Contingency fund requests total $2.9 million

The Board of Examiners will meet today to consider a total of $2.9 million in requests from Nevada's contingency fund.

The biggest item on the list is $1 million to begin replacing outside building tiles on the Grant Sawyer office building in Las Vegas.

"Defects in the materials and/or construction of the Grant Sawyer Building have caused the large outside building tiles to separate from the building and fall to the ground," according to information provided to the board.

The project is listed as a "life safety" problem because the falling tiles could seriously injure or kill someone.

The state Public Works Board estimates the total cost of removing the tiles from the building would be just under $3 million. The rest of the cost, according to Public Works Manager Dan O'Brien, will be taken from other public works maintenance projects.

But the project notes point out that will not cover the cost of putting a new skin on the building. That will add another $10 million to the estimated cost for a total of about $13 million.

In addition, the Department of Motor Vehicles is asking for $507,533 to cover the cost of credit card fees for people using cards to pay for vehicle registration and licensing. Lawmakers will consider legislation next year that would allow DMV to charge customers those fees.

The Department of Corrections wants to use $683,782 from its Casa Grande transitional housing center budget to cover costs of housing extra prisoners. The prison population is higher than the projections used to build the budget in 2003, but Casa Grande's opening has been delayed a year until 2006, which makes the housing center money available.

The Nevada Highway Patrol is asking for $200,000. Like private vehicle owners, NHP has been hit by the rising cost of gasoline. Increased toxicology lab costs and rising utility costs also account for part of that total.

Another $500,000 would be used to replenish the balance in the state's stale claims account and there are several smaller financial requests on the agenda as well.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or 687-8750.