Boys & Girls Club to receive funding

Carson City's Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada will open next month with $120,000 in maintenance funding.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors voted on a resolution Thursday to give the money to the club from the Quality of Life fund.

Supervisor Molly Walt was the lone opposing vote.

The funding is for fiscal year 2009-10 only. Funding for future years will have to be requested by the club and approved by the board of supervisors.

Walt objected, saying that Question 18 was an advisory question only, so it was not legally binding.

"There is nothing to say that another nonprofit can't come to us and say, 'Please, we need the money,'" she said.

But Parks and Recreation Director Roger Moellendorf said that the ballot question, passed in 1996, listed 12 projects residents of Carson City wanted to see funded.

The question read: "Shall Carson City request that the Nevada Legislature authorize it to fund the acquisition, development and maintenance of parks, open space, trails and recreation facilities through an increase in the sales tax rate of 1/4 of 1 percent?"

The question explanation stated that the projects to be developed first were:

• Trails and bike lanes

• Aquatic facility

• Carson River

• Beautification

• Centennial Park

• Mills Park

• New facilities for youth sports

• Boys & Girls Club: Maintenance of a newly constructed facility (about

$120,000 annually)

• Community center

• Rifle/pistol range

• Fuji Park

• Multi-purpose gymnasium

City Manager Larry Werner added that the allocation outlined in the question was that 40 percent was to go to open space, 40 percent to parks capital improvements and 20 percent to operation and maintenance.

"It was always the intent that the Boys & Girls Club would benefit because they provided recreation that the city would otherwise have to provide," said Supervisor Pete Livermore, who also sits on the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Linda Marrone, who was a member of the commission from 1992-95 disagreed adamantly with Walt.

"Steve Kastens (parks director at that time) said that if the Boys & Girls Club failed for any reason, it would financially impact the city so much that he would not support the question without the 20 percent maintenance," Marrone said. "They need this money to operate the facility."

Livermore said the club is always looking at new ways to raise funding for operation, but that it is going to part of the new recreation center which will be adjacent to it.

Mayor Bob Crowell supported the maintenance funding.

"Q-18 may not be legally binding, but it's pretty good and clear what the intent was and the law gives us flexibility. The intent is what I'll look at," he said.

Former mayor Marv Teixeira, who was in office during the Quality of Life Initiative push, and is a major proponent of the club, said enrollment there is up.

"What we're doing out there will be used by the community when this is all opened up," he said. "We continue to hustle to make a buck, and I wish you could see how many kids we're feeding breakfast to that wouldn't otherwise get one."

Hal Hansen, chief professional officer for the club, said in a letter to supervisors that the opening date has been set for Aug. 24.