Highlights:
- Carson City Cultural Commission disbanded due to lack of community engagement
- Downtown parking overhaul approved, exempting small-lot properties from on-site parking requirements
- Supervisors approve grant funding for sidewalk improvements in west Carson City
- City approves Courthouse security contract for $620k
- Federal funding for community projects has become more challenging, according to Carson City’s lobbying firm
The Carson City Board of Supervisors unanimously introduced an ordinance on Thursday to repeal the city’s Cultural Commission, citing a lack of community engagement.
Next June would have marked the 20th anniversary of the commission’s formation.
Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Budge told the board the commission was established in 2008 to demonstrate city support and increase funding opportunities for arts in the capital city. However, she noted the advisory group has been struggling recently, with its last three meetings canceled due to a lack of agenda items, and one unfilled vacancy.
“I think it might be a natural trajectory that happens sometimes with our very specific technical advisory groups,” Budge said.
She likened it to the city’s decision to disband the Shade Tree Council a few years ago. When it was formed, it had a very active membership Budge said, but overtime interest decreased.
According to a city staff report, the commission itself previously discussed recommending its own discontinuation in December 2021, floating the idea of having the board support the establishment of a non-profit arts council instead.
Moving forward, the city plans to utilize the existing Parks and Recreation Commission and the Culture and Tourism Authority for future public engagement and program management.
“Even though we’re recommending disillusion of the cultural commission, the city remains committed to a thriving arts and culture movement under the parks, recreation, and open space department,” Budge added.
The board unanimously voted to introduce the repeal ordinance on its first reading without further discussion.
The vote followed an annual update presentation by Arts and Culture Supervisor Anna Freeman on the city’s direct programming. Freeman highlighted the addition of new Music and Art Tot Time classes for toddlers and preschoolers to meet community demand.
“The 10 a.m. class tends to fill up, but we do now have an 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. class on Mondays,” Freeman told the board.
She said that the Sierra Arts Foundation, a nonprofit that had been providing arts enrichment and class opportunities for youth, was unable to renew its contract in June 2025 and did not provide their programming this summer in Carson City.
However, she said the city has expanded its youth and adaptive recreation art lessons itself. Freeman also said that any individual interested in teaching a community arts course should contact her directly.
The presentation covered several city-supported events, including a “Meet the Orchestra” program that connected approximately 1,000 children to a classical music experience, and a trial program offering tickets and transportation to regional events like the Reno Philharmonic and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.
Freeman also reported on the city’s arts and culture grants, which distribute between $2,000 and $15,000 per local event, covering about 10% of total costs.
“The return on investment is seen not only in the positive economic impact of local and visiting attendees buying meals, gas, and shopping in connection with events, but also in those difficult to measure quality of life benefits,” Freeman said.
In related actions on Thursday, the board unanimously approved two additional arts initiatives.
Supervisors voted to officially name the city’s art facility at 801 N. Roop St. “The Art Club”. The Parks and Recreation Commission had originally recommended spelling the name “The Art Klub” as a nod to the building’s history housing the city’s “Kids Klub” program.
However, city staff recommended the traditional spelling to make the building easier to market and locate on online maps, which the commissioners ultimately agreed to.
The board also unanimously accepted the donation of a bronze sculpture from the Invisible Hands Foundation. The piece, titled “Mark Twain III” by artist Gary Lee Price, depicts the author sitting on a bench and has a listed value of $59,800.
Freeman noted the bench is one of 40 identical editions produced by the artist for public display. According to the donation proposal, the artwork was offered to Carson City because Samuel L. Clemens first signed the pen name “Mark Twain” while living in the city.
Downtown parking overhaul approved, exempting small-lot properties from on-site parking requirements
Supervisors unanimously adopted an ordinance on Thursday exempting certain A new ordinance was approved exempting on-site parking requirements from small-lot properties located in an area primarily within the historic district downtown and on the westside.
The exemption specifically applies to properties in Redevelopment Area One that are non-residential, are less than one-third of an acre in size, and already have an existing building on the property.
