Douglas County Commissioners talk US Capitol Christmas Tree ornaments, changes to Clear Creek Subdivision and more
Created by the Douglas County Manager’s Office
Welcome to our recap of the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners meeting!
It’s always a busy time as we work to make our county a great place to live, work, and play and there’s a lot to cover this week.
So, let’s dive into the May 15, 2025 meeting and see what’s happening around Douglas County!
May 15, 2025 “Hot Topics” Administrative Agenda Items
Douglas County Invited to Shine in 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Ornament Program
For the first time ever, Nevada’s Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest has been selected to provide the 2025 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, a beloved national tradition dating back to 1964.
Known as “The People’s Tree,” this symbol of unity and holiday spirit will stand proudly on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, representing the theme “Starry Skies to Neon Lights—Spirit of the Silver State.”
In celebration of Nevada’s diverse culture and landscapes, the U.S. Forest Service is inviting counties across the state to join in a collaborative ornament program.
During a presentation to the Board by Denise Beronio, Administrator for the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, and Brian Fitzgerald, President of the Carson Valley Arts Council, counties were asked to participate by creating more than 50 handcrafted ornaments each by September 15, 2025.
This initiative is a partnership between Douglas County, the Douglas County School District, and the Carson Valley Arts Council, and is proudly endorsed by the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO).
Ornaments should reflect the unique spirit of Nevada and be made from natural, recyclable, or repurposed materials.
The program is a creative, community-centered opportunity for every county to be part of this historic moment on a national stage. For more details, visit uscapitolchristmastree.com.
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Clear Creek Phase 9 Zoning, Land Use, and Subdivision Amendments
The Board discussed final approval of multiple land use actions related to Phase 9 of the Clear Creek Tahoe development.
These include a Zoning Map Amendment (Ordinance 2025-1654) to rezone 0.85 acres from Private Recreation to Single-Family Residential (SFR-8,000); a Master Plan Amendment (Resolution 2025R-029) to revert the same area’s land use designation from Recreation back to Receiving Area; a Major Modification to the Phase 9 Tentative Subdivision Map to reduce the number of planned parcels from 19 to 6; and a Minor Modification to the Clear Creek Tahoe Specific Plan to maintain consistency with these changes.
This final phase of development required a boundary line adjustment that incorporated non-residentially zoned land, resulting in the need for zoning and land use amendments to ensure consistency.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of all four actions on April 8, 2025.
The proposed reduction from 19 to 6 lots is based on site constraints and feasibility.
The roads will remain privately maintained by the Clear Creek HOA.
Douglas County Senior Planner Lucile Rao said:
“The request before you includes four applications for the final phase of Clear Creek. It’s important to note that the Master Plan amendment request is for a portion of the 8.64-acre parcel going from recreation to receiving area and a zoning map amendment request to go from private recreation to single-family residential 8,000. Both requests will bring the parcel into conformance at is as it is currently split zoned. The request is also a reduction in the number of parcels currently approved at 19 parcels reducing to six parcels. As the final phase of the project the applicant is required to provide proof of purchasing and recording 384 transfer of development rights prior to the recordation of the map.”
The Board voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance, resolution, and major and minor modifications.
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Appointment of Public Administrator
The Board voted unanimously to appoint Wendy Sharp as the Douglas County Public Administrator, a role responsible for managing estates of deceased persons under NRS 253 and County Code Chapter 2.23.
This follows the Board’s prior decision to eliminate the elected version of the position and transition to an appointed role.
Community Services Director Brook Adie said: “The Community Services Department put out a competitive recruitment. We had some really great candidates and we have selected Wendy for your consideration based on her skills and abilities.”
Wendy Sharp then addressed the Board: “I am gracious to accept this position and serve Douglas County as your Public Administrator. It will be a real source of pride for me to serve Douglas County and our residents in this capacity and bring the dignity that our citizens who are no longer with us deserve. [I’m] very excited to take on this role and whatever challenge this may present.”
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Annexation of Justice Center Site into Town of Minden
The Board voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 2025R-052, which expresses the County’s intent to annex the future site of the Douglas County Justice Center—located at 1280 Buckeye Road—into the Town of Minden.
The annexation is necessary to comply with Nevada law requiring the District Court to be located within the county seat.
Deputy District Attorney Zach Wadle provided information on the resolution to the Board:
The Justice Center project continues to make progress. As part of that project, the Board needs to accomplish the annexation of the Justice Center parcel into the town of Minden. And the reason for that legally is that the district court for the 9th Judicial District, which is going to be in the Justice Center, must hold court under Nevada law in the county seat, which is the town of Minden.
So this parcel needs to be within the town of Minden as a matter of law. The procedure to start that process is via a resolution by this Board to basically state the Board’s intention to accomplish the annexation. So that’s what’s before you today. Presuming that resolution is adopted, the next step will be for staff to make a presentation to the Town of Minden board to update them on this project and the annexation.
This action initiates the formal annexation process.
Following possible adoption, County staff will present the proposal to the Minden Town Advisory Board before returning to the Board of Commissioners with an ordinance for final approval.
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MORE ITEMS
Other items not listed above include grant funding related to the Aging and Disability Services Division (Item 10.2), rescheduling of June and July BOCC meetings (Item 11.2), discussion on legislative updates (Item 11.3), and commissioner updates (Item 11.4).Members of the public may click the following link to watch the live stream of the Board of County Commissioners meeting:
Watch Here
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Want more on the meeting summary? Click below to view the Board Action Summary for the May 15, 2025 meeting.Board Action Summary
Contact us: 775-782-9821 • douglascountynv.gov
Disclaimer: Portions of Board Buzz were generated using AI technology to maintain a balanced perspective, improve accessibility for all audiences, and enhance readability. All AI-assisted content has been reviewed for potential bias and accuracy.
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