Board OKs funding for Guinn’s plan to hire more DMV workers

Thursday, Oct. 14, 1999 | 11:52 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners Wednesday approved contracts totaling $170,000 to hire extra workers for Gov. Kenny Guinn's quick fix of the problems with the Genesis computer system at the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety.

The department is contracting with Kelly Temporary Service for 12 temporary workers in Las Vegas, three in Reno and 27 in Carson City to help with data entry, staffing the telephones and opening the mail.

When Guinn announced last week he was ordering the emergency hire of 42 employees and the establishment of a toll-free number for customers, he said there would not be any added costs. Guinn's legal adviser, Scott Scherer, said Wednesday the money for the contracts is coming from savings within the department. Scherer said the governor meant he would not have to seek an emergency appropriation from the Legislative Interim Finance Committee to pay for the extra workers. The extra workers, under the contracts, will be available until Dec. 31.

The examiners board, of which Guinn is chairman, also approved a $13,000 settlement to be paid to Nelson Calzadilla, who was injured when UNLV police officer Joshua Delvalle smashed into Calzadilla's parked car.

Delvalle was pursuing a suspect in a stolen car when the squad car struck Calzadilla's vehicle at 5505 S. Maryland Parkway. Calzadilla originally sought more than $50,000 for his injuries and damage to his car but agreed to a settlement for a lesser amount.

The board agreed to a $90,000 payment to James C. Thomas of Utah, whose car ran into a culvert, killing one of his children and injuring two others. The accident occurred on U.S. 95 about six miles south of McDermitt in Humboldt County. Thomas claimed the culvert was not in a safe place. Information submitted to the board said Thomas fell asleep at the wheel.

Also approved were contracts by the state Department of Information Technology for $6.5 million for three computer firms. State Budget Director Perry Comeaux said the department enters into contracts with these firms and then assigns them projects or to do trouble-shooting if the need arises.

Ballantyne Computer Service Inc. and Complete Business Solutions Inc. were each awarded contracts for $2 million. And IBM Global Services was awarded a $2.5 million contract.

IBM Global Services is the company that designed and built the trouble-plagued computer system for the state Welfare Division that is about $80 million over the original costs and six years past its delivery date.

Comeaux said the amount paid will depend on the jobs assigned and all of the money may not be used.