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Agenda Item
4. Public Comment. Comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the Commission agenda. The Commission will also hear public comment during individual action items, with comment limited to three minutes per person. Comments are to be made to the Commission as a whole. Virtual Public Comment Eligible when facilities are available.
Public comment is welcomed during public comment periods and is limited to 3 minutes per person per public comment period. Unused time may not be allocated to other speakers. A speaker's viewpoint will not be restricted; however, reasonable restrictions may be imposed upon the time, place, and manner of speech. Irrelevant statements, unduly repetitious statements, and personal attacks that would objectively antagonize or incite others are examples of speech that may be reasonably limited. All comments are to be directed to the Commission as a whole.
The Board of County Commissioners carries out the business of Washoe County and its residents during its meetings. The presiding officer may order a person be removed if the person's conduct or statements disrupt the order or safety of the meeting. Warnings about disruptive conduct or comments may or may not be given prior to removal.
Furthermore, certain disruptions of a public meeting are criminal acts as defined under NRS 203.090 and/or NRS 203.119 which may result in prosecution in appropriate cases.
In 2024, the Bookmobile was re-started, thanks to ARPA funding for the purchase of the vehicle and to the WC-1 Expansion Fund to purchase the books/DVD’s. Monthly stops included:
Washoe Valley, Sierra Nevada Job Corps, Cold Springs Community Center, Red Rock Fire Department, Silver Knolls Park, , Sutcliffe Community Center, Pyramid Lake School, Sun Valley Community Park, Teglia’s Paradise Park, Northern Nevada State Veterans Home, Boys and Girls Club, Cares Campus, Reno Sparks Indian Colony
Homebound Delivery brings books, magazines and DVDs to seniors who can’t come to a library, or have health conditions that keep them from leaving their homes. Library staff bring materials directly to them!
Emergency Evacuation Centers-Spanish Springs, Northwest Reno, and South Valleys Libraries all served as evacuation centers this year
Legal Kiosks are available at 4 branches to print legal forms, search databases and even meet remotely with lawyers and judges
High-Speed Internet Now Available in Gerlach-Gerlach Library now has a 1GBPS Internet connection thanks to an E-rate project partnership with Washoe County, Washoe County School District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, BLM, and the Governor's Office.
In FY 2023-2024
There were 587,883 in-person library visits
1.3 million physical items were checked out
47,159 youth attended a library program/event
6,325 adults/seniors attended a library program/event
Please support your community members, voters, families, seniors, veterans, and businesses/charitable organizations by fully funding the library budget at the same level as last year so it can continue to provide services to all!
As we move into 2025, I ask that you choose to support our libraries at the same level they have been funded for the past 30 years. The library is an integral part of our community. The voters chose to put the funding of the library up to commissioners. Without the same (or increased!) levels of funding, Washoe County and your constituents will suffer. Please consider the number of people who will be hurt if this money is redirects to other services.
I am writing today in support of our incredible library system and team. Please keep WCLS funded and supported or beyond per what the prospective budget requests. Every community is impacted by the library. Seniors make up a huge population of library users. Youth literacy is contingent on open access to libraries at hours convenient for caregivers (which means nights and weekends). The housing kiosks and legal fees mean that our most vulnerable populations will have access to resources they need. By giving the library the money that would have been allocated to them as the expansion fund, we ensure that such incredible resources and programming remains available to the public.
I urge the commissioners to put aside interpersonal disputes to support the library system no matter who is at its helm. It is the prerogative of the BCC to keep WCLS funded. Please do so.
Good morning. I have two goals in the public comment I wish to submit:
First, regarding Item 19 on this week's agenda, I support the appointment of Ellen Zoschak to be representative to the District Board of Health. Zoschak is a registered nurse and healthcare consultant with Master's degrees in Public Health and Nursing Administration. She is a skilled and highly competent nurse and healthcare advocate who would be an asset to the BOH.
Second, I also support the restoration of funding to the Washoe County Library System to its current levels. As I've stated in prior public comments, libraries and librarians are vital assets to the communities they serve. Libraries themselves are important "third places" -- social settings separate from home and work where people connect with their community -- in all of our lives. Librarians like my fellow staff members are skilled professionals who do much, much more than merely "check out books." This includes all manner of public outreach, facilitating meeting room use, and offering Internet access and various programs either free or at greatly reduced cost for library patrons. Restoration of library funding would continue to make all of these things possible. A loss of funding would mean a drastic reduction in open hours, the layoff of dozens of library staff members, nearly nonexistent budgets for new materials and technology, and a decline in the overall quality of life for all Washoe County residents.
