Supervisors tackle ongoing policy work with new manager heading city’s staff

Carson City’s Board of Supervisors will tackle internal audit matters, local and regional economic development questions and welcome the new city manager to his first board meeting Thursday.

Nick Marano, who began in his new role Monday, gets his first taste of the policy-making body’s workload and public discussion as he takes over as chief executive over city staff.

The board, which hired the retired Marine Corps colonel by a unanimous vote, will be tackling significant but relatively routine issues that include internal audit work done by consultant Moss-Adams LLP.

Among those issues are a recommendation from the city’s Audit Committee that Moss Adams continue with the work already initiated, plus additional assignments, one of which will be conducting a city employee efficiency study.

Moss-Adams, certified public accountants, would continue in Fiscal Year 2014-15 performing internal audit functions for an amount not to exceed $110,000.

Another item calls for the efficiency study for specified departments of city government, something pushed for previously by Supervisor Brad Bonkowski, and others deal with various Moss-Adams assignments.

Those include internal controls review, strategic planning updates, monitoring of a fraud, waste and abuse hotline program already in place, and additional direction for the auditor regarding an audit findings response tracking report.

Another agenda item calls for final adoption of an ordinance authorizing issuance of medium-term debt of $2.7 million to upgrade the city’s emergency 911 communications system.

First reading approval a couple of weeks ago signaled this is virtually automatic.

The board also will hear a presentation led by Rob Hooper, director of the Northern Nevada Development Authority, regarding accomplishments and goals of NNDA. Carson City has provided $25,000 annually to help finance regional economic development efforts for the capital city and surrounding counties. Recruitment, retention and workforce development matters are among the initiatives Hooper’s appearance will cover.

Also on the agenda are various contract proposals, among them one with Briggs Electric, Inc., as the low bidder on about $112,000 of Fuji Park electrical work. Fuji Park and Fairgrounds are undergoing improvements for the July 30-Aug. 3 Nevada 150 Fair, one of the signature events for the state’s sesquicentennial celebration.