On May 6, the Pershing County Board of Commissioners met and recognized employees for their years of service to the county, including Galen Reese and Sheila Perez, who were both honored for reaching 15 years of service.
During public comment, Michelle Hammond-Allen of Solidus Resources congratulated youth who participated in the livestock sale and gave updates on mining activity, including equipment mobilization and plans to open a local office in Lovelock. Elias Hendrix and Ty Harweger from Rose Acre Farms also introduced plans for a proposed pullet housing operation in Grass Valley and discussed the company’s history and interest in expanding into Nevada.
Representatives from A&H Insurance presented the county’s proposed 2026-27 health insurance renewal, which includes a 4% increase for medical coverage after negotiations lowered the original proposed increase from nearly 10%. Dental and vision rates will remain unchanged.
During the discussion, insurance representative Tracy Neely also encouraged the county to begin exploring partially self-funded insurance options, noting that Pershing County had paid approximately $2.1 million in premiums over two years while Anthem paid out about $1.5 million in claims. Commissioners expressed interest in learning more about potential long-term savings through self-funding models.
During the Derby Field Airport update, Neil Gallagher reported airport traffic remains about 40% lower than last year, though fuel sales have stayed steady. Additional discussion centered around future development opportunities around the airport and statewide efforts to transition aviation fuel from leaded to unleaded gasoline while coordinating airport projects to reduce costs.
IT Director Amanda Burrows discussed server replacements, internet upgrades, and the county’s transition to Verizon desk phones. She also reported a recent cybersecurity threat that required a full wipe and reset of an infected computer after a virus bypassed protection.
County Manager Kristen Gonzalez updated commissioners on delayed city council agreement negotiations, economic development discussions involving geothermal energy and a potential data center proposal, and new Pool/Pact risk management initiatives, including AI policies.
Auditor/Recorder Melanie Hamilton announced the FY26-27 tentative budget hearing will be held May 20 at 1 p.m. and received approval to remove outdated software and equipment from county inventory. Hamilton also provided an update on the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund, noting County Manager Kristen Gonzalez’s salary is currently being paid through the fund on a monthly basis.
Library Director Kameron Mitchell discussed upcoming summer programming, including reading programs, gaming events, craft activities, and new community partnerships such as the seed library project with the Extension Office. He also reminded residents that the library offers Nevada State Park passes that can be checked out for free day-use access to parks statewide.
Because District Attorney Derrick Penney was absent, Code Enforcement Officer Frances Machado provided an update on countywide enforcement activity, reporting 116 open cases and discussing proposed software intended to improve field reporting and organization. Commissioners later approved adding the software to the FY27 IT budget at a cost of $3,750.
Commissioners also approved a $19,273.76 bid from Cummins for a new generator at Toulon Peak. During discussion, commissioners talked about plans to replace additional generators and whether bulk purchases could help reduce costs.
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