The Lincoln County Regional Development Authority (LCRDA) held a virtual meeting Jan. 11.
Regen Gubler and Jay Schofield were absent. Members of the public in attendance were Marcia Hurd, president, Lincoln County Authority of Tourism (LCAT), and Nikhil Narkhede, Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program.
After the minutes from the Sept. 21, 2020, meeting and the financial report were approved, Executive Director Jeff Fontaine discussed extending the contract with Nevada Central Media LLC to complete the design of the trail posters. All other terms and conditions of the contract would remain the same. He also said all the posters have been designed and the remaining work is to design the brochures.
A motion was approved unanimously to extend the LCRDA’s contract with Nevada Central Media LLC to design trail posters to June 30, 2021.
Fontaine told the board the Lincoln County recorder/auditor had emailed him to ask if the LCRDA had liability coverage for its members. All the boards that are associated with the county must be covered. He said he contacted the Nevada Public Agency Insurance Pool (NPAIP) and they put him in touch with Dolan and Edwards Insurance in Caliente, who provided him with a quote of $1,015.32 annually for general liability insurance and $313.95 for workers’ compensation coverage.
NPAIP was established many years ago to provide insurance coverage for smaller public entities in Nevada. They cover Lincoln County, Caliente, the school district and several other small districts.
There was discussion about the type of coverage needed and whether LCRDA could obtain a policy at a lower cost. Fontaine said liability coverage would protect LCRDA board members from claims, and workers’ compensation would help any board members who might get injured during their service on the board, such as driving to and from meetings. Fontaine said he would look into the matter further and bring the item back to the board at its next meeting.
Fontaine said the Lincoln County recorder/auditor asked him who at the LCRDA has responsibility for inventory and assets. The only LCRDA asset is the power auger and auger bits being used to install the information kiosks. These were purchased using OHV Grant funds and need to be tagged.
Chairman David Hurd asked if LCRDA should convey ownership of the auger to the county. Fontaine responded that the auger was intended to be mounted on the county’s skid steer, and since it was under $5,000, it could be kept by the county. Nikhil Narkhede with the Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program verified LCRDA could convey the auger and bits to Lincoln County so long as he was provided with signed documentation. Hurd offered to provide the necessary signature to convey the equipment to the county.
Next, Fontaine provided an update on efforts to improve the Alamo Industrial Park and develop a rail transloading facility in Lincoln County. He gave a brief history of the Alamo Industrial Park and noted it would be too expensive to develop the park with needed infrastructure at this time. He said plans and specifications and bid documents were completed and that if funding were acquired, the project could be put out to bid quickly. Fontaine added they were trying to get at least one business to move into the Industrial Park, which might facilitate utilities being brought to the site.
Following this, Fontaine discussed the status of the Nevada Department of Transportation’s (NDOT) State Rail Plan. Lincoln County is included in the plan as its own region. He said he is still working with NDOT and their consultants, Strategic Rail Finance, Inc., to try and identify a suitable location for a rail transloading facility in the county. He noted the existing Union Pacific Railroad yard in Caliente and the Crestline side rail as possible locations.
Fontaine then provided an update on the NDOT’s work on the Caliente to Kershaw-Ryan State Park multi-use path. He said they plan to advertise the project for construction this fall, with construction in the spring of 2022.
Fontaine also discussed the availability of community service signs in Lincoln County, recommended locations for trail information kiosks in Alamo, Panaca and Pioche and noted efforts to identify large parcels of land for outdoor recreation and camps.
Emilia Cargill then provided an update on the Quikrete operation at Coyote Springs.
Next, Marcia Hurd, president of Lincoln County Authority of Tourism, provided a written update on LCAT’s activities.
Fontaine noted Alianza Minerals recently announced Hochschild Mining terminated its option to earn interest in the Horsethief Gold Mine Project in Lincoln County, and Aizanza is now a 100 percent owner. He also said he had a phone conversation with Jim Bourne, Battle Born Butcher Block, about his Special Use Permit to develop a small-scale USDA meat processing facility in Lincoln County.
Dr. Don Deever said he has been in contact with a couple who purchased 12 acres in Pahranagat Valley and would like to develop a date farm and open it up for tourism. He also said the River Ranch Vineyard plans to expand their operation, and U.S. Highway 93 could become an important attraction for visitors.
The next meeting will be held virtually Feb. 22.