Carson City Health and Human Services accreditation may mean grants

An update Thursday on efforts to secure accreditation for Carson City Health and Human Services disclosed the department could gain an edge in grant funding after it comes.

The Board of Health, which is the Board of Supervisors plus Health Officer Dr. Susan Pintar and Sheriff Ken Furlong, was told the five-year drive toward becoming the first accredited local health department in Nevada culminates with a site review in November, a subsequent report and either immediate success or a roadmap to address additional tasks to achieve the goal. Supervisor Karen Abowd asked about potential positive results.

“Nobody said anything officially,” replied Valerie Cauhape, testifying for the HHS department, “but the ‘writing on the wall’” indicates to her a better competitive position for accredited agencies or departments is one result. The board also was told there were 3,000 local health units, and about 75 nationwide have earned such accreditation.

Cauhape said accreditation or a roadmap for additional work toward the goal should come in early 2016. She said 1,500 documents have been compiled and submitted by the department in preparation for the anticipated November site visit. She said they cover a dozen health areas, called domains, with some 300 examples in each domain required.

Acting as the Board of Supervisors on other items Thursday morning, the five members of the city’s governing board moved toward issuing $12 million in sewage bonds.

“This is kind of the next step in the process,” said Finance Director Nick Providenti as the board introduced on first reading the sewer bond ordinance, this one in part for ongoing sewage treatment plant upgrades and some lift station work. The key financing decision came last year when rates were increased to back ongoing bond issues like this one. Final adoption of this ordinance is expected in June.

The board also voted to extend the time allowed on the planned unit development map in the city’s development agreement with Roventini, LLC, which is for an eventual project involving 75 single family dwelling units west of Cochise Street between West Roventini Way and West Overland Street. In other morning action, the board:

Approved ARMAC Construction LLC as low bidder and awarded a contract for the West 8th Street sewer replacement project for almost $162,000; adopted an ordinance approving the Schulz Ranch Maintenance District petition and development agreement; accepted the Cultural Commission’s annual report and approved its work plan, but with the proviso a document being viewed as a cultural master plan be updated within six months.