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Agenda Item
3. Public Comment. Comment heard under this item will be limited to three (3) minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the Commission agenda. Unused time may not be allocated to other speakers. 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 may be taken when facilities are available.
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.
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.
I have been a Washoe County resident for 36 years. I live in District 5. I regularly get books from the library for myself and my 3 year old son, Jackson. I am writing in support of prioritizing funding for our libraries.
I visit the Northwest library on a weekly basis. My son enjoys going to the library events such as story time. The librarians make reading fun by having songs in between stories and making it interactive. I hope I can instill a love of reading and lifelong learning in my son through story times and access to diverse materials at the library.
I love the access to a wide range of resources including books, e-books. audiobooks, and movies. It has helped me continue to learn and explore different interests of mine. Libraries provide an essential role in providing safe, accessible, and 100% free educational resources for every member in our community.
I urge you to prioritize funding for our libraries, so we can continue to have outstanding library service for all Washoe County residents to enjoy.
To the Members of the Washoe County Commission and Other Officials:
The library was always a safe place for me growing up. I remember visiting when I had nothing else in my life, and I continued to visit because it held so many memories. I favored the Sparks Library on 12th street and can still remember the smell and the way the light entered the garden area for children through the windows. It was truly an escape and one I cherished into adulthood.
To think that other children may not have that outlet or that escape is devastating. The library is more than books, it is a community. It is the best indication of human decency in our country - a dedication to both education and curiosity while also providing a safe space for ALL. I cannot understand the current vitriol, the attacks on an institution that has no ill will at all in our community. One that should be supported and preserved for all who come after this. When we look back and see the dismantling of the library system, we as a people should be ashamed that we attacked a place of books and inclusion. There is no other way to defend this behavior directed at the library system when instead we should be standing up and doing everything we can to protect it.
I will not look back and wonder what else I could have done, and will connect, reach out, and support any and all activities designed to protect the library, and so should you. Preserve the library and its funding!
I am outraged that our county commissioners are handing my tax dollars directly over to the wealthiest. The company called Placemate is selling you the idea of paying homeowners to rent their homes to long-term renters. I know this program will put some renters into homes short-term, but the long-term damage is far worse. Voting for this is evil insanity.
Every dime for this program is from our county and federal tax dollars. It's a money laundering scheme to transfer money from the poorest & middle class to the rich asset owners. When the program ends, those renters will be worse off.
Why are home prices&asset prices skyrocketing through covid and after other economic crisis when the governments print and barrow for stimulus? Why are asset prices and the rich get richer while we see more homelessness and poverty? It’s because, furloughed workers & the poorest have to spend stimulus money on basic goods and services that are owned&operated by the wealthy, while the wealthy cansave & just accumulate more. This is why homelessness and wealth inequality increases. This is why government deficits grow! The stimulus is borrowed from the governments and ends up in the hands of the wealthy. The stock market goes up, home prices increase, the wealth gap grows. As the rich gain wealthy, they outcompete us for housing, doctors, schools, food, insurance, police and fire protection, everything causing inflationary pressures!
We see this now. Wealthy are buying elections, and disconnected from the bottom of society. I only hope that the majority of society doesn't reach a point of the utter destitution and democracy is destroyed before they start to elect officials in any political party that will take actions that support a more equitable world. We aren’t facing a political party problem, this is a wealth distribution problem.
Tax the richest who have assets & empty homes for this Placemate program! Outlaw STR's, then support hotels and motels in tourism districts. Tax and outlaw luxury developments targeting wealthy tourists and homes. Until that happens, I promise you it will only get worse and your children and grandchildren are going to be poorer from this wealth transfer up the ladder. Redistribute the wealth fairly!
As a Reno resident since 2011, currently residing in District 1, and a mother of 2 young children, I am commenting to urge the commissioners to continue funding the libraries at the current rate on a year to year basis. Not only do I personally use the library system for my own reading and learning, but it’s important to me that my children grow up knowing the power of public libraries. Almost every Sunday we go to our local library in the northwest. We love the activities designed and held by the committed librarians and we are so grateful for the kid-friendly spaces to explore and discover a love of reading. If the libraries were to lose funding, I worry that we would no longer have the opportunities to access our library on the weekends. The talented team of librarians across the system are as valuable as the assets they protect. They are knowledgeable and eager to help us find what we need. I can’t think of a safer, more socially positive place, free from judgement and emphatically open to all people. Protecting our libraries to me means protecting our communities and the values upon which our nation was founded. Please continue to fund the libraries to protect the incredible services and community spaces they provide. Thank you.
