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Commissioners address back pay for CASA program

By ALI HELGOTH - Staff Writer
Friday, April 18, 2008 12:20 PM PDT

ELKO - With grant funds not coming in as anticipated, Northeastern Nevada Court Appointed Special Advocates found itself in a position no non-profit organization wants to be - without money.

In a letter to the Elko County Commission, program director Alana McKinney said CASA ran out of money in February and the program's three employees have worked without pay for six weeks.

Since the March 28 letter was sent to the commission, two grants were received so employees were paid April 1, but they did not receive back pay.

She requested $9,000 from the commission to pay employees. As a result of the budget shortfall, the program's grant writer was laid off, she said.

The program was started last year by McKinney and provides guardian representation services to children in foster care, something the county is by law required to provide.

Before CASA, the court spent $90,000-$100,000 per year on such services, she said.

Attorneys provided the service but were unable to dedicate adequate time to each case and the service was partially turned over to the juvenile probation department, which provided a conflict in some instances because they served as probation officers and advocates for the same children, McKinney said.

For the 2009 fiscal year, commissioners allocated $25,000 in the tentative budget for the program.

In a 4-1 vote, they agreed to provide $10,000 to the program now to allow employees to receive back pay, but decrease the budgeted amount for next year by $10,000.

A resolution is required at the next commission meeting in order for the money to be allocated.

They told McKinney if she could provide documentation that shows how CASA saves the county money, the commission might provide more funding.

Commissioner Charlie Myers voted against the decision.

In other action, commissioners:

- Heard an update on Wells earthquake recovery. Mayor Rusty Tybo reported $208,349 has been raised. City Manager Jolene Supp said she plans to meet with the state Wednesday to discuss possible funding to help with recovery efforts and the structural assessment of city hall is expected to be complete by the end of the week;

- Met Evan Fulton, the new state water resources specialist for the University of Nevada, Reno. Fulton is a social scientist who has studied how entities make arrangements to manage resources;

- Heard a presentation regarding the Yucca Mountain national transportation planning process from Gary Lanthrum, director of the Department of Energy office of logistics management. Nuclear waste would likely travel through Elko County by train on a dedicated rail if the project continues forward although a route has not yet been established;

- Approved a request to file for a Federal Aviation Administration grant to complete the fencing project at the Jackpot airport;

- Selected the Salt Lake City company Stantec Consulting as the wastewater system engineering firm for the Jackpot Wastewater System in a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Warren Russell voted against the decision because RTW, which has a local office, was not chosen.

County Public Works Director Lynn Forsberg said under RTW's proposal, project work would have been conducted in Denver, Colo., not locally. He said the decision was made based on who's the most qualified and who can work the best at the project;

- Approved a request to answer a Veterans Administration bid solicitation with a proposal for construction of medical office space for an outreach clinic to be housed at the Old Elko Clinic.

- Set for second reading an ordinance that brings the county in compliance with state statute that requires relinquishment of two acre feet of water rights to the Nevada Department of Water Resources for each new parcel in the Dixie Creek/Tenmile, Elko Segment and Diamond Valley hydrologic basins;

- Approved a request by Ryndon Country Store for street vacation on portions of Gold Rush Drive and Huron Avenue in Ryndon;

- Provided support for a Bureau of Land Management Sulphur Springs fuels reduction proposal in Eureka County;

- Provided support for the proposed Ruby Pipeline project;

- Accepted the fair market value appraisal for the Northeastern Nevada Railport;

- Increased the human services department group home assistance payments from $1,650 to $2,100 per client to reduce the number of clients placed into more expensive skilled nursing home facilities;

- Approved a request for dust control on Circle L Road immediately in front of Circle L Ranch.

- Provided a certificate of congratulations to Forsberg who was named 2008 Water/Wastewater System Manager of the year by the Nevada Rural Water Association;

- Gave a certificate of achievement to the Owyhee girls basketball team for their second first-place win at the state basketball tournament;

- Designated May as Motorcycle Awareness month.

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