Commissioners select Olsen as chairman

Pete Olsen, who was re-elected to the Churchill County Commission in November, was elected chairman by his peers at the commissioners’ Dec. 17 meeting.

Former chairman Carl Erquiaga will now serve as vice chairman of the three-person board. Additionally, Erquiaga will sit on the CC Communications Board of Directors, while Bus Scharmann moves over to the Road Department and Regional Transportation committees.

Library Director Carol Lloyd said the re-purpose project is progressing on time and within budget.

“I’m happy with the way it’s coming along … a nice collaborative effort,” she said of the library project.

She said a reception and dedication will be held at the library on Feb. 28, and normal hours will resume on March 2. The four-month project is designed to repurpose the existing building to enhance and improve function and efficiency in both the public and staff areas of the library.

Comptroller Alan Kalt and Kristen Burges of Kafoury, Armstrong and Company gave a presentation on the comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year that ended on June 30.

Kalt said the Audit Committee approved the report on Dec. 10. With the commissioners approval now, the next step for the report is to submit it to the Nevada Department of Taxation. According to Kalt, the financial report will also be submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association for consideration in the Certificate of Excellence Program for financial reporting. Kalt said Churchill County has earned this award during the past nine years.

Kalt further stated revenue for FY 2015 has increased slightly.

Burgess added the General Fund balance increased during FY 2014 to $7.5 million, a gain of $782,486.

Commissioners opened bidding for the lease of Wild Goose property, but the actual award of the winning bid will be Jan 5.

The accepted bid came in at $206,840.

One application, which came from Pine Grove Waste Water in the amount of $383,457, will be submitted to the State of Nevada’s Community Development Block Grant program’s FY2016 funding opportunity after receiving approval from the commissioners.

Pine Grove Waste Water’s application centered on the upgrade of wastewater lines and expansion to add addition residents in the Pine Grove subdivision. The proposed project was identified in the 2010 Community Assessment and as a priority in the CDBG Housing and Community Needs Assessment approved in November 2010.

An annual report submitted by the State of Nevada Division of Health for FY 2014 was approved. The report outlines the Child Protective Services contract.

Planning Director Michael Johnson presented commissioners with information to amend the Churchill County code to create an above ground corridor including pre-approval of transmission lines of 200 kilovolts or higher in recognized corridors. Another amendment to Section 9, Public Services and Facilities of the 2010 Churchill County Master Plan would create an aboveground utility plan for electrical lines passing through the county in recognized corridors.

“This doesn’t bother me because they (transmission lines) don’t come through the community,” said Olsen.

Commissioners approved both Ordinance 32 and the amendment to Section 9.

Terry Knutson of the Bureau of Land Management’s Carson City District reviewed the Lands Bill that was recently passed by both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The manager for the Stillwater Field Office said a 400-acre section of BLM land designated for housing should be transferred to the U.S. Navy in about 180 days.

Knutson also gave an update on the hearing dates for a Resource Management Plan and how it affects both the Carson City District and Churchill County. Essentially, Knutson said the plan is a blueprint of how the land is used.

A public meeting is scheduled for the Fallon Convention Center on Jan. 15, 2015, from 5-7 p.m. and before the commissioners on Jan. 20. A meeting with the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone tribal Council will occur in February, but a date has not been set.