Carson City Board of Supervisors get first look at 2018 budget

The Board of Supervisors on Thursday takes its first look at Carson City’s tentative fiscal year 2018 budget.

Starting after lunch, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the board will hear two presentations from Nancy Paulson, chief financial officer, slated to go four hours.

The first is on the city’s tentative budget, including the tentative general fund budget of $80.52 million, and another on the city’s proposed $5.53 million capital improvement program.

The board could direct staff to make changes and return on May 18 for adoption of the revised proposed budget.

In the morning, the supervisors will hear a report on the water, sewer and storm water budgets from Utility Finance Oversight Committee Chair Ande Engleman, but they won’t be considering a storm water rate hike until a May board meeting.

The oversight committee met in March and voted to recommend the budgets as well as a bump in storm water rates that would raise fees 25 percent starting in July and 35 percent the following two years.

An encroachment permit ordinance will be read for the first time. The ordinance lays out the specifics for utilizing designated public rights of way, including serving food and selling liquor.

The ordinance is primarily geared to downtown businesses that want to take advantage of McFadden Plaza and the wider sidewalks added during last year’s road construction project.

Changes to the city’s dog ordinance, involving dangerous and vicious dogs, will be read for a second time.

The board debated the ordinance at its last meeting and voted 3-2, with Supervisors John Barrette and Brad Bonkowski opposed, but the vote had to be rescinded because the publicly available draft of the ordinance was an earlier draft.

The board also will vote whether to adopt changes to the city’s liquor code.

A final map for subdivision for Arbor Villas Phase 1 will be presented for approval.

The subdivision consists of 54 residences on Little Lane. The board approved its tentative subdivision map in June 2016.

The board will vote whether to adopt a resolution that allows downtown businesses to be assessed $50,780 for fiscal year 2018 for downtown maintenance.

In 2016, the board established the Downtown Neighborhood Improvement District to annually assess businesses in the downtown corridor for ongoing maintenance of a portion of the streetscape project.

The Board of Supervisors meets at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room, Community Center, 851 E. William St.