To the Members of the Washoe County Commission and Other Officials:
During my daily commute through Reno and unincorporated Washoe County, I frequently observe vehicles operating on public roads without visible license plates—often older cars that likely fail emissions standards and are presumed uninsured. Despite the clear public safety risk, there appears to be little enforcement by local law enforcement agencies.
Most recently, I monitored Golden View Drive between Pyramid Way and Pah Rah Drive, where I observed 10–15 such vehicles traveling and later parked on nearby streets like Freedom Drive and Lindsey Lane. This issue is also widespread along Pyramid Way.
While local law enforcement routinely promotes joint campaigns targeting DUIs, speeding, and distracted driving, there is a noticeable lack of attention to unregistered or uninsured vehicles. In contrast, the Nevada Highway Patrol actively addresses this problem in other areas through citations, arrests, and vehicle impoundments.
This trend can no longer be attributed to pandemic-era DMV closures. These vehicles pose real dangers to responsible drivers and pedestrians, and they contribute to rising insurance premiums, particularly when involved in hit-and-runs or other uninsured incidents.
Past efforts to raise this issue with the Reno City Council and Police Department were met with dismissal or strained legal interpretations. Yet, the authority to act already exists—it is a matter of will and leadership. Ongoing inaction undermines public trust in local government’s ability to ensure equal enforcement across Reno, Sparks, and unincorporated Washoe County.
To highlight the extent of the issue, I intend to share dashcam photos during public comment going forward. I urge your offices to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Brian Erbis, M.A., CFE
NV Private Investigator
Owner and Qualifying Agent
Brian Erbis Consulting LLC
www.brianerbis.nyc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-erbis-consultant/
646-801-2115
NV PILB lic#4253
To the Members of the Washoe County Commission:
I have been a Washoe County resident for 36 years. I live in District 5. I regularly get books from the library for myself and my 3 year old son, Jackson. I am writing in support of prioritizing funding for our libraries.
I visit the Northwest library on a weekly basis. My son enjoys going to the library events such as story time. The librarians make reading fun by having songs in between stories and making it interactive. I hope I can instill a love of reading and lifelong learning in my son through story times and access to diverse materials at the library.
I love the access to a wide range of resources including books, e-books. audiobooks, and movies. It has helped me continue to learn and explore different interests of mine. Libraries provide an essential role in providing safe, accessible, and 100% free educational resources for every member in our community.
I urge you to prioritize funding for our libraries, so we can continue to have outstanding library service for all Washoe County residents to enjoy.
Thank you,
Shelly Lac
To the Members of the Washoe County Commission and Other Officials:
The library was always a safe place for me growing up. I remember visiting when I had nothing else in my life, and I continued to visit because it held so many memories. I favored the Sparks Library on 12th street and can still remember the smell and the way the light entered the garden area for children through the windows. It was truly an escape and one I cherished into adulthood.
To think that other children may not have that outlet or that escape is devastating. The library is more than books, it is a community. It is the best indication of human decency in our country - a dedication to both education and curiosity while also providing a safe space for ALL. I cannot understand the current vitriol, the attacks on an institution that has no ill will at all in our community. One that should be supported and preserved for all who come after this. When we look back and see the dismantling of the library system, we as a people should be ashamed that we attacked a place of books and inclusion. There is no other way to defend this behavior directed at the library system when instead we should be standing up and doing everything we can to protect it.
I will not look back and wonder what else I could have done, and will connect, reach out, and support any and all activities designed to protect the library, and so should you. Preserve the library and its funding!
I am outraged that our county commissioners are handing my tax dollars directly over to the wealthiest. The company called Placemate is selling you the idea of paying homeowners to rent their homes to long-term renters. I know this program will put some renters into homes short-term, but the long-term damage is far worse. Voting for this is evil insanity.
