Carson City Board of Supervisors to review jail numbers, sculpture design, liquor report

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is facing a full plate Thursday as supervisors are set to review a biannual report on the Carson City Jail, the final design for a roundabout sculpture and the 2023 report on liquor applications and citations, among several other items.  

The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. in the board room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street.

Carson City Sheriff’s Office Capt. Earl Mays III will present supervisors data on the Carson City Jail as required every six months by state law.

“There were no prisoner deaths in the jail in the immediately preceding six months,” reads a staff summary.

According to numbers released for the presentation, there were 2,763 bookings into the city jail last year — by all agencies — and 2,512 releases.

Of inmate incidents, there were eight attempted suicides in 2023, three batteries on officers and eight incidents of general contraband. There were 39 strip searches, 16 incidents of use of force and one escape in September, which was a “furlough walkaway,” according to Sheriff Ken Furlong.

That inmate was apprehended, Furlong told the Appeal Friday, explaining furloughs can be used for inmates with family emergencies or other issues.

In other action: 

Supervisors will review the final design for the sculpture planned for the roundabout at South Stewart and South Carson streets. New Mexico artist Karen Yank’s “Sense of Place” was approved by supervisors Dec. 21 on a 3-2 vote after Yank said she was open to modifications.

A rendering of the final design shows the central tree of the stainless-steel and Corten-steel sculpture changed from a bristlecone pine to a Fremont cottonwood — as suggested by members of the public — and the sculptural base of mountains “softened” to make them “a little more natural like your mountains,” Yank told the Appeal Friday.

Yank is also planning to add a note on the outer circle to represent the 1870 seated liberty silver dollar from the Carson City Mint. The Mint’s history in the city is further represented by the scalloped edges inside the sculpture’s large circle, and a symbolic eagle has been moved from the top of the sculpture to the mountains near the bottom, she pointed out.

“That is what public art is all about — the collaborative part of it,” Yank said via phone.

She hopes “everyone will be happy with it” and expects the work to be installed by early to mid-summer.

• Supervisors will consider appointing two members to the Carson City Parks and Recreation Commission for four-year terms.

“There are two positions available,” reads a staff report. “New applications were submitted by Lee Heidenfeldt, Deborah Hayward and Michael Plansky.”

• Supervisors will hear a presentation, for discussion only, on federal community project funding (CPF) for the last two years as well as a status update on American Rescue Plan Act allocations.

Regarding CPF, the city received $8 million in 2022 for projects like the Quill Water Treatment Plant upgrade and $1.1 million in 2023 for improvements at South Carson Street and Appion Way. The city hopes to secure $2.6 million in CPF this year for road widening and improvements on Curry Street.

• Supervisors will reconvene as the Liquor and Entertainment Board to review an annual report from the city’s liquor hearings officer.

“In 2023, the hearings officer held 11 meetings and approved 58 applications,” reads the report. “Seventeen of the applications were for new liquor licenses, 39 were to change or add a liquor manager, and two were adding an additional classification to an existing license.”

Last year, the hearing’s officer referred two applications to the Liquor Board, one involving Homegrown Bar, Grill and Billiards, and the other involving Save Mart stores.

Homegrown’s item was not heard by the Liquor Board as the business applied for a different liquor manager, and the application was approved by the liquor hearings officer. Regarding three Save Mart stores in town including the FoodMaxx, “The board approved John Norman as the liquor manager as well as suspended sales in all three stores for 10 days because they were operating without a liquor manager,” the report states.

“A total of 66 alcohol server compliance checks were conducted by the sheriff’s office in 2023,” according to the report. “Fifty-three businesses passed, and 13 businesses failed and were issued citations. The checks were conducted in January, June, September and December. For comparison, in 2022, there were 36 compliance checks, and eight businesses failed and were issued citations.”

Eagle Gas at 2152 N. Carson St was the only business to receive a “third-offense” citation.

“The business with a third violation in 12 months received an administrative citation, a $1,000 fine and was required to appear before the hearings officer. The hearings officer suspended the liquor license for seven days,” reads the report.

• Supervisors will consider a proposed ordinance amending Title 18 in city code to allow for a child care facility in the residential office zoning district.

“A child care facility use is currently permitted in the RO use district as a conditional use accessory to a primary residential use,” reads a staff summary. “The Boys and Girls Club (applicant) is proposing an amendment to the RO use district, CCMC 18.04.110, to permit a child care facility use as a conditional use in the RO use district without being accessory to a residential use. A special use permit (SUP) will still be required for a child care facility use in the RO use district.”
On Dec. 19, the Carson City Planning Commission recommended approval of the code change. Planning commissioners also approved a special use permit for the applicant’s proposed day care off Mountain Street — in a former office — contingent on the aforementioned code change being passed.

• Supervisors will hear the annual Master Plan report from the planning commission.

“The report includes information regarding past, current and future Master Plan implementation actions for the Board of Supervisor’s consideration in setting goals and work programs for 2024,” reads a staff summary.

• Supervisors will review recommendations from the Carson City Audit Committee.

“The role of the Carson City Audit Committee is to maintain oversight of the auditing function, both internal and external resulting in increased integrity and efficiency of the audit processes for the city and the city's system of internal controls and financial reporting,” says the city’s website.

The committee’s recommendations can be found online: https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/2372093/Audit_Findings_Summary_1-4-2024.pdf