Supervisors to review Mills Park pickleball court contract

The Carson City Board of Supervisors on Thursday will review a nearly $1.1 million contract to build a pickleball complex at Mills Park.

The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in the community center board room, 851 E. William St.

Supervisors will consider a contract with Spanish Springs Construction Inc. for $1,069,398 for the Mills Park Pickleball Complex Project, which has different funding sources than the recently announced $14.9 million grant award through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.

“This project, if approved, would authorize the replacement of two existing unusable tennis courts with six new post-tension concrete pickleball courts,” according to the agenda. “Scope of work includes demolition, grading, post-tension concrete, 8-foot fencing modifications, 4-foot fences to divide the courts, drainage improvements, surfacing, striping, net sleeves, posts and nets.

“The new footprint will be larger than the previous and requires some landscape modifications to the north and west.”

According to a staff report, residents Dave Whitefield and Juana Beguelin began an effort in 2019 with the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation, a private nonprofit, and the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department “with a vision to transform unusable tennis courts at Mills Park into pickleball courts for the community.”

“FCCPR has fundraised approximately $90,000, with approximately $50,000 identified toward new amenities (shade, benches, signage, etc.) as part of this project (not included in the base bid),” the staff report says. “FCCPR has also contributed approximately 3,500 hours of volunteer labor at an in-kind value of $118,895, a significant contribution and cost savings to the city.

“If approved, this project will replace the two remaining unplayable concrete tennis courts into six new pickleball courts with improved spacing and separation fencing which will be better suited for tournament-style play, which is desired by the local community and of interest to the Culture and Tourism Authority (Visit Carson City). The project will not only replace a blighted area of the park, but also promote health and wellness through outdoor recreation and a new universally accessible amenity in one of the city’s busiest parks.”

The project has been allocated $421,850 in ARPA dollars, according to a fiscal impact statement. Because ARPA funds were allocated in 2021, the project was not eligible for the recent $14.9 million grant award through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, according to city staff.

Supervisors will be asked to boost the pickleball project by transferring money from other projects that came in under budget, were cancelled or found other funding sources, and through the fiscal year 2025 Community Development Block Grant program, which has $170,790 available, according to the agenda.

In other action:

• Supervisors will consider a petition for creating the Lompa Ranch North Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) “for the maintenance of landscaping within drainage facilities in the planned Lompa Ranch North development,” according to the agenda.

“The LMD will be entirely funded by the assessed properties within the LMD and no financial contribution by the city will be required,” according to the agenda.

A staff report says developers of the area initiated the petition.

“There will be a 10-acre public park constructed as part of the development, but that will be maintained entirely by a Homeowners Association (HOA) and will not be part of the LMD,” the report states. “The LMD comprises six distinct development teams owning a total 181.21 acres in the Lompa Ranch North area of Carson City. The cost to fund the LMD was determined by an initial Reserve Study, drafted by a third party consultant and funded by the developers, which was estimated to be $86,000 for Fiscal Year 2025 and intended to be a guide for future years.

“The Allocation Plan was then developed to provide the means and methods to which each parcel is assessed to fund the LMD. The Financial and Allocation Plans can be modified, if needed and as directed by the board.”

More information: https://d2kbkoa27fdvtw.cloudfront.net/carsoncity/65a17295f6563c5c788ad202e99070ea0.pdf.

Supervisors will also review a development agreement between the city and developers for the LMD, which, according to the agenda, “provides for warranty, indemnification, dedication and deposit provisions concerning the development and establishment of the LMD.”

• Facing a new legislative cycle in 2025, supervisors will be asked to ratify a revised bill draft request (BDR) from the city concerning the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway Act of 1993.

“Following submission of the BDR on Aug. 15, staff continued working with stakeholders and soliciting input on the legislation,” according to a staff report. “Following this feedback, city staff determined that the original BDR concept, as presented, stood little chance of becoming law. Staff revised the BDR to propose that the Nevada Legislature's Interim Committee on Growth and Infrastructure conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the commission, including its structure, duties, powers and financial viability, and make recommendations for legislation relating thereto, including whether the commission should be reorganized, terminated or have its duties modified.”

• Supervisors will consider adopting two ordinances, on second reading, updating Title 18 in city code dealing with zoning and the title’s appendix containing the city’s development standards.

Supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of the two ordinances on Oct. 3.

The update arose from a years-long process between the District Attorney’s Office, Community Development and various board meetings to make zoning and development code clearer and consistent.