The Nye County towns have project proposals for the next Community Development Block Grant program cycle.

Nye County is in the midst of the process of participating in the next cycle of the state’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and with three towns putting forward potential projects, but only so much funding to go around, it will be up to the Nye County commissioners which of the proposals will take priority.

“I’m really excited to share that we have five fantastic Nye County applications,” Nye County Contracts and Grants Manager Stephani Elliott told the board during the Tuesday, Sept. 15 meeting.

Of the five projects under consideration, three are for the town of Beatty, while Round Mountain and Tonopah have each submitted an application. Elliott explained that the objective of the day’s discussion was to have the commissioners decide which of the five applications should move forward to the eligibility stage. The applications will be sent to the state’s CDBG analyst to determine if they are suitable for the program and would then return to the commission in November for final prioritization via a formal ranking process.

“I do want to point out that Nye County will be very fortunate to get full funding for one grant project. We have been advised that we will not be eligible for any more than two grant projects,” Elliott detailed. “We’re asking CDBG for almost $2.4 million. There is only $3 million for the entire state.”

Beatty sidewalks and water

Beatty representative Autumn Arroyo-Byington spoke on the town’s Cottonwood Sidewalks Project, which comes with an estimated total cost of $326,340 and a CDBG funding request of $265,000.

“We have been working on replacing the most critical parts over the last few years. These sidewalks had been placed in the 1970s and 1980s and they are coming to the point where they are crumbling, they are lifting and they are just not accessible for anyone with a handicap or wheelchair,” Arroyo-Byington said, remarking that they are also a safety hazard for everyone, particularly during large events like Beatty Days.

Benjamin Magana with the Beatty Water and Sanitation District then spoke about the two projects the district had applied for. The first was a water treatment plant improvement project totaling $595,686 with a CDBG funding request of $580,836. The second was a water and wastewater resiliency and SCADA upgrade for $214,800 and the funding request was for that full amount. Between the two, Magana said the first would be his choice to move forward.

“The most important one is the EW-4 Well and Water Treatment Plant Rehabilitation and Arsenic Treatment Improvement Project,” Magana stated. “To summarize that, the treatment plant has three filter media vessels that are used to remove the arsenic that comes in from the well and the current media – we had some sampling done… in August. We got the lab results and it’s reached its maximum lifespan, just about.”

Tonopah storage tank

The town of Tonopah submitted for a Tonopah Public Utilities storage tank improvement project, with town manager Joe Westerlund explaining that the capacity of this vital facility has been exceeded. This project is quite pricey at over $3 million but Westerlund explained that a majority of the cost would be covered by a Secure Rural Schools grant. The funding request for the Tonopah project came to $707,284.

“Back in 2020, our population was 1,799 per the state demographer. This year it came out at 3,074 so we are seeing a huge increase in our population,” Westerlund told the board.

Round Mountain “Old Town”

As for Round Mountain, its project focuses on the refurbishment of the “Old Town” water system. Round Mountain Town Manager James Swiggart explained that this community was built in the early 1900s but in the 1980s, Round Mountain Gold ultimately moved the population from “Old Town” to where the Hadley subdivision currently sits and today, “Old Town” has just eight residents.

“So, we do have an opportunity to create a whole new town for Nye County,” Swiggart said, noting that there were around 250 lots in the “Old Town” area that could be developed if the water infrastructure was updated.

“Very difficult,” commissioner Bruce Jabbour remarked as the item drew to a close. “Because I believe these are all so very important.”

Commissioner Debra Strickland suggested putting all five of the projects in for eligibility review and waiting for the November 17 meeting before considering which two projects will ultimately be submitted for the 2027 funding awards. Each of the other commissioners concurred and the item closed with all five projects to be submitted for eligibility.

To view the five project applications, visit NyeCountyNV.gov and click on the Meeting Center link. The applications are included with item #7 on the commission’s Sept. 15 agenda.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com