#When individuals are arrested and brought to the Humboldt County Detention Center they are thoroughly searched as a part of booking measures. Deputies have been known to find many different things on all types of persons, illegal or not, and this often poses safety risks to deputies and inmates.
#In an effort to mitigate the risk to staff, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office requested approval to purchase a TEK 84 body scanning system to be used at the detention center.
#The request was unanimously approved during last week's Humboldt County Commission meeting.
#According to Detention Center Captain Jeremy Peters, the system will be similar to a medical scanner or a scanner used when individuals go through security at an airport and will allow those brought to the facility to be checked inside and outside for various foreign items. The scanner will allow staff to check the body of the person for weapons, narcotics, paraphernalia, etc, all while allowing a separation that will also help in addressing “perceived injustices” regarding gender identity that the Detention Center runs into when inmates must be searched by an officer of the same sex.
#Peters said that there are many instances where inmates swallow narcotics in efforts to try to hide them which poses a major medical and safety risk as the inmates either become very high or very sick, endangering both themselves, other inmates and deputies.
#Swallowing weapons or inserting them into the body also poses significant concerns for everyone at the Detention Center so the scanner will help eliminate many different forms of liabilities at the jail, as every single inmate is searched when brought to the facility.
#The device will cost $163,000.00 and the price includes the scanner, installation, training, freight, and three additional years extended warranty which is actually under budget of what was approved during county budget hearings for the 2023-2024 cycle.
#Captain Peters said that the scanner will be installed as soon as possible after the purchase goes through.
#In other Commision news:
# • Commissioners heard an update from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District Manager Sam Burton.
#According to Burton, the Winnemucca office is currently working on filling vacant positions which will help stabilize many of the projects that are currently underway.
#There are also crews working on road maintenance for recreation and safety accessibility and brainstorming how to use $6 million in funding granted to the Winnemucca BLM for extensive landscape restoration projects.
#• A nuisance complaint filed against a property on Mark Lane was unanimously resolved by the Board.
#• Motions to set zone changes of properties located at 7035 Grass
#Valley Road, 4850, 4830, 4760 and 4720 W Winnemucca Boulevard, and a property off US Hwy 40, Golconda, NV to public hearing were approved.
#• Several requests by the Winnemucca Events Complex were considered including the request to purchase utility vehicles (UTV) for various uses at the complex, upgrade lighting in the outdoor arena, and to purchase a water truck to be used at the Complex.
#Commissioner Jesse Hill directed Winnemucca Convention and Visitors Authority Director (WCVA) Kim Petersen to provide a second estimate from a local business for the UTVs and bring the request back to the Board.
#The Board unanimously approved the consideration to upgrade the lighting in the grandstands and the purchase of the water truck.
#• Humboldt County Comptroller Gina Rackley said May had been a “strong month” for Humboldt County based on Consolidated Tax Revenue which was recently received. Rackley reported May was up 20.4 percent from last year’s numbers.
#• Humboldt County Treasurer Rhona Lecumberry reported that investment revenues were down for Humboldt County compared to the previous year because of a significant reduction in the Net Proceeds of Minerals which was about $10 million short of last year’s.
#• The Commissioners gave direction to the Assessor’s Office to continue with work on a significant project designating roads in the County as RS2477 roads which gives counties jurisdiction over roads used to access federally-owned lands.
#According to Humboldt County Assessor Andy Heiser, after the completion of a mapping project, there are 12,000 roads, of all lengths and sizes, that must be designated or not designated as a RS2477 road.
#Commissioner Ron Cerri raised concern about the roads that have been identified that fall on private property and suggested that Heiser work closely with landowners before designating the roads.
#Commissioner Evatz made a motion to approve the continuance of the project with the direction that Heiser and his office come up with succinct guidelines and a checklist for designation that will demonstrate “due diligence in consideration for designation.”
#• A request by Humboldt County Juvenile Services to approve a contract for the addition of a facility kitchen for the transitional living at the Juvenile Services facility was approved.
#The project will be funded by a combination of American Rescue Plan Act funds and allocations of the court and Juvenile Services budgets (totalling $900,000), according to Juvenile Services Director Pauline Salla.
#• Humboldt County Public Works Director Don Kalkoske requested approval to purchase and have shop heaters installed by a local contractor in the Public Works shop, which was granted unanimously.
#Kalkoske also gave an update to the Board on general road projects and said that the department has made progress on the culvert installation project on Lambert Drive and have been doing clean up work and maintenance on county-maintained roads.
#• The Liquor Board convened and approved 14 liquor licenses and one special event liquor license for an event on September 23.
#• A request by the Humboldt County Technology Services Department to purchase network switches for Humboldt County’s Public Safety Communication Sites, costing $47,541.10, was unanimously approved.
#• A request to approve a proposal from a local contractor to replace the failing HVAC system at Veterans Hall was unanimously approved.