Churchill County Social Services recommended bringing CART (Churchill Area Regional Transportation) fully under the department's organizational umbrella and staffing it to meet service demand.

Shannon Arndt, Churchill County Social Services, said the county launched the CART program on Oct. 1 after transferring operations and that October ridership totaled 738 rides (615 for seniors and 123 for the general public). To stabilize coverage and meet scheduling demands, Social Services asked the board to authorize converting two Meals on Wheels casual drivers to full-time Transportation Specialists, to hire two new full-time transportation specialists, and to fill one additional clerical specialist (to step 3) to complete dispatch operations.

"We did really well. We gave a total of 738 rides... 615 of those rides were for seniors," Arndt said, explaining priorities in the county's ridership matrix (medical appointments for seniors and disabled residents receive top priority). She said casual drivers who had worked with Meals on Wheels agreed to transition to full-time roles and that the hires align with the budget already approved for fiscal year 2026.

The board authorized the organizational structure and directed staff to begin recruitment for the approved positions.

Staff will return with recruitment timelines and onboarding plans; the program will continue to prioritize seniors and disabled residents for medical rides and to fill remaining gaps as additional drivers are hired.