Elko County commissioners approve proclamation, multiple contracts and grants; discuss Mormon-cricket response and election-district proposal

The Elko County Board of Commissioners on March 7 approved a proclamation recognizing the 10th anniversary of Great Basin Elks Lodge No. 1472 and took a series of routine procurement and grant votes, including awarding a magnesium‑chloride contract to EnviroTech Services and accepting a recommendation to award the Lucky Nugget Phase 2 road project to Granite Construction. The board also approved the county’s annual trustee property auction schedule and authorized several federal grant applications for transit and social‑services programs.

The meeting opened with a proclamation read by Commissioner Gerber celebrating the Elks lodge’s community work since 2015. “We’re not a huge group, we’re about 130 members, but we punch well above our weight,” said Ty Trouton, an officer of Great Basin Elks Lodge No. 1472 during public comment. The board approved the proclamation on a voice vote.

The proclamation was one of several items the board approved quickly as a block of actions that included contracting and grant items. For county roads work (listed as Elko County Board of Highway Commissioners item E1), the board awarded a magnesium‑chloride bid to EnviroTech Services at what staff described as “$3.97 and change” and moved to proceed with the vendor’s contract. Dennis Price, Elko County road superintendent, told the commissioners the county’s mag‑chloride treatment covers “we’re just shy of 150 miles” of gravel road and that application typically “takes 2 and a half, 3 months.” The motion carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

For the county’s Lucky Nugget Phase 2 paving project (item E2), staff reported bids that were substantially lower than last year’s rejected bids. Staff said the lowest bidder, Element Construction, did not hold a state “preferential bidder” affidavit required for some public projects; Granite Construction was the second‑low bid and was within 5% of the low bid and did hold the required certification. Staff recommended awarding to Granite to avoid a likely protest. A commissioner moved to award the project to Granite Construction and the board approved that award by voice vote.

The board also approved the treasurer’s annual trustee property auction (item F1), scheduled April 14–18. Elko County Treasurer Cheryl Paul said the county currently has 206 parcels on the auction list, down from 110 last year after one parcel was redeemed; staff asked to remove parcel 75001027 (40 acres in Mountain Meadows) from sale to reserve it for county road materials. Paul told the board the switch to online auctions “increased the amount of revenue by many fold,” citing excess proceeds of roughly $942,000 the first online year and $500,000 in the most recent year. Commissioners approved the auction schedule and the requested exemption for the parcel.

On regional governance, the board approved a resolution (Resolution No. 2025‑5) accepting Mineral County’s request to join the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority; a commissioner who serves on the water authority said the membership request had already been vetted by the authority and recommended approval.

Staff provided an operational update (non‑action) on the county’s Mormon‑cricket response. Natural‑resources staff reported the county already has three pallets of bait in stock and two functioning spreaders; staff said a single 50‑pound bag of bait covers roughly three‑quarters of a mile and that bait spreaders treat a 10–12 foot swath along roads. The county has been coordinating with the Nevada Department of Agriculture on GIS mapping and weekly treatment data sharing; staff said an environmental assessment (EA) to continue the state’s treatment program was in internal review and the county and federal offices were negotiating an MOU to allow county treatment of public lands. “They’re going to have a map this year that you can use to report the crickets,” said Curtis (Natural Resources staff), describing a new real‑time reporting tool the county and state plan to share.

Transit and social‑services funding requests also moved forward. The board approved the county’s application for the Federal Transit Administration Section 5311 operating grant (the “Get My Ride” program) and approved application materials for two related grants: a capital request to replace two buses (non‑CDL vehicles where possible) and continuation of an Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) rep‑payee program ($17,250) operated by county social services. Kayla Atkins of Elko County Transit told commissioners the 5311 application lists total match obligations on paper of about $852,000 across two federal years but that offsetting contracts and other grants reduce the county’s direct request to about $85,879 for fiscal 2026 and roughly $99,231 for fiscal 2027; she said about “73% of our ridership is people that are disabled” or over 60.

