Carson City’s Open Space division should have $1 million budget for the coming fiscal year.
“I’m proud to inform the committee that revenues are increasing,” Ann Bollinger, Open Space administrator told the Open Space Advisory Committee Monday.
Open Space is funded entirely by Quality of Life money, which comes from one-quarter of 1 percent of the sales tax. Open Space receives 40 percent of the total.
Open Space staff is recommending upgrading a seasonal parks maintenance position to a three-quarter time parks maintenance coordinator.
The position would entail working with applicants for events at Silver Saddle, among other duties, and would help retain workers because it would come with health and retirement benefits.
Staff also proposed bumping up professional services from $150,000 to $190,000 to start to put aside some funds to update the programs master plan.
“It’s important when you’re applying for grants,” Bollinger said. “It hasn’t been updated since 2000.”
The committee also heard a presentation on the Open Space work program for 2017-2018, which is made up mostly of ongoing projects.
Bollinger highlighted several items.
The Golden Eagle Lane erosion and stabilization project has two grants and Carson City Public Works is now designing it and plans to begin construction this year.
Trail and trailhead improvements on the north end of Prison Hill have been tentatively awarded a $200,000 grant and should be designed this year.
And staff is involved in designing two trailheads and facilities being installed as part of the Sierra Vista Lane project, the reconstruction of 2.5 miles of the road, which is being down by the federal government.
The project is 30 percent designed and the committee and staff discussed utilizing the contractor on the project to make some improvements in a parking lot that provides access to the Carson River, which is not within the scope of the grant.
The five-page work program also included land acquisitions and conservation easements, fuels reduction projects, ordinances and paths and trails.
“This is a huge list,” said Committee Chair Bruce Scott. “This points to the fact we have our work cut out for us.”