Carson City Board of Supervisors take up Marano evaluation; BLM land on tap

City Manager Nick Marano, after a year and a day in office, faces the music Thursday and, by all indications, should like what he hears.

Marano, who began his Carson City tenure last June, will undergo an evaluation by the Board of Supervisors at Thursday’s regular and initial June meeting. The board is set to convene as usual at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room at the Sierra Room in the Community Center, 851 E. William St., but unless there is a change the Marano assessment will come later in the morning not long before a lunch break.

“Nick, it is a pleasure to work with you as we both learn how the city works internally and externally,” said Supervisor Lori Bagwell in an evaluation document prior to the Thursday session. “You have met my expectations as a first year city manager.”

She particularly praised Marano for “taking immediate action concerning the building department” and said both builders and the general public had told her how much they appreciate the changes and improved service.

Other board member evaluations in the pre-meeting public agenda backup materials, for the most part, also say Marano met or exceeded expectations in his first year.

Marano, a retired Marine Corps colonel, previously ran Camp Pendleton in southern California in a job similar to a city management role. The board, before Bagwell joined it this year, in May of 2014 hired him over 70 other applicants and four other finalists. He took over as chief executive of city staff and became the board’s top employee on June 2, 2014.

In other significant action on Thursday’s agenda, the board is asked to direct that city staff issue a check for $375,000 payable to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for completion of the land connivance as outlined in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.

Board materials show that action will be part of “the transfer of approximately 5,452 acres of federal land to Carson City” as approved by the 2009 land management act. This includes 3,604 acres of open space and about 1,848 acres for parks and public purposes. The BLM transfer has been in the works for some time, as the 2009 date of the federal act indicates.