named Churchill County Rural Public Health Laboratory. Dr. Stojanoff will run the lab through a contract with Clinical Laboratories Holding Company.
Social Services Director Shannon Ernst explained that during COVID, in October of 2020, the satellite lab was built to increase lab capacity throughout the state in partnership with the University of Nevada. That led to the eventual development of this rural lab, which will now be used to meet the current and future needs to process specimens of infectious diseases and substance testing. Stojanoff will come on board on March 20, and the Lab will be located at the new facility at 270 South Maine Street after renovations are completed. Funding is provided through several grants, including $388,028 through the Department of Public and Behavioral Health, to support the lab infrastructure and the contract with Stojanoff.
Ernst also presented information, and commissioners approved an agreement between the county and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for $75,294 for rental assistance, supportive services, and administrative costs. According to Ernst, the county has been administering this program since 2002 for their Rapid Re-housing transition program, which covers the cost of leases and provides case management for homeless individuals to take them from living on the street into housing. The program also offers intensive case management for two years to help build self-sufficiency and provide life skills so these individuals can maintain a lease on their own.
The commission also approved a contract to develop a suicide prevention plan in partnership with the school district.
In addition, they approved the purchase of a property located at 245 Miners Road that will allow for continued development of the 3-C Event Center and the Oser Regional Park. The property is currently landlocked by the county, and the purchase will provide for future improvements of the facility on the south side of Miners Road.
In their final action, commissioners approved designating the Emergency Manager position as a Critical Labor Shortage under PERS (Public Employee Retirement System) criteria. Human Resources Geof Stark explained that the county has challenges recruiting someone qualified to fill that position, partly because it is part-time. They have maintained the CLS designation over the years, and it is due for renewal. This designation allows the county not to pay into PERS when there is an emergency, and the person in the position has to work more than 19 hours a week.
The county commission meets on the first Thursday at 8:15 a.m. and the third Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. at 155 North Maine Street.
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