Pool project needs more money

City supervisors weren't thrilled Thursday with two requests for extra funding for city projects.

Supervisors approved a contract for the new dispatch center, knowing the $460,000 contract was short of the $600,000 needed to finish the project.

They also allowed an extra $160,000 from Question 18 monies to finish work on the Carson Aquatic Facility.

Both are major city projects and both are or will run over budget, prompting supervisors to ask city staff if projects running over budget is becoming a habit.

"I'm' becoming increasingly distressed that we go into projects with estimates and come out with something different," Mayor Ray Masayko said. "We must do a better job in scoping these projects. When you need something, price it correctly and have as much of the information as possible so it can compete fairly. We need to make ourselves accountable for our own estimates. We need to make sure what's promised is deliverable. The taxpayers expect that."

Projects such as City Hall and the Public Safety Complex both had budget overruns, and city staff will have to search for an extra $117,000 in next year's budget to finish work on the dispatch center.

Parks and Recreation Supervisor Steve Kastens told supervisors he tried to keep the aquatic facility under budget.

"I was bold enough to stand here and say I could do it," Kastens said. "I tried, believe me, I tried to follow that."

Supervisors asked Kastens if the Question 18 monies could be used to add some of the items removed from construction at the Carson River Park. The park will get gates and a decomposed granite ramp instead of a concrete one, but Kastens said Quality of Life money can be used later to upgrade the park.

"Question 18 is near and dear to my heart," Kastens said. "I don't take that lightly. It's hard to balance all those groups and their demands. We looked at the pool and said, 'What can we leave out today and put back tomorrow? Nothing. We can put the concrete ramp in at the Carson River Park later.'

"The beauty of Question 18 is its ongoing forever. It never ends, and it's moving all the time."

Supervisor Robin Williamson said at least the pool may eventually pay for itself by being a tournament and public draw.

"We are at least getting positive aspects developed for our community that we will appreciate in the future," she said.