Nevada County will soon have a new circuit judge. Judge Duncan Culpepper is retiring at the end of the year, and Kolby Harper, who ran unopposed for the Eighth North Circuit seat, will take his place.
“I think she’s going to make a super circuit judge. She is well spoken and extremely intelligent. And having witnessed her on the bench, I feel like she will make a super circuit judge,” said Nevada County Jail Administrator Steve Otwell.
Harper has already asked the Quorum Court for help getting her office ready. At its regular meeting Oct. 13, at the Nevada County Courthouse, the court heard a request for funds to update her office with computers and other equipment. Judge Mike Otwell asked David Gummeson whether the grant the county receives each year could be used for the purpose. Gummeson said it could and asked that Harper contact him.
The circuit clerk race is also uncontested. Cassie Tolliver, who has been serving as deputy clerk, is unopposed for the circuit clerk position. Rita Reyenga, who currently holds the office, is retiring. County Judge Mike Otwell is also unopposed and is expected to serve another four years.
The race for Nevada County assessor is contested. Chief Deputy Larry Miller, a Republican, and Beronica Toliver-Parrish, an independent, are both on the ballot. In Emmet, voters will have a choice in the race for mayor, with Chuck Otwell and Trey Baker running against each other.
Members present at the Quorum Court meeting were Pruitt, Butler, Coleman, Grimes, Cornelius, Wilson, Irizarry and Poole. Jackson was absent, and a quorum was established. Financial statements were presented, and the financials stand as presented. Financials were sought from the treasurer’s office, but the treasurer was not in.
Quorum Court members asked for a report on the jail, including incoming and outgoing expenses and how many inmates are currently held. In a later interview, Jail Administrator Steve Otwell said the Nevada County Jail held 61 inmates in October and has a capacity of 80.
The court approved the purchase of a new county server. A representative of Apprentice told members the current server is worn out and needs to be replaced. He said the new one should last up to nine years, after which he expects it to become obsolete as systems move to the cloud. He asked only for approval to place the order so the price would not go up, with payment arrangements to be worked out after the server is in place. The court voted unanimously to move forward, with Jackson absent.
Members also approved Ordinance O-26-3 by roll call vote, with all eight members present voting yes. The Solid Waste financial statement was also presented to the court.
Valerie Cobb with the Chamber of Commerce gave a calendar of upcoming events. She said the Fall Festival was a great success, and the Chamber is planning for the upcoming Trick or Treat on Elm Street.
