Report from City Council Meeting

by Ginny Dugan -- At its January 21^st meeting the Fallon City Council approved an Interlocal Cooperative Agreement between the City of Fallon and Churchill County which sets up a collaborative partnership between the two governmental entities in order to attract new businesses to the regional area. The agreement, which Churchill County Commissioners had already approved at its January 15^th meeting, provides for the recruitment and hiring of an independent contractor who will be primarily responsible for the active recruitment of businesses to locate or relocate to the City of Fallon and Churchill County. According to the agreement, the independent contractor will be compensated with funds that have been historically sent to the Churchill Economic Development Authority (CEDA) for its Executive Director and also funding from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.  The City of Fallon and Churchill County through its representatives will have direct oversight over the independent contractor’s operation. Legal and Administrative Director Robert Erquiaga stated that city and county officials have been discussing the Interlocal Cooperative Agreement for some time. CEDA will continue to exist, he commented, but its focus will be different from that of the newly formed and regional Churchill Fallon Economic Development and more locally oriented. In other business, the city council approved and adopted Resolution No. 20-01 which authorizes an installment purchase agreement in an amount not to exceed $489,989.00 for the purpose of acquiring a vacuum truck to be used by the electric, water and sewer departments.  Materials providing certain details regarding the proposed purchase will be forwarded to Nevada’s Department of Taxation for its review and approval before the issue is returned to the city council and city officials for final action. According to Erquiaga, approval and adoption of the resolution is “the first step” in a process required by Nevada law for the city to acquire a new vacuum truck.  The current truck “has done very well” over the years, he added, but is “undersized” and no longer as efficient as it needs to be. For example, power outages need to be restored more quickly, and the amount of time that residents experience no water needs to be shortened. Mayor Kenneth Tedford, Jr., stated that the city has been looking at acquiring a new vacuum truck “for quite some time” since the current truck is “quite old.” Of primary concern, he said, is the safety and welfare of city workers operating antiquated and less effective equipment.  A new and larger truck “will be much more powerful” and “is very much needed by the city’s crews and citizens,” Mayor Tedford added. In response to a question from Councilwoman Kelly Frost, Public Works Director Brian Byrd indicated that the life of the truck to be purchased was estimated to be 20-25 years. “We will use it a lot,” he observed. Councilwoman Karla Kent asked about the price of the new truck and was informed it was a quote for the type of vehicle the city would likely purchase. The old truck will be retained, the mayor said. The Fallon City Council normally meets on the first and third Mondays of each month at 9 a.m. in City Hall, 55 W. Williams Ave., Fallon. The public is welcome to attend.       Sign up to receive updates and the Friday File email notices. Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon.