White Pine Commission approves baseball field funding, emergency plan and GIS tech upgrades

The White Pine County Commission convened for a joint meeting with the Fire Commission and Liquor Board on Wednesday, Sept. 9, addressing public safety technology upgrades, critical legal staffing shortages and local infrastructure projects. Commissioners Paula Carson and Hank Vogler were absent.

community college celebration

During the initial public comment period, Caroline McIntosh announced that Great Basin Community College will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a community event on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Great Basin College Ely Center, 2115 Bobcat Drive. McIntosh emphasized the college’s role in supporting the local workforce, particularly in nursing and skilled trades, while noting plans to bring back commercial driver’s license (CDL) training and licensing.

Other Public comments and liquor licenses

Resident George Chachas voiced concerns regarding an incomplete housing development lacking utility hookups, curbed sidewalks and pavement, while also advocating to draft James Beecher back to assist the District Attorney’s Office.

Acting as the Liquor Board, commissioners approved two temporary liquor licenses for Terrill Trask for events held Aug. 29 and Sept. 4–6 at the White Pine County Golf Course during local tournaments.

Charters of Freedom display and baseball field grant approved

Board members reviewed location and presentation options for the Charters of Freedom project, a permanent public display featuring laser-etched 3/16-inch stainless steel plates of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Civil Rights Amendments. Assessor Burton Hilton, a new member of the NECO Board of Directors and president of the Nevada Assessors Association, praised similar 40-pound display plates installed in other Nevada counties. Commissioners voted to place the display beside the War Memorial, with securing a project contractor serving as the next step.

Hilton also presented a grant agreement with the William N. Pennington Foundation for capital improvements at the county baseball field located at 13th Street and Avenue M. Commissioners approved the agreement 3-0, committing $200,000 in matching county funds.

Public safety technology, emergency plan and fire department updates

IT Director Jason Hutchens co-presented a three-year agreement for GIS Professional Services and a GIS Data Hub Project with Geo-Comm, Inc., alongside Hilton, Sheriff Scott Henroid, Fire Chief Court Hall, Emergency Management Director Mathias Rieske, Steve Campbell and Ely Fire Chief Pat Stork. The $53,474 contract provides interactive mapping for all departments to track culverts and signage while consolidating addressing systems to improve 911 dispatch response. Stork noted that current address configurations require streamlining, and the board approved the agreement 3-0.

Rieske presented the county’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), establishing protocols if public buildings become unsafe. The plan incorporates building generator capabilities, census population metrics, mutual aid agreements and designates the Sheriff as lead emergency manager while preparing for AT&T’s landline phase-out in October 2027. Commissioners approved the plan with minor revisions on a 3-0 vote.

In fire district reports, Hall and Stork highlighted a local volunteer firefighter who recently earned a paramedic degree, providing dedicated advanced life support and ambulance coverage for McGill during off-duty shifts. Officials also noted rising traffic volumes across the county, stressing the need for additional passing lanes.

Legal staffing crisis, litigation decisions and financial reports

District Attorney Melissa Brown alerted commissioners to a labor shortage, reporting that qualified attorney positions across three divisions have remained unfilled for more than two years alongside an open investigator position. Brown noted that job applicants overwhelmingly favor defense work over prosecution.

Pursuant to state statute, commissioners approved granting Chair Carson decision-making authority regarding pending U.S. District Court litigation involving the Sheriff’s Office. County Treasurer Catherine Bakaric reported the fiscal year-to-date total balance as $93,601,924.31 as of July 2026. Concluding administrative items, County Clerk Nichole Stephey presented meeting minutes from Aug. 12 and Aug. 18, which were approved 3-0.