Tonopah Main Street objects to draft funding agreement, says terms would require $160,000; board tables item

Tonopah Main Street representatives told the Tonopah Town Board on June 24 that a draft Funding & Services Agreement provided as agenda backup contained provisions the nonprofit could not guarantee and included misrepresentations made at a May 28 workshop. In written public comment the Main Street Board of Directors said the town’s presentation at the earlier workshop contained "false statements and misrepresentations" by Chair Don Kaminski and Chief Financial Officer Becky Braska and asked that their written comments be included verbatim in the meeting minutes.

The Main Street statement said the nonprofit met with Town Manager Joe Westerlund on June 11 and that a collaborative red-line draft was produced; however, Main Street representatives said some terms in the Town’s draft were too restrictive for a largely volunteer nonprofit with a part-time executive director. The comment said the town’s draft would obligate programming and events that Main Street cannot guarantee and estimated, "If we were contractually required to provide all the programming, events, and requirements established in [the draft], our expected annual program cost would require $160,000 in guaranteed funding, while the Town only provides $30,000." The board did not accept the contract as presented and tabled the item for further revision.

Tonopah Main Street also noted that, by comparison with other funded entities, the town’s earlier characterization that the nonprofit "never gets anything" was inconsistent with public records the group reviewed. Main Street said it provides required reimbursement documentation and periodic updates to the board and volunteers a town liaison to sit in on its board meetings.

Town Manager Joe Westerlund met with Main Street leadership before the meeting and the public comment notes that a red-line draft had been produced; the board elected to table the Funding & Services Agreement (agenda item 10) and asked staff to return with a revised draft for further consideration. The Central Nevada Historical Society’s proposed Funding & Services Agreement (item 11) was also tabled pending related review.

The board provided no immediate town-side cost estimate for the Main Street request during the meeting. The dispute remains unresolved pending staff revisions and a future board discussion. The board took no formal vote on the funding agreement; other unrelated items on the agenda moved forward.