Commission roundup: Pool upgrades, tax reallocations and project updates

The Eureka County Commission’s Feb. 3 meeting included reports on a 2.5-pound methamphetamine bust and the structural integrity of the community’s swimming pools. Several items — including a new hiring freeze resolution and changes to the Room Tax Ordinance — were tabled for further refinement, and the board made a series of tax rate reallocations designed to bolster the county’s aging infrastructure.

Infrastructure

Public Works Director Jeb Rowley and his team provided a look at the costs of maintenance.

The commissioners awarded contracts for a massive overhaul of the Eureka Community Pool. The project includes resurfacing the interior — last touched in 2009 — and replacing the original decking. The combined bids from Hi Desert Surface Prep, Inc. and Instill, Inc. totaled $440,749.72.

Rowley noted that while $285,000 was initially budgeted, the final figures grew significantly once prevailing wages were factored in. The commission found a solution to bridge the gap by utilizing $137,000 in remaining funds from a previous window project, leaving only an $18,000 shortfall to cover from other reserves.

“You look at these types of price tags associated with maintaining an existing structure,” Rowley remarked, emphasizing that the cost of “keeping what you have” is a rising burden for rural municipalities.

Fiscal strategy

With the cost of materials and labor climbing, County Comptroller Kim Todd presented a strategic reallocation of the county’s tax rates. Todd clarified that while the overall tax rate remains the same, the “slices of the pie” need to shift to prevent critical funds from running dry.

The commission approved the following adjustments:

Road Fund: Increased from 9 cents to 12 cents.
Regional Transportation Commission (RTC): Increased from 20 cents to 22 cents to prepare for major pavement maintenance.
Building Maintenance and Reserve: Increased from 3 cents to 6 cents.

To facilitate these increases, the General Fund input will drop from .6370 to .5575. Todd also recommended a $1 million transfer from the General Fund to the landfill for a necessary equipment purchase and another $1 million to the Road Fund.

Todd expressed minor frustration over the Future Reserve Fund, which currently holds $12 million. By law, this “mining cushion” can only be accessed during a drastic decline in mining operations. “It’s frustrating to see $12 million sitting there just gaining interest,” Todd admitted, though she acknowledged the state-mandated requirement for the reserve.

Public safety

Sheriff Miles Umina reported on a high-speed collision on I-80 on Feb. 1. After a vehicle rear-ended an ore hauler, deputies discovered two pounds of methamphetamine and a pound of cannabis.

The suspect, a parolee with an extensive history of bank robbery, was traveling from California to Nebraska. Umina noted that over the past year, the department has successfully removed approximately 2.5 pounds of meth from the county, supported by task forces from Winnemucca and Elko.

The Sheriff’s Office said recruitment for deputies and dispatchers remains a top priority. HR director Cristina Lopez and Sheriff Umina are discussing “recruitment open houses” at the Opera House to build an eligibility list.

Lopez also raised a policy issue regarding maternity leave. Currently, new employees who have been with the county for less than six months are ineligible for FMLA or time off, a situation Lopez described as making Eureka a “not-friendly employer.” She is working on a policy to provide paid leave for such cases to avoid gaps in employment.

Public comment

During public comment, resident Bud Snyder brought an economic proposal to the board. Snyder, who has professional experience reworking mining waste, suggested testing the historic slag piles at the entrances of Eureka for precious metals.

“There’s a slight possibility that there might be money in them,” Snyder said, noting he planned to test samples himself. “It would be great to see the county make a few bucks off of them.”

Kassie Antonucci, director of MyBrary, provided an update on local literacy. The Eureka and Crescent Valley libraries saw high traffic in the latter half of 2025, with youth readers logging over one million minutes last summer. The upcoming summer program, “Unearth a Story,” will lean into the nation’s 250th anniversary (US 250) by integrating local history and archaeology.

Public Works and projects update

Roads: The road crew bladed nearly 50 miles of roads across the north and south ends of the county in December and January, including Rose Ranch Road and Grass Valley Road.
Kobeh Valley Drilling: The exploratory drilling program reached 730 feet but hit a layer of dry gravel and shale. Rowley stated, “We’re not seeing what we expected to see,” but drilling will resume Feb. 16 to attempt a 900-foot depth.
Airport: The county is racing to spend $113,000 in expiring FAA entitlement funds before June. Plans likely include apron maintenance at the local airport.
Building Maintenance: Contracts were awarded to Montrose Glass for over $86,000 to replace storefront doors and windows at the Eureka Opera House and the Assessor/DMV building.

Other board approvals

The commission also moved forward on several administrative and community requests:

Opioid Assessment: Approved a contract with Impact Evaluation to conduct a county-wide opioid assessment.
Community Spirit: Granted $1,000 to Marcial Evertsen for the Crescent Valley Community Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for April 5.
Investigative Tools: Entered a three-year contract with Thomson Reuters for “Clear for LE,” an investigative resource for the Sheriff’s Office.

Fire Safety: Approved travel for two Firewise board members from Crescent Valley to attend the Fire Adapted Nevada Summit in Reno.