Mineral County Board of Commissioners Highlights Nov. 1
Carpet replacement
Curtis Schlepp, juvenile probation officer met with the commissioners to replace the carpet in their two offices. The cost will over $17,000. The funds will be taken from the administrative assessment funds.
He also introduced Justin Banfield as the new juvenile probation officer.
Business licenses
The following business licenses were approved: John Anderson Construction (John Anderson); John Francis Winnepenninkx (John Winnepenninkx); DLC Construction (Daniel Conner); Stronghold Yard Cleaning and Handyman (Fred Lalonde) and Kustom Koatings, Inc. (Stephen Jones).
OTS grant
Sheriff Randy Adams discussed with the commissioners to have permission to move forward with a $10,000 expenditure of OTS grant for highway traffic deputy vehicle radar.
Hawthorne Utilities hours
Hawthorne Utilities Director Larry Grant met with the commissioners to discuss changing office hours for the staff. The staff would like to change hours to follow suit with the county departments. Grant stated that since the courthouse went to four day work weeks, the Friday traffic has decreased.
Discussion regarding utility and garbage crew hours. Commissioner Garth Price advised Grant to come in and let the commissioner’s know if other staff goes to different hours.
County health fair
Recorder-Auditor Christine Hoferer explained that Hometown Health does not want to come down unless more people participate. Recorder-Auditor Hoferer would like to offer two gift cards for drawings.
Software purchase
Recorder-Auditor Hoferer discussed moving forward with software purchases from Tyler Technologies and necessary hardware purchases to support new software programs with the commissioners. Bret Towe, Mineral County IT Director explained the licensing of the programs and the servers needed to run these new purchases. Discussion of all the different computer related issues needed.
Reduce spending
Recorder-Auditor Hoferer asked the county commissioners to issue a “reduce spending” memorandum to departments within the county’s general fund. She explained that the county is not in a “good position” right now.
Discussion of monies from assessor office and justice court that need to be apportioned. She discussed the two unbudgeted positions in justice court and the five vacancies in the sheriff’s office.
Commissioner Chris Hegg made a motion to issue a memo of reduce spending to those who are connected to the general fund. The motion passed.
Voting equipment
Clerk-Treasurer Chris Nepper discussed with the commissioners the contract for the Dominion voting equipment. He asked for medium term financing for the equipment. The financing will be $91,000 with yearly payments of $11,265 with a total cost to be: $135,178. The commissioners allowed Nepper to go forward with the process of finding the medium term financing.
Closed session
The commissioners went into closed session pursuant to Nevada Revised Statute 241.015(2)(b)(2). There was nothing to report from closed session.
Nuisance Ordinance
Commissioner Jerrie Tipton proposed the review of Mineral County Nuisance Ordinance. Harold Dimmick asked if this was the prior nuisance ordinance that had been voted out during in an election. Commissioner Tipton stated she would like to do a town hall meeting about this.
Dimmick explained that the notice being put into the paper by Building Inspector Mike Fontaine was not clearly defined. The Mineral County website was hard to navigate. Dimmick went through his concerns about the proposed nuisance ordinance. Discussion regarding the proposed ordinance.
Brownfields Coalition
Rachel Schlick, BEC Environmental, Inc. gave a status of the Rural Desert Southwest Brownfields Coalition. The discussion and decision on participation in a grant application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a Brownsfield Coalition Revolving Loan Fund grant in the amount of $1,000,000. Schlick discussed the background of the Rural Desert Southwest Brownfield Coalition.
Walker Lake hunting
Don “DJ” Barilari met with the commissioners in regards to not allow hunting in residential areas of Walker Lake, possible Mineral County Ordinance change or zoning change to not allow hunting in the town of Walker Lake, near businesses or homes.
Barilari stated that there have been two rams taken this year and one last year. He presented a map.
He would like to see signs placed in the town area.
Barilari also discussed hunters being down at State Beach [Monument Beach]. The commissioners reviewed the map.
Rowe advised the commissioners to change the Mineral County Ordinance regarding shooting of a firearm in any township in Mineral County.
Barilari asked about hunting on government property. Stated he would like to see signs.
Glenn Bunch, Mineral County Wildlife Advisory Board president, discussed the shooting of game at Walker Lake. Bunch stated he will ask Nevada Department of Wildlife to put in a guzzler to the north of the cliffs. He also discussed the feeding of wildlife and how it is illegal. He stated that citations will be issued to those feeding/watering the animals.
The state will review this issue in January 2018. A pictometry map was shown to the commissioners of the Township of Walker Lake.
An ordinance will be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
Fire chief appointment
Three individuals were interviewed for the position of Mineral County Fire Chief. Those were Brett Boukather and Thomas Dominguez in person and Chris Lawrence, via telephone. Lawrence was appointed as new fire chief effective January 2018.
