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Yerington City Council Meeting February 8, 2021 at 10:00am – City Hall The regular meeting of the Yerington City Council was held in the Council Chambers with social distancing guidelines in place with the following present: Mayor John J. Garry Council Members Jerry Bryant, Selena Catalano, Terceira Schunke and Shane Martin City Manager Robert Switzer City Attorney Chuck Zumpft Chief of Police Darren Wagner Public Works Director Jay Flakus Grants Administrator Angela Moore Absent: City Clerk Sheema D. Shaw Guests: Mr. David Ray, Mr. Ken Jacobsen, Mr. Dale Ekmark with Nevada Copper, Inc., Mrs. Aubrey Barnum, and Mr. Tim Dyhr with Nevada Copper, Inc. The meeting was called to order and roll call was reported by Mayor Garry. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by City Manager Switzer. Mayor Garry opened the meeting stating that the Council Chambers are now open for public gatherings and meetings. Public Participation Mayor Garry asked for comments, no comments were made at this time from the public. Agenda Approval Mayor Garry stated the agenda would be approved as presented unless there were any objections or corrections. No objections were made at this time and the agenda was approved as presented. Minutes Mayor Garry stated the minutes of January 25, 2021 regular meeting would be approved as presented unless there are any objections or corrections. No corrections were made and the minutes of January 25, 2021 were approved as presented. ---PAGE BREAK--- New, Renewal and Name Change Business License Applications. A. Dennis Miller dba Dennis Miller Concrete & Construction, LLC, 595 West A. Street Fallon, NV 89407 - New Single Project Mayor Garry stated the business license applications would be approved as presented unless there are any objections or corrections. No objections were made and the business license applications were approved as presented. Discussion on Remaining Funds from City of Yerington Budget and Grant funds Received for the Coronavirus. City Manager Switzer stated two budgets are being used for the new City Hall remodel. On the City of Yerington budget side, the amount budgeted was $150,000.00 for phase one. The grant funding from the Coronavirus Relief Act passed last year and provided the City with an amount of about $591,000.00. approved activities to be used directly towards the Coronavirus. The Grants Administrator Angela Moore will provide a presentation to the remaining amounts of funds available. Grants Administrator Moore provided a presentation stating the grant funding had a total amount of about $592,000.00. The City budgeted about $205,000.00 for the renovation of the new City Hall building. The City has expended about $111,000.00 with about $94,000.00 remaining for the grant funded City Hall remodel budget. The total amount remaining for the entire grant is about $192,000.00. The City budgeted $100,000.00 with zero dollars remaining. For the Wells Fargo CD in the amount of $50,000.00, the City has expended about $5,000.00 with about $44,000.00 remaining for the City’s funding. The City is currently awaiting quotes and invoices for both funding sources. On the grant funding side, the City is waiting for invoices from Sierra Computer Group, Marraccini’s Plumbing and Heating, and Kapra Cleaning. The City is also waiting for a quote from YESCO for the community message sign. Grants Administrator Moore approximates about $90,000.00 to fully cover the invoices and quote for the grant funding. For the City funding, the City is waiting for invoices from Sierra Computer Group, Marraccini’s Plumbing and Heating, Cable Solutions, Overhead Fire Protection, Spectrum internet, and Frontier internet. The City is also waiting for a quote from Mr. Draper for the landscaping at the new City Hall. Grants Administrator Moore approximates about $20,000.00 to fully cover the invoices and quote for the City funding. Councilwoman Catalano asked if any plans are in place for the remaining grant funding. City Manager Switzer stated one option would be to augment the budget to incorporate public safety salaries. The idea was presented to City Council a few months back. The funds need to be expended on the City’s side by the end of our fiscal year, which is June 30, 2021. The City would like to present additional projects including the YESCO electronic sign to be placed at the corner of the property. The sign would be larger than the City’s current sign and the City will provide the estimates or quotes for the new sign. The remaining funds would be applied towards the public safety salaries. ---PAGE BREAK--- Mayor Garry stated to hold in reserve for now and to supplement the Police Department salaries seems to be the best use of the funds. Presentation and Update from Nevada Copper. City Manager Switzer stated Mr. Dale Ekmark, Chief Operating Operator and Mrs. Aubrey Barnum, Vice President of Human Resources with Nevada Copper, Inc. will provide a presentation. Mr. Tim Dyhr will attend the meeting by phone. Mr. Dyhr stated he is currently working remotely, but Mr. Ekmark and Mrs. Barnum will provide an overview of what is happening currently at Nevada Copper. Mrs. Barnum stated she will provide an update on the recruitment process for hiring at Nevada Copper. Nevada Copper is currently in the process of ramping up the workforce. In October of 2018, Nevada Copper had ten full-time employees, now ninety- one full-time employees are currently working. Of the ninety-one employees, forty percent were hired locally. Nevada Copper is looking to continue to provide more opportunities locally as well as within Lyon County. Red Path is the main contractor working for Nevada Copper with about one hundred and thirty employees. Nevada Copper also has about fifty to sixty contractors and subcontractors on site. The total number of employees at the Pumpkin Hollow Project is about two hundred and eighty. Nevada Copper is looking to hire about fifty full-time employees in the mill processing facility and about seventy full- time underground miners within the next few months. By the end of 2021, Nevada Copper is hoping to hire about three hundred and fifty full-time employees. Mrs. Barnum stated the most asked question is how do people apply for a job at Nevada Copper. Go to the website, nevadacopper.com, click on the career tab and apply. The job descriptions are listed and a Human Resources contact is listed for questions on the job descriptions. Manpower is also another alternative for hiring. Some positions that are available includes underground miners, warehouse technicians, diggers, equipment operators, supervisors. Trade positions includes mechanics and electricians. Mr. Dyhr partnered with Western Nevada College (WNC) for employees who would like to further their education. Two employees are currently enrolled and have started the program this month. Mrs. Barnum offered an update on COVID-19 to detail how Nevada Copper is responding to the situation. Nevada Copper has enhanced temperature checks daily, questionnaires if employees are off the job site for more than seventy-two hours, room limits, masks, and mandatory COVID-19 testing. Forty percent of the tests came back positive and all the were related to people who were a systematic. Another method Nevada Copper is taking into effect is contact tracing. Nevada Copper will enforce the same steps with screening for new job opportunities. Mr. Ekmark stated he is an eighth-generation miner and attended the University of Minnesota. Mr. Ekmark started mining in Minnesota and stated within Nevada, there hasn’t been another project like the Pumpkin Hollow Project. The open pit is permitted and is producing seventy thousand tons per day plus the underground. Mr. Ekmark stated ---PAGE BREAK--- Nevada Copper is a great work force and has been working with them since September of 2020. The goal is to produce five thousand tons per day on and have for a stock pile. The main shaft is now complete and is producing twelve hundred tons per day. Fans need to be installed underground to reach the capacity of three thousand, three hundred tons per day. The five thousand tons per day will be reached with the installation of surface fans. Nevada Copper will be the biggest underground mine in the United States once the mine is in full production. Mr. Dyhr stated Nevada Copper will have more to come and he would be happy to provide an update and keep City Council posted. Councilwoman Catalano asked how long until Nevada Copper will be producing five thousand tons per day. Mr. Ekmark stated the determination depends on funding, while copper is only $3.50 a pound. Nevada Copper is currently putting together a mining plan. The estimated time frame to produce the five thousand tons is around the end of this year, beginning of next year. Councilwoman Catalano asked if Nevada Copper has investors lined up. Mr. Ekmark stated a capital budget is being put together and a proposal will be given in the latter half of this year. Mayor Garry would like to salute Mr. Ekmark. The Yerington community has a long history of mining. Mayor Garry stated as Nevada Copper prospers, the community will prosper. Mayor Garry asked Mrs. Barnum, how many open positions are available and provides training. Mrs. Barnum stated Manpower would be the best opportunity for those less experienced and Nevada Copper is willing to train and provide MSHA training. Twenty or more of open positions are available for people who are less experienced. Full- time employees hired with have in-house MSHA training, twenty to thirty hours is required for surface workers and forty hours is required for underground workers. Mayor Garry stated Yerington is the perfect area to raise children and the mining is a life force that could keep people within the community. Mrs. Barnum stated a list of current listing was provided to the City of Yerington and to send people their way. Mr. Ekmark stated he is available anytime and he will follow up. Thank you to the City for the continued support. Discussion and Update on Committee Meeting Dates. City Manager Switzer stated the City needs to schedule Committee Meetings. A Planning Commission meeting is planned to be held next Tuesday. The Public Safety meeting is planned to be held sometime in March. The Public Works and Administration meetings are currently pending. The Grants Room Tax meeting was scheduled for today, but the City lacked a quorum, it is set to be rescheduled for February 22nd. ---PAGE BREAK--- Review Bills Previously Submitted for Payment Bills, Salaries and Vouchers: Accounts Payable Checks 01/20/2021 33238 through 33265 01/21/2021 33266 through 33267 01/27/2021 33272 through 33308 02/02/2021 33309 through 33330 Payroll Vouchers 01/25/2021 01282001 through 01282024 Payroll Checks 01/25/2021 33268 through 33269 Transmittal Vouchers 01/25/2021 