My comment today is in support of the Washoe County Library System. I hope that as prospective budgets go into next year, that the County Commissioners will fund the libraries at the Director's requested number. The money for the library is still there in the general fund, and, arguably, there's no better use for it than the libraries. The libraries promote literacy in youth, free meals during school breaks, technology classes for Seniors, and countless other programs provided at no cost to those who attend them. As one of the last bastions of a shared town space, please keep libraries funded, so that they can continue to serve the public as they have for so many years.
Why Do We Need a Library?
In 2024, the Bookmobile was re-started, thanks to ARPA funding for the purchase of the vehicle and to the WC-1 Expansion Fund to purchase the books/DVD’s. Monthly stops included:
Washoe Valley, Sierra Nevada Job Corps, Cold Springs Community Center, Red Rock Fire Department, Silver Knolls Park, , Sutcliffe Community Center, Pyramid Lake School, Sun Valley Community Park, Teglia’s Paradise Park, Northern Nevada State Veterans Home, Boys and Girls Club, Cares Campus, Reno Sparks Indian Colony
Homebound Delivery brings books, magazines and DVDs to seniors who can’t come to a library, or have health conditions that keep them from leaving their homes. Library staff bring materials directly to them!
Emergency Evacuation Centers-Spanish Springs, Northwest Reno, and South Valleys Libraries all served as evacuation centers this year
Legal Kiosks are available at 4 branches to print legal forms, search databases and even meet remotely with lawyers and judges
High-Speed Internet Now Available in Gerlach-Gerlach Library now has a 1GBPS Internet connection thanks to an E-rate project partnership with Washoe County, Washoe County School District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, BLM, and the Governor's Office.
In FY 2023-2024
There were 587,883 in-person library visits
1.3 million physical items were checked out
47,159 youth attended a library program/event
6,325 adults/seniors attended a library program/event
Please support your community members, voters, families, seniors, veterans, and businesses/charitable organizations by fully funding the library budget at the same level as last year so it can continue to provide services to all!
As we move into 2025, I ask that you choose to support our libraries at the same level they have been funded for the past 30 years. The library is an integral part of our community. The voters chose to put the funding of the library up to commissioners. Without the same (or increased!) levels of funding, Washoe County and your constituents will suffer. Please consider the number of people who will be hurt if this money is redirects to other services.
I am writing today in support of our incredible library system and team. Please keep WCLS funded and supported or beyond per what the prospective budget requests. Every community is impacted by the library. Seniors make up a huge population of library users. Youth literacy is contingent on open access to libraries at hours convenient for caregivers (which means nights and weekends). The housing kiosks and legal fees mean that our most vulnerable populations will have access to resources they need. By giving the library the money that would have been allocated to them as the expansion fund, we ensure that such incredible resources and programming remains available to the public.
I urge the commissioners to put aside interpersonal disputes to support the library system no matter who is at its helm. It is the prerogative of the BCC to keep WCLS funded. Please do so.
Good morning. I have two goals in the public comment I wish to submit:
First, regarding Item 19 on this week's agenda, I support the appointment of Ellen Zoschak to be representative to the District Board of Health. Zoschak is a registered nurse and healthcare consultant with Master's degrees in Public Health and Nursing Administration. She is a skilled and highly competent nurse and healthcare advocate who would be an asset to the BOH.
Second, I also support the restoration of funding to the Washoe County Library System to its current levels. As I've stated in prior public comments, libraries and librarians are vital assets to the communities they serve. Libraries themselves are important "third places" -- social settings separate from home and work where people connect with their community -- in all of our lives. Librarians like my fellow staff members are skilled professionals who do much, much more than merely "check out books." This includes all manner of public outreach, facilitating meeting room use, and offering Internet access and various programs either free or at greatly reduced cost for library patrons. Restoration of library funding would continue to make all of these things possible. A loss of funding would mean a drastic reduction in open hours, the layoff of dozens of library staff members, nearly nonexistent budgets for new materials and technology, and a decline in the overall quality of life for all Washoe County residents.
Thank you for your time.
My comment today is in support of the Washoe County Library System. I hope that as prospective budgets go into next year, that the County Commissioners will fund the libraries at the Director's requested number. The money for the library is still there in the general fund, and, arguably, there's no better use for it than the libraries. The libraries promote literacy in youth, free meals during school breaks, technology classes for Seniors, and countless other programs provided at no cost to those who attend them. As one of the last bastions of a shared town space, please keep libraries funded, so that they can continue to serve the public as they have for so many years.