The Humboldt County Board of Commissioners met for their regular meeting on May 15 and with all members present they approved a proposal from Anthem Insurance to transition to a self-insured plan.
The self-insured plan allows the County to pay money previously going to the insurance company into a County fund and pay insurance claims out themselves, without any fiscal impact to County employees.
According to Humboldt County Comptroller Gina Rackley, if the County had been self-insured in previous years, the fund would have approximately $4 million in it and Anthem offers a cap on the maximum amount of claims the County is responsible for, providing fiscal protection.
“If things went really, really bad we still have protections built in for the County… and independence is a good thing,” said Commissioner Jesse Hill.
Rackley also explained that it will likely take one to two fiscal years for the County to build up the fund for the insurance claims, but it is likely to happen quickly and confirmed that the plan could help offset costs to employees for dependents.
The Winnemucca City Council also recently approved a plan to go self-insured, which was dependent upon the County’s decision because the City and County are in an insurance pool together with a 25 percent (City) 75 percent (County) split.
According to Rackley and Winnemucca City Manager Alicia Heiser, going self-insured brings significant potential for the City and County to save money.
Humboldt County Assistant County Manager and Human Resources Director Abel del Real-Nava said that this switch allows the County “to really take the reins” fiscally and decide what insurance rates they are comfortable with.
• del Real-Nava presented the Employee of the Quarter Award for the first quarter of 2023 to Humboldt County LIbrary Technician of Youth Services Jayme Wells.
According to del Real-Nava, Wells was nominated by five of the previous nominees and is known for going above and beyond every day.
• Commissioners approved a petition to convert the Orovada Fire Protection District Board from an elected board to an appointed board per NRS 244.1645.
Commissioner Ron Cerri explained to the Board that the petition was formed in order to help keep the positions on the Fire Protection District Board filled and remove the term limit that is currently placed on Board Members and allow past members to be reappointed.
Constraints, such as the term limit, pose a problem during times such as this when multiple current members are approaching their term limit, as did many past members, that make it hard for positions to be filled within such a small community.
• Nevada Bureau of Land Management District Manager Sam Burton presented an update to the Commissioners regarding ongoing projects in Humboldt County, including programs with local students, maintenance and improvements near Water Canyon, fire education outreach, recreation road maintenance, staffing, and transparency.
• Humboldt County Comptroller Gina Rackley presented a resolution to levy the tax rates required for the 2023 2024 fiscal year to the Board, which must be done annually.
According to Rackley, the rates are as low as Nevada Revised Statute allows and the rates have not been raised since the 2005-2006 fiscal year.
Commissioner Evatz also directed Rackley and Deputy District Attorney Mike Macdonald to put together information about how to create an animal control district that would relieve Humboldt County residents that are unable to use animal control services from the tax burdens (like Paradise Valley, Orovada, McDermitt and others).
Commissioner Cerri had previously voted against a motion that would add a single animal control personnel to the Winnemucca Police Department because he and other residents of Orovada do not get to utilize the services.
• Humboldt County Assessor Andy Heiser updated the Board on current and upcoming projects and revenues, including a NG911—Next Generation 911— project that could impact private land owner rights.
The NG911 project regards public safety and information that 911 dispatchers provide to first responders, including routes for responders to take to get to emergencies, which could mean that roads and other access routes need to be documented and mapped, even if they are on private property.
Commissioner Cerri expressed concern about unintended consequences that could come from disclosing roads located on private property although he supports helping first responders having better capabilities to respond to emergencies.
• The Commissioners approved the 2023-2024 tentative budgets during a public hearing.
Rackley explained that there is an overall increase in “revenues across all funds in the amount of $2,035,969 and an increase in expenditures in the amount of $4,292,385.”
• The Commissioners approved multiple requests from the Public Works Department:
To contract with Hunewill Construction to pave the salt and sand pads in order to maintain the materials.
To contract with Hunewill Construction for rock crushing services.
To purchase cattle guards from Gourley’s Welding LLC.
• Humboldt County Public Works Director Don Kalkoske presented an update to the board regarding current and ongoing projects within the department, including road maintenance and repair due to weather conditions, preparing certain roads for mag chloride application, and filling vacant positions within the department.
• The Humboldt County Liquor Board convened, led by Undersheriff Damon Kuskie, and approved liquor licenses.
• The Board approved a request by the Economic Development Office to apply for federal grants administered from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for non-construction related costs, like engineering and design, for the Grass Valley Wastewater Treatment Facility project and for Commission Chairman Ken Tipton to sign a letter of intent to apply for the grant in a split vote, with Commissioner Tom Hoss in opposition.
According to Economic Development Officer Michelle Hammond—Allen, if the grant is awarded, Humboldt County will be responsible for a 20 percent match of the funds, which could total up to $6,299,600.
“This is one of the first steps in building the funding matrix,” said Hammond-Allen.
The Commissioners also approved a request for Tipton to sign a letter to commit the matching funds, which will come from Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund appropriated from the Nevada State Treasurer’s Office (with Humboldt County having received the first tranche in December 2022), in a split vote with Hoss in opposition.
Hammond—Allen explained that the County will “have to get serious about identifying a location” for the facility with the potential for funding to be attained.
• The Commission voted unanimously to accept the U.S. Patent No. 27-2023-
0013 land, conveying the title of 240 acres to the County to expand and build a 1,000 yard range at the shooting park.
The patent has been in the works since it was submitted to the Department of Interior in Washington, DC in the middle of 2022, according to information from a previous meeting in January.
• The Board reviewed legislative bills deemed to have the potential to significantly impact Humboldt County, including Senate Bill 233, which creates a tax on heavy equipment and Assembly Bill 387, which would expand the State Water Engineers authority on over-pumped water basins, according to Commissioner Cerri.
• A public hearing was held at which the Commissioners approved requests by the Regional Planning Commission to change the zoning of a property located off East Winnemucca Blvd (RH-23-19) from a Commercial designation to a General Commercial designation and to change the zoning of a property located at 4835 West Winnemucca Blvd (RH-23-20) from a Commercial designation to an Industrial designation.