INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The special meeting for the general improvement district in regards to the Recreation Center Expansion Project has been moved to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at the Chateau in Incline Village.

The meeting was moved so that all trustees could attend. Previously, the meeting was to be held on Thursday, Oct. 20, but due to conflicting schedules, Trustee Sara Schmitz couldn’t be there. 

IVGID General Manager Indra Winquest confirmed the meeting was moved in order for Schmitz to be able to attend. 

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The meeting will outline the timing of events that led to the demise of the Recreation Center Expansion Project, as well as the termination of the $26 million grant agreement with the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation.

Executive Director of the Duffield Foundation, Jim Dugdale, said he was working closely with Winquest and his team prior to the termination, which Dugdale considers a huge loss for the community, but felt the request to the board was clear. 

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“We had an agreed upon design and budget,” said Dugdale. “After that, it was changed and that was not what we agreed upon. So on Sept. 7, I met with Indra and his crew, and I explained to them, ‘Look, we have an agreed upon budget and we have an agreed upon design, and changing things is not what we agreed upon at this point. 

“I need a letter from you guys to the Foundation and to Mr. Duffield saying you’re sorry about making these changes and that you agree with the design,” he added. “And I need it signed by all the trustees because I want it to show the foundation and the community that this board is 100% behind their project which we’ll be funding.’” 

Dugdale said he told Winquest the vote must be unanimous in order to show the community and the foundation that they were behind the project. 

“We did get the letter back signed by all the Board of Trustees, which in it states that they are supportive of that design. And then obviously when the vote came, one of the trustees voted against it, which made it not unanimous, which is the reason we withdrew the project. I thought there would be an unanimous vote because that’s what we had asked for, and at least at the point in time, that’s what we understood was coming.” 

Jim Dugdale, Executive Director of the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation

“We did get the letter back signed by all the Board of Trustees, which in it states that they are supportive of that design,” said Dugdale. “And then obviously when the vote came, one of the trustees voted against it, which made it not unanimous, which is the reason we withdrew the project. I thought there would be an unanimous vote because that’s what we had asked for, and at least at the point in time, that’s what we understood was coming.” 

Dugdale said the foundation will not be re-establishing a grant agreement with the district for the recreation center going forward due to the inability to come to an unanimous decision on the design and budget. 

“You can’t move forward with a project that can create all sorts of problems moving forward,” said Dugdale. “You can imagine what would happen if you don’t have an unanimous vote six months down the road or one year down the road.” 

The special is expected to lay out the timeline of events and clear up any misunderstanding among trustees and community members.