Building repairs, cemetery maintenance, and road damage recovery took center stage at the Oct. 15 Pershing County Commission meeting, with updates from emergency services and approval of an upcoming property tax auction.
Linda Workman from the Grass Valley Advisory Board requested permission to solicit painting quotes and to replace ten folding tables stolen from the Grass Valley Community Center. Workman said a review of security footage didn't provide any clues about when the tables were removed. She explained the storage room where the tables were kept is typically unlocked because it contains the fuse box.
Commission Chair Joe Crim, Jr. acknowledged there are several keys to the building floating around the community and requested Bryan Ruddell from the Buildings and Grounds department to rekey the building. Commissioner Connie Gottschalk instructed Workman to use Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) to replace the tables which run $56 each. Commissioners also instructed Workman to work with District Attorney Bryce Shields to craft a Request For Proposals for painting the building's interior.
Cheryl Haas with the Safety and Cemetery department told commissioners about water damage at the Lone Mountain Cemetery. She said water run-off is pooling near the veterans' section and the grave markers are sinking. She suggested creating a berm to protect that section as a short-term fix as more permanent repairs are developed. She was given approval to work with the Buildings and Grounds department to get the berm in place before winter.
Kevin Machado with the Road Department and Landfill updated commissioners about several road repairs needed following heavy rain earlier this month; several culverts were unplugged and replaced. He received approval to advertise and hire for the vacant Road Equipment Mechanic I/II position.
Machado also updated the commission about the fire at the landfill that started Oct. 2 when a lithium battery was run over by equipment. The fire smoldered for two weeks with occasional flare ups. Crews are dousing hot spots with water and covering old hot spots with dirt. He said the Fallon landfill has a similar fire and they lost a piece of equipment due to lingering hot spots.
James Drake from the Rye Patch Volunteer Fire Department detailed calls for service, including an Oct. 11 response to a livestock trailer that overturned on the interstate. Crews were on scene eight hours and had to cut the roof and peel it back to reach the animals. Using a portable loading chute and second trailer, crews saved 70 goats and sheep, although about 400 were killed during the crash.
Emergency Management Director Sean Burke updated the commission on the Grass Valley Volunteer Fire Department, saying his department is coordinating physical exams for firefighters. He also told commissioners he would be traveling to Minnesota in December to take delivery of a new water tender. Burke summarized the Hazardous Materials Exercise held Oct. 10, calling it the best exercise he's been a part of. The scenario involved a gas release and the team needed to respond using current weather conditions like the wind direction. He praised the coordination between his department and the hospital, road department, sheriff's department and the Coeur Rochester mine. Commissioner Chuck Sayles asked if a drone would have been useful. Burke said a drone would have provided valuable information, but regulations surrounding drones and their operators remain a hurdle. Sayles encouraged Burke to work with the sheriff's office to determine if the county could get a licensed drone operator. In administrative matters, commissioners increased the daily hotel rate from $91 to $150. Several departments had requested the higher room rate for upcoming conferences.
Commissioners also approved a maintenance agreement with Burrow Farms for upkeep of Fuss Road, which runs through June 2026.
Commissioners approved Resolution 25-1012 which allows Clerk/Treasurer Lacey Donaldson to sell properties held in county trust. She said the 166 properties owed $322,000 in delinquent taxes.
Correspondence included a letter from the City of Lovelock requesting a joint meeting between the Lovelock City Council and the Pershing County Commission. The Nevada Clean Energy Fund also submitted a letter requesting nominations of potential board members.
The commission meets the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
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