All right.

All right, folks, at this point, we are going to call to order this meeting of the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V and T Railway.

It is one sixteen in the afternoon on Wednesday, April 15th.

And uh thank you so much for our technical support.

They did wonders to get us up and running.

Um Brianna, would you take us through a roll call and the termination of quorum?

Yes.

Treasurer Cruz.

Present.

A quorum is present.

Appreciate it.

With that, I will go ahead with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Anyone that likes to join me.

All right, we'll move on from the patriotic portion of the meeting to public comment.

Uh not at all, not at all.

Public comment will be taken at the beginning of the agenda before any action is taken, and again at the end before adjournment.

No action may be taken on the matters raised under public comment unless the item has been specifically included in the agenda as an item upon which action may be taken.

And public comment uh will be limited to three minutes per person or topic.

That and at this time we'll open up public comment.

Please go ahead.

Thank you, Joe Denny French, Carson City, Carson City, Nevada.

I just wanted to be here because everything's going through its budget stage and reviews and considerations, and I haven't been to your meetings in quite a while.

Have to uh use my time elsewhere right now, which is not necessarily preferable, but the main thing is I'm here and I'm looking forward to hearing each of the items as far as the main deal and the monthly non-action items that you're gonna be bringing up because I didn't get to look at all of this um computer dish issues over at the at the library and such.

But I just appreciate the fact you're here and I'm hoping everything's chugging along good.

Um I did want to know if there was any other cinematic uh request by movies or some of these uh crazy um series that they have going for the train again.

Have you well later on when you can answer it would be appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Danny.

Yeah, we um so we did we did our preliminary budget discussions at our last meeting, and and so we did that because uh because we contract with Story County to help us with our financial management, and so we're trying to get it to them in time that it could be included with everything else that they did.

Um but I imagine we have recordings of that meeting which are available, and then of course we'll be going into final budget as you know comes up in another month or so.

So but uh yeah, during our monthly non-action items, I'll make a note to specifically ask about cinematic endeavors.

Thank you.

You're very welcome, thank you.

Any other public comment here in the room?

Not hearing any.

We have any public comment online, dare I probably were here on time and gave up because it took us so long.

Very good.

Well, with that, we will close public comment and uh thank you for that.

And we'll move on to item number five, which is for possible action, and that's the approval of our minutes from the March 25th, 2026 meeting.

Does the board have any questions or comments on our the minutes from our last meeting?

Hearing none, uh, I'll open it for public comment.

Any public comment on the approval of the minutes?

While hearing none, I'll entertain a motion for approval.

I move to approve the minutes from the March 25th, 2026 meeting as presented.

Very good.

Thank you, Vice Chair.

Do we have a second?

A second.

We have a motion and a second.

Any uh last minute conversation on this item.

Hearing none, we'll uh go ahead and vote.

All those in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

And uh passes unanimously.

We'll move on to item number six, which is for discussion and possible action regarding the VNT Commission statement of accounts, payable checks paid February 1st through 28th, 2026.

Treasurer Cruz, do you have any uh any additional information to add to this item?

I do not.

We just we paid the people.

I'm so glad to hear.

Uh Treasurer Cruz, is that our practice to pay the people?

It is very good.

It's written somewhere.

We're at uh first first class organization.

Any questions or discussion on this item?

Oh, I do have one.

It's not a big deal at all, but on the the agenda is is has the correct date, but the um agenda report does not have the right date on the board action, just putting it out there.

So it says January 1st through 31st, but it's February 1st through 28th.

Got it.

But as far as you can tell the agenda is the numbers on the right, and the numbers are correct.

Yes.

Excuse me, very good.

Um hearing no further comment from the board, is there any public comment on this item?

Hearing none, then we'll go ahead uh with a motion.

I move to approve the payable checks totaling uh 76,546 and 72 cents paid February 1st through 28th, 2026 as presented.

Excellent.

We have a motion.

Do we have a second?

A second.

Uh motion and a second.

Any final comment?

All those in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Hearing none, the motion passes unanimously.

Thank you kindly.

Move on to item number seven, which is discussion and possible action regarding the VNT, the adjusted VNT Commission's fiscal year 2025-2026 budget reports with for the period ending February of 2026.

Treasurer Cruz.

Um in this case, the people paid us.

Ah, yes.

We paid the people and then the people paid us.

So we did get our um 250,000 interlocal support from Story County.

So that's referenced in the budget.

Thank you.

Yeah.

So it has arrived, so it's reflected in our bank account balance.

Yeah, sorry, in our bank account balance, not in our actual budget report.

Not in the budget reports because they don't cover the period.

Thank you.

Thank you kindly.

Any uh questions or comments from the board about our uh budget report?

Mr.

Chair, please.

I I have a couple on the revenue side and then a couple on the expenditure side.

So on the photos, we're still showing zero.

Have we not received the payment from uh I want to uh is it low, not lower low uh Laura, yeah.

Correct.

Okay.

We did receive that check.

It wasn't deposited, I don't think till March, it got lost in the mail, and then it took some time because I needed to meet with Laura and it took some time, but yeah, it is in the bank now.

Do you know, Sherry, how much?

It was about 13,000, which is okay.

Well, that's great.

Yeah, about 3500 more than the previous year.

Okay.

Uh second question.

So on uh 36,700 and then the the two through two.

