Legislature seeks funds to plan new office building

The Legislative Counsel Bureau on Wednesday asked Senate Finance for a total of $6.55 million for construction and equipment, including money to plan and design a new staff office building.

Director Lorne Malkiewich said $3 million would enable LCB to get the proposed office building designed and ready for construction funding by the start of the 2009 Legislature. It would be built across Fifth Street from the Legislature adjacent to the existing staff office building, the Sedway Building. One feature of the $30 million structure would be a second-story walkway connecting the office building to the Legislature across the street so staff could quickly go to hearings without crossing busy Fifth Street.

Malkiewich told the committee it would enable LCB to vacate leased space now occupied by some divisions.

SB461 also includes $670,000 to buy and install new high definition viewing screens in the Senate and Assembly chambers ands $1.55 million to upgrade central hardware and software - projects which were reviewed by the Legislative Commission Information Technology subcommittee.

And it includes money to remodel the Sedway Building, adding 1,222 square feet of office space on the first floor for $607,324.

Remaining projects include repairing the Sedway Building roof, resurfacing the top floor of the parking garage and HVAC and asbestos work in the existing legislative building.

The committee took no action on the bill, which must wait under the new Education First amendment to Nevada's constitution until public school funding is approved.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.