Churchill County Commissioners met in a regular meeting last week where they heard a report from Shannon Goodrick, Executive Director of the Fallon Youth Club and approved a request for continuing financial support in the amount of $10,000.
For 17 years the FYC has provided low-cost after-school programs for children in the community. The club moved to the new location and new facility near the City-County Gym on Venturacci Lane in February of 2021. Since that move, attendance has increased nearly 50 percent, said Goodrick, with anywhere between 118 and 147 kids per day during the summer and an average of 120 since school went back into session.
According to Goodrick, the club has operated for several years with three full-time employees, but this year with the additional students, they have had to restructure personnel, splitting the Director of Operations position in two and creating the Program Coordinator position as well as creating a position for Teen Coordinator.
“Our over 12 population is growing, we were running about 11 a day and now we have more than 20 kids now,” said Goodrick. “We’ve also had to exclude the 6th graders from the teen population. With the 13- to 15-year-olds we are targeting them and trying to create a place they want to come and with the 11-year-olds that wasn’t working out.”
She said the FYC continues to partner with the school district in the 21st Century Grant program and with the Summer Food Program, partnering as a distribution point.
According to Goodrick, the club is now able to address some of the other pressing issues in the community, such as childcare for younger children. The club currently serves school-age students but is in the licensing process to become a childcare provider, serving families with children ages six weeks to six years. After Kindergarten, children will then move to the main location. The FYC is working on establishing a separate building for the childcare, and Goodrick said they have run into some glitches that have moved out their opening date to the first of the year.
“We have a huge issue with insufficient childcare in this community and we are hoping to provide quality care and programming and hope to get families back to work,” said Goodrick.
In other business, Commissioners held a public hearing regarding an ordinance that will authorize the issuance of a Water Revenue Bond in the amount of $558,000 to finance the construction of the Sand Creek Municipal Well. Joe Sanford, Civil Deputy District Attorney presented the report and said that the county is in the process of constructing the Sand Creek Redundant Municipal well. As part of the construction, funding was obtained through the USDA Rural Development and Nevada State Capital Grants, partially as grant funding and partially to be funded by a revenue bond. If this ordinance is adopted, the bond will be secured by water and wastewater revenues. The interest rate of the bond will be 1.5 percent with a 40-year term. Estimated payments will be $1,552 per month.
Commissioners also heard a report from Caleb Cage who is a grant consultant for the county and presented information as part of the requirements under the Governor’s Office on Economic Development for the Community Development Block Grant. There are currently three projects proposed for the CDBG process that is to be ranked in priority for sponsorship by the County.
The projects submitted by Cage include an equipment purchase for the Central Nevada Health District in the amount of $375,760, partial funding for the RV park at the 3C facility in the amount of $1,661,256, and a renovation project at the Cottage School in the amount of $98,400.
Community member Jenny Hiskett who lives on Sheckler Road said during the public comment period that she didn’t see lighting, security, or fencing listed as part of the project for the RV park or the Health District facility. Cage explained that the county is currently pursuing multiple sources of funding and those will be included in the planning phases. Hiskett also said she has been assured the RV spaces are only for the participants in the events at the 3C Arena, but in the grant application, she read that the spaces are to help with the shortage of housing.
Commissioner Greg Koenig said he has no problem going on record that the spaces are for the events. “We have to get the big picture and then take care of the details,” he said.
Commissioners approved opening a public comment period on the three projects that will end on October 4. On October 6, commissioners will hold a public hearing on the comments received and will approve of the submittal and ranking of the projects.
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