Churchill County Mosquito, Vector and Noxious Weed Abatement District

Board of Trustees

Churchill County, Nevada

7400 Reno Highway

Fallon, Nevada 89406

MEETING JANUARY 9, 2020

OPEN MEETING SESSION

AGENDA

1.	Call to Order:	Chairwoman Christy Lattin called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.

Present were the following:

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chairwoman, Christy Lattin

Vice Chairman, Mike Spencer

Trustee Tom Hutchings

Trustee Marion Jonte, Jr.

Trustee Sheldon Chipp

District Manager, Nancy Upham

Assistant Manager, Quinn Nuffer

Legal Counsel, Ben Shawcroft

Public Present:

James Cork

Sharon Harper

Zip Upham

2.	Pledge of Allegiance:

3.	Public Comments:	None

4.	Review and Adoption of Agenda:	Trustee Sheldon Chipp moved to adopt the agenda.	Trustee Marion Jonte seconded and the motion carried.

5.	Discussion and Approval of the December 12, 2019 Minutes:

District Manager, Nancy Upham noted one correction that Quinn Nuffer was not in	attendance and his name needs to be removed from attendance roster. Trustee Chipp	moved to approve of the minutes with that one correction noted. Trustee Mike Spencer	seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

6.	Certificate of Posting

Ms. Upham noted that the agenda was posted in accordance with NRS Statutes.

7.	Correspondence	- None

8.	Appointments:	- None

9.	Old Business:	- None

10.	New Business:

Discussion and possible action regarding advertising and hiring for a new Board secretary. Possible action may include granting District Manager, Nancy Upham permission to post the position, interview and hire someone to fill this position.

Ms. Upham introduced this agenda item with the idea that the jobs of the Board secretary and	the Administrative Assistant for the District overlap well together and that she would like to	update the job description, advertise and hire an individual to do both jobs. She noted that she	intended to put together a job description, bring it back to the Board of Trustees for review and	then interview and hire someone in March to start in April. She asked the Trustees where they	would like to post and advertise for the position. In discussion of this question came the	decision to post the vacancy online with Indeed.com. She noted that skills such as website	assistance would be nice to list on the job description but are not mandatory requirements.	The expectation to have the minutes done by the Board secretary within a week of the meeting	was also noted. With respect to the Administrative Assistant position, website assistance,	payroll, expenditures and payable processing were also noted. She noted that if she were to be	acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees, she would like a motion made to give her authority to	start the process. She also noted her intention to use a hiring committee possibly including	Geof Stark and Chairwoman, Christy Lattin.

Legal Counsel, Ben Shawcroft said that there was no need to formally create a committee.

Trustee Chipp suggested that Chairwoman Lattin would be a good person to assist with the job	description. She agreed to assist with it. He also agreed that it should be the same person to fill	both roles. Ms. Upham noted that having the same person to do both tasks could create the	position to be basically an hourly part time job without having to pay the professional service	fee for attending the meeting. Attendance at the meeting would be written into the job	description as part of the job and paid hourly. Trustee Jonte also added that telephone ettiquette	should also be a skillset sought in the person to fill this role. Ms. Upham agreed as much of the	job is taking service requests from the public. Chairwoman Lattin asked if we needed a motion.	Mr. Shawcroft said no and that Ms. Upham has the authority to do it all. Assistant Manager,	Quinn Nuffer asked if this is the point where we should ask the previous Administrative	Assistant for her keys to the facility and any other District equipment that she may have. Ms.	Lattin agreed that this would be a good time to make a clean break.

Discussion and possible action regarding the 2019 Annual Report and any information

requested to be included with the 2019 Annual Report.

Ms. Upham asked the Trustees if there was any specific information that they would like to see	in the 2019 Annual Report. Chairwoman Lattin suggested some revenue data depicted in graph	forms as visually more understandable. Ms. Upham noted that she was asked to	do a	presentation for the Northern Nevada Mosquito Group and that she could possibly include	that in the report. Trustee Marion Jonte asked if Management had talked to the State Lab	regarding chicken blood testing and mosquito pool testing. Ms. Upham agreed and noted that	we are working to get with the new Director of Washoe County Vector Control District	regarding the equipment that they have for this testing and whether they would allow our	District to use it in conjunction with the State Lab. He also asked if we had discussed the	need for a better information exchange with the State Health Department and the contact person	for human west nile cases. Ms. Upham noted that she had and would address any issues with	the State Epidemiologist if there were any problems. Ms. Upham noted that a glitch in this	testing is that the CDC grant which paid for the mosquito pool testing has gone away. The costs	associated with this testing in the future will be about $20 / mosquito pool. This could amount	to a $5,000.00 expense that has not been an issue in the past. However, this testing is invaluable	for prioritizing our operations with respect to virus in the valley. The chicken blood testing has	also been a good marker for viral testing in the past as the virus presents itself typically in bird	populations weeks before we see it in human or horse cases. For this reason, she hopes to	continue utilizing the chicken blood testing, if possible. She also noted that U.S. Fish and	Wildlife needs to have data of positive virus in the area before they will allow us to do any	mosquito control over the Refuge. Mr. Jonte asked if the State Animal Disease Lab could get	new grant from some source. Ms. Upham noted that if possible, they will be applying for grant	money as they are representing other mosquito districts as well and may have better leverage	than we do as one entity. Ms. Upham also noted that we will also be looking into grant	opportunities for our District as well.

