Column: Deep Thoughts, Cheap Shots and Bonbons
In the movie Dances with Wolves there is a line, one of the characters says, and it goes something like this: “Somebody back east is saying, why don’t he write?”
Many of you might be wondering the same thing about me. Why I haven’t written for a spell? I could list numerous reasons, some might be worth mentioning, and others would be insignificant.
In simple true-to-life terminology — I’m back. A few of the hot topics from the June 18th Board of Supervisor meeting.
Agenda item No. 17A: Discussion and possible action to accept the 2015 Legislative Summary. Here are few of the most interesting Bills:
— SB 482 Elected Officials Salary Bill - 3% per year increase for all elected officials. This encompasses all city elected officials, including Board members.
— AB 191 Fuel Tax Indexing - passed and will be put on the 2016 Ballot.
Citizens will be voting to approve that taxes collected from Fuel Sales will go towards road maintenance within the community where they are collected.
— SB 29 NACO Home Rule (for operations only)
This replaces Dillon Rule. Essentially this is giving the Board more local authority — could be a positive for our community.
My short and snappy overview: This had been a very informative hearing, it would very beneficial if the Board could have received these types of updates during the Legislative Session rather than when the Session is over.
Agenda item 24C: To accept Staff's recommendation to approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 1314-203 with Marathon Staffing, titled "Temporary Staffing Services" to increase the contract term from June 30, 2015 to June 30, 2017 and allow access to temporary staffing for a not to exceed cost of $1,500,000.00 annually.
Behind the scenes: This agenda packet came without a shed of back up material supporting how the spending of $1,500,000.00 is justifiable.
It is debatable how the Board could approve spending this amount of money without any data to support this proposal. That was my argument and the reasoning behind voting against this proposal.
Agenda item No. 27: For Possible Action: To conduct a public hearing and take public comment regarding a proposed plan amendment to the Plan of Expenditure for a one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) sales tax that was originally approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 20, 2014, for public infrastructure projects pursuant to NRS 377B, including but not limited to construction of an animal services facility, a multi-purposes athletic center, and street and pedestrian improvements in the downtown area and Carson Street and William Street/Highway 50 East commercial corridors, and/or other projects as directed by the Board of Supervisors.
The Carson City Board of Supervisors originally approved the Plan of Expenditure for a one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) sales tax pursuant to NRS 377B on February 20, 2014. Because of additional costs required to build the Animal Services Facility, staff is requesting the Board amend the plan to increase the proposed budget of the Animal Services Facility to approximately $4.5 million. Of this amount, sales tax proceeds would account for $4.247 million and contributions the remaining $253,000. The $4.5 million would be used to construct the Animal Services Facility and related site improvements and fund related contingencies.
Personal Commentary: This had been the most monstrous of all agenda items ever discussed. From the open bell to the final curtain call, this should be memorialized as how not to conduct a Board meeting.
2014 Flashback: Main Street, North & South Carson Street, MAC and the Animal Shelter were first voted on within a combine package that fell under the 1/8 of a cent sale tax increase. So the Board voted on ALL of these projects that fell under these parameters. Then each project was voted on separately.
June 18, 2015: What recently transpired at the recent Board meeting was a just a series of serious mistakes and it all boiled down to: “show me the money”.
During this Board meeting, staff made a presentation showing how 3.7 million dollars had been approved by the previous Board (with John McKenna) using the 1/8 of a cent sale taxes to build the Animal Shelter. Staff’s presentation had been a twist of fate. Why? Because, now they (staff) were seeking approval for extra funding from the Board. Why? Because, when the Animal Shelter went out to bid with numerous late change-orders to the original drawings, guess what? Bids came in higher than the $3.7 million dollars that had been approved to build the Animal Shelter. Staff recommendation: increase taxes to make up the difference.
More from that Board meeting: From the very beginning only one Board member asked staff questions – as most of you guessed – yes, it was me. This led to the discovery that the originally $4.0 million dollars that was formerly set aside could be today accessible and used for the Animal Shelter.
Essentially this story has kind of a Hocus-Pocus type ending, as you shall see. Remember, some of the present day Board members are on the record as saying: “we have needed an Animal Shelter for last 20 years”. This is a true and factual statement. Oddly, not one penny has been set aside in the last 19 years 11 months 29 days for an Animal Shelter.
End result: We had to break from the meeting, why? So that staff could make a new ledger showing exactly how much money there was and where it is located.
Here is a brief outline of how the money added up: $3,999,999.99 of the originally $4 million was pledged by a motion.
This new funding ledger now includes additional contributions made by the Nevada Humane Society (NHS) at the Board meeting. High praise goes to this organization for their donation.
When added to the funding that CASI (another great organization) pledged, and the public contributions made – then - to the PENNY – all the funding now was shown on the ledger.
There was no bargaining; there was no compromising; there was no negotiating; and not one penny came from Carson City General Fund or any other city accounts.
What is the next step in this process: The Animal Shelter has gone out to bid; HOPEFULLY it will come back at or under budget. If so, then ground breaking could occur this year.
Postscript: The end result is, yes – Carson City is getting a much needed Animal Shelter. Here is the Hocus-Pocus ending – if the Board previously approved $3.7 million to build the Animal Shelter and had every intention of going that route but then the present day Board amended that amount to $3,999,999.99 million – then - that is without a doubt an increase in taxes, period. And, yes you the citizens are responsible to repay every penny of this debt through the 1/8 of a cent sale tax.
Wrapping up: Your water rates are schedule to be increased July 1st and ironically on June 30th the Utility Financial Oversight Committee will be re-considering the rates they previously approved for commercial (water and sewer) connections charges. Why? Because, three Board members requested it, they believed that some organizations did not have sufficient time or opportunity to appear before the Utility Committee at the previous meeting.
Even though this agenda was posted in similar fashion as ever other agenda packets has been posted for the last 30 years. How many organizations will give testimony at this hearing and how will these organizations affect the previously ruling of the Oversight Committee will be most interesting.
To You and Your Family – Happy 4th of July
Please forward this to your family, friends and neighbors.
— Jim Shirk is the Ward 4 Supervisor for Carson City. He can be reached at JShirk@carson.org.
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