The board approved the purchase of replacement Harris L3 radios for emergency and medical radio networks (combined grant items L1–L4). Emergency‑management staff said the radios are being bought through the state purchasing contract and that there is no grant match required; the county would cover a small overage from its emergency‑management budget.

The board also voted to direct staff to send legislative position letters. After discussion the commissioners voted to oppose AB 81 and SB 172 (the latter would create new labor rights and collective‑bargaining provisions for agricultural workers), to support AB 100 and AB 293 (measures that would create or expand state funding sources for rural airports and aerospace matters), and to request an Elko County exemption or amendment on SB 16 (contractor licensing) to reduce harm to very small, remote towns that lack local Nevada contractors.

During the meeting Cliff Gardner requested the commission send letters to the federal and state executive branches asking for better FOIA/records responsiveness from refuge and federal land offices; Gardner said he has pending information requests with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and asked to work with county staff on drafting sample letters. Gardner said, “They did not produce any documents whatsoever,” describing his efforts to obtain refuge narrative reports. Commissioners directed Gardner to work with county staff to draft sample letters and asked staff to research statutory FOIA response timelines.

Commissioners also debated whether county commissioners should be elected at large or by district (M1). Several commissioners argued countywide elections ensure loyalty to the whole county and avoid sectionalism; one commissioner said a ballot question letting voters decide district‑based elections should go before the public but that the proposal failed to gain broad support on the board and no ordinance or ballot directive resulted from the discussion.

The meeting closed after the consent agenda and routine committee reports. Several commissioners and members of the public urged neighbors and stakeholders to use the new local hearing room at Great Basin College (HTC 123) when state Natural Resources Committee hearings are held in Elko so the region remains a venue for in‑person testimony.

Votes at a glance

- Proclamation for Great Basin Elks Lodge No. 1472 (Proclamation 2025‑52): motion by Commissioner Gerber; second by Mr. Steninger; outcome: approved (voice vote, ayes). - E1: Magnesium‑chloride contract to EnviroTech Services (~$3.97 “and change”): motion to award by a commissioner; outcome: approved (voice vote, ayes). - E2: Lucky Nugget Phase 2 — award recommended to Granite Construction (Element Construction was lowest bidder but lacked preferential bidder affidavit; Granite within 5% and held certificate): motion by a commissioner; outcome: approved (voice vote, ayes). - F1: Annual trustee property auction (April 14–18) with exemption to remove parcel 75001027 (40 acres, Mountain Meadows) for county road materials: motion by a commissioner (included exemption); outcome: approved (voice vote, ayes). - I: Resolution approving Mineral County membership in Central Nevada Regional Water Authority (Resolution No. 2025‑5): motion by a commissioner; outcome: approved (voice vote, ayes). - K1–K3: Federal transit operating grant application (Section 5311, “Get My Ride”), capital grant for two replacement buses, and FY2026 ADSD rep‑payee grant ($17,250): motions to approve applications by county staff; outcomes: all approved (voice votes, ayes). - L1–L4: Harris L3 radio purchases (capital items through state purchasing; minimal county overage): approved (voice vote, ayes). - Legislative positions: motion to (a) oppose AB 81 and SB 172; (b) support AB 100 and AB 293; and (c) send a letter requesting an Elko County exemption on SB 16 (contractor licensing) — motion seconded and approved (voice vote, ayes).

What happened next

Commissioners directed staff to draft the requested legislative letters and to work with Cliff Gardner on sample FOIA/records‑transparency letter language. Natural‑resources staff and the Nevada Department of Agriculture will finalize GIS mapping and the MOU language related to Mormon‑cricket treatments and the EA expected for publication ahead of the treatment season.

Why it matters

The decisions approve routine road maintenance procurement and multi‑year federal grant applications that fund transit and social‑service programs. The Lucky Nugget award authorizes a multi‑million‑dollar construction contract that county staff said is needed after previously higher bids were rejected; the treasurer’s auction and the radio purchases affect county revenue and emergency communications capacity. The FOIA/records and election‑district discussions signal ongoing local concern about public‑lands transparency and how county representation is structured.