Agreement partners city's BRIC with UNR School of Business

Carson City's Business Resource Innovation Center will redouble its efforts to help the city on the road to economic recovery by joining forces with one of Northern Nevada's top business support and training centers.

An agreement between the city's BRIC and the Nevada Small Business Development Center at the University of Nevada, Reno was approved Thursday by the Carson City Board of Supervisors.

The purpose of the agreement is to provide a framework for cooperation between the two in establishing services at the BRIC under the direction of the new BRIC Manager Michael Salogga.

"There are so many opportunities for economic development here in Carson City by connecting with other economic development agencies," Salogga said, adding he intends to focus on helping people who walk through the door and will reach out to existing businesses.

"It's all about jobs and increasing revenues," he said.

Supervisor Shelly Aldean encouraged Salogga to work on business retention and to communicate regularly with the board.

"As a city government, we are sometimes the last to hear what's in the works or after it's too late when someone is leaving," she said.

She also urged the new BRIC manager to reach out to the city's manufacturing community.

City manager Larry Werner said Salogga also will bridge a gap with the Northern Nevada Development Authority.

"He'll be our representation to NNDA. It will be key for us to be a player on that team. Before, we were often working at cross purposes," Werner said.

Because of recent reductions in staff at the NSBDC, a counselor was no longer available to serve area businesses at the BRIC, but the new agreement helps reestablish that counseling function.

Among some of the other expectations agreed upon for NSBDC are to:

• Provide mentoring and training for the BRIC manager.

• Provide support for training classes and workshops.

• Provide referrals to the BRIC for potential clients in the Carson City area.

• Provide direction on how to capture and report technical assistance.

Among the expectations listed in the agreement for the BRIC manager are to:

• Work with the NSBDC to coordinate and facilitate business, entrepreneurial, management and technology training for small business.

• Partner with the Service Corps of Retired Executives to provide business start-up training when appropriate.

• Establish referral systems with banks, chambers of commerce, educational institutions, the Small Business Administration, trade groups and others working with small businesses.

The BRIC was created on Proctor Street across from City Hall in mid-2010 in an effort to consolidate city services and provide an easy one-stop shop for helping businesses succeed in the capital city. Included are the business library, Office of Business Development, and the city's building, engineering, planning, and business license departments.

In other matters Thursday, supervisors:

• Presented a Runner-Friendly Community plaque to Sean Lehmann.

• Facilitated the presented of a plaque from University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, 4-H youth, their families and leaders to Carson City Parks and Recreation Department for their support throughout the years.

• Accepted the Carson City Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011.

• Authorized the city manager or finance director to arrange to refinance certain outstanding bonds.

• Accepted an inter-local agreement with Douglas County for Carson City Health and Human Services to provide community health nursing services in Douglas County.

• Took action on 11 planning and zoning items.

• Adopted on second reading an ordinance realigning ward boundaries.

• Considered in closed session negotiations and informal discussions between the city manager and the city's labor unions regarding potential for contract concessions to assist the city in balancing the 2011-12 annual budget.