— Douglas County, Nevada —

News You Can UseOctober 2013 — Volume IV , Issue 13

Douglas County has re-launched last year’s popular budget challenge again, inviting citizens to an online conversation that will harness their input on the County budget.

Residents can participate in one of the budgeting exercises centered on the question, “How would you spend $500 to fund what is most important to you in Douglas County?”

Residents will also have the opportunity to make general comments about the budget process, upload photos or videos to illustrate their concerns or suggestions and put a value on the priorities they think are most important.

Feedback from residents and businesses is an important component of the budget process, and has generally occurred through budget workshops and community meetings. While the County will continue to hold its annual budget workshops as part of next year’s budget process, the online budget challenge will provide decision makers with valuable insight from the community before the annual budget process begins. The online budget challenge is now open and available on the County’s website at www.douglascountynv.gov until December 5th.

The results from last year’s budget challenge lead to the County making road funding a priority and continues to be an item of focus with the development of the road funding task force.

“The results from last year’s online Budget Challenge played a significant role in the County’s shift of over $1 million to fund road maintenance this year,”said County Manager Steve Mokrohisky. “As a local resident, your voice matters and we are using your feedback to prioritize where tax dollars should be spent.”

The online Budget challenge is a part of Douglas County’s Priority Based Budgeting process. Douglas County is the first County in the nation to implement Priority Based Budgeting, which was adopted as a leading practice in local government by the Alliance for Innovation and the International City/County Management Association.

The online budget challenge allows the public to distribute a fictitious $500 to the six Community Results (priorities) that the County strives to provide for the community,

as identified through public strategic planning processes. The six Community Results are:

• Economic Vitality

• Managed Growth and Development

• Preservation of Natural Environment, Resources and Cultural Heritage

• Reliable, Well-Maintained Infrastructure

• Safe Community

• Financial Stability (Governance)

To access the Budget Challenge Forum, Citizens can access the Budget Challenge at http://www.peakdemocracy.com/1537 or by texting ‘subscribe’ to 775-309-4358. The on-line registration will ask for your name, email address and physical address. Your registration information is secure and will not be shared with any outside party. The physical address will allow responses from geographic areas within the County to be viewed, but the County and public will not be able to see the names of individual participants unless the participants chose to display their name. Once you have completed the registration process, you can choose from two forum versions:

1. $500 Budget Challenge – Quick Version (estimated time to complete 5 minutes), simply distribute your $500 amongst the six Community Results or establish new priorities.

2. $500 Budget Challenge – Extended Version (estimated time to complete 15 minutes), allows you to distribute your $500 to more detailed sub-results within each Community Result or establish new priorities.

Douglas County has faced significant budget challenges over the past four years, driven by decreasing revenues and increasing expenses. At the same time, the demand for public services and costs from the state continue to increase. In order to manage the reduction in revenues and increase in expenses, positions have been eliminated, regional partnerships and privatization have been initiated, and employees have absorbed increases in health insurance and retirement costs, as well as salary cuts. Over 65 full-time positions have been eliminated and many more positions

continue to be held vacant to reduce costs. In 2011 County employees took up to 5% pay cuts, which have not been fully restored, and also receive no merit pay increases. The County and its employees have agreed to three year personnel cost management efforts that have helped stabilize the long term growth in expenses.

INSIDE THIS ISSUERoad Funding Task Force . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Library More Than Just Books . . . . . . 3

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

County Budget Challenge Re-LaunchedHow Would You Budget $500 to Achieve the Most Important Community Results?

Win a Spa Package and Dinner at David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort using Social MediaAfter taking the budget challenge, members of the public can enter to win a 2 night stay, a $25.00 voucher for the 1862 Restaurant or Harriet’s Cafe along with 2 Spa passes at Walley’s Hot Springs by posting the following as their status on Facebook or tweeting on Twitter:

I finished the Douglas County #budgetchallenge http://bit.ly/17fI4X1 4 a chance 2 win a Spa Pkg & Dinner @ David Walleys Hot Springs Resort.

Any residents that do not have internet access can come to the Minden Inn and complete online or obtain access at the Douglas County Library.

Scan QR code and start the challenge now!

page 2 NEWS YOU CAN USE — DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEVADA Volume III Issue 12

The Road Funding Task Force was developed to help provide solutions to the County’s road funding challenges. The goal of the Task Force is to identify the most viable and appropriate sources of funding, and to gain public support for any proposed solutions.

Douglas County maintains approximately 171 miles of paved roads that have deteriorated significantly due to lack of funding. The County needs to identify approximately $4 million per year in additional funding to maintain county roads at their current level. The county is also faced with approximately $50 million in road maintenance backlogs.

The Task Force is hosting public workshops on November 18th and 20th to share information about the funding issues and to collect public feedback. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer forum.

Workshop Dates

November 18 6-PM

Topaz Ranch Estates Fire Station

1476 Albite Drive

Topaz

November 20 6-PM

CVIC Hall

1602 Esmeralda Avenue

Minden

“We are committed to solving this challenge,” said Douglas County Manager Steve Mokrohisky. “Public engagement and support is critical to identifying and implementing the right solution.”

Douglas County has established a page on its website with more information on the Road Funding Task Force. Please visit www.douglascountynv.gov, and click on the “Road Funding Task Force” link on the left side to see the purpose, members and information discussed by the group. You may also contact our office at 775-782-9821.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Road Funding Task Force Hosts Public Workshops

Northern Nevada Business Weekly is featuring Doug-las County in its November issue. Our community is being featured because of all the excellent things hap-pening locally. The publica-tion reaches over 10,000 readers in Northern Nevada each week. They are look-ing for business support through advertisement! Please contact Wende Dahl-sten if you are interested at 775-410-7301, Help us get the word out about Doug-las County and all the great things happening here.

