Contract for Marlette water system upgrade awarded

The Board of Examiners on Tuesday approved a contract to jump-start the upgrades to the Marlette Lake water system.

The $69,824 contract was awarded to Farr West Engineering to provide architectural and engineering services for the project.

The project itself includes replacement of the generator and pump system modifications. The company will produce design construction and bid documents for the project including replacement of the small utility generator, transfer switch, pump motor, drive and generator controls.

The Marlette Water System provides water to Carson City and Virginia City. It is Virginia City’s only source of drinking water.

The board consisting of the governor, secretary of state and attorney general also approved a contract with Geo Reentry to provide Day Reporting Center services for prison inmates once they are released.

Gov. Steve Sisolak had a number of questions for Parole and Probation officials centering on why the state needs a contractor to provide those services. He was told the division doesn’t have the resources or expertise to do the job of guiding ex-inmates away from the habits that got them into trouble in the first place. The program, he was told, provides services to an average daily population of 200 in Las Vegas and another 50 ex-inmates in the Reno area.

Sisolak was told ex-prisoners need counseling and guidance to “correct criminal thinking” and reduce recidivism.

The board approved the contract but cut its duration from four to two years.