Philosopher Camus wrote “Always go too far, because that’s where you will find the truth. “
White Pine County Commission Meeting
August 22, 2018
Shane Bybee absent
Public Comment
Mindy from the BLM, There is an environmental study out right now for public comment on the oil gas lease for our area. That will include White Pine and Nye counties. There are about 190 parcels. It’s probably 300,000 Acres of parcels that are available. Public comment closes on November 4th and the leases will be awarded in December.
The wild horse population has come down because of lack of water. We have had no deaths so far in White Pine County but there are in other counties.
There is a fire on the Goshute that is large. It’s in the Goshute wilderness. It’s about a thousand acres at this time. It is in steep terrain so we are just watching it.
Cozette Eldridge ( White Pine County Field Representative) read a letter from Susan Haas, CEO and Director of RSVP. The letter stated that RSVP is a nonprofit organization that provides for seniors. The main object of RSVP is to have seniors and people with disabilities remain in their homes as long as possible. The letter was written to encourage the Commissioners to continue supporting RSVP and providing office space in the White Pine County area. RSVP has been in White Pine County for 25 years. Without the help of the County Commission this would not have been possible. By providing office space and funding we have been able to expand and provide new programs. In 2017 we service 183 local client.
For the last 25 years White Pine County Commissioners have offered Office Space for RSVP. Without a donated office RSVPs operations would be compromised.
( The county made the airport terminal available to RSVP several years ago when I was the field representative. This office space and training Center is very valuable to RSVP and the community. )
George Chaches have a list of items he wanted to discuss including the dying of downtown Ely, he stated that some property he had purchased at the County tax sale had two vehicles on it and he wants to know where they have been taken and wants them returned.
Gary Perea said that last Friday the State Water Engineer denied the water applications for Spring Valley, Caves Valley in Delmar Valley. So it was a great victory for us. We know the fight isn’t over yet.
Update From Assemblyman Ellison
Ellison would like to have the commission draft the letter to NDOT concerning the traffic that is moving so fast between Preston and Lund, it’s become dangerous. We need to get passing Lanes right by the truck stop or we need to reduce the speed limit.
He also addressed the fact that the NDOT employees and Highway Patrol are coming here for training and then leaving to go to the mines or Las Vegas. We need to find out how we can keep them. I would like to get a study done, this is costing us a lot of money. We want to keep these guys, give them the training they need and get them license, that’s an investment in our community. He stated that there should be some way of having them work so many years before they can go to a private company. You really can’t blame them because they do make double the money.
We also discuss the meters on water wells. He disagreed with the water engineer, and does not see any need to put meters on private wells.
Funding for the new courthouse was also stated as a priority for White Pine County.
Funding to reopen service at the airport was on the agenda. The legislative decided not to pass it and just tore it up. It was a purely political party issue. I thought we were working for the state and that is not so. Are we done ,no, we’ve got to get service in here.
The Wilderness areas have been studied for 30 years, and it’s time to just have them public land. Getting into these areas can be a problem for firefighters, they need permission.
We have to keep reminding the legislative that we have 17 County’s not just one.
A question was asked how is the Board Members of Ways and Means is established. The board members are chosen by the Chairman of the Committee.
(This is why your vote counts, your communication with your elected officials is extremely important.)
Fire Commission
Discussion / For Possible Action: Approval to accept Keith Westengard’s withdrawal as selective District fire chief.
4/0 Approved to accept the withdrawal
It was agreed to post internally and externally for the District Fire Chief. The wage for this position was stated to be between $60 and $70,000. They are going to look deeper to see if they can come up with a definite amount. It is important that someone applying for this position would know what they’re going to be paid as well as what their job description would be. There is still some question as to whether it will include Director of Emergency Management. It was suggested that they advertise both positions separately.
4/0 Approved to advertise separately.
Bill Ward, Acting Fire Chief, reminded the commission that he would be taking time in September to go to Alaska.
Discussion/For Possible Action: approval to award the bid for 1 new chassis with mounted oil distributor.
Bill Calderwood “This will be an advantage to both the County and the City, because in the past we’ve had to rent this equipment and it was not always available when we needed it or it would rain and we couldn’t use it.”
Wheable “The funds for this come from the RTC Board, should this matter not come before that for board?”
Calderwood “We received 5 bids.”
4/0 Approved to go ahead with bid to award Peterbilt Truck Parts in the amount of $238,659.00, with approval from the RTC.
Discussion with local ranchers and farmers concerning the new business license requirements in White Pine County.
Dave Eldridge “I’ve been out on Sacramento pass for 75 years and we have a small livestock operation. $50 is not going to break us. The State License went from $75 up to $500 because we are Incorporated. I’m afraid that is what’s going to happen here. In my small business it takes 15 to 16 calves to pay just for my licenses, taxes and fees. $50 isn’t much by today’s standards but it’s just another straw to break your back.”
Chuck Odgers “I must be the young person here. My wife and I on a hundred and sixty Acres on the McGill Highway. The problem is that agricultural is usually exempt from these fees and licenses in the state. Based on that I would say that the agricultural would be exempt from the business license requirements. I do have a state business license, not because the state required it, but because my bank required it.”
