Not only did Eric Crump, Washoe County’s Director Community Services go on the record at the South Truckee Meadows/Washoe Valley Citizen Advisory Board meeting last Thursday, December 5, 2024 that there is no stadium being planned in South Reno, but Washoe County Manager Eric Brown chimed in at the Washoe County Board of County Commissioner meeting yesterday, December 10th stating “no stadium.”

Oh, the political theatre …

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the City of Reno's latest performance, where our starring trio – Mayor Schieve, Councilmember Reese, and Interim Manager Bryant – delivered an Emmy-worthy display of municipal make-believe. With a whopping 1,024 YouTube views, this December 4th spectacle proved that bad theater isn't just for community playhouses anymore, you can see it at this City of Reno Council meeting with no ticket needed.

These signs are posted throughout our Washoe County libraries, thus it must have the approval of Library Director Jeff Scott. Has Scott gotten permission from the Washoe County Library Trustees to post this signage to instill confusion and stress for Washoe County residents of less library hours, less days open, less library employees, etc.

Remember when libraries were sanctuaries of learning and hope? Places where children discovered magical worlds and seniors found quiet comfort? Today, in Washoe County, something has changed.

While Herb Kaplan from the District Attorney's office keeps a less-than-watchful eye over Library Director Jeff Scott's decisions, our community's cherished spaces are being transformed into billboards of anxiety. The question echoing through our reading rooms: Why?

A peculiar drama unfolded at the November 15th Canvass of the Vote, leading to the abrupt resignation of Joni Hammond, then-1st VP of Republican Women of Reno and frequent election volunteer, and commentor at commission meeting. But try getting details from Washoe County, and suddenly it's slower than molasses in January.

While Washoe County Human Services staff swears the senior meals are "pretty good" (presumably between bites of their county food truck scheduled lunches), Commissioner Mike Clark has spent 18 months fighting an uphill battle for basic dignity in senior nutrition. But why let quality food get in the way of bureaucratic convenience?

In a masterclass of transparency, the county refuses to show even their own commissioner the competing bids for contract #3255-24. Apparently, elected officials don't have the security clearance to see what county employees are reviewing. Makes perfect sense – if you're writing a satire about government dysfunction.

In another stunning display of bureaucratic theater, Washoe County has once again investigated itself and—surprise!—found absolutely nothing wrong. Who needs independent oversight when you can grade your own homework?

Instead of hiring an outside firm for actual unbiased scrutiny, the County opted for the tried-and-true method of looking in the mirror and declaring itself the fairest of them all. It's like asking a kindergarten class to investigate who ate all the cookies, then accepting their chocolate-smeared assurance that the culprit remains a mystery.

Are the widely publicized "budget cuts" at the Washoe County Library System as severe as portrayed? Executive Director Jeff Scott's warnings about losing 22 staff members, cutting hours, and other dire consequences deserve closer scrutiny. Are his comments factual? We don’t know.

Despite knowing the $4.5 million in funding was at risk, there's been no transparent sharing of budget analyses or alternative scenarios from Executive Director Scott. While Scott controls the system's messaging and media narrative, taxpayers and library patrons remain in the dark about actual financial planning.

In these wildly partisan times, when Americans across the political spectrum question institutions, it’s more important than ever that the judiciary — the foundation of law and order in the U.S.—should be (and should be seen to be) above politics.

The Supreme Court, alas, has allowed itself to be caught up in the politics of the day, but the Supreme Court decides great legal questions. Where most Americans —  most Northern Nevadans — find themselves interacting with the judicial system is in state and local courts. These courts decide the disputes that affect real people in their real lives.

At the Washoe County School Board meeting yesterday former Reno City Employee, Director of Code Enforcement and School Board Trustee Alex Woodley Zoomed into the meeting.

That was his first act of cowardice.

Woodley’s second act of cowardice was to turn off his camera every time a public commenter referred to his “sexting” and questioned why he was still on the school board and had not as yet resigned.

The November 19, 2024, City of Reno Neighborhood Advisory Board Meeting regarding Lyon Living's conditional use permit application proved to be an exercise in frustration for community members. The presentation by Wood Rodgers' representative Andy Durling was hampered by significant audio issues, making it nearly impossible for YouTube attendees to follow the crucial details of the proposed development. We could all see Durling’s presentation but not necessarily hear him or the questions being asked by the attendees.

Just as the City of Sparks must have been getting ready to celebrate ending 2024 with no more bad headlines here comes KRNV’s Joe Hart with an investigative report about an incorrectly connected sewer line to a city storm drain that pumped a couple million gallons of sewage into the Truckee River.

This “mistake” happened at the Atrium Apartments in October 2023 as reported by Hart.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, during the Washoe County Board of County Commission meeting we were struck by the number of public commentators regarding the loss of the Washoe County Library WC-1 Ballot Measure.

