Lyon County commissioners hike brothel fees

Brothel operators in Lyon County will have to pay more after the commissioners voted 3-1 to increase the quarterly fees across the board.

The quarterly fees will increase $2,000. Current quarterly fees are $16,000 for brothels with one to 20 rooms; $19,000 for brothels with 21-40 rooms; and $22,000 for brothels with 41 or more rooms.

The new fees will go into effect July 1.

Commission Chairman Bob Milz said that two years ago, when the commissioner raised the brothel fees, Moonlite Bunnyranch owner Dennis Hof complained, and the commission rescinded the increases. Milz said he didn't want the same thing to happen again.

Hof could not be reached for comment.

County Comptroller Josh Foli noted that funds from brothel fees go to purchase police equipment, something the department needed right now.

Milz pointed to the county's brothels as law enforcement difficulties, but Sheriff Sid Smith said bars along Highway 50 caused more problems than brothels.

"Brothels tend to police themselves," Smith said.

Commissioner Chet Hillyard, who is seeking re-election, opposed the measure.

Most other fees for county services will remain the same, though there were some increases as well as some deletions.

Hazardous waste permit fees will be eliminated, as will mobile home parks and recreational vehicle park fees, Lyon County code section fees and flood certificate fees.

Elsewhere in the Building Department, fees for electrical, foundations, gas lines, septic permits and wood stoves will go up.

Planning Department increases include fees for boundary line adjustments, division of land into large parcels, tentative maps, improvement plan review fees, master plan amendments, parcel maps, subdivision maps, waivers and variances, wireless communication facilities, and zone changes.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.

By the numbers

Here are the fees that were increased by Lyon County Commissioners Thursday:

Fee Current After July 1

Brothel

Quarterly fees - 1-20 Rooms $16,000 $18,000

21-40 Rooms $19,000 $21,000

41 or more Rooms$22,000 $24,000

Building

Electrical $50 $60

Foundation - residential $100 $120

Hazardous waste permit application$1,000 0

Hazardous waste processing service charge

Actual cost 0

Mobile Home Parks and RV Park fe $500 0

Lyon County Code Sections (per title)$50 $60

Flood certificate $50 0

Planning

Boundary line adjustment fee $250 $275

Division of land into large parcels $1,500 $2,000

Tentative map $250 $500

Improvement plan review $100 $150

Master plan amendment $1,000 $2,000

Tentative parcel map $600 $750

Parcel map waiver $100 $250

Street name request $150 $175

Tentative subdivision map $1,250 $1,500

Waiver, exception or variance to

improvement standards $100 $500

Wireless communication facility

new application $650 $750

modification $650 $500

Variance, administrative $100 $250

Variance $500 $750

Zone change $1,250 $1,500