Philosopher Camus wrote “Always go too far, because that’s where you will find the truth. “
Special White Pine County Commission Meeting, July 3, 2018
Public Comment
Bill Ward, White Pine Firs District, “ We received a letter addressed to Richard Howe from the City of Ely.
Pursuant to action by the Ely City Council last night, June 28th 2018, the City of Ely Fire Department will no longer to respond to emergency calls for Fire/ Medical Services outside the incorporated City limits of Ely after midnight on June 30th, 2018, unless contracted by the State of Nevada for Emergency Management under NRS 414A.
Robert Switzer, City Administrator
Yesterday I sent a letter to Mayor VanCamp and the City Council.
Mayor VanCamp and Chief Rivera, this letter is to inform you White Pine County Fire District will do everything we possibly can to make our resources and Personnel available to assist Ely Fire Department for any types of emergencies including motor vehicle accident, structure fires, or Wildland fires within the city limits of the Ely, at no charge.. if you should find yourself needing assistance.
Respectfully Chief Ward”
Discussion / Interviews with District Fire Chief candidates Jim Langborg, Matthew Avidan and Keith Westengard.
Tim Bunch, HR director “ We have two candidates that are going to be Skype and one candidate that is here in person. All of the Commissioners have scoring sheets in their package.”
Keith Westengard, Lander County, NV., was present at the meeting and he was the first to be interviewed. Mr. Westengard brought his certifications from back to 1995.
First question – Tell us what formal education and work experiences that you have that make you the best candidate for this position?
Westengard “I started my career in 1978 in Southern California, Riverside as an explorer with the California Division of Forestry and Department with of Natural Resources in Riverside. I worked my way up through the ranks and was a Volunteer Firefighter for about 10 years. I worked my way through the Forest Service Fire Prevention and I was a Hotshot firefighter. I worked with the helitech firefighters and I was promoted to a full-time Firefighter 1. I was a fire instructor in colleges for 10 years. I was promoted to a fire captain. I wasn’t station captain in Southern California, I also ran an inmate fire crew for 3 years. I moved to the Nevada Division of Forestry. There I was a Battalion leader for the Nevada Department Division of Forestry. I was safety manager of Lander County. Currently I am the county manager within Lander County. At the moment I am over two Fire Departments in Lander County and over the EMS Division. I also work closely with the Battle Mountain Hospital.”
Question 2 – What is your greatest strength?
Westengard “ My greatest strength is the ability to work with people. I communicate well and I like to build teams. I feel like I am a leader and have been told so by Chiefs in the past.”
Question 3 – Tell us what your weaknesses are and what you have done to overcome them.
Westengard “Sometimes I have too much compassion. I have worked to not have as much compassion in certain areas. It’s hard to go to an incident and see somebody passed away. Sometimes you have to become hardened over that.”
Question 4 – Explain the purpose and utility of automatic and mutual Aid agreements.
Westengard: “The Automatic Aid is something that is put together prior to an incident. That agreement has to be very specific on how an Automatic Aid works, the cost and what each entity will be responsible for.
A mutual Aid is done upon request, it would have to have the same guidelines as a automatic does.”
Question 5 – The person who is hired as the White Pine County Fire Chief will play a leadership role. Tell us about a specific job related goal that you as a leader set and accomplished or a program that you are most proud of?
Westengard: “Most recently I would have to say our EMS services in southern Lander County. Southern Lander County is very small in population and this service was failing. I went back four years and found out the cost and was able to get someone on the road 40% of the time. In one year it became a full-time position and we did put in stipends for the volunteers.
We have just recently purchased two new ambulances, as well as training programs and safety programs. Right now we have a 95% response rate. We are now working on putting a one full-time employee in there.”
Question 6 – Describe the legal and ethical requirements for firefighter safety?
Westengard: “One of the places I worked was the Fire Science Academy in Carlin. I was the safety officer there. Safety is important factor in the fire department. Practice isn’t one of the most important things, so you act instinctively.
Equipment is another very important safety feature for eye protection, body protection, Etc. Legally and ethically the equipment and training is necessary.”
Question 7 – The person in this position is required to perform a variety of hands on duty, in addition to two policy-making and supervisory duties. These duties will include training records, along with maintaining vehicle records, inventory and doing budgets and grant writing. What is your specific experience level in each of these duties?
Westengard: “Well I have had experience in all of those areas. When I was a Battalion Chief in Elko we received a grant for $40,000 to be used for equipment.
I sat on the board of LEPC, every grant that I have written with LEPC, were all granted to the County.
I currently sit on a grant writing committee with Homeland Security, so I have been on both sides of this issue “
(I do feel that the questioning was precise and this should give the commissioners all the information they need to choose a new Fire Chief for the County. I do believe the committee that worked with Mr. Bunch to come up with these questions did an excellent job. I did not write all the questions or the answers in this meeting. There were 10 including the definition of honesty and integrity, two very important things working with the public and providing a service to the public.)
Jim Langborg was next up to answer these 10 questions by means of Skype. Jim has over 30 years in Public Safety, over 25 years with Fire experience, 18 years as a Paramedic and 16 as a Chief Officer. He has brought two Fire Departments through the strategic planning stage.
Jim Langborg, Florence, Or., was unable to attend the meeting or be reached by Skype. His interview will take place in the next Commission meeting.
Matthew Avidan , Moberly, Mo., has over 23 years in the emergency services, 22 as a Medic, 17 with teaching and administrative duties that included stockholder transactions, and incorporating volunteers with career personnel.
Discussion / For Possible Action – Approval to appoint a White Pine County Fire Prevention District Fire chief.