Northern Nevada Business Weekly Features Douglas County

Scenic Fall Photos of Douglas County

NEWS YOU CAN USE — DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEVADA page 3Volume III, Issue 12

Upon entering the Douglas County Library it becomes quickly apparent this is a place that does more than just check out books.

With 17 employees and 150 volunteers, the library has locations in Minden and Zephyr Cove.

One would think with everything moving toward electronic applications the average library might be a pretty empty place, but according to the staff they have just changed the way they do things.

“People assume that once the internet came you no longer needed the library, but that is not true we have just made adaptations through the years,” said Luise Davis, Collection Development Librarian. “We now have programs like Zinio e-Magazines, e-Books, and a program new to the library called IndieFlix which allows the public to streamline movies through their computer.”

Now with a library card and an online password the public has access to research tools and data collections twenty four hours a day as opposed to only having access to information during operating hours allowing research and information to be obtained any time of the day.

The library provides a list of services and it takes the collaboration of staff and volunteers.

“All of us have different areas of specialty and we are here for the public, but we also do a lot behind the scenes, “ said Davis. “We do all kinds of things on a daily basis such as reviewing the collections or removing materials that are no longer relevant and replacing them to keep our collection current.”

Volunteers play a vital role at the library taking on roles such as shelving, repairing books, delivering books to homebound people,

signing up children for the summer reading program and helping with book sales.

In addition to services the library provides a variety of public and community events such as author signings, and reading programs for children, teens and adults.

“We try and provide the public with cultural, and learning events for adults and children,” said Maggie Rusmisel, Douglas County Library Technician. “We also work so well as a team to provide the public with the very best experience, and we all help each other working in several different roles.”

Programs offered at the library include Toddler and Preschool story time where felt-board stories, music, or crafts may be presented.

New to the library is a program called READing Paws for children in the 1st through 3rd grade who sign up for a 15-minute session to read

to a therapy dog. The program is designed to improve the reading skills of children using certified therapy teams as literacy mentors.

In addition to all the services and events the library carries books on Audio, CD and MP3 player. Internet terminals are available free of charge, along with wireless hotspots and wireless printing. The Internet terminals also offer Microsoft Office programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

There is no doubt the Douglas County library is a busy place, and the staff is thankful for the community support and partnerships.

“For our size of library we are busier than normal because we have found so many different ways to involve the community through different partnerships,” said Rusmisel. “ It’s been great because there are people in our community who just love being a part of the library.”

The library staff says they often get compliments from people who have relocated from larger more urban areas on how impressive the Douglas County Library is.

“People come here for the first time and they are so impressed,” said Rusmisel. “It just makes it all worth while.”

Pictured; Maggie Rusmisel-Library Technician, Luise Davis-Collection Development Librarian, Kathy Scott-Library Technician Sonjia Wahab-Library Page,and Dan Doyle.

Story Time for toddler and preschool kids is just one of the many events offered at the library.

County Library: More Than Just Books

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

page 4 NEWS YOU CAN USE — DOUGLAS COUNTY, NEVADA Volume III, Issue 12

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Douglas Countywww.DouglasCountyNV.gov

County Manager’s Office1594 Esmeralda Ave. | PO Box 218

Minden | NV 89423Phone 775-782-9821

Douglas County Strategic Plan

Vision

A community to match the scenery!

Mission

Working together with integrity and accountability, the Douglas County team

is dedicated to providing essential and cost effective public services fostering a safe,

healthy, scenic, and vibrant community for the enjoyment

of our residents and visitors.

Values

Integrity - Accountability - Customer Service

Leadership - Communication - Teamwork

Priorities

Financial Stability

Public Safety

Economic Vitality

Infrastructure

Q: We notice that some of the worst spots of Waterloo Lane have received some fresh asphalt. Does that mean it’s no longer Douglas County’s roughest road? What’s the next step in improving the county’s road infrastructureA: The recent work done by the road crew on Waterloo Lane, between Highway 88 and Centerville, was a short term skim patch of the worst sections of pavement. We focused our efforts on the worst sections of that road with the limited resources that are available. The work that was completed is not a permanent fix and will not materially improve the quality or condition of the road, but it does serve as short term stop gap. The road will still need to be replaced in the future. As for future preventative maintenance work on roads, we are progressively increasing the amount of property tax funds that support road maintenance with the Board of Commissioners action to shift over $1 million this year, but we still need to identify approximately $4 million per year more to keep pace with our requirements. The road funding task force

continues to meet and explore solutions. We are planning public workshops in November to broaden our engagement of the community in the issue.

Q:What is the next step now that the Valley Vision Plan is complete?

A: : The Board of Commissioners, as well as the Town of Minden board and Town of Gardnerville Board have all accepted the principles of the Valley Vision, directed their respective staff to develop a joint resolution to be adopted by the County and towns, and will be pursuing funds to implement certain public improvements. The vision will drive the towns’ plans for prosperity and public/private partnerships. We are already seeing the concepts of the vision come to life in the form of private investments, such as the planned investments by Bently Enterprises in several of its properties in Minden. The vision will be a strong catalyst for our community to revitalize the main street environment and create a vibrant core for our residents, businesses and visitors.

Q: What happens to the bite report form doctors fill out at the urgent care when there’s a dog bite?

A: Douglas County Animal Care and Services receives a copy of the bite report from the reporting health care facility. After we receive and review the report, we contact the owner of the dog, quarantine the animal for a rabies evaluation and document the incident in the county system. Animal care and services may take additional action based on the circumstances.

Douglas County Manager Steve Mokrohis-ky participates in a monthly question and answer forum online on The Record-Couri-er’s daily Running Commentary. These are excerpts from the latest Q&A.