Carson City Rifle and Pistol Range adding two nights per week

The Carson Rifle and Pistol Range is expanding its hours to two more nights a week.

Starting Aug. 13, the range will be open to the public Tuesday through Friday, 5:30-8 p.m. as well as 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. It remains reserved for clubs and classes with safety range officers during the week and on Saturday due to ongoing work to make the facility safer.

The design to update the entire facility should be completed within a week, Jennifer Budge, director, Parks, Recreation and Open Space, told the Range Task Force on Wednesday.

The city has already requested quotes to do the construction work on the range bays, but the quotes came in much higher than anticipated. Two quotes were received and the lowest was $143,000. Budge said the city is working with the Nevada Department of Wildlife to amend a grant it already applied for for $38,000 to go after more funds. The goal is to pay for the renovations at the range largely through grants.

Budge also said the new position for a full-time range coordinator will be posted this week.

The task force met to approve a fee schedule for when the range reopens full time. The fees charged will be used for maintenance of the facility.

The task force decided to charge two sets of fees, one for Nevada residents and another for out-of-state users. The initial plan was to charge separate rates for Carson City residents and all others because local taxes help pay for the range. But the range is funded though multiple sources, including state money from NDOW, so a majority of the task force said Nevada residents should be charged the same fees as Carson City-based shooters.

“I’m struggling with this in and out of county,” said Aaron Keller, the task force member representing NDOW. “Someone who might live closer to the range than most Carson City residents would pay more.”

The proposed fee schedule for Nevada residents and out-of-state users includes: a daily pass for $5 and $10; an annual pass for $50 and $100; and a family annual pass for $75 and $150.

The task force also decided range safety officers and other volunteers there would qualify for a pass after 16 hours of volunteering and maintain it with eight hours of monthly service.

The schedule also includes a flat fee for non-profit clubs and businesses to use the range for events or classes, and a fee for reserving it that is forfeited if cancelled 15 days or less before the reservation.

The range may also provide targets, ear protection and other basic equipment at cost for unequipped shooters and as part of an effort to promote safe shooting there.

“I’m right there but you’re going to take business away from me,” said Kristy Scott, owner, Battle Born Ammunition & Firearms, located on Highway 50 near the range, during final comment. “You’re going to have a hard time getting people back based on my customers. They’ve all gone elsewhere (to shoot).”

The fee schedule has to be approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission, which will likely consider it at its Aug. 20 meeting, and by the Board of Supervisors, which will likely vote on it at one of its September meetings.