Carson City Chamber director selected as RACC chairperson

Ronni Hannaman of Carson City’s Chamber of Commerce is the new chairperson of city government’s Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee.

Hannaman, chamber executive director, was elevated to that post in a late Monday meeting after having served previously on the panel when Supervisor Lori Bagwell was chairperson before being elected to the Board of Supervisors.

Earlier Monday during Bagwell’s first meeting as a supervisor, she was chosen to be the city governing board’s member on the RACC. Among other things, the supervisor serves as a liaison.

At Monday evening’s RACC session, Garrett Lepire was selected as the committee’s vice chairman. Lepire is a downtown property owner and in the real estate business.

The RACC makes recommendations on economic redevelopment to the Redevelopment Authority. The authority is made up of the Board of Supervisors with different leadership.

On Monday, Mayor Robert Crowell suggested Supervisor Karen Abowd serve again as Redevelopment Authority chairperson when the board goes into session as the authority and the board complied.

Hannaman, meanwhile, on Tuesday said RACC not only organized for 2015 by selecting committee leadership, but also reviewed and ratified the downtown Robert McFadden Plaza proposal on West 3rd Street that was originally a RACC idea.

It was supported by City Manager Nick Marano and approved without dissent by the mayor and supervisors.

The plaza will go on the closed 3rd Street block between Carson and Curry streets.

“We’re very pleased to see the movement go forward,” said Hannaman, but she did say some questions were raised during the meeting about whether and where to locate a water feature in the planned plaza.