Perea: “Mr. Langborg has a very strong resume and I would like to interview him as well. I suggest that we do these interviews again and have a strong EMS person to help with the questions. All these candidates seem to have a stronger fire background than EMS.”
( it seems to me that a lot of the questions were geared around grant writing.)
Howe ask Mr. Ward if he would be willing to stay on as Fire Chief through the month of July. Mr Ward said he would not abandon his people or the commissioners. He will stay on through the month of July. Mr. Ward did suggest that they rescheduled the candidate that was unable to attend and not to start a search over again.
The rest of the agenda for the Fire Commissioner was tabled in hopes of getting an interview with the last applicant. All items will be taken up on the July 25th meeting.
5/0 approved to table the items
Discussion / For Possible Action – Approval for the District Attorney’s office to negotiate contract for construction manager at Risk (CMAR) services on the Justice Center project with the top-ranked CMAR firm based on statement of qualification process and to negotiate with a number two ranked CMAR Firm if acceptable terms cannot be reached with the top-ranked firm.
Wheable: “We had four proposals through CMAR. We interviewed three of the proposed contract and used a scoring process.”
James Beecham: “We are scoring process and ask each contractor the same questions. After all three of the interviews we then ranked them. Then after the interviews we opened up their proposals. Core was the bigger score on our ranking. It came down to pre-construction hours and cost. Core had actually sent out a drone and pre mapped the area. That in my estimation, I had to give them a higher score. We felt any of these companies could do the job, but core got the highest score.
Our genda items is to get an okay to start negotiating with the top score and if we can’t come to an agreement to go ahead and start negotiating with number 2.
5/0 Approved to start negotiating
Public Hearing / Discussion For Possible Action – Approval of Resolution 2018 – 51, pursuant to NRS 244. 276, to approve an Easement Deed granting the City of Ely an easement and right-of-way through and within the County owned properties so designated on attached map created by Basin Engineering, for the purpose of locating, establishing, constructing, maintaining, repairing, and operating a 1500 foot long by 8 foot wide storm drain flood control channel for the purpose of all in relation to the Nevada Department of Transportation’s Altman Street project.
Chuck Odgers, City Attorney: “The property was deeded in 1907 from private properties who received it from of federal land grant. This property was to be a Housing Development. The street names were Steptoe Street, Adams Street, Eighth Ave, Market Street, Madison Street, Front Street and Romlda Street.
Although some properties have been bought by individuals, this is a county easement.
For some reason the City never Annex this property in and the county has all the easement for roads and utilities.”
Perea: “This only affects two property owners ? I don’t think I can go along with this and if it affects any property owners.”
The property owners affected would be Robert Scherrer and Keith Carson. Most of the open ditch would be on Steptoe Street which would go across Robert Scherrer’s property. The covered ditch area would go through Mr. Carson’s property. All of the water would end up at the railroad right away where we have that 8 foot culvert and funnels out into Georgetown.
The major problem here is that we have to stay on the County right away and not use private property. These two property owners have County right away through their property. The properties in question are pasture land.
BJ “ This ditch will only have water in it during flood conditions.”
Wheable: “If we give this right away to the City it becomes a City and property owner problem.
We have no more responsibility or liability in the right away.”
Odgers: “If sometime in the future the property owner wants to improve their property, they will have to ask the City to cover the open channel .”
Scherrer: “This trench could decrease the value of our property and I would encourage you to put in a covered trench. This could cause problems with our lives stock and the fencing. I realize the importance of this project to the City, but I do wish you would not put an open trench.”
Carson: “I understand the needs of the many compared to the few. In this entire project the property owners have not been considered and what is our liability if something happens? It’s a private property owner we paid thousands of dollars of property tax and we have not once been consulted or invited to a meeting dealing with our property. I feel the City is an abomination and other property owners need to know it.”
Wheable: “Maybe the property owners would give up an easement that would suit the City’s objective.”
Odgers: “The only other route would be on Railroad property and that causes a whole new bunch of issues and would not be allowed.
Wheable:“Now BJ, is this the only route that the City can take? Are there any other alternatives, this commission needs to know if they can protect the property rights and also serve the City of Ely and its citizens?”
BJ: “I don’t know, if the property owners are willing to give an easement maybe it would work if approved by NDOT, but
it’s a much longer way around.”
Wheable “I feel NDOT needs to receive a proposal with a different plan. If the property owners are willing to give an easement around their property instead of down the middle, NDOT should consider it.”
BJ “ Their object right now is to 100% stay in the public right away. I am sure they would not have an issue with getting right away around the private property.”
Bybee “I’m sorry but the State and the City is six months late coming to the property owners, this should have been handled much sooner. Frankly I don’t know if this is the only way or if there is an alternative, but this is conversation opened up way too late.”
If the property owner gave up the edge of their property and the County abandon the right away to the property owner it would be a win-win situation for everyone. If both sides of the ditch were fenced, it would be safe for both property owners livestock.
The Commissioners decided to let the property owners, the City and NDOT Discuss this and work it out.
Discussion / For Possible Action – Approval / rejection or modification of draft letters prepared by Armstrong consultant addressing bid protest brought by Road and Highway Builders, regarding Airport Capital Improvement project number 3 – 3 2 – 0 0 0 6 – 0 2 0 – 2 0 1 6.
Companies have filed a bid protest for different reasons and so we had our Consultants draft a letter.
5/0 Approved
The Commission meeting scheduled for July 11th was cancelled and the meeting was scheduled for July 25th.
The commission is also going to approach the City of Ely to have a joint meeting. There are some grants that need to be discussed and it is always important for communications. The suggested time was the week of August 20th.
5/0 Approved to a proposed the City to meet on August 22nd at 6:00 PM.
Members of the Commission need to meet with the Mayor and others to set the agenda.
