Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 6

6A Reno Gazette-Journal Wednesday, November 18, 1993 os Con Wash itmaJ of rail-trench financing nty nails mm will still be in use. But Reno would gain the air rights above, which could be sold for development as the project moves ahead. Companies that want to build over the tracks would pay for additional strengthening of the trench walls. For decades Reno officials have talked of lowering the tracks. That would help move traffic, reduce the number of accidents and help clear the air of noise and pollution.

But with the merger of Union and Southern Pacific railroads, more than 35 trains a day could be run through downtown in a few vears. Those trains would be faster, longer and with many cargo cars double stacked. expected to begin in mid-200 1 City officials expect construction could take 2'h years. The ends of the 2.1-mile long trench would be built first and then joined at the middle. Varela hopes no streets will be blocked off for more than 60 days.

Under the deal with Union Pacific, the city would own and maintain the trench and Union Pacific's would turn over a number of properties to the city that it owns along the railroad tracks. Some of them would be sold for cash and others would be kept for income, I lolt said. The $60 million also includes $17 million in railroad tracks and equipment. No value is assigned for the 54-foot-wide right of way for the railroad tracks because it The arrangement must be in writing before the Washoe County Commission takes a final vote Dec. 8 on an enabling sales tax ordinance.

That bill was introduced Tuesday. For the project, Goldman Sachs, a San Francisco investment firm, is advising Reno to issue bonds for up to $100 million in bonds before the end of the year to take advantage of current interest rates now below 5 percent. The federal government also will loan $85 million for the project. Throughout the county commission hearing, residents asked what would happen if the project runs over budget. Reno City engineer Steve Varela said construction bids will be taken for the work.

side its hotel door. Pawnshop owner Joan Mack also is worried more businesses will close downtown because of construction. "I'm just concerned you're not rolling the dice down Virginia Street. Is the risk too great?" But the county commission left all the sordid details in dealing with construction to Reno officials. "You have a big job ahead of you," said commission chairwoman Joanne Bond.

The next steps for the trench include an environmental impact statement, during which construction mitigation issues will be dealt with in public hearings. That reporting process will take 18 months, with actual construction By Susan Voyles RliNO GAZETTE-JOURNAL The last piece in financing a $192 million trench for the railroad tracks in downtown Reno fell into place Tuesday. The Washoe County Commission agreed to proceed with a sales tax hike of one-eighth of a cent, as required by state law. In a tentative deal announced Monday, Union Pacific Corp. will put up $60 million in property and equipment for the project.

Union Pacific's board of directors will consider the deal on Thursday and a written memorandum of understanding could be in local officials' hands by Friday. And if costs run over budget, "It won't be built." The bond issue would include a redemption clause, refunding most of the bonds, if construction bids for the project show it cannot be built for $192 million in today's dollars, said Jeff Holt, a Sachs official. The federal government also will loan $85 million for the project. But Varda as well as city officials don't expect the project to run over budget. The $192 million includes $45 million for contingencies.

Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel officials sought some guarantee from the county that the casino would not be harmed during construction. A temporary track would be laid on Commercial Row, just out Reno, Sparks donate land for flood control (Ll- I utomliirareM industrial-warehouse district in Reno and Sparks. And until measures arc taken, he would expect that industrial base to dwindle because businesses can't take another flood. Those companies employ about 20,000 people. Overall, the New Year's Day flood in 1997 covered about 7,000 acres and caused $680 million in damage.

Reno-Sparks experiences a major flood every 12-16 years. The corps is studying a community-based design for flood control to provide more land for flood waters and could also be used for wildlife and parks. That. plan would allow levee walls to be farther from the river and shorter walls in a new flood plain in a two-mile stretch between Greg Street and the McCarran bridge. With promises from Reno Mayor Jeff Griffin and Sparks Mayor Bruce Breslow to donate land, $25 million won't have to be raised from sales taxes.

Sparks citv manager Terry Reynolds said donating that land always has been the plan. But that wasn't shared with county officials until Galloway did some research last week. Washoe County manager Katy Simon said the donated land won't make any difference in a $21.69 million bond sale initially approved Tuesday by resolution. That sale includes $9 million for the Truckee River flood control project. But Simon said it will make a difference in 200 1.