The ordinance is designed to resolve an ongoing issue downtown where potential business owners were blocked from utilizing vacant buildings because they could not meet the city’s previous parking requirements.
During the discussion, Supervisor Maurice White asked if the city could reach out to business owners whose previous proposals for downtown properties were halted by the old restrictions.
“I’m recognizing that this comes forward because we’ve identified an issue downtown,” White said. “Do you have a way you can go back and identify those folks that were trying to get into a building that didn’t because of parking and tell them, ‘Hey, parking is not an issue anymore. You want to try again?'”
City staff member Hope Sullivan told the board she would consult with colleagues about previous inquiries.
“I can work with the staff and see if there’s personal knowledge on those because in a lot of cases it may have been a conversation that didn’t translate into an application,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan noted she also plans to coordinate closely with commercial realtors to address additional development barriers for vacant properties.
“The other item that I’m going to be pursuing which may be related is I’m going to meet with the realtors, the commercial realtors who are marketing certain vacant buildings to try to identify from them why is this building not renting? What’s going on here?” Sullivan said.
She added that feedback from those meetings will be shared with city leadership to further streamline the development process.
“This will also help me understand what some of those hurdles are so that I can discuss it with the board or with city manager, with the planning commission, whoever the right group is, so that we can continue to try to eliminate hurdles that aren’t necessary for health and safety,” Sullivan said.
Following the discussion, Supervisor Curt Horton motioned to adopt the ordinance, which the board approved unanimously without any public comment.
Supervisors approve grant funding for sidewalk improvements in west Carson City
Supervisors unanimously approved the city’s Community Development Block Grant annual action plan for the upcoming fiscal year on Thursday, dedicating the bulk of the federal funds to construct ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps in southwest Carson City.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant’s primary objectives are to expand economic opportunities, provide suitable living environments, and secure decent housing, principally for low- to moderate-income individuals.
Federal guidelines allow local governments to use CDBG funds for a wide range of community needs, including the elimination of blighted areas, the expansion of community services, the conservation of existing housing, and the improvement of public infrastructure.
Grants Administrator Yesenia Pacheco presented the city’s specific plan for the upcoming year, which outlines how Carson City will utilize an expected $392,927 in federal funding.
According to the newly approved plan, 96.7% of the funds will go toward the Division Street and 10th Street Sidewalk and ADA Improvement Project. The construction will add and replace sidewalks and curb ramps along Division Street between Fifth and 10th streets, and along 10th Street between Division and Carson streets.
The improvements aim to eliminate sidewalk gaps, enhance pedestrian safety, and provide accessible routes for residents traveling to schools, businesses, and community services.
The city’s plan notes the targeted neighborhood is a designated low- to moderate-income area, with approximately 60% of residents meeting the income qualification.
The remaining 3.3% of the grant is allocated for the city’s administrative costs.
Pacheco noted that the annual plan aligns with the city’s broader five-year goals and was published for a 30-day public review period that ended July 11. The city published public notices inviting citizens to comment on the draft plan, but did not receive any feedback.
Supervisor Stacey Giomi motioned to approve the plan, which passed unanimously without further board discussion or public comment.
City approves Courthouse security contract for $620k
The Carson City Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a three-year, $620,224 contract on Thursday with Allied Universal Security Services to provide armed guards at the Carson City Courthouse and Juvenile Court.
During the presentation, Court Administrator Max Cortes provided data on the facility’s foot traffic and the daily responsibilities of security personnel.
“In 2025, over 109,000 individuals entered the courthouse and were screened,” Cortes told the board.
Cortes noted that detecting illicit items is a primary duty for the guards. “Those officers are specifically trained to screen the public, but also detect contraband,” Cortes said. “And you wouldn’t believe it, but people actually try to bring contraband into the court, weapons and drugs”.
The contract, which is effective retroactively from July 1, 2026, will cost $200,883.52 for the current fiscal year, with annual increases of less than 3% through fiscal year 2029.
