Superintendent Reaches Agreement with School Board
In November, the Clark County School Board voted to reverse its decision to rescind Superintendent Jesus Jara’s contract with the district. Last month, the board and Jara reached an agreement for him to continue as superintendent with a statement that they, “will continue striving for a more collaborative, respectful and supportive board and superintendent relationship.” Clark County School District has over 300,000 students enrolled and is the fifth largest in the nation.
GOED Approves $12 Million in Tax Abatements to Nine Companies
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) recently approved $12 million in tax abatements to six new and three expanding Nevada companies. The companies are required to create a total of 469 jobs in the next two years with an average wage of $25.22. Approximately 730 jobs are expected to be created from these nine businesses over the next five years. The businesses will make an estimated $145 million capital investment in the first two years of operation and generate $59 million in new net taxes over ten years.
City of North Las Vegas Unveils Business Resources
The City of North Las Vegas has unveiled the Small Business Connector as well as the city’s first ever revolving loan fund, Invest NLV. The connector is located in North Las Vegas City Hall and is designed to help businesses launch, recover and expand by providing a variety of services under one roof. In addition, Invest NLV is a city-specific loan program provided by Access Community Capital which provides small business owners and startups with low-cost business loans. The program emphasizes loans to women, veteran and minority-owned businesses.
Sky Tavern Receives $1 Million Challenge Grant
Sky Tavern, a nonprofit ski resort that teaches kids, has received a $1 million challenge grant from the E.L. Wiegand Foundation. The 73-year-old resort runs the award-winning Reno Junior Ski Program which began in 1948 and has taught over 100,000 children. The challenge grant provides less than half of the $2.4 million estimated to install a snowmaking system. Sky Tavern is tasked with raising the remainder of the funds. The resort hopes to grow into a year-round resort and was recently granted a 50-year lease to operate.
Nevada Ranks Fourth in Residential Rent Increases
According to data sourced by QuoteWizard from Apartment List, a national listing service that conducts research and market trends, Nevada has seen the fourth highest increase in rent nationwide. The research showed a 25 percent rent increase in the state last year with an average one-bedroom rental costing $1,243 per month. Rent has gone up 34 percent since 2019.
WGU Launches Apprenticeship Program for Software Developers
Western Governor’s University (WGU), a nonprofit, competency-based school, has developed the Southern Nevada Software Developer Registered Apprenticeship Program. The program was created with collaboration from the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), NV Workforce Connections, Global C2 Integration Technologies and IONnovate. Enrollees learn technical and behavioral competencies on the job in the technology industry.
Reno Launches Carbon Footprint Public Portal
The City of Reno, in partnership with Ledger8760, has launched a 24/7 carbon tracking platform that measures energy, emissions and utility information. The portal is available to the public and monitors carbon output from city-run buildings, utilities and vehicles, among others. The city launched the public portal in December but has partnered with Ledger 8760 since July of last year to identify usage patterns that lead to greater carbon emissions in an effort to reduce Reno’s annual greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2025.