Supervisors appoint Bruketta, review prison statistics, airport map

As of August 5, Carson City will have a new Justice of the Peace in the Justice Department and Municipal Court 2 – Melanie Bruketta.

On Wednesday, the Carson City Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Bruketta’s interim appointment for the period Aug. 5 to Jan. 5, 2025, until Bruketta’s new full term begins.

The individual will fill the seat vacated by Superior Court Judge Kristin Luis, who was appointed on an interim basis by Gov. Joe Lombardo and will compete against attorney Mark Krueger in the November general election.

Bruketta won the June 11 primary with more than 50 percent of the vote and will not go to the general election. She was one of three candidates interviewed by supervisors Feb. 1 for the interim appointment, but the board ultimately postponed the appointment until after the June primary.

“At this point I would like to thank all my supporters,” Bruketta said on Wednesday.

Bruketta is a former deputy district attorney and director of human resources in Carson City. The nomination was met with applause, and Bruketta was congratulated by superiors on his new role.

“I’ve spent a lot of time working with Melanie over the years, you know, as the fire chief and then in the district attorney’s office and finally in human resources, and I know her dedication to this community and its citizens. I know she’s going to be a great judge,” said Supervisor Stacey Giomi.

In other actions:

• Supervisors reviewed a biennial report on prison deaths and conditions, as required by state law.

There had been no deaths recorded at the Carson City Jail in the six months preceding the report, CCSO officials said Wednesday.

Statistics collected from the beginning of the year through May show that total bookings from all agencies (mostly from CCSO) increased from 1,154 during the same period last year to 1,269 this year, a 10 percent increase. Jail releases increased 19 percent from 981 during the same period in 2023 to 1,171 tracked so far in 2024. Statistics also show that the average jail stay decreased by 22 percent, from 134 days during the same period in 2023 to 104 days this year.

For incidents involving inmates, overall smuggling incidents decreased year over year during that time frame, from 2 to 1, but drug smuggling incidents increased from 3 to 4. Strip searches also increased from 16 incidents in 2023 to 19 this year; however, the overall number of searches decreased by 48 percent, from 1,008 last year to 523 this year. And use of force incidents decreased by 50 percent, from 8 incidents last year to 4 this year.

The number of medical emergencies at the jail has increased by 53 percent, from 19 last year to 29 this year, according to the report. Sheriff Ken Furlong told the Appeal that the increased number of medical emergencies reflects the condition of inmates coming into the jail and includes transports to the emergency room. The jail has medical staff during the day, but Furlong believes additional medical staff in the evenings and after hours may be needed.

• Furlong, Carson City Sheriff’s Deputy Jerome Tushbant and others briefed supervisors on the ongoing process of replacing outdated computer programs in CCSO’s jail, records and dispatch operations.

CCSO is investigating vendors, and Tushbant estimated the initial cost of the replacement at $2.2 million, plus projected five-year maintenance costs of $1.6 million. However, costs could change after negotiations, and Deputy City Manager Stephanie Hicks told supervisors that the replacement project was recently selected by the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for federal funding, although funding is not guaranteed at this point.

Furlong and Tushbant agreed that the replacement project would be an opportunity to make proactive operational changes to the department.

• Supervisors unanimously approved the Carson City Airport Authority’s fiscal year 2024-2029 federal capital improvement plan for the airport and two grant applications to the Federal Aviation Administration for $500,000, with a 6.25 percent CCAA match of $33,333.

With the moving target of federal grants in mind, supervisors modified their approval to allow airport officials to apply for the grants this fiscal year or in 2025. If approved, the grants would fund the runway extension project, starting with a preliminary design and environmental impact assessment. The city says the extension will improve safety during takeoff.

“(Planes) have to reduce their weight to meet safety requirements for takeoff because our airport has a high density altitude,” said airport manager Corey Jenkins, “which basically means that airplanes have reduced efficiency during the summer. We’re a high-altitude airport, and high temperatures cause what’s called density altitude.”

Jenkins said available funding for another project, drainage and runway safety improvements, has been pushed back to 2025. The project is important, he said, because mowing vegetation near the runway is dangerous and the vegetation is needed to control erosion. Expanding the scope of the project to next year could lead to paved shoulders.

“It’s important because in 2023, there was a fatal accident at an airport in Oklahoma that was caused by mowing right next to the runway,” he said. “It’s a very dangerous activity, and our goal is to eliminate that risk at our airport, make it safer for everyone.”