Supervisors to consider electric franchise fee hike

Businesses and residents would face an 11.1 percent increase in electric service utility franchise fees under a proposal going to the Carson City Board of Supervisors on Thursday.

The boost from the current 4.5 percent to 5 percent will raise $240,000 and take effect on Sept. 1 if it clears the board twice. Thursday’s action proposal is for a first reading, which means a second vote of approval would be needed at a later board meeting for it to take effect.

The board in its Feb. 14 meeting had instructed city staffers to pursue the increase, which signals the likelihood of adoption. Staffers said in the agenda that revenue generated from the hike would be “used to fund the costs needed in the Carson City General Fund to maintain services at the current levels.”

The action requires a business-impact statement and would raise the franchise fee to the maximum allowed by law. Other similar fees for services such as cable and telephone are already at 5 percent, according to the city finance director.

Among other agenda items are one calling for a resolution to establish a Carson City Ethics Ordinance Review Committee, which would review the city’s code of ethics and recommend potential modifications.

Another item would direct staffers to apply for a $140,000 Aging and Disability Resource Center grant from the Nevada State Aging and Disability Services Division. It would be for a 21-month period beginning in October to expand applicable case-management capabilities in Carson City and Douglas County.