Supervisors: Airport fee, building code board, outdoor classroom on agenda

The Carson City Board of Supervisors has three items on its regular action agenda on Thursday.

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

First thing, supervisors will be asked to adopt, on second reading, an ordinance for the Carson City Airport to allow a new fee for through-the-fence (TTF) access for hangar associations (not to affect current tenants or TTF operators). The ordinance also would require liability insurance for all aircraft based at the airport and revise provisions in the city’s Title 19 code regarding TTF operations.

Supervisors unanimously approved a first reading of the ordinance Oct. 3. If adopted, the changes set up the airport for a significant TTF development on the east side. TTF occurs when private adjacent operators have access to the airport’s taxiway and runway system.

John Griffin, representing Carson Tahoe Executive LLC, and Bruce Carrade, project manager for the same group, previously told the Appeal they’re developing a TFF hangar association east of the airport and hope to break ground within the next year and a half depending on regulatory approvals. The project, they said, will include 30 hangars and 3,500 square feet of offices.

The second item for supervisors is possible appointment of three members to the Carson City Building Code of Appeals. One position is for a structural/civil engineer for a two-year term beginning Jan. 1. Another position is for a general building contractor for a partial term expiring on Jan. 1, 2026, and the other position is for an architect also for a partial term ending Jan. 1, 2026.

Of the five-member board, the agenda says: “The members are designated as one architect, one general building contractor, one mechanical engineer, one structural/civil engineer and one electrical engineer, all registered with or licensed by the state of Nevada. All five positions are open due to expiration of terms. Rachel Kryder has applied for the structural/civil engineer position, William (Bill) Miles has applied for the general building contractor position, and Darrin Berger has applied for the architect position.”

A staff report further states: “The Building Code Board of Appeals appears to have been constituted in 2008, but no members were appointed when those original terms ended due to the lack of use of the Building Code Board of Appeals. Recently, a Building Code Board of Appeals may have been utilized, if one had been constituted. Accordingly, the Carson City Community Development Department is seeking to reestablish a standing Building Code Board of Appeals.”

The third and last item supervisors will weigh on their regular agenda is a grant submission to the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) administered through the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks.

The grant would be for $99,928 and would include a 20 percent local match of $24,982. If awarded, the grant would be used for the Ambrose Carson River Outdoor Classroom and Trailhead Project. The local match would come from the city’s Quality of Life Fund.

“This project proposal will make improvements to the trailhead at the Ambrose Carson River Natural Area with the intent to resurrect an outdoor classroom in an appealing and sustainable way,” reads a staff report.

The project would include ADA accessibility improvements, a shade structure, kiosk, interpretive panels and other items.

“The concept of an outdoor classroom for the Ambrose Carson River Natural Area was first envisioned in 2012,” the report states. “The location offers sweeping views of the Carson River corridor, as well as easy access to the Carson River for students for water sampling, studying an oxbow and other lessons. The site is separated from busy roads and vehicle traffic making Ambrose a safe and peaceful location to enjoy the natural habitat and learn more about the importance of riparian areas, wildlife habitat and protecting floodplains.”

A Carson High School teacher partnered with the city on the original outdoor classroom, according to the report.

“Additionally, the students helped to create the Carson High School Biology Trail and associated Interpretive Trail Guide,” the report states. “Unfortunately, these educational features were located within the annual floodplain, and most disappeared in floods. As part of this project, staff will utilize the content from the original Interpretive Trail Guide to create new educational interpretive panels to be located along a newly constructed accessible pathway. All project elements will be located above the floodplain.”

The project has received written support from Carson City School District Superintendent Andrew Feuling, teachers, organizations and Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong, according to the staff report.