[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6329140,"mediaKeyId","2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2","parentId",2316454,"title","Votes at a glance: Lander County Commission, Feb. 13 — ordinances, contracts, appointments and county business","audioSeconds",4155,"startMs",503000,"endMs",4658000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2&start=503&end=4658","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2/thumbnail_503000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6329140/Lander-County/Nevada/Votes-at-a-glance-Lander-County-Commission-Feb-13-ordinances-contracts-appointments-and-county-business","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329140-bd4de2f06cafa300db19d171709e9eee/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725077&Signature=VouoZAXvQSHlP6OU8TQo8DUGfTyLm5W4fBks-1C0fXgWLM5dtJc50QV7CA1qLDxMq9YjI7bN7nb-W-bBfPb1~NiUZGqgOLGDIGijClaqQrsAygRHxdQC~29dQ~uOMZknba~shDim2GBIjpjpz2ecaMus5WjRmQp8-YXKgMTwxbgy-4RCqFjLHB3U07zS-VTPnv803RtR6XHKl4NFob0ambD6b1BcIpEjF2dDd3KH7uPYlC2pBOQp2wprJ6cql0RL~L3iSZNZLnsgMICcHXJZUs-am3c9zWCZY2XnpbbJ0xooA83vOIOPkfWiMAvATKCyYM5GbS438HOvxBj0Ch1iYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lander County, NV","date","2025-02-14T19:27:11Z","article","Below are the formal actions taken by the Lander County Commission on Feb. 13, 2025. This roundup covers motions and votes from the meeting; items with substantial public debate are reported in dedicated articles.

Votes and key outcomes

- Consent agenda: Approved approval of the Feb. 13 agenda, Jan. 6 and Jan. 23 meeting minutes, and payroll change requests (consent agenda motion passed).

- Payment of bills: The commission approved payment of bills with two checks pulled for separate consideration (checks 226853 and 211093 were withheld from the main motion and then approved individually; individual members noted conflicts/abstentions during those recorded approvals).

- Ordinance (first reading) — tobacco, vapor and alternative nicotine products: The board approved first reading and set a public hearing for March 13, 2025, at 9:10 a.m. on the proposed ordinance to prohibit purchase, possession and furnishing of tobacco, vapor and alternative nicotine products by persons under 18 and related offenses (agenda item 1.2).

- Engineering services — Austin Upper Booster Station rebuild: Approved an engineering services proposal to begin design for the Austin Upper Booster Station rebuild in an amount not to exceed $83,000 (agenda item 1.3).

- Airport improvements — partial bid award: Approved a partial bid award to Resource Development Company LLC for Austin Airport improvements in an amount not to exceed $144,900; the full project bid exceeded available budget so the award covers a reduced scope (agenda item 1.4).

- Appointments: Approved appointment of J.R. (Wallace) Thomas to the Public Land Use Advisory Planning Commission (term 7/1/2025–6/30/2027) and to the Humboldt River Basin Water Authority (agenda items 1.5 and 1.6).

- Central Nevada Regional Water Authority membership: Approved Resolution No. 2025‑202 to recognize Mineral County as a member of the Central Nevada Regional Water Authority effective Jan. 1, 2025 (agenda item 1.17).

- Personnel and job descriptions: Approved combining two budgeted seasonal positions into a single full‑time maintenance worker position (no additional salary requested), and approved job descriptions for Civic Center Coordinator and Maintenance Worker; the seasonal positions will be converted per the approved motion (agenda items 1.19, 1.10, 1.11).

- Wildfire protection plan update contract: Awarded the contract for updating the County Wildfire Protection Plan to Resource Concepts, Inc., not to exceed $200,000; the board accepted the recommendation to proceed with the grant‑funded update (agenda item 2.1).

- Resolution supporting daylight coyote calling contests: The commission reaffirmed support for allowing daylight coyote‑calling contests and approved a supporting resolution to that effect (agenda item 1.12).

- Other administrative items: The commission approved several other routine administrative motions and agenda housekeeping items during the meeting.