1252001 Transmittal Checks 01/25/2021 33270 through 33271 Councilwoman Schune made a motion to approve the bills previously submitted for payment, seconded by Councilman Martin. Mayor Garry asked for comments, no comments were made at this time and the motion carried unanimously. Public Participation Mayor Garry asked for comments, no comments were made at this time. Department Reports Public Works Director Flakus stated the parks meeting is on this Thursday, the 11th of February at 5:15pm. Anyone from the community may attend for the use of the ball field parks. A COVID-19 compliance summary needs to be attached to all applications submitted. Portable restrooms and handwashing stations also need to be provided for use of the fields. Final applications will be provided to the public at the meeting. Public Works is currently working on the lights at Veteran’s Park to fix the lights, an electrician might need to be hired. Councilwoman Catalano asked Public Works Director Flakus if he could ask Chief of Police Wagner to take a look at the lights. Public Works Director Flakus stated he could ask the Police Department or rent a lift again for a few weeks, but the bucket truck is out of service currently. Chief of Police Wagner stated the insurance claim for the accident pertaining to the Yerington Police Department is estimated around $9,200.00 for the damages. City Attorney Zumpft stated a few months ago, City Council approved an agreement with Lyon County for data or fiber and to incorporate into the Water and Sewer Project. The Lyon County District Attorney has requested revisions to the agreement. A ---PAGE BREAK--- couple years ago, City Council approved a transfer of the Booth Parr field to the Lyon County School District. No legal description was provided for the property and a public land surveyor needs to provide this information. The property needs to have the land transferred and the transfer is currently not in place. City Manager Switzer stated regarding the Booth Parr field, City Clerk Shaw and City Manager Switzer met with the Lyon County School District in early December. A discussion took place that the City has already passed and approved of the Booth Parr property transfer to the Lyon County School District. The City does not want an additional expense and the Lyon County School District stated they would get back to the City soon. At this point, the City owns the field but has no legal description. The City will continue to pursue the transfer and will updated City Council of the action. City Manager Switzer stated the strategic planning is starting into the budget year and he would like to wait until after the sixteenth to finalize. The City will find out what funding will be received from the State. Funding received from the State is about forty percent of the City’s income. The City will contact City Council to pick a time and date to meet about the strategic planning. City Manager Switzer stated City Council may stop by his office to discuss the current capital projects the City would like to pursue. Next Monday is a federal holiday, President’s Day and City Hall will be closed. A Zamboni, floor scrubber was purchased and the City just received it. Public Works Director Flakus tried the floor scrubber and it works very well. The Walker River Communities Foundation would like to host a banquet sometime in June of 2021. A Wedding reception would like to held sometime in August of 2021. The Lions Club would like to have the Nut Feed in April and will approach the City Council for approval. The fees to be charged for events are being finalized and City Council will have the final approval. Mayor Garry asked City Manager Switzer if he would like to present the discussion from the National Guard personnel last week. City Manager Switzer stated he would like to let the Mayor present that topic. Mayor Garry stated a picture is present for City Council and the public. The City would like to show an effort of our gratitude to the National Guard for providing the facility and would like to name the City’s Administration building after a member of the National Guard. The member chosen is named Major General Robert T. Herbert. Mr. Herbert served forty-two years and eight months of service and a resume will be displayed as well as his picture in the front entrance of the Administration building. Mayor Garry stated Mr. Herbert is a very worthy candidate and he is happy to have him here. Last week, a meeting was held with the National Guard personnel and a decision was made to offer a joint project, the dedication of the building and also the opening ceremony. The dedication and opening ceremony are going to held on March 31, 2021 at City Hall within the parking area. Mayor Garry stated this month is Black History Month and he would like to report back to history. Private First-Class James Anderson with the Marine Corps was the first African American in the Civil War who saved fellow marines by jumping on a live grenade. Private Anderson was offered the first congressional medal of honor on February 28, 1967. Mayor Garry’s father was born in Ireland and stated unifying with history brings us ---PAGE BREAK--- all together. Mayor Garry stated George Washington, an Englishman, who is the father of our country and a great part of our history. There being no further business the meeting was adjourned. Mayor of the City of Yerington ATTEST: City Clerk of the City of Yerington