Bagwell: Carson a puzzle put together by ‘problem-solvers’

In her annual State of the City speech, Carson City Mayor Lori Bagwell compared running the capital city to assembling a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

“The real strength in this process comes from our problem-solvers, the individuals who help us piece everything together,” wrote the city’s first woman mayor, recently reelected. “Some of them are the pieces themselves, while others serve as the hands guiding the puzzle into place. This is where our city employees come in, each one a critical part of the larger puzzle. Together, you help us tackle and solve the challenges we face, creating a city that works for all.”

In what became a respite from a winter storm engulfing the region, Bagwell delivered the speech to a crowd at Casino Fandango on Thursday. The event was facilitated by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce and Southwest Gas. The title of the speech was “Sense of Place,” and it touched upon the city’s various departments creating that sense.

Toward the end of the speech, the mayor admitted, in an emotional moment, she would be losing one key piece of the puzzle.

“We want to say thank you,” Bagwell said of City Manager Nancy Paulson’s retirement plans. “She is committed, she has vision, and she tirelessly works for all of us. She has shaped Carson City into a thriving community. She really has. I am honored to work next to her every day.”

Paulson has been with the city for 26 years, having started as an accountant in the finance department. The Board of Supervisors hired Paulson in 2018 and renewed her contract in 2020. She will retire at the end of her contract June 30.

Paulson said the process for selecting her successor will be on the agenda for the Board of Supervisors retreat Feb. 21.

“Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing people, and I am leaving the city in excellent hands with a truly exceptional leadership team,” Paulson said. “The city has accomplished so much since I started back in 1998, and I’m proud and honored to have played a part.”

Bagwell mentioned other department heads Thursday. Carson City Health and Human Services Director Nicki Aaker also is retiring in the spring.

“As director with 12 years, Nicki Aaker’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping and guiding the department's success, and her dedication to the health and wellbeing of our community has been unmatched. As she retires, we celebrate her years of service and the lasting impact she has made on Carson City,” Bagwell said. “Thank you, Nicki.”

Addressing federal grants — proud the city secured millions in federal awards last year — Bagwell said, “I’m not sure of all the impacts with the federal administration on grants going on right now; we’re going to have to keep a watchful eye, but I’m confident Carson City will step up to the challenge.”

Federal funding has been a contentious issue under the Trump administration. In an interview Tuesday with the Nevada Independent, Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, was concerned about potential reductions in federal funding and described a service-cutting contingency plan given “about one-third of the state’s budget comes from the federal government,” the Indy reported.

Moving on, the mayor discussed accomplishments and goals in each department.

Parks, Recreation and Open Space

“In 2024, they launched the new Youth Scholarship Program, co-sponsored by the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation. This initiative helped 19 young community members access recreational activities, and the goal is to expand its reach even further this year. Another milestone was the release of a Spanish translation of the Activity Guide, ensuring broader accessibility for all residents,” Bagwell wrote.

Last year, thanks to staff in the department, the city was awarded a nearly $15 million grant for improvements at Mills Park as laid out in the city’s master plan for the park.

Goals for Parks, Recreation and Open Space include acquiring 1,895 acre-feet of water rights for Buzzy’s Ranch, constructing six pickleball courts at Mills Park and rehabilitating eight tennis courts and a restroom at Centennial Park. The city plans to convert the four upper softball fields at Centennial Park into artificial turf, but the Board of Supervisors has ruled out use of recycled tire rubber for infill due to safety and environmental concerns.

Senior Center

Bagwell said more than 17,000 volunteer hours were contributed by staff and community members at the senior center last year; 43,000 meals were served at the center, and more than 103,000 meals were delivered through the Meals on Wheels program.

“Beyond essential services, the senior center has fostered a true ‘sense of place’ by offering new cultural programs, including monthly poetry and art exhibits and Peruvian pan pipe music lessons,” Bagwell wrote.

In the new year, the city wants to expand volunteer training programs, enhance meal options and grow programming for “aging well in Carson City,” Bagwell wrote.

