Reno Toy Run, Get Letters of Support!
Picon found the comments made by Troy Regas during public comment at the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners meeting today interesting.
Regus seems to have really hit a nail on the head. While Commissioners Alexis Hill, Mariluz Garcia and the communications team at Washoe County, under the direction of County Manager Eric Brown are questioning the donation of discretionary funds by Commissioner Mike Clark to the Reno Toy Run due to an individual in the commission audience, they had no qualms awarding over $1 million dollars of taxpayer funds to Karma Box Project, after a woman had accused the Karma Box, Executive Director, Grant Denton of sexual harassment at the May 28, 2024 commission meeting.
Commissioner Alexis Hill plans to put Clark’s request for $10,000 in discretionary funds to be directed to the Reno Toy Run on a commission agenda to be revoted this month. We’re pretty sure Hill and Garcia are going to be a “NO” money for the Reno Toy Run vote so that leaves Andriola as the ‘tiebreaker.” Can Andriola actually say “no” to Hill? Shockingly she did today.
A woman came forward at the commission meeting on May 28th, stood at the podium and made her public comments about harrassment, and Hill voted to award Karma Box over $1 million in taxpayer dollars, but a person, without comment, wearing a questionable Branded Few motorcycle patch has caused Commissioner Alexis Hill so much concern she needs stop Clark’s county discretionary funds from being donated to an organization that gives toys to needy kids.
Hill didn’t seem to care about a woman possibly being sexually harassed on May 28th, by an executive director of a nonprofit the county has a contract with, but she is concerned about a patch and needs to keep county money from a nonprofit.
Regas made his comments at today’s BCC meeting about the commissioners’ comments regarding Grant Denton/Karma Box Project contract on May 28, 2024:
Commissioner Mariluz Garcia: "What a curveball...I want to be sensitive to the women's voices, but I don't want to lose site of the work that is being done and the larger picture. Despite what was said by the women, we want our non-profit operators to carry the torch because the county can't do it all."
Commissioner Clara Andriola: "like Denton's attorney Mr. Marriott said, the investigation would go against the individual and not the organization."
Commissioner Alexis Hill's response to Commissioner Clark’s request asking to split up agenda items so each entity could be voted on separately, "we're just trying to treat all these organizations the same, so we lump them together."
Troy Regas inquired of the commissioners today: “Have you treated our non-profit the same as Mr. Denton's? Your hypocrisy is absolutely disgusting.”
Might we suggest Mr. Regas reach out to all the various organizations who the Reno Toy Run has worked with for years and have them write letters regarding the kindness, hard work, importance and impact, dedication, and contributions from the Toy Run and send to all the elected officials.
Grant Denton had a letter of support from the Executive Director, Monica DuPea, of Nevada Youth Empowerment Project. DuPea is in charge of a nonprofit who works with women between the ages of 18-25.
We suggest to Mr. Regas he have the organizations, executive directors, volunteers, donors, etc., send the emails to the Washoe County Commissioners, City of Reno Mayor and Councilmembers, and City of Sparks Mayor and Councilmembers, as Ms. DuPea did for Denton. We suggest he not cut-and-paste the emails on Ms. DuPea’s list since she got three of the commissioner’s emails addresses incorrect, Garcia, Andriola, and Clark, one could ponder if that was purposeful, since Clark was vocally against the county funding Karma Box Project until an investigation was completed. Which is made even more questionable because Clark donated $5,000 of discretionary funds to Nevada Youth Empowerment Project in 2023.
It was serendipitous that Picon has asked for public records of from Washoe County, City of Reno, and City of Sparks regarding Ms. DuPea’s email. We were interested in what communications Ms. Dupea might have received in response to her email from the elected recipients. Thanks to the City of Sparks who takes public records seriously, unlike Washoe County and City of Reno, we received their response to our records request the other day. We are awaiting a response from the City of Reno and Washoe County.
We’re not sure what type of response Mr. Regas will receive, but this is what Ms. DuPea got back from the City of Sparks, Councilmembers Anderson, Bybee, Dahir, and Vanderwell we’re smart to say nothing.
Vice Mayor Donald Abbott, the king of social media and avoiding ever taking a position responded. There’s a rumor Abbott will run for mayor if Lawson doesn’t – and while he didn’t say he supported Denton, he might as well have since he took the time to acknowledge DuPea’s email, unlike his other councilmembers.
Picon was totally NOT SURPRISED at the comment from Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, assuring DuPea Grant Denton will be working with the City of Sparks for the foreseeable future. Picon would like to comment to all women voters in Sparks that they might want to remember that if Lawson runs for Mayor in 2026.
We also wonder what Councilmembers Anderson, Bybee, Dahir and Vanderwell have to say about Lawson’s comment since last time we checked Ed is not the lone vote in Sparks.
