Ormsby House, Rollie and U.S. 50 top topics at Carson town hall meeting

The Ormsby House, a tentative settlement over Rollie the dog’s demise and U.S. Highway 50 traffic issues were top town hall meeting topics in Carson City on Monday.

City staffers fielded questions, most of them submitted before the session at the Community Center. One about the partially completed Ormsby House Hotel at Carson and Fifth streets concerned the length of time the owners have had building permits.

Community development director Lee Plemel said building permits last 18 months and extensions another 18, and they have been obtained with fees paid each time over about a decade as the project continues. The last, he said, was issued in April last year. With an extension, it would last until April 2015.

He identified the owner as Cubix Ormsby LLC, divulging that during a subsequent question regarding Jack’s Bar directly north of the Ormsby House building. He said Cubix owns both structures.

The question about Jack’s Bar concerned whether the city could take the historic and unoccupied bar building in eminent domain proceedings. Plemel said the city has “limited ability” and added, “Carson City has never used eminent domain,” and “we can’t compel the property owner to do something with the property.”

City Manager Larry Werner handled the question about the city’s proposed settlement with Jeraldine Archuleta, the owner of the shih tzu euthanized by Carson City Animal Services in July, but he declined to go into great detail because the mater is pending.

Werner said the $41,500 tentatively agreed upon as a payment by the city, which the Board of Supervisors is expected to act on Thursday, couldn’t be discussed other than to say this: “It’s what we feel is a fair amount at this stage.”

Rollie was put down five days after reaching Animal Services and after Archuleta didn’t pay fees required to recover the unlicensed dog.

Regarding U.S. Highway 50 traffic issues, Sheriff Ken Furlong spoke of his and other law enforcement officials’ efforts to install their zero-tolerance and zero-fatalities program from the Churchill-Lyon County line west into central Carson City.

“We are looking at significant changes on that highway,” he said, but financing issues may mean some of the safety changes to come from the Nevada Department of Transportation will take time.

Pre-session questions amounted to about 15, and the audience in Bob Boldrick Theatre at the center numbered 42. There were only a couple of questions from those in attendance, along with a few comments, before the town hall meeting ended in less time than the 90 minutes allotted by city officials.

Jody Ostrander, Carson High School student body vice president, asked how youths can become involved with city government and community needs.

She was told by Tammy Westergard, interim city librarian, and Lisa Schuette, head of Carson Animal Services Initiative, that young people can get involved with the public library and the private organization Schuette heads that is raising finances for a new animal shelter.

Her question prompted Mayor Robert Crowell to say he wants a meeting involving city policymakers and the school board to address Ostrander’s inquiry and related matters.