What the board did not finalize

- Discharge of firearms ordinance: The board directed staff to prepare amended language to allow limited night hunting with thermal or night‑vision optics and return the draft for a second reading (agenda item 1.8). Commissioners did not adopt final ordinance language on Feb. 13.

- RailSense intermodal terminal: The RailSense presentation was informational only; no county action or commitment was requested or approved Feb. 13 (agenda item 1.13).

How to find more detail

Each item is recorded in the official meeting minutes and the supporting backup materials available at the Lander County Clerk's Office. Items with extended public comment or legal/financial implications (night‑hunting ordinance, SCCRT status, RailSense update) are covered in dedicated news summaries from this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lander County Commissioners' Regular Meeting 2-13-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission approved a package of routine and substantive items Feb. 13, including setting a public hearing for a youth tobacco ordinance, awarding engineering and airport work, appointing representatives to regional boards, contracting for a wildfire protection plan update, and administrative personnel and job‑description changes.","taxTitle","Lander County , Nevada","taxId",73449,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6329145,"RailSense update: developer says BNSF interest, MSC discussions and multiple commodities under consideration for Battle Mountain rail park",443,2856000,3299000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2&start=2856&end=3299","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2/thumbnail_2856000.jpg","/articles/6329145/Lander-County/Nevada/RailSense-update-developer-says-BNSF-interest-MSC-discussions-and-multiple-commodities-under-consideration-for-Battle-Mountain-rail-park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329145-9437709522552891f0a2a06d5aa0c7d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725078&Signature=AMLS5HcCU19uwG0AqOtcys35aWQdIisTsVbc4GIW4LsZAGhpBeeM061FlD~Ox~k6H5ct7kUn6ePStEo5pK2EVarbdtWrZPAvDquUGnggr~OecunsOz9y3a2Bc2mV1uLMYXcG5PYgezT2SEug8ek8SmczdvYeBZ3J2mqVD8GTGYb3basFLuMsp62RkRSDs4nWV4qzXOYLGYbhWrtavUxMbwfY331uLsmOKCXaNqIOZGM9hYstIC09nGzcFzXX743pMtvDtGwggZeeIKWto0~TPGbyNCOrffPNlJuyCMhqzuZxBFKLGYluTxKi86F34ef1yPCSMJEvSZrT~fKlKXWiUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A developer seeking to establish an intermodal terminal at the Battle Mountain rail park told the Lander County Commission Feb. 13 that the project has advanced to private negotiations and rail interest beyond Union Pacific.

Tom Yardson of RailSense Enterprises said he and his team have been working since 2022 to attract containerized traffic and that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) had expressed interest in stopping empty containers in Battle Mountain to be loaded locally. More significantly, Yardson said Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) recently expressed formal interest in building an intermodal terminal in the corridor, which would expand options beyond the Union Pacific line that currently serves the site.

Yardson said the terminal concept would start on roughly 35 acres adjacent to the Union Pacific right-of-way for container tracks and transfer operations, with the broader rail park comprising roughly 800 acres for future industrial uses. He identified four commodities under active consideration for container shipping: diatomaceous earth (produced locally by US Silica), hay for export, soda ash from Green River, Wyoming, and copper concentrate.

The developer described how loading could work: empty containers brought by a carrier would be swapped, then locally loaded (for example, bagging soda ash or compressing hay into containers) and sent back out to the Pacific Rim without the empty containers having to travel to the West Coast. Yardson said that for soda ash, bagging and transloading in Battle Mountain could avoid higher labor and handling costs at West Coast ports.

Commissioners and residents asked technical and environmental questions, including dust control for bulk transload operations and whether the county would retain oversight of permitted commodities. Yardson and other project advocates said modern covered conveyors and enclosed handling would control dust and that county ownership of the facility would allow the county to limit or preapprove commodity types.

No contract or county action was requested on Feb. 13; the presentation was informational. Yardson said additional project partners and a separate, larger rail‑park proposal could appear on a future agenda with requests for county support or leasing arrangements.

