The next Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting will be held Thursday, May 15, 2025, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Bob Crowell Board Room of the Community Center located at 851 E. William St.
Selection of new City Manager
Supervisors will decide on who will fill the role of City Manager Nancy Paulson when she leaves her position in July.
According to the staff report, Paulson provided notice on Jan. 13, 2025 of her retirement effective July 1, 2025.
During the Feb. 21, 2025, Board of Supervisors Work Session, the Board directed HR to initiate the recruitment for a new city manager.
The recruitment opened on March 3 and closed March 21, 2025.
A screening panel consisting of Mayor Lori Bagwell, Supervisor Maurice White and HR Director Jeff Coulam, reviewed the applications and selected five candidates to provide supplemental information and undergo reference checks.
The screening panel decided to bring forward three candidates for interviews: Darren Coldwell, Stephanie Hicks, and Glen Martel.
Darren Coldwell
Darren Coldwell currently serves as the City Manager for the City of Page, Ariz. He has served in the position since 2019. His reason for leaving is that he believes the political situation in the city is unpredictable, and he believes there is “very little opportunity for success in Page in the near future.”
Prior to that, he served as the Lincoln County Administrator / Manager in Lincoln County, Mont., from 2017 to 2019, and prior to that, he served as Mayor as the City of Troy, Mont., from 2014 to 2017.
He attended the University of Montana, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal Communication with Organizational Emphasis.
He is requesting a minimum compensation of $200,000 per year.
On how he would spend his first 90 days, Coldwell said he would “focus on building relationships, assessing community needs, and establishing a roadmap for future initiatives,” and would prioritize meeting with key stakeholders including city staff, community leaders and residents to gain insight into their “perspectives and aspirations for Carson City” and organize a series of forums.
“Understanding the community’s priorities is essential for effective governance and ensuring that our initiatives reflect their needs. I would also conduct a thorough assessment of existing programs and services, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. This evaluation would involve analyzing budget allocations, reviewing performance metrics, and engaging department heads to understand operational challenges.”
Stephanie Hicks
Stephanie Hicks currently serves as Deputy City Manager for the City of Carson City and has held the position since 2019.
Prior to serving as deputy city manager, she owned the business of Stephanie A. Hicks Planning and Grant Consulting Services from 2018 until accepting the city position in 2019; prior to that, she worked as Mitigation Planner for the Nevada Department of Public Safety and Division of Emergency Management from 2015 until 2018. Prior to that position, she served as Director of Grants and Hazard Mitigation Planning for R.O. Anderson Engineering, Inc. in Minden.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Administration of Criminal Justice from California State University of Sacramento.
She is requesting a minimum compensation of $242,000 per year.
She said that during the first 90 days as city manager, she would: “focus on gaining a deeper understanding of our City’s current needs through open communication and collaboration. My priority will be to listen closely, gather insights from the community, and work hand-in-hand with the Board of Supervisors, our dedicated City staff, and residents and businesses to create a unified vision for the City’s future.”
The first 30 days would be spent “Establish[ing] a collaborative and transparent relationship with the Board of Supervisors” and she plans to schedule regular one-on-one meetings with each supervisor to ensure alignment with city priorities.
The first 60 days would be spent “strengthen[ing] the city as an organization,” which includes reviewing policies and procedures to determine where efficiency can be improved, such as the ongoing rehab of Carson Connect, and she said she will meet with elected officials and the executive team through engaging in both group and individual meetings.
The first 90 days would be spent “engag[ing] stakeholders and key community leaders; cultivat[ing] a positive and supportive culture that encourages teamwork, trust, empathy and sound decision making; and set[ting] goals for myself and obtain[ing] feedback from the board and departments.” She said she plans to schedule meetings with stakeholders like business owners, community leaders, and the school district and will attend all city commission and committee meetings; make visits to each department, participate in ride-alongs, and regularly evaluate communication effectiveness.