Public Works

This department has several big-ticket projects in the works including upgrading the Quill Water Treatment Plant in west Carson and the East William Complete Streets project that received a $9.3 million federal grant.

The mayor pointed to road projects completed last year including the East 5th Street Reconstruction Project between Carson River Road and Marsh Road and the Winnie Lane Reconstruction Project between Carson Street and Mountain Street. The latter came in under budget with savings of just over $200,000, staff reported at the Regional Transportation Commission meeting Wednesday.

The mayor noted upcoming projects like a signal at Appion Way and South Carson Street and the completion of Fire Station 55 and Emergency Operations Center off Butti Way. She commended CCFD Chief Sean Slamon for his work on the facility. Slamon is set to retire May 31.

The mayor also addressed road funding in her speech.

“With limited funding for road improvements, we’re maximizing every dollar,” she wrote. “The Little Lane Road Project focuses on reconstructing and preserving pavement near the Post Office, between Roop Street and Saliman Road — and construction is already underway.”

Thursday, she added: “I’m just going to admit it. We didn’t win on the ballot measures, and so we still have the small money that we have before. That’s what we have again this year.”

Public Works previously put that amount of money at $4.5 million a year for road work. Two ballot measures that failed in November — a .25 percent sales tax and supplemental government services tax — would have raised an estimated $7 million a year.

Community Development

The department last year saw the revision of Title 18 dealing with zoning and development and is preparing for the Carson City Master Plan update, Bagwell said.

She outlined the following residential projects in her speech:

• Plateau Development — 270 lots located approximately 1,000 feet south of Highway 50 East on Drako Way.

• Ash Canyon Subdivision — 41 lots on the east side of North Ormsby Boulevard, immediately south of the Andersen Ranch subdivision.

• Capital Crossing — 137 lots north of East Robinson Street and west of I-580 within the Lompa Ranch North Specific Plan Area.

• Altair Apartments — five buildings totaling 210 units on the corner of East William and Stewart streets, the location of the historic V&T engine shops that were demolished in 1991.

Human Resources

Bagwell said HR Director Jeff Coulam has accomplished a lot since joining the city last year. She said he screened 6,978 applications to fill 175 positions in 2024.

“What does that tell me?” Bagwell said. “People want to work for Carson City. There is no shortage when you have that many applications.”

HR goals for the new year entail “a new leadership training series program for supervisors and managers,” four new training programs, development of virtual new-hire orientation and a new employee engagement survey.

“We’re grateful for his hard work and the positive impact he’s made on HR and the city,” Bagwell wrote.

Health and Human Services

Bagwell said CCHHS had an “impactful year.”

“They hosted 51 vaccination events, including 25 in Carson City, administering over 1,500 flu vaccines,” she wrote. “The department also conducted over 500 food inspections, with more than 170 of them in Carson City. They successfully completed the Regional Community Health Improvement Plan and the CCHHS Strategic Plan. Simultaneously, Human Services helped 1,004 residents across 660 households, with WIC (Women, Infants and Children program) serving 232 women, 255 infants, and 364 children.”

Bagwell explained the department is planning “a more robust communication plan to better disseminate public health information and is partnering with UNR and UNLV’s public health schools to become a designated Academic Health Department.”

“This will allow us to enhance learning opportunities for students, continuing on internships — what a great way to have interns serving in your office to really help them learn, but I think we learn as much from them — and the ability to have research conducted through our department,” Bagwell said.

Other departments praised Thursday were IT, Alternative Sentencing, the fire department, finance and the executive office.

The speech’s title mirrored the name of new public art at the roundabout of Stewart and South Carson streets. The emblematic metal sculpture created by artist Karen Yank was installed in December.

“With every puzzle piece accounted for, we can put all the pieces together and complete our mission to serve our city to the best of our capabilities,” Bagwell wrote. “Each one of you plays an integral role in creating the ‘Sense of Place’ that makes Carson City such a beautiful community. Never forget that. Your dedication, hard work, and passion are what make this city thrive, and together, we will continue to build a place we can all be proud to recognize as our ‘Sense of Place.’”