With the donated land, only 1 7 million rather than the $42 million contained in the financing plans would be needed in a second bond issue to complete the flood control projects. And Simon said to add new projects to the list, the county commission would have to first approve a new facilities plan, with priorities ranked by the Regional Planning Commission. For now, that puts aside the question of the controversial Evans Creek dam, which critics say would create a giant eyesore above Rancho San Rafael park in northwest Reno. Commission chairwoman Joanne Bond said that project is now on a wish list and may never again see the light of day. Reynolds said the flood control projects on the Truckee River are vital to maintaining a healthy By Susan Voyles RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Reno and Sparks officials promised Tuesday to turn over $25 million in real estate needed for flood control projects rather than pocket the money for their city treasuries.

It was the only victory for Washoe County Commissioner Jim Galloway, who opposed raising the sales tax. He argued no increased sales tax is needed, with the donated lands and affected property owners, through an assessment district, paying the remainder. The region must come up with $57.6 million in land and cash, half the cost for the flood control improvements to be built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Tim DunnReno Gazelle-Journal $100 MORE IN TAXES: With Washoe County's 0.25 percent sales tax increase, the sales tax on this Lexus RX-300, which has a list price of $39,100, would increase $100 from $2,797 to $2,896.

Tax What you'll pay (HI A family earning $53,1 00 a year will pay about $58 more in sales tax with Washoe County's 0.25 percent increase because only about 45 percent of its i income is spent on taxaoie gooas. sample ot now mucn tax consumers will pay on some high-ticket items: Save $200 On A COMPAQ. Computer! rrf 1099.99 0w Price Lexus RX-300 $39,951 $2,597 $2,797 $2,896 $100 Remington leather sofa $2,556 $166 $179 $185 $6 Sony46-inchTV $1,700 $111 $119 $123 $4 been Mod elleW rVabhttni 'EffectiveAprii 1,1999 Source: Reno Ga2ette-Journal research Scott DavisReno Gazette-Journal I 1 celeron- I After Rebate A $100 Price Reduction MlfflojUtM Joanne Bond Compaq 5050 Computer With Intel9 Celeron" Protessor 333 MHz foMISyncDMM fi 10 Glliari drive 'I Mike Mouliot Voted YES on sales tax I I Voted on sales -JtV 1 tex 32xmmsHa-(0Mit, 1 (ortuol 6cmM speeds my ry HSR 2000 arapkol 475-71 Moaltor witfc ipMlwrt wM Mfrtlf far lumlti I CompM MV40O 14" lUnltor (U.r mwM hew stm) 110-243 From page 1A tion should be delayed until the two new commissioners elected Nov. 3 take office in January. Commissioner Jim Shaw of Sparks provided the key vote to pass the measure.

State law required approval by four of the five commissioners for the tax hike. After four hours of testimony, Shaw was joined by commissioners Joanne Bond, Sue Camp and Mike Mouliot in voting for the quarter-cent increase. Camp and Mouliot leave office in January. Little controversy has erupted over the eighth-cent increase to be used for flood control, a new dispatch-emergency command post and a police and fire training academy. But the trench for trains through downtown Reno has drawn criticism.

"I came here with mixed emotions," Shaw said before voting. "I have changed my mind. After hearing the testimony this morning, the pros and cons, I do believe it's a matter of urgency we act on this Shaw said Sheriff Richard Kirkland's speech was the clincher. If the measure were defeated, Kirkland said his people would be picking up more bodies off the train tracks. rOther commissioners said the railroad project is vital in keeping downtown Reno alive in the face of train traffic from the merger Union and Southern Pacific railroads.

in Spanish Springs asked what the railroad tracks are goiag to do for me," chairwoman JoanneJBond said. "If you have a bad, heart, it's only a matter of tirrte before it takes its toll on the rest of the body." sales tax will generates 1 1 million the first year and have a life of 30 years, with a 1 percent growth in revenues each To implement the tax, the county commission also approved a Cohibm MV500 IS" Color mlHr Witk Smkm U3lrwaMlaM(raa) "Lmw mwpi fay GX Cafiei in hnmm tdj. tmd 34hmhA lent. mi. "If we don 'tdo something to do send a message, people nationally won 't invest in our community.