Stork “When this license came up, we agreed that we did not need this licensing for Revenue. We simply wanted to track businesses in the County. There are people who come in from out of town and pay no fees. If we do not collect this license fee and the out-of-town people do not pay any taxes, it is possible your taxes will go up to cover lost Revenue.”
Odgers “I just got my tax bill from the Assessor’s Office, I do believe that my land taxes should cover this fee. You can collect your information you want and make the agricultural be exempt.”
Stork “I don’t like to get in this game of this person’s exempt and another is not. I would vote not to have the license but we have to play this game.”
Travis Godan “I don’t like the provision that says if you do not comply in 6 months you will be thrown in jail.”
Wheable “We need a way to enforce. What good is the ordinance if we cannot enforce it?”
Travis Godan “Down the road, if somebody sells three items on White Pine Clutter, because of personal matters, this person gets charged for selling without a license and thrown in jail. I would propose a complete repeal of this, before things get out of control.”
Howe “I feel that if we go forward with this ordinance, everyone should be involved in it, we should not make special provisions for anyone. And I ask, is this ordinance worth the headaches? $75 is not much to ask, if you cannot afford $75 you will not be in business long.”
Perea “Suggested that may be the money collected from the license fee be put to use in advertising and promoting local businesses. So the money is going back to the people that are being taxed. Since we do not need the money in the general fund and it is only being used to track what businesses we have in White Pine County.”
( Some of the people felt that they needed some services connected with this. Things like maintenance of roads to their properties. I do agree that this could become quite a nasty things but doubt that it ever will. They do give water to the road department to do their services.
Other comments were that if the money went to the road department in order to maintain the secondary roads, this would be okay. And if the fee could be equal to what it costs the county to issue these licenses, this would be okay also. The fee amount cannot be set for future commissioners as new Commissioners can up the price. Is this ordinance worth the headache?)
Discussion / For Possible Action: Approval to allow the Land Sales Committee to work directly with the BLM to prioritize land disposals, previously requested by the WPC BOCC on 11/8/17, and create a 5-year disposal plan.
The Land question is just shy of 17000 Acres. The process of disposing of this land has been incredibly slow. The whole idea of this is to move things along and get this property sold. If they break these large properties up into smaller segments it may be easier to sell.
4/0 Approved
Mike Wheable , District Attorney
Discussion / For Possible Action: Approval to renew the Ministerial Association lease of the Aquatic Center conference room when High School is in session, during the hours of 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Monday through Thursday for an additional year, otherwise on the same terms and conditions starting August 27th, 2018.
4/0 Approved
( Personally I still have a problem with this lease )
Nicole Baldwin, County Clerk
Discussion / Update of White Pine County business licenses
Sending notifications out to the public cost roughly $2,700. 2500 notices were sent out and notices were put in the newspaper. The public has been properly notified. It cost roughly $3 to prepare a license. And so far we have spent $354 in the preparation and postage. 117 applicants as of August 14th the number is up to 222 now. The business license are $75 a piece and that brings us up to $8,775. In application fees. In addition we have received $825 in filing fees and new fictitious names. Total collected fees is about $9,670, the expenses have been $3,565. The money will be coming into the General Fund.
We will be contacting the State for State Business Licenses to compare with the licenses issued for the County. The fact that a lot of people do not have a State License but are being issued a County license maybe a problem.
Lance Gale, Airport Manager
Discussion / update on Hangar 1
Lance Gale “Mr. Barber presented a letter to the commission and I felt I should go back and check out some of the items in his letter. Some of the questions he had was the construction of the hanger in some of the codes. I contacted Brad Christensen and he gave me a report on the hanger. It’s in fantastic shape even though it’s a hundred years old. He has requested that we go in and remove all the old conduit and he did look at the fire extinguisher. I do have an order in to have it updated. And I have to get with the County maintenance to install emergency access at the back of the hanger. The door was already there but we do have to put the lights up. Concerning that hanger there are four tenants in that hanger and they share about 1450 square feet. We charge $55 a month for each one of those tenants, they get that space and the County pays for the water and electricity and maybe snow removal. So it’s a pretty good deal monthly.
Discussion / update on MedEx one hanger location land space lease location
The request is to have a 60’ by 60’ foot hanger with a 30’ by 40’ office complex that the pilots can be in and use as an office. Now that should be on the next commission meeting to make a proposal. The fee structure would be $0.25 per square foot period on an annual basis. This will encompass two of the pads that are already approved by the FAA for future hangers. The sewage, electricity and water are all behind the USDA building and easily accessible for the builders to connect to the new structures.
Discussion on MedEx to lease the old terminal building currently occupied by RSVP
4/0 Approved to table
Comments on this can be made to any commissioner or on White Pine Talking
Richard Howe – 287-2851
Steve Stork – 397-3550
Shane Bybee – 289-6200
Carol McKenzie – 238-5384
Gary Perea – 234-7356
(will be continued next edition)
Geri Wop