Glen A. Martel
Glen A. Martel currently serves as the Executive Officer for the Nevada Builders Alliance and has served in that position since 2023. Prior to that position, he served as City Manager for the City of Live Oak, Texas from 2022 to 2023, and prior to that, as Assistant City Manager in the City of Missouri City in Missouri City, Texas from 2019 to 2022. From May to July 2019, he served as interim assistant director of public works for the City of Reno, and from 2005 to 2008 he served as the director of project management for Mid-Valley Engineering in Reno.
He also served in the Nevada Air National Guard as Brigadier General from 1984 until 2022.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno.
He is requesting a minimum compensation of $220,000 per year.
In his first 90 days as city manager, Martel said he would: “not only become further acquainted with Carson City, but will also develop an understanding of the City’s expectations of me. My initial goal will be to work on building successful relationships with my fellow teammates, Mayor and Board, citizens, and stakeholders. Developing trust and encouraging openness will be achieved incrementally starting with one-on-one conversations and engagement with all players.”
The first 30 days would be spent holding meeting with teammates, the mayor and board, and citizens, engage with EOC staff to ensure preparedness, and require all department heads to self-assess their teams.
The first 60 days would be spent having team conversations with the mayor and board, prioritizing initiatives among six strategic goals, planning for social media updates and presence to expand citizen cooperation and engagement, and engage with existing partners.
His first 90 days did not specify any specific goals or activities, but stated:
“The main intent of the first 90 day program is to ensure efficient communications and mutual priorities are established. As aforementioned, it is crucial for me to not only clearly communicate my expectations to the team, but also for the team to set their expectations for me. This foundational exercise will empower Team Carson City as the City steps into the future.”
You can read the full application package below:
South Carson Street, Downtown Carson Street Neighborhood Improvement Districts
The City Engineer has reported an estimate for the amended assessment role identifying the cost to be paid by the NID for the maintenance of the South Carson Street Complete Streets Projects.
The SCNID annual maintenance costs for FY 2026 are proposed to be $168,364, the city’s FY 2026 contribution is proposed to be $26,383, and the property owner’s assessment for FY 2026 is proposed to be $97,471 after reducing the assessment based on $44,510 from right-of-way license fees. The assessment is distributed among the property owners within the SCNID consistent with Ordinance No. 2023-8.
No applications for hardship determinations were submitted and no written protests were received.
In addition, a report has been created for the 2026 Downtown NID amended assessment roll for maintenance of the Downtown NID.
The annual maintenance costs are $105,740, the city’s FY 2026 contribution is proposed to be $42,296, and the property owner’s assessment for FY 2026 is proposed to be $53,586 after reducing the assessment to draw down reserves. The assessment is distributed among the commercial property owners within the DNID
No applications for hardship determinations were submitted and no written protests were received.
Legislative update
As session continues, the Board will hear a legislative update on bills they might wish to support or oppose.
So far this session, the board has voted:
- to support SB71 and AB133 with amendments
- to oppose SB71
- to endorse AB14, AB51, SB51, SB65, and SB 73.
You can find a full list of bills and their status at https://www.carson.org/legislature
In other items:
Supervisors read proclamations recognizing May 17, 2025 as Kids to Parks Day, and recognizing May 2025 as National Treatment Court Month. Finally, a proclamation recognized May 18-24 a National Public Works Week.
Contracts:
- A $25,000 increase in purchase authority beyond the previously approved $125,000 for PPE purchases.
- An interlocal agreement with Washoe County Sheriff’s Office to provide Forensic Support Services for $179,730 through June 2026.
- Food purchase for jail inmates for 2026 for $275,000.
- Purchase of a Public Safety Software System for 2026 for the Carson City Sheriff’s Office for $286,374.10
- Purchase authority for one vehicle for the Sewer Division not to exceed $245,820.
- Contract with Mary Bryan to provide clinical treatment and counseling services for Carson City’s Mental Health Court through June 2026 for an amount not to exceed $92,160.
Have a comment? Send it to publiccomment@carson.org by 3 p.m. Wednesday to be included in the minutes; note: you must provide your full name to be included.
Interesting in watching virtually? You can watch at www.carson.org/granicus, by tuning into cable channel 191, or via YouTube. We will also update this story with the stream via YouTube when it becomes available for easy viewing.
View the full agenda below.