Ms. Upham also noted that at the TCID Board meeting, Richard Grimes presented a pitch to	their Board of Trustees regarding the sale of a property (owned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife)	adjacent to Carson Lake. He was hoping that TCID would purchase it as it is an access point to	Carson Lake. If it were to sell to a private person, someone could put a house on it and restrict	access to TCID as well as our staff. Ms. Upham noted that she will be discussing this with Mr.	Jardine who manages the Truckee Carson Irrigation District. Similarly, a property across the	highway from this pending property was sold by Fish and Wildlife to a couple who are setting	up a facility for rearing bees. This is a problem in that the pesticides that we use to control adult	mosquitoes are very toxic to bees. That particular location has very serious adult mosquito	problems during the season. District staff is going to have to be very careful with this issue.

Trustee Jonte also summarized that he received a phone call from someone who lives adjacent	to a property that had standing water on it and was concerned as to who to call about it. He	noted that it felt similar to that of the Baley pasture that we have been discussing during the last	few Board meetings. Ms. Upham noted that the District should not be involved as much as the	property owner should be. They would need to call the cooperative extension, then NRCS and	reference the EQUIP grant for assistance.

Discussion and possible action regarding the selection of Trustees to fill the Chairman and Vice Chairman roles.

Trustee Chipp nominated to keep the roles of Chairman and Vice-Chairman, the same as last year. Chairwoman Lattin asked Mr. Spencer (Vice-Chairman) if that was acceptable for him. He was in agreement. Ms. Lattin then asked Trustee Jonte if he wished to be considered for either role. He said that he would love to but with his eye situation, he would have to decline. Ms. Lattin asked Trustee Tom Hutchings if he was interested. He declined and seconded Trustee Chipp's motion. Chairwoman Lattin thanked the Trustees for the opportunity to remain in her position.

11.	District Manager's Report

Ms. Upham summarized that staff worked on trailer projects up to the beginning of the layoff	period. She said both she and Assistant Manager, Quinn Nuffer had been taking time off around	other small tasks.

Chairwoman Lattin asked Ms. Upham to confirm that she was only using the District truck for	District purposes. Ms. Upham agreed as that is the reason for leaving it at the District yard.	Ms. Upham also noted that she has been leaving the gates open at night for Thomas Lukas who	performs the District's Accounting Services as it is a very dark yard to pull into and have to	unlock the gate off of the highway. She noted that we are working on improved lighting for the	parking lot.

Legal Counsel noted that fuel and equipment thefts are up in the County yards and parking lots.	Trustee Chipp noted that his facility had been left open one night but nothing had been taken.	Ms. Lattin asked if we had hitch locks for the trailers at the District yard. Mr. Nuffer noted that	we can invest in some to avoid theft.

Trustee Jonte asked about security at the facility in the mezzanine area, especially for the	Administrative Assistant. He had many concerns about this issue. After much discussion, it	was concluded that the mezzanine area should be open to the public if there is someone at the	facility. The phone numbers for the Manager and Assistant Manager are noted on the front	door so that if anyone needs to contact someone somewhere in the building, Management can	respond to the call. The secretary can lock herself in her office so as not to have to come out	and open doors for unknown individuals. Similarly, the secretary should call 911 if there is any	concern for safety or a breach of security. Once an individual is in the building, cameras are	recording everything.

Chairwoman Lattin asked James Cork if he had something to add. He recommended investing	in a buzzer for the office and chemical storage facility.

12.	Board Members' Report -	None

13.	Request for Future Agenda Items

Ms. Upham noted that she will agendize Thomas Lukas's contract, the Annual Report and the	2020 Aerial Contract.

Trustee Jonte asked if the billboard has been occupied well. Ms. Upham noted that she will	check into further billboard availability.

Chairwoman Lattin noted that the District Manager's review needs to be agendized.

Trustee Jonte suggested the possibility of purchasing a new truck and a new quadrunner.	Ms.	Upham noted the need to agendize older equipment as surplus and then the purchase of a	new/new to the District truck and quadrunner.

14.	Expenditures

Chairwoman Lattin asked about EFTPS payments. Trustee Chipp noted that they were	government taxes. Ms. Upham noted that they should probably be listed with payroll. Ms.	Lattin also questioned whether Holland and Hart was for Jordan Walsh. That was confirmed.	Ms. Lattin then read the expenditure total was $31,400.67, payroll was $31,264.63 for an	overall total of $62,665.30. Trustee Chipp moved to approve of the expenditures. Trustee Jonte	seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

15.	Public Comment -

James Cork asked if there was any closer date to the end of the layoff period. Assistant	Manager Nuffer noted that there was not an end date set at this point.

16.	Adjourment -	Chairwoman Lattin adjourned the meeting at 6:17 pm.