Beatty Advisory Town Board approves senior center and playground funding
BEATTY — The Beatty Town Advisory Board met Dec. 15 to hear a detailed presentation on large-scale solar development and its potential impacts on groundwater and public lands in the Amargosa River region, followed by action on funding requests for the Beatty Senior Center and a new playground at Cottonwood Park.
The meeting opened with a presentation by Mason Voehl, executive director of the Amargosa Conservancy, who outlined recent federal energy policy changes and ongoing concerns related to utility-scale solar development in the Amargosa River watershed.
“The groundwater is really the lifeblood of the entire system,” Voehl said, explaining that springs, surface flows, and the federally protected Wild and Scenic River segment are all connected through a shared regional aquifer that extends across Nevada and California.
Voehl said interest from solar developers has slowed in recent years but cautioned that the underlying pressures remain.
“Energy policy can change very quickly,” Voehl said. “Just because things have slowed down right now doesn’t mean that interest has gone away.”
He said construction-related water use, particularly for dust suppression on large solar sites, poses a significant concern in an arid environment.
“These projects can be thousands of acres in size,” Voehl said. “Even short-term construction impacts can add up very fast in a desert system.”
Planning ahead during a slowdown
Voehl encouraged local communities to use the current lull in development activity as an opportunity to plan ahead.
“This is a bit of a breathing space,” he said. “It’s a chance for communities to think proactively about where development makes sense and where it really doesn’t.”
He noted that while counties can influence land-use planning on public lands through policy and public comment, development on private property remains largely outside local control.
Greenlink West Transmission Project
During a question-and-answer period, Voehl discussed the role of the Greenlink West Transmission Project, describing it as a major driver of future development interest.
“That transmission line is really the access point,” Voehl said. “Once that infrastructure is in place, that’s what opens the door for large solar projects.”
He added that available capacity on the line could eventually become constrained, potentially increasing pressure for additional infrastructure.
Senior center funding approved
The board later approved two funding requests from Beatty Seniors Inc., which operates the Beatty Senior Center and thrift store.
Speaking on behalf of the organization, Marty Campbell said volunteers continue to play a critical role in keeping the center open.
“We’re holding things together because of our volunteers,” Campbell said.
Campbell said inconsistent staffing has made it difficult to maintain regular hours and reliable operations.
“Consistency is the biggest challenge for us,” he said.
The board approved up to $29,000 to fund two temporary, part-time positions for one year, with quarterly financial reporting required to evaluate whether increased revenue could eventually support the positions long-term. The board also approved continuing its annual utility reimbursement of up to $19,000.
Playground project moves forward
Autumn Arroyo-Byington, representing the Beatty General Improvement District, presented a request for the town to contribute up to 25 percent of the cost of new playground equipment for Cottonwood Park.
The equipment purchase, totaling $195,079.86, was approved through a cooperative purchasing agreement with Landscape Structures Inc. Installation labor, estimated at approximately $156,000, will require a separate competitive bid.
“BGID could fund the project on its own,” Arroyo-Byington said, “but doing so would have a real impact on other operations,” including pool staffing and maintenance.
After discussion, the board approved the request, authorizing a town contribution of up to $48,769.96 toward the equipment purchase.
Community reports
During community organization reports, Ginny Faulkner of the Beatty Chamber of Commerce said the chamber has seen increased interest from out-of-state visitors, including brochure requests from Canada, and announced that judging for the annual holiday lighting contest would take place the evening of Dec. 20.
Patrick Taylor, curator of the Beatty Museum, reported 298 visitors in November and thanked museum staff for their continued work.
Campbell also reported that the Senior Center served 158 Thanksgiving dinners.
Randy Reed of the board presented a gold watch to Ricardo Lopez for his much appreciated “first” twenty years of custodial service to the town of Beatty.
The meeting concluded with reminders about upcoming volunteer opportunities and community events.
Thomas Hite is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.
