Carson City supervisors discuss Lyon County water pact

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The Board of Supervisors held a quick meeting Thursday, pulling one item and tabling another from its already short agenda.

The agenda was brief in part to let the supervisors attend the first day of the District Attorney’s Youth and Family Services Symposium, said Mayor Bob Crowell.

The board discussed an interlocal water agreement between Carson City and Lyon County but didn’t take action after determining additional language was needed.

The agreement will replace an existing agreement concerning operations of a water pipeline between the two jurisdictions.

The additional language would make clear any leasing of water rights between the two parties would be temporary and not used to support growth in Lyon County.

The pipeline was built more than 10 years ago and is used so Carson City or Lyon County can provide water to each other when one of them is doing maintenance on its water system.

“If we have to take down a well for maintenance it is an opportunity for us to use Lyon County water to serve our residents. And vice versa for Lyon County,” said Darren Schulz, director, Carson City Public Works department.

The pipeline may also be used in the future by Vidler Water Co., which helped pay the cost of installing and maintaining it, said Schulz after the meeting.

Vidler owns local water rights, which it plans to use for delivering water to Lyon County. Vidler, for example, has applied to the State Engineer’s office to change the diversion point of water it owns the rights to from the Mexican Ditch. The company hasn’t used the pipeline.

The language will be added to the agreement and come back to the board for consideration at a later date.

The board also approved the removal of $405,753.70 in uncollectible accounts from the ambulance fund for a six-month period. The money is generally collected later as a reimbursement from Medicare. Last year, the city received $1.2 million and is expecting a similar reimbursement this year, said Fire Chief Sean Slamon.

An item on a temporary easement for Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors Inc., to do drainage improvements was pulled from the agenda.

The board heard the annual reports for the Historic Resource Commission and, meeting as the Liquor Board, from the liquor hearings officer.

The supervisors will have a much longer day on Monday when they meet for their annual retreat to discuss issues facing the city.

This year’s agenda includes items on affordable housing, asset management, and impact fees.

The retreat is open to the public and is Feb. 5 starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Silver Oak Executive Conference Center.