One of “tipsters” sent us this Nevada Commission on Ethics Order of Dismissal regarding Washoe County Library Director Jeff Scott. Can someone please track down the Confidential Letter of Instruction? We also urge whoever made this complaint to maybe drop us a line and let us know the basis of the complaint.

In a display equal to the City of Reno’s political theater, Washoe County has conveniently buried an agenda item until 2025 – just in time for County Manager Eric Brown's annual review. How convenient that pesky resident complaints won't mar today's coronation ceremony.

The timing is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Item 20, which promised to be ripe for public criticism, mysteriously vanished from the agenda following Brown's eleventh-hour email. Commissioner Mike Clark confirmed the postponement, citing the ever-reliable "staff suggestions" – a transparent excuse that fools precisely no one.

As Eric Brown's annual review is tomorrow, Washoe County has conveniently "revised" its evaluation criteria – presumably to mask another year of mismanagement behind a façade of independence. The only thing more remarkable than Brown's list of failures is the chorus of commissioners rushing to applaud them.

We watched Commission Chair Alexis Hill master the art of agenda gymnastics! At Tuesday's - December 10, 2024 - meeting, she pirouetted through items faster than a politician dodging questions, strategically punting decisions until her reliable voting buddy Commissioner Garcia returns from absence. Talk about choreography – with what would be a 2-2 split, Hill and her mini-me Andriola against Clark and Herman, Hill wasn't about to risk the agenda tie votes to have to have repeat performances.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”  

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.”

Commissioner Mike Clark sent us this exchange with Washoe County staff after he made a comment on the dais at October 22, 2024 during the Washoe County Commission meeting.

A Washoe County resident, Doug Flaherty, had made a comment at the meeting, “regarding the study that he had done which indicated evacuations from the Tahoe area would be more problematic than the county anticipates.”

Alexis Hill and her campaign team are running a Facebook ad accusing Masha Berkbigler of sending an “attack” piece against her. Hill has commented it is absolutely true, “I want our community to have public transit access to and around Lake Tahoe.” That’s great, but not what the graphic says.

Piron has been digging into the Commissioner Alexis Hill vs Marsha Berkbigler Community Forum sponsored by Senior Spectrum Magazine a few weeks ago.

Berkbigler has an uphill battle due to the contributions Hill has been able to raise. How did Hill get all that loot? That’s the million dollar question.

Picon literally laughed out loud last week when Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar came out with his “Electioneering” Memo – how about way too little way too late. We have simply been to busy this week until today to get to this story.

For weeks there were signs outside polling location that were printed with “Vote for Democrats” and no one was turning them in, people were posting photos of the sigs on social media asking where they were coming from but no one was getting them taken down because they seemed not to know who to complain to. Next time folks go to the Washoe County Registrar of Voters.