Supervisor will consider taking steps to reuse current courthouse

Potential reuse of the Nevada County Courthouse

The Judicial Council of California (JCC) has decided to build a new courthouse in a new location and is currently in the process of selecting a site in the greater Nevada City area.

Under the current schedule, construction on a new courthouse could begin in 2026, with a move-in date of 2028.

The county, which owns a 49% interest in the Nevada County Courthouse located in downtown Nevada City, is seeking to partner with the City of Nevada City and other key stakeholders to ensure that planning for reuse of the facility benefits the community.

The County will consider approving the execution of a contract with Nelco Architecture, Inc. dba Nelson for a best use study for the potential reuse of the Nevada County Courthouse.

A maximum contract amount of $295,000 to determine alternative and realistic reuse options for the current courthouse will be considered at the regular Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, May 28 beginning at 9 a.m. in the Eric Administrative Center Chambers Rood located at 950 Maidu. Avenue in Nevada City.

The current building presents many challenges to a potential developer, including serious safety concerns associated with seismic deficiencies and lack of a sprinkler system.

The study should include an assessment of the condition of the building, an assessment of the development potential of the site, community outreach, a financial study to determine costs associated with reuse and identification of potential funding sources, according to the services report.

Ranger, a canine (K9) officer, is retiring from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, and the supervisors will consider allowing Ranger’s handler, Deputy Joshua Stanis, to purchase Ranger for the price of $1.

Ranger was purchased by the sheriff’s office in 2020 with a grant from the Rüdiger Foundation. With this grant, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office was able to reestablish its canine program, according to the staff report.

Canine officers can reduce the number of fleeing subjects, increase apprehension rates, deter and deescalate confrontational situations with deputies, thereby reducing injuries to officers and the public, and help locate missing persons more quickly.

Leisure and resilience

Supervisors will consider adopting the Nevada County Recreation and Resilience Master Plan to focus on recreation needs, priorities and opportunities.

In recent years, Nevada County has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people accessing open spaces, and two ad hoc committees were formed in 2021 to advise supervisors making recreation a goal and to create a master plan for Leisure and Resilience which would be the first comprehensive stand-alone plan. in the history of Nevada County.

The county’s role in parks and recreation has traditionally been to support independent recreation and park districts formed by local voters and independent recreation providers through grants for eligible projects.

These independent districts, along with the cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City, then assume responsibility for providing parks and recreation facilities and services within their boundaries.

The county does not own or operate any parks and recreational facilities outside of Grass Valley Veteran’s Hall and Tobiassen Park, according to the staff report.

No additional funding is requested for this article.

Funding for the development of the Nevada County Recreation and Resilience Master Plan was approved by the Board of Supervisors in the amount of $450,000, coming from a combination of $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding (ARPA) and a $200,000 grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

Complete annual financial report

An annual report from Gina Will, Auditor-Controller, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 will be presented to supervisors.

The independent countywide audits for the 2022-2023 fiscal year by CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (CLA) present the respective financial status of governmental activities, commercial-type activities, each major fund and the remaining aggregate information on funds of the county, as of June 30, 2023, as well as the respective evolution of the financial situation and, where applicable, the cash flows thereof for the financial year ended on that date, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted, according to the services report.

Supervisors will consider approving a contract between the county and Sierra Harvest to operate a market matching program at Nevada County farmers markets for a maximum amount of $81,811 for the duration of May 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025 .

As part of the agreement, Sierra Harvest will manage a market linkage program at approximately four farmers’ markets; three in Western County and one in Eastern County (Truckee).

The program, which was implemented in July 2014, provides a match to CalFresh participants at participating farmers’ markets to supplement participants’ fresh fruit and vegetable consumption and encourage the use of CalFresh fruit and vegetable benefits. seasonal fresh.