Nevada Indian Commission seeks to build remodel fund

The Nevada Indian Commission wants to build a fund to improve and maintain buildings at the Stewart Indian School.

Commission Director Sherry Rupert told the Senate Finance Committee on Monday that Senate Bill 59 would collect fees and other revenues from the use of spaces in buildings at Stewart in the Stewart Gift Fund to maintain the buildings. She said there are groups interested in holding events and potentially renting space in some of those buildings.

“When those buildings are inhabited, they’re maintained, they’re taken care of,” Rupert said.

She said the buildings are all very old and historic and that a large number of them need work. Allowing the commission to keep those fees and other funds and build them up in the Gift Fund would provide revenue to do that.

Asked why the Gift Fund instead of another account, she said primarily because the Gift Fund doesn’t revert funds to the state General Fund at the end of the fiscal year.

“The main difference is the ability to carry forward those funds,” Rupert said.

She said at this time, she has no estimate how much money would be generated and no one in line to rent any of the spaces at Stewart.

“This bill is kind of looking forward into the future,” she said.

The committee took no action on Senate Bill 59