Carson City Utility Finance Oversight Committee receives update on major water, sewer, and stormwater initiatives

The Utility Finance Oversight Committee received an update on some of Carson City’s major water, sewer, and stormwater initiatives on Monday.

A program to help low-income homeowners with their water bills may be ready to implement in July, after an ordinance establishing the program goes to the Board of Supervisors, possibly in March, said David Bruketta, utility manager, Public Works department.

The plan was the idea of a working group headed by Supervisors Karen Abowd and Lori Bagwell and will replace an existing program that no longer takes new applicants. The assistance will be funded through donations from ratepayers.

The new operator of Eagle Valley Golf Course is taking over some operations to deliver reclaimed water to the facility.

The city will be responsible for delivering effluent to a holding pond at the course and Duncan Golf Management will be responsible for moving the water from there to irrigate the courses.

The city, said Bruketta, will still pay for capital investments in infrastructure there.

In the upcoming budget cycle, Public Works plans to propose that $75,000 set aside annually for operations at the course be moved to capital improvements. In the current fiscal year, $435,000 has been approved for work on the pond, main pump station, and other infrastructure at the course.

The committee had earlier asked for a so-called wish list of stormwater capital improvement projects that showed needs beyond the five-year budget cycle.

Public Works prepared a 20-year list of potential projects that include stormwater improvements on North Carson Street, Sean Drive, and Carmine Street, as well in Voltaire Canyon and Prison Hill among others, sometime after the next five-year plan.

In the current fiscal year, the city plans work on six projects for a total of $5.075 million. That work includes projects in Carson Street, Lakeview, and Kings Canyon, and will be funded through $4.8 million in bonds, the proceeds of which the city expects to receive in April, with the remainder made up from fund reserves.

The committee also reappointed Ande Engleman committee chair and Mike Bennett vice chair.

The committee will next meet on March 20 to discuss the budget for the 2019 fiscal year.