Every dime for this program is from our county and federal tax dollars. It's a money laundering scheme to transfer money from the poorest & middle class to the rich asset owners. When the program ends, those renters will be worse off.
Why are home prices&asset prices skyrocketing through covid and after other economic crisis when the governments print and barrow for stimulus? Why are asset prices and the rich get richer while we see more homelessness and poverty? It’s because, furloughed workers & the poorest have to spend stimulus money on basic goods and services that are owned&operated by the wealthy, while the wealthy cansave & just accumulate more. This is why homelessness and wealth inequality increases. This is why government deficits grow! The stimulus is borrowed from the governments and ends up in the hands of the wealthy. The stock market goes up, home prices increase, the wealth gap grows. As the rich gain wealthy, they outcompete us for housing, doctors, schools, food, insurance, police and fire protection, everything causing inflationary pressures!
We see this now. Wealthy are buying elections, and disconnected from the bottom of society. I only hope that the majority of society doesn't reach a point of the utter destitution and democracy is destroyed before they start to elect officials in any political party that will take actions that support a more equitable world. We aren’t facing a political party problem, this is a wealth distribution problem.
Tax the richest who have assets & empty homes for this Placemate program! Outlaw STR's, then support hotels and motels in tourism districts. Tax and outlaw luxury developments targeting wealthy tourists and homes. Until that happens, I promise you it will only get worse and your children and grandchildren are going to be poorer from this wealth transfer up the ladder. Redistribute the wealth fairly!
As a Reno resident since 2011, currently residing in District 1, and a mother of 2 young children, I am commenting to urge the commissioners to continue funding the libraries at the current rate on a year to year basis. Not only do I personally use the library system for my own reading and learning, but it’s important to me that my children grow up knowing the power of public libraries. Almost every Sunday we go to our local library in the northwest. We love the activities designed and held by the committed librarians and we are so grateful for the kid-friendly spaces to explore and discover a love of reading. If the libraries were to lose funding, I worry that we would no longer have the opportunities to access our library on the weekends. The talented team of librarians across the system are as valuable as the assets they protect. They are knowledgeable and eager to help us find what we need. I can’t think of a safer, more socially positive place, free from judgement and emphatically open to all people. Protecting our libraries to me means protecting our communities and the values upon which our nation was founded. Please continue to fund the libraries to protect the incredible services and community spaces they provide. Thank you.
To the Members of the Washoe County Commission and Other Officials:
During my daily commute through Reno and unincorporated Washoe County, I frequently observe vehicles operating on public roads without visible license plates—often older cars that likely fail emissions standards and are presumed uninsured. Despite the clear public safety risk, there appears to be little enforcement by local law enforcement agencies.
Most recently, I monitored Golden View Drive between Pyramid Way and Pah Rah Drive, where I observed 10–15 such vehicles traveling and later parked on nearby streets like Freedom Drive and Lindsey Lane. This issue is also widespread along Pyramid Way.
While local law enforcement routinely promotes joint campaigns targeting DUIs, speeding, and distracted driving, there is a noticeable lack of attention to unregistered or uninsured vehicles. In contrast, the Nevada Highway Patrol actively addresses this problem in other areas through citations, arrests, and vehicle impoundments.
This trend can no longer be attributed to pandemic-era DMV closures. These vehicles pose real dangers to responsible drivers and pedestrians, and they contribute to rising insurance premiums, particularly when involved in hit-and-runs or other uninsured incidents.
Past efforts to raise this issue with the Reno City Council and Police Department were met with dismissal or strained legal interpretations. Yet, the authority to act already exists—it is a matter of will and leadership. Ongoing inaction undermines public trust in local government’s ability to ensure equal enforcement across Reno, Sparks, and unincorporated Washoe County.
To highlight the extent of the issue, I intend to share dashcam photos during public comment going forward. I urge your offices to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves.
Brian Erbis, M.A., CFE
NV Private Investigator
Owner and Qualifying Agent
Brian Erbis Consulting LLC
www.brianerbis.nyc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-erbis-consultant/
646-801-2115
NV PILB lic#4253