Storey County commissioners approve engineering contract, voting equipment purchase, fire projects and $$$ in nonprofit grants

Storey County commissioners on June 3 approved a series of contracts, purchases, fire-district actions and nonprofit grants that county officials said address infrastructure, election compliance and public safety needs.

The board approved a phase-1 contract with JUB Engineering Inc. to analyze drainage issues in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial (TRI) Center area, not to exceed $81,100, and authorized the county clerk's office to sign a purchase agreement with Dominion Voting Systems for ballot marking devices and accessories in an amount not to exceed $21,404.50. Commissioners also signed USDA Rural Development letters of conditions for funding the planned Fire Station 71 rebuild and directed staff to issue a request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services for Fire Station 75 at 300 Italy Drive.

County staff and department leaders explained the items during committee reports and during the action items on the agenda. Kathy Campbell of the planning department told commissioners the JUB contract covers public drainage features and potential public areas identified in the TRI Center development agreement; staff recommended JUB based on prior work on Storey County hazard plans. "This wouldn't be for anything that's private property," Campbell said. The board approved the contract on a motion by Commissioner Gilman that passed unanimously.

On elections, Mark Allen of the clerk and treasurer's office said a March executive order prompted the county to replace voter-verified paper-audit-trail devices that record QR codes with ballot-marking devices (BMDs). "Each voter, as they mark their ballot with the touch screen ... will get a printed out ballot that they can verify and see, hold in their hands, and look at it," Allen said, describing the county's plan to provide a printed, human-readable paper record that can be deposited and tabulated. The board approved the Dominion purchase and a corresponding fourth amendment to the county's 2017 agreement with Dominion.

The board also approved administrative steps required by USDA Rural Development for the Fire Station 71 rebuild project; Sarah Starts explained the forms the USDA requires to obligate funds, including equal opportunity and assurance agreements. The related forms were previously used for the fairgrounds project and must be returned to the USDA before funds are obligated.

The Story County Fire Protection District, convened during the meeting, received several approvals from the county acting as the fire board. Commissioners authorized staff to issue a request for statements of qualifications for design and construction documents for a future Fire Station 75, and approved putting the fire district into formal negotiations to accept a potential donation from Switch LTD toward a ladder truck, with the board authorizing the chief to pursue an agreement not to exceed $2,600,000. Fire Chief Jeremy Longcard told commissioners the truck could take multiple years to build and that securing a stock unit would speed delivery.

The board also approved a set of updates for out-of-county and large-incident billing rates for the fire district (resolution 25-274), a salary and grade resolution for fire district employees that adds a fleet manager mechanic position and adjusts step percentages (resolution 25-275), and several operating and program grants to local nonprofits, as listed below.

Commissioners approved grants by formal resolution under NRS 244.1505 to the following nonprofit organizations for fiscal year 2025''6: - Veterans of Foreign Wars (Evans Kendall Post 8071): not to exceed $10,000 (resolution 25-767) - Historic Fourth Ward School Foundation (Fourth Ward School Museum): not to exceed $120,000 (resolution 25-768) - Saint Mary's Art Center: not to exceed $101,010 (resolution 25-769) - 109 Comstock Ladies: not to exceed $6,000 (resolution 25-770) - Community Chest, Inc.: not to exceed $435,767 (resolution 25-771); the packet identified $336,434 for library, health nurse and community center support, plus $100,000 for early childhood education assistance for Storey County families - Story County Jeep Posse: not to exceed $12,000 (resolution 25-772) - University of Nevada, Reno Story County Extension: not to exceed $35,500 (resolution 25-773)

All motions recorded on the transcript were moved by Commissioner Gilman and seconded; each item carried with the board noting the motion "passes unanimously." The clerk's packet and minutes show the board approved routine items including the agenda, minutes from the April 1 and April 15 meetings, and the consent agenda.

Commissioners also directed county staff to research available data and present findings and potential solutions on groundwater availability and conditions in the Virginia City Highlands, Highlands Ranches and Virginia Ranches, consistent with the Storey County master plan and water resources plan. County Manager Austin Osborne said the county has a multiyear U.S. Geological Survey study, a 2023 water-resources master plan, and that staff would analyze options including importing water, infrastructure development, development-transfer mechanisms and other measures to ensure long-term sustainability.

No county action was recorded at the meeting to remove or change the waste-franchise compaction provision raised during the public-comment period.

Votes at a glance - Approve agenda for 06/03/2025 meeting: approved (motion by Commissioner Gilman; unanimous) - Approve minutes: 04/01/2025 and 04/15/2025: approved (unanimous) - Consent agenda (first reading): approved (unanimous) - JUB Engineering, Inc. professional services agreement (TRI Center drainage analysis), phase 1, not to exceed $81,100: approved (unanimous) - Dominion Voting Systems ballot-marking devices and accessories, not to exceed $21,404.50; corresponding fourth amendment to 02/2017 Dominion agreement: approved (unanimous) - USDA Rural Development letters of conditions and associated forms for Fire Station 71 (county and fire board): approved (unanimous) - RFQ for architectural and engineering services for Fire Station 75 (300 Italy Drive): approved (unanimous) - Authorization for fire chief to pursue donation and enter agreement with Switch LTD for ladder truck, amount not to exceed $2,600,000: approved (unanimous) - Resolution 25-274 updating fire district mitigation/billing rates (out-of-county, hazardous materials, special operations): approved (unanimous) - Resolution 25-275 setting grade and salary ranges for fire district, adding fleet manager mechanic: approved (unanimous) - Grant resolutions 25-767 through 25-773 for local nonprofits and extension (amounts as listed above): approved (unanimous) - Business license second readings A through L: approved (unanimous)

What it means The actions approved on June 3 secure consultant funding to study drainage in a high-growth industrial corridor, move the county to ballot-marking devices to meet updated election guidance, advance fire-station planning and potential fleet upgrades, and allocate operating support to several local nonprofits and programs. Commissioners directed staff to produce a groundwater analysis for the Highlands area and to present options for long-term water sustainability.

Next steps noted by staff include returning with findings or contract documents and continuing grant and procurement steps needed to obligate federal or donated funds. Several items (for example, the Ladder Truck donation) require later agreements or multi-year procurement steps before final execution.