State of County set for Thursday

County Manager Jenifer Davidson at the Nov. 13, 2024, Sierra Nevada Republican Women meeting.

County Manager Jenifer Davidson at the Nov. 13, 2024, Sierra Nevada Republican Women meeting.

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Douglas County Manager Jenifer Davidson will address the state of the county 4-6 p.m. Thursday at the Douglas County Community & Senior Center in Gardnerville.

She told county commissioners at their meeting last week the county is working on Title 20, which governs development.

She is proposing a June workshop to discuss the county’s transportation plan and the intersection evaluation.

“We have completed some updates,” she said. “It’s a heavy lift to update county code, and we’re going to kick it into overdrive starting next fiscal year.”

Commission Chairwoman Sharla Hales said she got the sense that the Community Development Department is already putting in some late nights.

“The Community Development team has the most late-night working team members,” Davidson confirmed.

She asked commissioners to remember that when the county brings forward contracts for professional services.

“When we bring on consultants, it’s about building capacity to do more in a cost effective way,” she said during a discussion of the county’s strategic plan.

A study on transferred development rights, which are designed to preserve agriculture by shifting density to receiving areas, is underway with the findings being submitted for technical review.

She pointed out that the county is moving forward acquiring parcels for flood control as part of the stormwater master plan.

At a gathering of county managers on Jan. 30, Davidson said Douglas County is streamlining its permitting process.

Davidson noted some challenges for the county. Like neighboring counties, Douglas needs more money for road maintenance.

Davidson said there is a crisis of confidence people have with government’s problem solving.

“We have to push through these difficult conversations,” she said. “Because if we don’t, it can create what they’re describing in our field as the calcification of government. It can cause government to fear and to take no action and to remain stagnant and to do nothing. And frankly, that is not an answer.”