Carson City exploring projector for livestreaming of events

Carson City may soon get a large projector to enable live streaming at events such as Epic Rides or for outdoor movies.

“It would set us apart from any other mountain bike event in the country,” said Joel Dunn, executive director, Carson City Visitors Bureau, who said the bureau has seen an increase in demand for live streaming capability from wrestling championships to rodeo events.

The Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee Monday voted to recommend to the Board of Supervisors the purchase for no more than $10,000 of a projector that can be used both during the day and after dark.

RACC member Garrett Lepire, who suggested the projector, volunteered to come up with a plan for managing it, whether it would be overseen by the Brewery Arts Center or the city’s Parks and Recreation department.

Lee Plemel, director, Community Development, said the city was trying to stop using city staff for events uncompensated.

A case in point is the new Bob McFadden Plaza.

“The plaza has been a learning experience,” Plemel said.

Plemel said the city is working to make it as turnkey as possible so events organizer get the required special use permit and information on the facility and are then able to stage an event without city help.

RACC discussed details of the encroachment permit policy the city is developing for the plaza and the rest of the newly updated downtown corridor.

The wider walkways, for example, are expected to be used by restaurants for outdoor dining and other merchants for sidewalk sales or exhibits.

The proposed policy allows for six feet of business use and six feet of pedestrian passage and specifies the type of furniture, signage and merchandise displays that would be permitted as well as other details on cleaning and maintaining the public space.

Most of the RACC discussion concerned whether tables and displays should be set up next to the business, leaving six feet of sidewalk closer to the street for pedestrians, or six feet in from the street, leaving the walkway open next to the stores.

The city Public Works department, which is responsible for encroachment permits, sent the policy draft to local businesses for comment and will be taking the final version to the Board of Supervisors in December, said Plemel.

RACC also revised its Facade Improvement Program policy.

The program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for property owners making improvements to building exteriors in the redevelopment districts.

RACC voted to change the policy to exclude roofs and all business signage, anything not attached to the building, and to make ineligible projects that are already underway or buildings that have had facade improvements in the last five years.

Eligible facades must be visible from the public right of way or onsite parking lot.

RACC also heard a presentation on the conceptual design project for South Carson Street and voted not to give $750 to the Olde Time Christmas Santa Parade, which had requested the money to advertise its event.

RACC’s next meeting is scheduled for February.