Community Development Block Grant cycle opens in Nye

It is that time of year again for local community organizations to put their project ideas to paper in hopes of securing Community Development Block Grant funds to help see those proposals become reality.

Nye County, as a governmental entity, is able to submit two grant applications on its own behalf as well as sponsor a third application from another entity, such as a nonprofit, a for-profit business or a housing authority, which would be treated as a sub-recipient of the grant.

The Community Development Block Grant is focused on providing and improving decent housing, suitable living environments and expanding economic opportunity for low to moderate income residents, as detailed in a presentation made during the Nye County Commission’s July 17 meeting. As such, projects must meet eligibility requirements in order to be considered.

Public facilities and those that provide public services, along with planning and economic development activities, fall under the grant requirements, examples of which include water, wastewater and storm drainage design and construction, road work of various types, job creation and training, community, youth and senior centers and much more. There is even the opportunity for small business lending as well.

Any Nye County organization, business or entity that wishes to participate in the Community Development Block Grant process is advised to contact Nye County Grants Manager Danielle McKee, who will be able to help determine whether the potential project would fit the grant requirements. Once the preliminary application process is completed, presentations of all proposals will be made to the Nye County Commission, which will ultimately decide which project to select as its third application.

For the Tonopah area, next Tuesday, August 7 will be the chance for organizations to introduce their ideas to the commissioners. On September 18, the commission is scheduled to hear presentations in Pahrump. “From there we will get all of the presentations submitted for eligibility and then we will prioritize all of the eligible projects at the October 23 meeting, which could change depending upon how quickly CDBG reviews those applications,” McKee explained.

County project ideas

In addition to deciding between applications to sponsor, the commission will also consider what it will do with its own two applications in the coming months. There were several project ideas tossed around during the July 17 meeting, one of which, the potential construction of a new animal shelter, drew strong support.

“We are in desperate need now of more expansion… if we identify the property and have it ready, this could be a big boost the getting an expanded animal shelter. The one we have was built about 30 or 40 years ago. I think we’ve well outgrown that, about 15 or 20 years ago,” Nye County Commissioner Dan Schinhofen stated when the agenda item was opened for discussion.

“I’d like to see the shelter,” commission chairman John Koenig agreed and former Nye County Commissioner Frank Carbone quickly threw his support behind the concept too.

“We do need some work at the shelters, and I am not just talking about the shelter here in Pahrump, I’m talking about the shelter also up in Tonopah… Both facilities are in need of some sort of renovation or replacement. The population has surpassed those facilities by leaps and bounds,” Carbone declared. “With the influx of all the animals that come into that place, and this is something that has been going on for many years, I talked about the subject while I was a commissioner as well and it just seems like we always kind of kicked the can down the street and never got it taken care of.”

Carbone said the key was whether or not the project would fit into the grant requirements and noted that the way the project was worded and presented in the application would be imperative. “It’s going to be a benefit to the community,” Carbone concluded.

Meeting attendee Samantha Altiero also concurred with the idea but she had another to add to it. “I agree 100 percent that we need a larger shelter to accommodate the size of Pahrump,” Altiero stated. “But, I was a volunteer at Desert Haven for about two years and worked there for about a year and worked for the previous shelter about a year as well, and our community is not in the position to adopt out as many animals as we have. Our problem is overpopulation. I really think we need an education program and a spay and neuter clinic here.”

Amargosa resident John Bosta was yet another who expressed support but he too had a further recommendation for the county to mull over. “We are supposed to participate in the Patriot Act and under the Patriot Act, emergency management is supposed to have a plan on how to house people and their animals in case of an emergency. And I think this might fit into adding to this project,” Bosta said.

Outside of animal-related projects, Schinhofen also narrowed in on the Pahrump Children’s Community Center as an entity that could benefit from the Community Development Block Grant, while commissioner-elect Debra Strickland, who will replace Schinhofen in 2019, suggested the Nye County/Pahrump shooting range be considered as well.

Past project successes

According to McKee during her July 17 presentation, Nye County has participated in the Community Development Block Grant process since 1982 and in that time, has received over $3.8 million in funding for a large variety of projects. The most recently completed projects utilizing these funds were the Nye County complex well upgrade and the purchase of a senior nutrition van, totaling more than $300,000 combined. Projects listed as still pending were the Beatty Airport refueling station and the Pahrump Fairgrounds drainage study and flood control plan, at $390,000 and $124,000 respectively.

McKee can be reached at dmckee@co.nye.nv.us or 775-751-6394.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com