A request for an additional $37,883 to fund the current year’s portion of the contract prompted a discussion regarding the city’s finances.
“We just did our budget process and so it is extremely difficult,” Mayor Lori Bagwell said. “We’re only in the first month of the budget cycle and here we are already saying we don’t have enough money to cover it.”
Bagwell pointed out that the entire city only has a $300,000 contingency fund for the year to deal with emergencies, adding: “I’m looking for a commitment that you’re helping to reduce this expense.”
Cortes apologized for missing the primary budget cycle, explaining that “the opportunity to negotiate a three-year contract, it was just took longer than we anticipated.”
To offset the expense, Cortes stated that the courts are finalizing an agreement to share a new case management system with neighboring Storey County, which is expected to reduce Carson City’s $1.1 million capital improvement request.
“That’s our commitment to Carson City, to always look for ways to collaborate with other jurisdictions,” Cortes said. “Our commitment has always been to try to find ways whether it’s through grants or collaboration to try to reduce our needs and services so that it’s not so impactful to the general fund.”
Jason Woodbury, District Court Judge and former District Attorney for Carson City also addressed the board regarding the city’s shift away from having the Department of Alternative Sentencing (DAS) manage court security.
“Having the responsibility for court security on top of everything else they had was too much,” Woodbury said. “We have our marshals division and they are focused and energized and empowered. It’s been qualitatively improved based on your decision to empower us to take ownership of that. So absolutely a success on all fronts.”
Before the unanimous vote, Bagwell commented on the total number of recorded courthouse visitors.
“I think that’s surprising,” Bagwell noted. “Heavily used and oftentimes you hear, ‘Oh, we’re not using the building.’ So, it’s just not true.”
Federal funding for community projects has become more challenging, according to Carson City’s lobbying firm
According to a presentation made to supervisors by their hired federal lobbyist group, securing federal funding for certain social needs remains challenging, while more “tangible” funding needs such as infrastructure and public safety fares slightly easier. Adding to the challenges, the federal government has been limiting the number of community projects state representatives are allowed to request each year.
During an update on federal funding and moves in Washington that may affect Carson City, supervisors questioned representative Bob Lucey, Senior Adviser at Porter Government and Business Solutions, about what projects are less likely to be secured than others.
Lucey said “commerce, homelessness, housing, urban development, and education are very limited and have difficult challenges in regards to passing through.”
“Correctional services obviously have challenges,” Lucey added. “Public safety is always a fund that is of prudence to Congress and it usually does well. Infrastructure, structural projects, tangible things are always really prudent within Congress, so they seem to do well.”
However, according to Lucey, their firm has helped secure $15,811,000 in federal awards for Carson City from fiscal year 2022 through 2027.
For fiscal year 2027, three local projects were approved and are moving through the appropriations process: $1,085,000 for a mobile command vehicle, $1 million for community center renovations, and funding for a Health and Human Services elevator replacement.
Following the update, Mayor Lori Bagwell asked Lucey to analyze successful appropriations from other jurisdictions over the past six years to identify potential blind spots in the city’s strategy.
“I just want us to have an opportunity to not miss out on something that we could potentially obtain if we knew about it,” Bagwell said. “There just might be a magic bullet somewhere in there, right? We go, ‘Hey, we never thought about asking for but look at that one got funded.'”
Lucey agreed, noting that missed opportunities often stem from a “lack of understanding and it’s not for a lack of communication. It’s we just don’t know the questions to ask sometimes”.
He also pointed out that Congress continually shifts its rules regarding community project funding, making federal advocacy increasingly competitive.
“This year, they did change the ask,” Lucey explained. “Previous years, congressional members had the opportunity to ask for up to 40 different projects within their district. This year, it was restricted down to 20 projects. The senators in years past had up to 90 abilities for 90 projects each within the state. That has been restricted down to 75.”
Despite the tighter restrictions, Lucey expressed optimism about future funding and pending legislation, including the Carson City Public Land Correction Act and the Northern Nevada Lands bill, which recently passed out of committee.
