Once a year, Nevada Department of Transportation staff reports to the local county commissions across the state on the activities of the department and asks local governments to prioritize the NDOT work needing to be done in each community. This year, after the presentation to Churchill County, commissioners asked for some time to meet and discuss possible projects. Last week during their regular commission meeting, they took action to prioritize the intersection at Highway 95 and Sheckler, Sherman street at Highway 50 and added to the list Highway 50 and the York/Gummow intersections as their number three priority.
Jim Barbee, county manager said, “Both the Highway Commission and the Regional Transportation boards met to discuss the projects, and we also coordinated with the City and decided to prioritize three projects.” He said there had been some misunderstanding with NDOT over the Sherman/Hwy 50 intersection with NDOT not as far along in the process as previously discussed and understood.
“There is still quite a bit up in the air, it is not good, so we decided to keep that project on the list as number two until we agree on the design and start construction,” said Barbee.
The recommendations will now be forwarded to NDOT for their annual work plan.
In other business, commissioners heard from Bureau of Land Management staff for the Stillwater Field office, Jake Filpondo regarding the environmental work being done on the Dixie Meadows geothermal project with Ormat. BLM is expecting to have the final Environment Assessment document completed this week. He also reported on the Edwards Porter grazing permit update that is part of the new Outcome-Based Grazing program the BLM has implemented to develop adaptive management plans with cattle ranchers. The Edwards Porter allotment is part of the Smith Creek Ranch. Although a protest has been filed by the Wild Lands Defense Fund with Laura Leigh, a wild horse advocate, Filpondo said the intent is to move forward on the permit and renewal decision before mid-June. Additionally, The Desatoya Wild Horse gather decision that was presented to commissioners at the last meeting has been appealed by the Wild Lands Defense fund and Laura Leigh as well. The plan was to gather and remove 104 horses from that herd management area and administer contraception to mares that would be turned back out. The BLM solicitor is addressing the issue and it will be a 45-day process to see if the stay is granted. Filpondo also reported on the process of the Vegas to Reno off-road race that is held every year, saying the National Environmental Policy Act process is complete. The race route through the Stillwater Field office has not changed, and the Sierra Front office is the lead on the NEPA process with the Tonopah office delegated as the authority for cost-recovery.
Commission Chairman Pete Olsen asked about the timeline on the extension of the FTRC and Filpondo said he would convey to Ken Collum that the commission would like more information regarding the Navy issue in his updates.
Commissioners heard and approved a parceling plan for NEV DEV, LLC., for 16 parcels of land for a housing development off Dillon Lane. Kim McCreary worked with the planning department to redraw the parcel map to allow for evenly shaped parcels that would be accessed through lanes designed and maintained through a mutual maintenance agreement. this was the third iteration of the plan for the Dillon Road project, one Commissioner Greg Koenig said was finally acceptable.
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