Picon realizes we are the Cinderella of Media in Washoe County. We get to sleep in the cinders while Mark Robison at the Reno Gazette Journal goes to the ball and hangs out with all the lords and ladies. He’s the pal of the Washoe County Government communications team. While we submit public record requests and wait weeks for results, Robison only needs to send an email and pretty much receives immediate results.

We asked ourselves shouldn’t homeless women and children come first. Would they not be considered the most vulnerable of the homeless population. There was $500 million available due to former Governor Steve Sisolak’s Home Means Nevada affordable housing initiative so shouldn’t all hands have been on deck at Washoe County to get housing built at Our Place? Why give the Cares Campus top priority, a no-barrier shelter in lieu of a low-barrier shelter. It is clear at Washoe County there was the ‘Care Campus team’ and the ‘Human Services Agency team’ and Howell was on the HSA team all alone. These two teams did not meet in the middle, in fact they were afraid of losing funding if they overpitched. The two teams did not align in their approach. This disconnect raises concerns about the coordination and communication within the county’s efforts to address the housing needs of the homeless community.

Picon was having a difficult time understanding these folks’ frustrations, so we decided to ask for some public records. It took a while to gain access, but we only needed to receive one email and it basically explained EVERYTHING. Remember when you were young and forced to sit at the ‘kids table’ during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter – all you wanted to do was move to the adult’s table. It is the same with the residents who are speaking at the commission meetings about the library, they want to communicate with the library trustees and not with the Library Director Jeff Scott.

At the recent Washoe County Board of County Commissioner meeting, December 12, 2023, the annual review of County Manager Eric Brown was a topic of discussion. It is worth noting that Manager Brown’s compensation is slightly below that of Las Vegas County Manager Kevin Schiller, who was previously a Washoe County Assistant County Manager.

Considering that Las Vegas is the 11th largest city in the United States, there should be scrutiny regarding the slim difference between Manager Brown's compensation and that of the Las Vegas County Manager. This highlights the disparity in income between officials in different regions of Nevada. Considering the significant difference in population size and economic activity between Washoe County and Las Vegas, the closeness in compensation seems questionable.

After reading our Giddyup, Commissioner Clara Andriola article, one of our readers sent us five public records she had received after asking for the code violations based on a comment made by Commissioner Mike Clark.

We have been watching and listening to statements made by ‘Appointed’ Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola and are a bit perplexed, does she support hobby livestock businesses, because what does ‘the potential exploration of change’ mean. To us, Andriola is again trying to make it appear she is doing something for someone in Washoe County.

A surprising camaraderie between Denton and White.

Denton, supposedly paid through the Karma Box Project to manage the Safe Camp, allegedly rejects the 'no-barriers approach' for the Cares Campus.

White urges the reporter to confront Denton, dropping White's name in the process.

Delving into the financials, on October 13, 2020, Denton, operating through the Karma Box Project, inked a substantial $152,169.60 Professional Services Agreement with Washoe County. This agreement, pertaining to the River Clean Up and Homeless Encampment Data Project, is a testament to Denton's significant involvement in county initiatives.

Picon has been investigating courthouse cleaning for the past six months. We had several people reach out to us who work at the Washoe County District Courthouses, 75 S. Sierra and 201 S. Virginia Street informing us the third-party vendor for cleaning services the county has retained just wasn’t cleaning the courthouses.

County Manager Eric Brown proposed the Washoe County Commissioners hire The Elections Group to the tune of an additional $500,000 to provide guidance on revamping the Washoe County Registrar of Voters (ROV). Manager Brown’s pitch to the commissioners sparked controversy and raised questions about the necessity of such a significant expenditure. Taxpayers must wonder at the expertise of County Manager Eric Brown and Registrar of Voters Jamie Rodriguez, given that they are handsomely compensated to fulfill their duties. The need for additional advice from The Elections Group has led to scrutiny of the management of county resources and the decision-making process.

Picon is shocked at the citizens of Reno who didn’t speak up or show up on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, about the appeal…

As we approach the 2024 election, Picon ponders on who our ethically ambiguous politicians and politician hopefuls keep in their inner circles. Picon hears rumors that Republicans are putting their thoughts and prayers in former candidate Eddie Lorton to find a winner -any winner- anywhere … but what the rumor that has peaked Picon’s interest most is the Democrats full faith in former Chicago attorney, Ed Miller.

Mutual combat is a common law that allows two individuals to engage in a consensual fight as long as no deadly weapons are used. Picon thinks that applies to the ‘email’ war between Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks and Reno Justice Court Chief Judge Scott Pierson, no weapons, just a war of words, numbers and ultimately greed. The question that needs to be asked, ‘are the citizens/taxpayers being better served,” based on Judge Pierson’s assessment.

Over the past twelve-to-fifteen months, an unsettling trend has taken hold at the 9th Street Senior Center, as it has increasingly become a haven for homeless seniors. This demographic shift has not only posed challenges but has also contributed to the existing concerns faced by the senior citizens who were once the primary users of the facility. The very individuals who have instilled fear seem to be the homeless seniors who have seemingly taken control of the center. Understanding the reasons behind this shift calls for a dialogue with County Manager Eric Brown who seems to just keep passing the buck.

When this resident sent us the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department highly redacted Domestic Battery report we realized why City of Reno’s Public Information Office Landon Miller stated, “The reason why there is no responsive records is because the call was handed to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, as the request itself states.”

A little nudge from Red Rock….

For over 40 years, Washoe County Senior services has prided itself on serving seniors in the community. With their vision of “Living Well. Aging Well,” they have intended to provide excellent care and support to elderly individuals. However, an incident that took place at the 9th Steet Senior Center on September 28, 2023, raises questions about the sincerity of their claims. The real question is whether or not Washoe County Government genuinely cares about the well-being of seniors.

Former City Manager Neil Krutz attended the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program in June 2022, at a cost of nearly $20,000. Interestingly, Krutz was later "let go" by the Sparks City Council in September 2023. This raises the question of whether the hefty expense of this course was justified, considering his subsequent departure from the position. Is this simply courses taken that allow for resume building as Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese has done, as soon as the course was over it was on his LinkedIn page.

Councilmember Devon Reese's decision to attend the Harvard Kennedy School's program for individuals in 2023 has raised concerns about the use of taxpayer money.

Intriguingly, Mayor Hillary Schieve's façade of legal inexperience starts to crumble upon closer examination. Despite her claims to the contrary, it seems that her proficiency in hiring lawyers and dealing with lawsuits is more substantial than meets the eye. This lawsuit dates back to April 6, 2001.

Really Ms. Thomas, Washoe County residents were dying during the pandemic, but you “didn’t let a good pandemic go to waste.”