The item was presented as an informational update under agenda item 1.13.","RailSense presented progress on an intermodal container terminal concept for Battle Mountain and said BNSF has expressed interest; the developer named potential commodities (diatomaceous earth, hay, soda ash, copper concentrate) and said the project could start with a 35‑acre terminal footprint.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6329150,"Lander County votes to seek non‑guaranteed status for supplemental city–county relief tax; staff to propose stabilization fund",594,6052000,6646000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2&start=6052&end=6646","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2/thumbnail_6052000.jpg","/articles/6329150/Lander-County/Nevada/Lander-County-votes-to-seek-nonguaranteed-status-for-supplemental-citycounty-relief-tax-staff-to-propose-stabilization-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329150-7266de0c7c283d36c1f0b5f257924f4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725078&Signature=dzUYOx15KJvZ7UIKg5D2F-JkEa8lSqR7RPsbIXPKPZch7T~wxiAXQqc7Rr5QtCdMtjR-il-f0fAMQV1C-0YFHUuZUakc~NJr4BMFZwSprSEsmfk7fwlY07JPSfxeAOwt2czaVN3Kl4YFy9-HmC3gsVaaKeVS1QliVtcjesuY~rOA9hZmjoirpiJWvLyroNJJUBiD6YSdNU61G6btwqIEwhuKg61qSg6mxzN~vH0CdeMCvet3j3Ld0ehGNo8~vl4F6YaNlTugrbtVw3O7sB88NsC9wELq5Amdb90xN4b6BYNbQYne4-g-5MbriTWU8YcTCcyIgiw1ozemeZ0SGIcoRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lander County commissioners on Feb. 13 authorized county staff to request that the Nevada Tax Commission move the county from the guaranteed to non‑guaranteed distribution status for the supplemental city–county relief tax (SCCRT).

County financial advisers presented an 18‑year analysis showing Lander County’s tax collections under the non‑guaranteed formula would have produced materially higher distributions in many recent years. County staff said fiscal year 2024 is illustrative: under the non‑guaranteed calculation the county would have received several million dollars more than it did under the guaranteed formula.

Alan Culp, chief fiscal officer for PoolPact, summarized statutory guidance (NRS 377.057) and the historical data his team and state tax staff reviewed. He said the county’s growth in in‑state and out‑of‑state taxable sales, including internet sales and mining‑linked activity, created a pattern where staying in the guaranteed pool produced less distribution than the county’s proportional share under the non‑guaranteed calculation.

\"In no scenario in the last 18 years would Lander County have collected more as a guaranteed county,\" Culp told the commission. He recommended establishing a dedicated SCCRT revenue stabilization fund to hold proceeds and manage variability should future mining or other economic activity decline.

Commission discussion acknowledged the permanent nature of the change — under current law a county that moves to non‑guaranteed status cannot revert without a statutory change — and the need for a formal plan to set aside funds. Commissioner Lamont asked for clarification; staff confirmed the change is effectively permanent under current law and recommended a reserve approach. Commissioners directed staff to submit the formal request to the Nevada Tax Commission and develop a stabilization/reserve strategy for incoming funds.

The motion to authorize staff to pursue non‑guaranteed status and to proceed with the letter and next steps passed on a recorded motion. Commissioners also requested follow‑up options for how to house and prioritize the incremental revenue rather than place it in the county’s general fund.

