WINNEMUCCA - Mayor Di An Putnam began her "State of the City" presentation recently with compliments to the Humboldt Museum staff and volunteers for all of the improvements made at the museum campus.
Putnam said the museum is "one of the things that links our community."
She said the Winnemucca City Council and staff have planned ahead for projects so they can "pay as you go." The city is virtually debt-free with only a low-interest loan for a water project that will be paid off this year. She said revenues for the city total around $8 million a year.
The city's positive financial picture is benefitted by cost-sharing that is done between the city and county, including parks and recreation, animal control, planning and the building department, the airport, cemetery, insect control, and the shooting park, among others.
The mayor explained that the city's current $30 million ending fund balance will make possible projects, including $2 million in road improvements. She specifically mentioned Great Basin Drive's extension to East Winnemucca Boulevard, scheduled for paving in September, and said the city is ready to go to bid on the widening of Water Canyon road.
Putnam said that project has been most recently delayed because Southwest Gas needed to install some new lines in the roadway, but it should be ready to go to bid in the near future. Once the project is done, Putnam said the challenge will be to control speed on that long straight collector road.
Roadwork planned for the area around the museum will change the area where patrons enter the museum and create a designated place for parking, making it easier to hold outdoor events within the museum complex.
The mayor said the city's new fire department building will be ready to go to bid within the next week or two. Estimates are in the $1.6 million range for the building, which will house all the city's fire trucks in addition to a classroom - training room area.
"We've been preparing and saving for the firehouse, as we do for other projects," The new firehouse will be very economically built, a great addition to the city, she said.
Sewer system improvements will be paid for with the portion of the ending fund balance that is collected from sewer fees that must be spent within that proprietary fund.
The improvements will increase sewer system capacity and replacement of older sewer lines will eliminate the need for a pumping station near Bridge and Haskell streets because the new lines will be gravity-flow sewer lines, which are efficient and low-maintenance.
Within the next two years Putnam said there will be major enhancements to the sewer plant that will ready Winnemucca for future growth and opportunity.
The mayor said beautification projects, such as the planned improvements to the East Winnemucca Boulevard - Melarkey Street intersection are important.
"This is the major view of Winnemucca from Highway 95 and Winnemucca Boulevard, and will encourage people to stop and spend some time in town."
She thanked both the Winners and Sundance casinos, whose owners gave up property for placement of "City of Winnemucca" and "Humboldt County" signs and landscaping. She encouraged businesses in the downtown area to consider efforts to enhance the looks of their areas as well.
Audience member Sandy Phillips asked a question about bronze statues to represent Winnemucca's heritage (perhaps a miner, a buckaroo, a Basque sheepherder...) to which the mayor responded that there are some extremely talented people in the area. (She noted the statue of the buckaroo at Lowry High School, made by local students.)
- See MAYOR, Page 17 -
Putnam said, "When you travel around to other communities you notice what makes that community stand out." She said she'd like to hear input and ideas from people.
She acknowledged the same frustration felt by others regarding the signal at the corner of Bridge and Haskell streets.
"This process started before I was mayor," she commented, noting that the city hasn't been the source of all the delays. The first word from state engineers was that a connection between the signal and the railroad tracks a block and a half away wouldn't be necessary, but later they said it would.
The signal connection is a huge factor in cost. The state wants the city to take over ownership and maintenance of Haskell Street, but before taking on that expensive responsibility, local officials are trying to encourage a fair settlement from the state that would pay for the signal and some future maintenance.
A study the city council agreed to pay the railroad to do ($35,000) should answer the questions about the necessity of a tie-in between the intersection light and the railroad crossing.
A question from the audience regarding the possibility for a performing arts center prompted the mayor to say, "We are moving forward with that effort; we met last week with a foundation that might be interested in helping with funding."
She said it fit in to the overall effort to position Winnemucca as a good place, both to visit and to stay and live.
"We want to get others as excited as we are about Winnemucca," she said, adding she thinks the city of Winnemucca compares well.
"It's clean, the businesses care, the residents care, the staff at the city puts it all together; I couldn't be prouder to be your mayor and be part of the city of Winnemucca," she said.[[In-content Ad]]
