Carson City Board of Supervisors approve $137.45 million budget

Carson City’s 2017 fiscal year budget is now a done deal.

The Board of Supervisors Thursday approved the $137.45 million budget after working on it since February.

Nancy Paulson, chief financial officer, outlined a few last minute changes, including moving $200,000 in the street maintenance fund’s capital improvement program to street repairs.

The funds were initially earmarked for a new city fueling station and truck barn, projects the board rejected at its last meeting.

Although approved, the budget continued to bring up some questions.

Supervisor Jim Shirk asked Patrick Pittenger, transportation manager, to explain why Public Works couldn’t break out total spending, including staff salaries, for various street maintenance tasks such as snow plowing, street sweeping and patching.

Pittenger said the costs of materials, equipment and other items associated with each function are available, but everyone on the 18-person streets staff does all kinds of work and is not dedicated by task.

Shirk also wanted to know if he could find out how much street repairs money is spent in each of the city’s four wards.

“It would be easy to do in my opinion and if the staff doesn’t want to do it then they’re letting down the public,” said Shirk.

The supervisor also questioned Roger Moellendorf, director, Parks, Recreation & Open Space, about how much the city spends on sports activities because Shirk said he believed the city doesn’t spend enough.

The supervisors, convening as the Board of Health, heard reports from Susan Pintar, health officer, and Nicki Aaker, director, and others with the Health and Human Services department.

Mary Jane Ostrander, division manager, human services, told the supervisors the division is having trouble finding rental units for low-income and homeless citizens it serves through several housing grant programs.

“There are 30 applications for each apartment so landlords are getting to chose who they rent to,” she said.

That means the landlords often require credit and background checks with no history of evictions.

There’s also a shortage of local primary care physicians, said Pintar.

“There are 75 primary care physicians in Carson City. All the doctors I know, their practices are full,” said Pintar. “We have not been very successful attracting primary care physicians to our community.”

Dustin Boothe, division manager, said 56 people have been tested for the Zika virus in the state of Nevada and six were found to be positive, all from traveling to countries where the virus was present.

Three individuals in Carson City all tested negative for the virus.

Boothe also talked about an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease, which was initially mistaken for chicken pox, at a daycare center not in Carson City. Ten children were treated.

During discussion of non-action items, Nick Marano, city manager, said city staff and Q&D Construction Inc. are working on alternative ways to finish off the downtown corridor project.

Initially, the plan was to shut down Carson Street between William and 5th streets for 10 days to repave it. But after talking to affected businesses, they are considering ways to repave it while providing access to those businesses during the day.

Marano also said the city is looking into putting small bag dispensers along the city’s historic walking path, and eventually elsewhere, to encourage people to clean up after their dogs.

The supervisors also approved a Forensic Support Services Agreement with Washoe County for a fee not to exceed $104,378; two applications for Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act grant money for fuels reduction work. A $102,389 grant will fund the city’s trailer and Dumpster program for west side residents and a $1,999,900 grant will fund treatment of 943 acres in the wildland urban interface; and a $40,000 grant from Nevada Division of State Lands Question No. 1 program for an erosion project in the Golden Eagle Lane open space.