It is interesting to note the group behind the library petition is not even taking a break to draw breath to learn what cuts in staffing or services will be necessary if the library loses the $4.5 million funding afforded them prior to the ballot measure failure. The library just needs the money, but this is based on what Library Director Jeff Scott is saying.

Picon had a reader forward this letter to us and since we have written much about the imporatnce that Washoe County initiate updated evacution plan at Incline Village/Crystal Bay. Washoe County is looking for $140,000 for the study.

Good gosh we had to hear about Sparks City Councilmember Kristopher Dahir’s responsibilities as the chair of the Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) and now we learn Dahir can’t make his last “elected” board meeting due to scheduling issues? What scheduling issue? Why didn’t it come up at the last NNPH board meeting? Or is Dahir simply embarrassed that he lost the race and is bowing out without the sorrow of a long goodbye.  We’re hearing it could be due to the former Lakemill Lodge who were tossed out by NNPH with little or no plans as to where they would live when the health department shuttered the hotel. The residents were forced to leave their belongings behind by NNPH and now some of those units are open and items are missing. What no security NNPH? No plan? Residents are planning on asking questions and that might be at this NNPH board meeting, thus might Dahir be looking to avoiding the publicity.

Citizen Advisory Boards, we’ve been to about fifty CAB meetings over the years, and often they must be a “pain in the patootie” for county staff, we get it. However, CABs are a more relaxed atmosphere for Washoe County residents to be heard, air their grievances or support of projects and plans being pushed by Washoe County, a forum to meet their neighbors, get to know county staff, and meet their commissioner.  CABs are a good thing for the county to support and ensure they thrive. That should be the marching orders staff is given, “make CABs thrive.”  

"Oh, the drama at yesterday's County Commission meeting. Commissioner Hill, who likened Mike Clark's election to letting an 'arsonist in the building,' seems to have forgotten a crucial detail: those pesky voters put him there, just like her.

When Clark excused himself after consulting with Assistant District Attorney Nathan Edwards regarding the vote canvass (and stopped for a friendly chat with constituents on his way out), Hill couldn't resist adding her own theatrical spin to the minutes. She insisted on recording that Clark had 'inappropriately tried to recuse himself and then stormed off' - a curious characterization for someone who left after proper consultation and cordial goodbyes.

The great and powerful Commissioner Alexis Hill has been reelected to the Washoe County Commission District 1 giving her another four years to continue to remove residents’ voices.

Right, Hill wanted you to vote for her but now the peon’s voices must be silent. Basically, Hill doesn’t want to hear from you, your thoughts, or ideas. And who’s helping her with her public comment lockdown the Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks.

You’re kidding, right? Voters didn’t understand the ballot measure, oh come on. Now you’re insulting voters intelligence.

Voters understood exactly what they were voting for, and vote they did to defeat the WC1.

The library smackdown continues as Director Jeff Scott's doomsday predictions - shuttered buildings, mass staff exodus, and a limited-day workweek - fall flat after WC1's surprise defeat. His confident choir of supporters, who practically had the victory party planned, are now oddly quiet. One burning question remains: In all that time spent working on passing WC1, was there no worst-case scenarios, did anyone bother drafting a Plan B?

Per NRS 244A, which governs County Fair and Recreation Boards in the State of Nevada, the RSCVA Board elects new officers each July, during even-numbered years. Back in July 2024 the RSCVA voted in their new chair, vice-chair, and secretary/treasurer and they will not revisit new officers until July 2026. If you watch the July 25, 2024, meeting you will see then RSCVA Chair Charlene Bybee floundering with no support, with Alexis Hill moving Hillary Schieve into the role of chair, clearly well-rehearsed by Hill and Schieve. Bybee desperately wanted to hang onto the chair, but the board members wouldn’t even throw Bybee a lifeline just so the organization didn’t look quite so much at odds, and they let her go down with the ship. Picon is referring to one of Bybee’s more cringe-worthy statements made to the Reno Gazette-Journal steering the ship at the RSCVA, “Bringing the right person is more important than ever. I’m on a mission. I’ve got to move this Titanic and get it away from the iceberg.”

We were going to pen an article about the need for Alex Woodley to step aside (AKA resign) from his Washoe County Library Trustee District E, but This Is Reno did such a great job we thought we’d just share their newsletter for subscribers. (You should become a subscriber so you too could have the This Is Reno newsletter delivered to your inbox).

Picon only added a few thoughts because we are far snarkier than This Is Reno. Kids are glued to their cell phones, and it is an unfair task for teachers to separate them during classes. We’re surprised more parents aren’t in an uproar over Mr. Woodley’s sexting – have we all become so immune or has TikTok taken over our brains. A Reno city employee using a city cell phone to sex-message during a school board meeting? Really, that just has such a bad image.