The item appeared under agenda item 2.2. The county manager indicated staff will return with specific proposals for a stabilization fund and options to allocate or invest incremental revenues.","Commissioners voted to direct staff to request removal from guaranteed distribution status for the supplemental city–county relief tax (SCCRT), a move staff said would have yielded roughly $4 million to the county in fiscal 2024 under an alternate formula.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6329155,"Lander County commissioners direct staff to draft ordinance allowing night hunting with thermal or night-vision scopes",2672,1181000,3853000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2&start=1181&end=3853","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2316454-40d3da3150b7f513e7a41aefcf8948f2/thumbnail_1181000.jpg","/articles/6329155/Lander-County/Nevada/Lander-County-commissioners-direct-staff-to-draft-ordinance-allowing-night-hunting-with-thermal-or-night-vision-scopes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329155-e6bfc2a5daf505dd2795207ebbee4436/orig.mp4?Expires=1773725078&Signature=I6cATACZseXmFddS~OvlWSWhv5GV4KwMvacb-foK4jX570pxfpMCTfVOe3xJBvsojWUXDcBpKCbQ2w3PR6OKtt7TMyYs77~RvGB5BAREFKc1I9t7caqcCkKhDYNrGh910AGYoF3qkr6nAtea7vE3fW89Od6MkIG-JTU2aHvumAI~N2whRBb0UD8T4ZeBkwlSUeJXShgwAX2EZMAD2mZg6PvCkPnD8jZnE8FtxhGinNYEjPhpEW6~pit1j~GB5NfAY-CZxzmu8oQBl~VgO9C5AbETxUaeXDa4BbDDYnT8P9B8dxh2v9ytuMim6o0GetHRPCp4b73~rbSKl8gk-VZXyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lander County commissioners voted Feb. 13 to direct staff to amend County Code 9.16.020 (discharge of firearms) to add a narrow exception allowing night hunting of coyotes, bobcats and badgers when hunters use night-vision or thermal optics, then return the draft for a second reading.

The item drew more than two hours of public comment and back-and-forth between ranchers, sportsmen and residents concerned about safety and land stewardship. Proponents argued the change would aid predator control and local hunting economies; opponents and several ranchers urged strict equipment and setback rules to reduce risk to people and livestock.

Daniel Goodwin, who addressed the board as a proponent, said the change is intended to provide a regulated option for predator control rather than allow an informal or dangerous practice: \"We're not just night hunters trying to push day hunters out. We do both. It's about land management, conservation and predator control.\" He told the commission that modern thermal equipment makes it easier to identify targets and what lies beyond them.

Speakers representing hunting associations and ranching interests said night hunting can be more effective for reducing coyote populations, which they said are damaging livestock and local wildlife. George Forbush of the Nevada Predators Hunting Association said counties that removed nighttime restrictions saw a measurable reduction in fawn losses and better predator control. \"By taking the night restriction off, they can now go out and they can hunt at night,\" he said, describing Elko County's experience.

Several ranchers and nearby residents expressed safety concerns and asked the commission to require minimum equipment standards and minimum distances from occupied dwellings. Paul Tamara of Tamara Ranches said thermal equipment and modern rifles can reach large distances and asked whether ordinance language could require optics capable of identifying a target and what lies behind it: \"The first rule of gun safety is know what you're aiming your gun at and what is behind it,\" he told the board.

Commission discussion noted the range of local practice in neighboring counties — some use 1,500 feet or half-mile setbacks for rifles vs. shotguns, others restrict spotlighting seasonally — and emphasized the need for specific, enforceable language. Commissioner comments also raised enforcement practicality and the need to involve local ranchers and experienced night hunters in drafting precise distances, equipment minimums and other safeguards.

After public comment, the commission member who moved the measure directed staff to update the draft ordinance to include the exemption for night hunting with night vision and thermal scopes and to return with a plan and revised language for a second reading. The motion was seconded and the board voted in favor.

The commission did not adopt final ordinance language at the Feb. 13 meeting; rather, it directed staff to prepare a draft with clarifying limits and proposals for enforcement and bring it back for the formal second reading and vote.

The item was presented under agenda item 1.8; the public hearing and final ordinance language will be set after the draft is returned to the commission.","After hours of public testimony, commissioners voted to direct staff to amend County Code 9.16.020 to create a limited exception permitting night hunting of coyotes, bobcats and badgers with night-vision or thermal optics and return for a second reading.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Lander County Commission, Feb. 13 — ordinances, contracts, appointments and county business

RailSense update: developer says BNSF interest, MSC discussions and multiple commodities under consideration for Battle Mountain rail park

Lander County votes to seek non‑guaranteed status for supplemental city–county relief tax; staff to propose stabilization fund

Lander County commissioners direct staff to draft ordinance allowing night hunting with thermal or night-vision scopes