Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark and County Manager Eric Brown Clash Over Reno’s Community Assistance Center

During last week’s Reno city council meeting, Councilmember Jenny Brekhus revealed an email (see below) from a county employee to Commissioner Mike Clark which stated that the City of Reno was not interested in a proposal from the County to rehabilitate the former Community Assistance Center (CAC) in order to provide the county’s homeless population with housing and potential wrap-around services. The county employee notes, “the City of Reno is not interested in selling the building to the county to house people experiencing homelessness.”

During the meeting, Brekhus said that “someone in a high level in the county” must have made that determination on behalf of the City after Mayor Hillary Schieve confirmed that “no one in the county spoke to anyone up here.” Brekhus asked for an investigation and a 90-day delay prior to any vote that would sell the building to an affordable housing developer. Her request was denied. The once $20M building was determined to be worth ~$3.4M due to deterioration, mold, and damage that has occurred over the last four years.

The CAC was designed to provide housing and services to the unhoused, but was closed in 2020 due to the lack of social distancing space required during the pandemic. The center formerly housed up to 175 people. Since that time, the building has remained closed and determined to be a “blight” as it remained abandoned and fell into disrepair.

This spring, the City opened a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for 45 days, with four proposals submitted by the June deadline. Three of those proposals were deemed viable and presented during last week’s meeting. The council approved the motion to enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement with Ulysses Development Group, an affordable housing developer out of Denver, Colorado.

Commissioner Clark is also demanding an investigation into the matter and went on the record with The Globe earlier this afternoon, stating: “I would like to know if it is against the policy for one county employee to direct another county employee to give disinformation to an elected official. What are the penalties and is it encouraged? Does this give them a free pass to do so and without any fear of giving false info? I know Candee is a good worker and good at what she does, however who told her or directed her to send me an email with this falsehood? Are they any consequences for intentionally sharing disinformation?

Since his public statements, sparks have flown between Commissioner Clark and County Manager Eric Brown, culminating in an email sent today to Clark from Brown, which was then forwarded by Clark to The Globe, members of the media, and Clark’s attorney.

In his forwarded email, Clark states that he is “fed up with the bobbing and weaving on the part of the county.” Clark writes:

Hello everyone –

I went on the record on Tuesday, about the email that Councilmember Brekhus brought up at a Reno City Council meeting regarding the CAC building.

As you know I’m fairly fed up with the bobbing and weaving on the part of the county.

Candee Ramos is a wonderful employee at Washoe County and would have never sent me the email about the City of Reno’s plans for the CAC building unless someone above her had informed her to do so.

This is what County Manager Eric Brown wrote to me – so I thought I’d share it.

My attorney, Hawah Ahmad is copied on this email. I plan to pursue this via the HR Department and will seek legal advice if I am not able to learn who directed Candee to send me the answer that no one on the City of Reno dais would admit to.

In his email to Clark, Brown writes:

When a sitting Commissioner publicly accuses Washoe County staff of lying, I have to speak up.

Earlier this year Washoe County staff did consider whether we could operate an additional shelter at the CAC given our overflow situation. Reno code dictates that we cannot have another regional shelter within the City of Reno.  Even if it did, we do not have the resources or staff to open another facility and we strongly feel the best use of our resources is to continue to focus on the Cares Campus and Our Place facilities.

As you are aware, in June of this year, the City of Reno released an RFP for the Community Assistance Center (CAC).  Washoe County staff did not lie to you about the CAC facility which has repeatedly discussed in public at Council meetings – in fact, here is an article that discusses their intent.  The City made it clear publicly and in private conversations that they were looking for other options for the CAC location, which is what Candee Ramos shared with you.

It is offensive to me and my staff that we are consistently being accused by you at the Dias of being untruthful.  You continue to try and defame staff with sensationalized, baseless rhetoric and misinformation.  This behavior is a violation of the honesty provisions in our County Code of Conduct. (Microsoft Word – Code of Conduct Final 5-24-05.doc (washoecounty.gov)

Accordingly, after discussing this matter with the Chair, we will not be bringing your requested agenda item forward to disallow directing staff to send misinformation as there is no evidence of this taking place, and if there were, it would be covered by our County Code of Conduct.

The Globe will continue to follow this developing story and has contacted Washoe County Media and Communications Manager Bethany Drysdale for comment and clarification.