Looking to better present federal funding requests to Nevada’s Congressional delegation, Lyon county Commissioners in October formed an Appropriations Committee to explore possible appropriation requests to bring to the board for recommendation.

Presented with four projects for consideration at the December 3, 2009 meeting, commissioners gave the go-ahead to three, but, following considerable discussion did not include a request for funding to expand the Silver Springs Library in the motion.

The three projects approved for submittal include:

• Lyon County Jail project – as much funding as possible;
• Alternative power sources and emergency generators for County facilities – between $250,000 and $1.6 million;
• Infrastructure project for Dayton utilities – replacing old, undersized water mains, replacing Dayton well 31 and storage tanks; replace one sewer lift station and line in Dayton – a $3.95 million multi-phased project.

The County will be contacting Senator Harry Reid and Congressman Dean Heller for further assistance in the process of finding the proper bills to attach such requests to.

The request to ask for an appropriation of approximately $2.5 million for the Silver Springs Library expansion met with stiff resistance from the Board, but Library Director Theresa Keniston was given an opportunity to come back with a more complete proposal.

The Board determined the facility generator project and Dayton utilities project could proceed in phases if the entire appropriation request is not received; however, concern was expressed that if the entire funding for the library was not received, the project would be in peril if the County did not provide needed funding – which it does not have.  All major capital project funding is currently dedicated to the County jail project.

If an appropriation is received for the jail project, that could possibly free up some of those funds.  If no “pork” funding is received, the project will still continue to proceed, using allocated funds and dedicated sales tax monies.

Keniston said the intention is to expand the Silver Springs library from its current 1,500 square feet to 12,000 square feet; however, Commissioners Phyllis Hunewill and Chuck Roberts questioned the proposal.

Commissioner Hunewill pointed out the county recently supported a grant request for a youth facility in the community, only to find out the land was not available.  She also noted that community fundraising efforts helped build the Smith Valley and Dayton libraries.

“When we get the money there is no way we are going to give them their money back, so we better make sure the money we are asking for we are going to follow through or we are not going to look too great and nobody is going to want to give us any money ever again,” Hunewill cautioned.  “I don’t want to go out and get an appropriation and not have enough money to finish (a project).  We better use what we get.  If we don’t have a plan we will look foolish.”

Hunewill said the other three projects can move forward to some degree even if the total appropriation is not received; however, the library project could not, noting “We need to see what you are going to propose.”

Commissioner Roberts expressed hesitation in directing additional funding to the Silver Springs area, noting the spending in the area “was getting a little lopsided” in relation to spending in other areas of the County.  Roberts referred to the “couple of million” spent on the recent Silver Springs Senior Center project and the lack of ability to find money to fund a long promised Mound House Community Center.

“I think a lot of money has gone into Silver Springs.  We have an entire county to look at and I think it is getting a little lopsided,” Roberts said.  “Outside of our immediate needs and public safety I am not going to support any project that does not come as a result of a planning effort.  I think it is time this county gets its act together and does a facility master plan so we don’t have to debate these projects on an individual basis.  I am not anti-library, but we need to stop doing things helter-skelter.”

In presenting the proposals, County Manager Dennis Stark said the committee purposely picked non-competing projects that funding could be appropriated for through differing pieces of legislation, offering better chances of success.

The motion to approve three projects and allow time for Keniston to come back with a more complete proposal for the library passed 5-0.

The Appropriations committee is comprised of the County Manager, Comptroller Josh Foli, Human Services Director Edrie Lavoie and Commissioners Larry McPherson and Joe Mortensen.