Churchill County Commission receives flood update from incident commander

At the Churchill County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Bill Lawry from the county’s Emergency Operations Center reported on flood mitigation efforts.

“I think we’re doing pretty well,” said Lawry, the incident commander. “We started about a month ago. We’ve given away and delivered over 100,000 sandbags; we have about 30,000 on the ground. We have a sandbag machine that should be here today.”

Lawry added the situation and its details are going to be a long process.

“We’re basically at the mercy of mother nature,” he summarized. “If weather cooperates, and we have no hiccups and we get the dam down … if everything works, we’ve got a pretty good chance of making it through this thing.”

Commissioner Pete Olsen said he appreciated the many organizing efforts happening.

County Comptroller Alan Kalt provided a related financial overview including how an incident expense number has been assigned to prove useful in tracking relevant expenses and department budgets.

The commissioners recognized several county employees including County Manager Eleanor Lockwood for 20 years of service.

During public comment, the new Fallon Golf Course pro Marty Davis shared about himself and his present goals for the facility.

“I see a tremendous opportunity for this golf course,” he said, adding some of his ideas include the establishment’s online presence, youth participation, events for community fundraisers and profitability for the county.

Ken Collum, the new manager at the Stillwater Field Office since late February, presented for the Bureau of Land Management Carson City District. He described some of his experience including mining and moving from Susanville, Calif., as well as gave a brief update on current area BLM activities, plans and actions.

Collum added he wanted to provide the best updates possible including keeping things simple where needed and providing more information from specialists when appropriate for certain projects or topics. Collum and the commissioners discussed having a list of projects ahead of time, thus questions could be asked and researched ahead of meeting presentations. Collum could then have the relevant project manager attend as well for instance.

Commissioner Bus Scharmann also requested more information regarding the BLM’s involvement with the Naval Air Station Fallon Range Training Complex Modernization.

Olsen thanked Collum and the BLM for continuing to come out and talk to Churchill County.

The commission also approved the following:

Construction bid award to install the Pine Grove Sewer System Improvements 2017 Project.

Community Services Block Grant Sub-Recipient Agreement between Churchill County Social Services and the Churchill Community Coalition to provide the Parenting Wisely Program.

Request from Jim Kingzett for a three-year time extension (to put project funds to use now) on a tentative parcel map submission related to the Hazen Rail Park.

Request from Twenty-One Lots Caleb, LLC for a time extension on a map submission related to Skyridge Estates, phase 8.

Two-year interlocal contract between the Nevada Division of Forestry and the county for wildland fire protection.

Authorization for potential future sale of property held in trust by the county treasurer for unpaid taxes.

Agreement for purchase of a conservation/restrictive use easement with Clinton Louis Felton and Denise Lynn Mondhink-Felon.

Agreement for purchase of a conservation/restrictive use easement with Flying W Land & Livestock, LLC.

Ferguson Construction was not able to be present and discuss a request for a time extension regarding the William N. Pennington Life Center project.

The next commission meeting will be April 6 at 8:15 a.m. in the chambers on Taylor Street.