If we don 't bite the bullet and make this a viable place for tourism and industry to locate, we have lost it. I will take the heat. birakineWiif "Government's first job is to protect its people. "The railroad project "is in the heart of my district. It will make the property along the tracks worth a good deal more.

For the (long-closed) King 's Inn maybe something can be done with that. 229.9 2299 Vow Price Guarantee low Price Guarantee low Price Guarantee I lion would be spent to build half of a new public-safety training center. The other half would be built in 2001. Reno officials will sell bonds for less than $100 million before the end of the year for its $192 million project to lower the tracks. After those bond sales, the sales tax increase would be irreversible.

Finally, the commission approved an agreement turning over half the new tax revenue to Reno, which would be solely responsible for the trench state-required facilities and financing plan, limiting proceeds to be spent only on the $323 million in approved projects. The commission then introduced an ordinance to impose the quarter-cent increase tax, to be voted on Dec. 8. The commission also approved a resolution to sell $21.69 million in bonds, to be retired with sales tax revenue. Of that, $9 million would go for flood control, $3.5 million would be spent within a year to convert the old armory for a dispatch and emergency command center and about $8.25 mil Xerox S1 A Xerox DotuPrlnt P8 laser Printer Xtrox XC356 Personal Copier WorkCentre 450C Color 600 dpi color winter fast prints ppn Stondwne plain paper fan 300 dpi grapWs sanning Convenient copi 250-721 3-yaar OVarnight Exdmng Worrorrly Frinbwk I om MO monition-' Letter legd sin copies Multicopying plus contiwoK copies op It 20 SOMetpopalroy Up lo 3 cspeE-par-awwta i 3-yeor fxpeess Exdnnge Senrit Warranty 286-951 2porolWports lot shored wop 250-sheet popor (opacity 333-544 Washoe sales tax hike will help pay for dispatch center, training academy 99 99 Q99 olio, low Price Guarantee low Price Guarantee low Pnce Guarantee H8WLCTT it, v-.

i wgt required to have a total of 330,000 training hours. Half of the training center would be built initially and the rest funded in 2001. Total estimated cost: $16.5 million. police officers also don't get hurt or killed as often. And they do a better job protecting the public, said Sheriff Richard Kirkland.

Each year, the region's 1,520 police officers and firefighters are 4 AMihtedT. I Brother MC-7150C HP laser Jet Xerox XE60 Digital Copter lam rtktrtal loser rooier Color All-ln-One Uathlne Colot pr nter, scanner end plain poper Ian Pint speeds up to 6 ppm plodc4 ppm color Fax transmits at i seconds per rage Video capture; rapture nncjes train vow VCD, comcordei or digital camera 1-ywliritortfotwngeWwnmly 363-324 ZcmreJtKliWenWcjementSOVZOOX "-w 3-yeor Overnight bdnnge Woronty 1100 Si laser Printer fast prints I ppm Prints true laser 600 dpi Optional HP copierscanner no JetPath hxlinology 417-491 HP LaierJet 1100 401-143 By Susan Voyles RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Within a year, the doors should be open for a new dispatching-emergency command center at the old Armory building of the Nevada State Fairgrounds. A sales tax hike, now in the works, would include $3.5 million for the remodeling work. With a computerized dispatching system being ordered by the city of Reno and new radio equipment being bought, county and city police and and firefighters will be able to communicate with each other. The new dispatching center will replace the so-called "Dungeon" in the basement of the Reno Main Fire Station.

The room was surrounded by water in the New Year's Day flood of 1997. The sales tax also will fund a new police-fire training academy planned to be operated with Truckee Meadows Community College. Firefighters scramble to find places in the area to train while police officers travel 25 miles to a shooting range near Pyramid Lake. The new center eventually would pay for itself in overtime savings. Better trained firefighters and brother nttm GUARANTEED CASH GIVE-AWAY Drawing Every Saturday till December 31st Every Saturday starting at 7:00 pm get in on your chance to win up to $4,000 in CASH! Winners chosen every 15 minutes.

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