Carson City supervisors provide funds for Curry Street Project

The Board of Supervisors on Thursday allocated funds to tackle Carson City’s next big street project.

The Downtown Curry Streetscape Project will redo five blocks of Curry Street between Musser and Robinson streets as well as one block of each side street between Carson and Curry streets and an alleyway between Spear and Telegraph streets.

The project is estimated to cost $3.22 million with funding coming from the infrastructure tax, streets, water, sewer, and stormwater funds, and $550,000 from the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee.

The goal is to mirror the makeover of Carson Street with new pavers and sidewalks.

At the same time, an aged water line that runs under Curry Street as well as a sewer line that runs east west and some storm drain connections will be replaced.

“The real advantage is getting rid of old material, clay, and putting in plastic pipe,” said Darren Schulz, director, Public Works. “By doing it all holistically is a huge advantage.”

Staff recommended two so-called additives be included that bumped the estimated cost of the project from $2.79 million to $3.22 million.

That additional work will place the power lines underground and replace the gas-lit streetlights with LEDs along that stretch of Curry Street.

The plan is to finalize the design, which is now 60 percent complete, in early 2018 and begin construction in the spring.

The project will come back to the board when design is 90 percent complete, at which time detailed cost estimates for items such as landscaping and burying the utility will be presented, said Dan Stucky, city engineer.

The board also accepted a $118,285 grant to install phase one of the disc golf course on city land west of Flint Drive and Rifle Range Road.

The city is matching the grant, but primarily through in-kind services such as installing the equipment there. The city is matching $7,500 in cash from the Quality of Life fund, said Jennifer Budge, director, Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

The supervisors also discussed changes to the way Planning Commission members are selected.

The board was considering a new duties and responsibilities description for commissioners, but instead decided to rethink the way the commission is assembled.

Commissioners on the seven-member group are now chosen by the board from people who apply to be on the commission.

Supervisor Lori Bagwell suggested the city consider having each supervisor nominate one candidate who would have to be approved by the board for five of the members and then approve applicants for two citizens-at-large members.

The board directed staff to come back to the board with a plan how that would be implemented, which could include replacing current members only as their terms expire.

The supervisors also approved a $454,975.97 sales agreement with Election Systems & Software for new voting equipment to be used starting with the 2018 election.

The board also approved acting as a conduit for Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare to issue $60 million in tax-exempt bonds.

In order to issue tax-exempt bonds, the hospital has to work through the city, but it doesn’t cost the city nor affect its credit standing, and the city isn’t liable for the hospital’s debt.

Ann Beck, vice president and CFO, Carson Tahoe, said the hospital is expanding and will use the bonds for several projects, including connecting the medical center to the surgery center.

Both Supervisors Karen Abowd and Brad Bonkowski abstained from the vote due to conflicts of interest.