Carson River committee going on chopping block

The Carson River Advisory Committee went along with a move Monday to terminate the panel in the name of city government efficiency.

The seven-member panel, after discussion, voted without dissent for a motion recommending to the Carson City Board of Supervisors the committee's termination.

The motion also included a call for a resolution, expressing gratitude for current and former committee members' service, as well as their contributions toward and stewardship of the Carson River in the city.

Juan Guzman, city open space manager, said the panel had done fine work and the main reason was to make operations leaner.

"We're just doing it to improve efficiency," said Guzman, who added the river advisory unit and the Open Space Committee have some overlapping duties now.

"The dissolution of the Carson River Advisory Committee," said a staff report, "will result in the streamlining of public meetings that are deemed to be repetitive and overlapping among the functions" of the two panels.

The report also noted that under the river panel's leadership, city government has developed the Carson River Master Plan and revised Chapter 3 of that plan.

"The committee participated in the development of the Community Vision for the Silver Saddle Ranch and Carson River, which was adopted by the Board of Supervisors," the report said.

"Similarly, the committee was instrumental in the development of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which resulted in the contiguous ownership of approximately 5,000 acres of (additional) land," it said.

Guzman said the Board of Supervisors would take the matter of dissolving the river panel later.

"I just want to say how much of a pleasure it was to work with the city on this," said Randy Pahl chairman of the committee.

The committee has been operating for 17 years.