INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Village Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, April 12, began with a statement from Chairman Matthew Dent regarding the tense atmosphere that has recently surrounded the board meetings.

“We are a board to represent the entire community,” said Dent. “Not special interests, not the dog owners, not the golfers, not the skiers, not the pickle ball players, but the entire community. We all work very hard and listen to the perspectives of all, and yes, we listen to special interest groups, because we must make decisions that will sustain our venues for years to come.” 

Many of the examples that Dent brought forward included community members reporting ethics violations of trustees and the general harsh comments that have been brought forward by some of the public commenters both in person and online. 

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Dent advocated for respect and peace at board meetings in an effort to be a better example to the youth in the community. 

The meeting continued on with a report to the board from the Director of Public Works Brad Underwood and Shawn Koorn with HDR regarding the Utility Rate Study, which has a public hearing date sent for Wednesday, June 7. 

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The consent calendar was approved with two items moved to general business, meaning only the Nevada Waste/Waster Water Agency Response Network agreement for mutual emergency aid and previous meeting minutes were approved. 

There was a quick presentation about the amendments and adjustments that had been made to the FY 2023/24 budget from Director of Finance Paul Navazio and General Manager Indra Winquest before it was decided to approve the preliminary version. 

This version was filed with the Department of Taxation on Monday, April 17, with a public hearing date scheduled for Thursday, May 25, followed by board approval of the final version. 

The final budget will be due no alter than Thursday, June 1. 

“I believe the tentative budget is a good start,” said Dent. “I think you guys have incorporated a lot of what we’ve asked for and this is probably … one of the most transparent budgets that I’ve seen in the eight years of doing this. I still think there is work to do, like we all know. I’m excited to see where we land in another six weeks and how we’re able to improve upon this.” 

In relation, the board also passed a resolution approving the collection of the recreation standby and service charges for the fiscal year, setting the projected maximum property owner collection fee at $780 with the expectation for it to be lower, according to Trustee David Noble. 

Trustee Michaela Tonking agreed that setting the initial fee at $780 would allow room to come down, and reiterated how important public feedback is in the process. 

Public feedback will be critical as Dent suggested potentially including access to Diamond Peak in homeowners recreation facility fee, which could be talked about at the public hearing date which is concurrent with the final budget discussion. 

A contract amendment with Shaw Engineering for the water main replacement on Crystal Peak Road was approved, along with an amended capital improvement project budget to incorporate the reduced amount of spending authority within the project. 

The board also approved the design-build contract for the Diamond Peak Base Lodge walk-in cooler and kitchen reconfiguration with Brycoon Corporation, which will see completion before the 2023/24 season. 

Overall, the reconfiguration will make the workspace safer, easier to maneuver, and allow for increased workflow. 

“I’m amazed they’re able to do what they can with they layout of the kitchen as it is right now,” said Noble. “I think this project is very much needed and long overdue.” 

There was plenty of discussion regarding the effluent pipeline project, which has a tentative start date for Monday, May 1. 

Although the agreement with Granite Construction was approved with multiple contingencies and amendments to the contract, there was concern among trustees of the increasing projected price of the project, causing for a need in an updated estimated cost to be brought back to the board. 

“We’ve supposedly gone through all of thees processes,” said Tulloch. “We’ve used independent cost estimators, we’ve used the CMAR process and it’s just silly continually escalating. I understand the urgency to get it done … but I’m extremely concerned.” 

The updated estimated cost will be brought back at the Thursday, May 25, meeting, if not sooner. 

A partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers was approved to aid the effluent storage project, and a construction contract for the Wetlands Effluent Disposal Facility improvements was awarded to McCuen Construction. 

The need for the contract is to make improvements at the disposal facility in order for it to continue functioning properly. Both decisions will forward the effluent storage project and the health of the effluent disposal facility. 

The board voted in favor of the contract services for unemployment claims, with Tonking abstaining due to a conflict of interest. 

The meeting concluded with discussion about a draft policy that would require trustees and senior staff to disclose whether they’re a member or an officer in a community nonprofit, which could or does provide services in the Crystal Bay or Incline Village communities.