Carson City Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee recommends more funds for fair

Apportioning $15,000 to the Nevada State Fair and $20,000 more to help spur other events was recommended Monday at the Carson City Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee.

The next step requires either approval or changes by the Redevelopment Authority itself, which is comprised of the city Board of Supervisors membership. Community Development Director Lee Plemel said that decision covering expenditure of the funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 comes at the board’s June 5 meeting.

The citizens committee Monday night decided on these amounts for the top three recipients: The $15,000 for Carson City’s second state fair at Fuji Park and Fairgrounds, up from $10,000 last year; $7,000 for a portable track for the Carson Victory Rollers roller derby squad, but with the caveat three events must be held in the redevelopment district; and A Taste of Downtown put on by Advocates to End Domestic Violence.

Also recommended were $2,000, $2,500 and $2,000 for three fun fairs put on by the Nevada Rural Counties RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteers Program). The fairs are held in the spring, summer and autumn. Those amounts were lower than RSVP requested as members were reminded that last year long-term recipients were warned they would be weaned from such seed money to encourage them to become self-sufficient.

The state fair, however, is still in the early years, while the Taste of Downtown was touted as one of downtown’s premiere events and the roller derby request was seen as a new effort. Ronni Hannaman, committee chairperson, said she would have preferred funding it out of another account for infrastructure, adding she didn’t relish a possible precedent, but she bowed to the will of her membership.

The recommendations, if followed, would leave $4,000 available should some new event come to light and need seed money during the fiscal year.

The committee also decided the Nevada State Prison will be recommended as the model for the 2015 Christmas Tree ornament. Members voted their preferences for 2016 and 2017 as well, naming the Brougher-Bath Mansion for the former and the J.D. Roberts House for the latter.

The redevelopment budget was reviewed, providing members with word on anticipated revenues and expenditures in FY 2015-16 based on income of $3,362.751. In addition, members got a brief update on progress toward the downtown Carson Street design and makeover project.