So we have sale of goods, sale of goods, PEX.

Is that all polar?

Should that all uh so are we going to JV the 41,000 to to be under the 36,700 232?

Say I'm sorry.

So uh um are we gonna JV the money out of 36700 and into 36700-232.

Yeah, okay.

So it was just misallocated.

Okay, so that okay, that's together.

All right.

Uh my next question uh coming down on the expenditure side of things on the security side of things.

So we're that's what I was looking at too.

Oh, yeah.

Way over both those GLs, but and we have we we just we haven't even started with the regular train, so uh we're gonna that 9300 that will continue to go up through June, right?

A small bit.

Um part of what was in there was um the additional cameras that were installed at the depot.

Uh um that was several thousand dollars and then security this year for Polar Express was a little bit more expensive.

Okay than we anticipated.

So we put the actual equipment where we have the labor then correct on that on that, I guess the topic.

Well, under the security category.

Okay, okay, perfect.

Okay, that okay.

So this is okay uh while we're on the security side.

Um did we adjust the budget for this coming year for to include that in because it's because we were way off in our numbers for we did for this year.

Okay, I couldn't, I can't I just don't have it in front of me, so just making sure.

And then uh a couple questions on the special event expenses for PEX.

So we're over by 42.

Is that everything?

Like we're not there's nothing outstanding and same thing on professional services because we're negative 32.

And I would have the same question that uh treasurer crews had as well.

Did we readjust?

And I wasn't here at the meeting.

I I did look at the look at it after the meeting, but I just want to make sure we're we're accounting for that for 27 with those increases.

Yes, okay.

Those were adjusted for for the budget coming up, do you mean?

Yeah, for 27.

Okay, so we don't do have we paid everybody at least?

It may not be remote.

As of this, yes.

Um, this jumped up a lot for February because of the Koons construction.

Yeah.

It got invoiced in the 100 years.

And 62 and change on this okay, okay, cool.

Okay.

Yeah, I just I'm just trying to get caught up uh myself, so I want to be sure I'm tracking with all of you.

So thank you very much.

Super.

Very good.

All right.

Any other questions or discussion about our budget reports?

Any public comment on the budget reports?

Seeing Oh, play.

Sorry, I sorry, can I just clarify one quick thing?

When you were talking about the uh account balance, so the 491.2.

That does or doesn't include the 2500 for the bank balance.

So that is the yeah.

So the bank balance does include the the uh the annual support.

Okay, thank you.

Um and and as it mentions that is taken as of April 9th.

Okay.

Um and these budget reports are as of the end of February.

Yeah.

So it will reflect.

Okay.

No, I appreciate that.

I just make sure I'm tracking.

Absolutely.

Yeah, we we had a quick sidebar before the meeting about that because last meeting we were at 900 and change, and I said I didn't think we'd uh sold a lot of tickets in the in the intervening.

And so very good.

All right.

Uh we've we've done some uh deliberation, we've done some public comment.

Hearing none, we'll go ahead and accept a motion on this item.

I move to approve the budget report as presented.

Very good.

We have a motion.

Do we have a second?

I second.

Motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Hearing none, all those in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Unanimously approved.

And with that, we'll move on to item number eight, which is for possible action, and that is discussion of possible action regarding contract FY26-C003 with Sorin CPA's PC for annual audit services over a period of five years for a total not to exceed amount of 105,000 dollars.

And secondly, authorization for the VNT Commission chair to execute the contract.

Um Sherry, do you want to take us into this or should we turn it over to Suzanne?

What's your thought?

I think we can turn it over to Suzanne.

Okay.

Well, we have the uh contract in front of us.

Uh Suzanne, is there anything specific that you'd like to add uh before we open it for discussion?

Um not specifically.

Um I think just to let you know, SORN CPAs.

We're still operating um with the same shareholder group, the same partner group within KC Newland.

We're a part uh part of SORM CPAs.

So your contact with um us will be very similar to how it's always been.

You'll be working with the same group of people.

Um we're following a lot of the same methodologies that was we've always followed.

So it should not be a significant change for you other than a name change.

I'm not sure if that was a question or a concern.

Um we did do uh incremental price increase for this um budget, but it was discussed um with the commission over the last five years that um we had come in a little on the low side when we did that initial five-year budget.

So that initial little bump up is just to kind of get us back within market, and then we just did a normal inflationary increase over the next five years to help explain why there was that cost differential between last year's contract and or last contract in this contract.

Um is there anything in particular that you would like me to address regarding the transition from Casey Newland to SORN or the scope of work in particularly?

We did not incorporate any change in this in the scope of work from what we were providing to what we are pre proposing to provide.

Um but I would be happy to answer any questions related to that.

Very good, thank you.

Yeah, if you don't mind just standing by, we'll open it up for uh discussion with the board and see if there's something that surfaces.

So and I'll do that now.

Is there uh any question questions or uh comments on this particular agenda item?

I I just wanted to make a comment.

I appreciate uh that you guys are willing to continue to work with us and uh do another five fiscal years on behalf of the VNT uh commission.

So uh thank you very much.

Look forward to continuing to work with you, Suzanne and the and the team.

So I'm I'm excited that you guys, you and Clay were able to work something out and bring something forward.

So thank you.

Very good.

Other comment or questions?

Yes, and I and I as well appreciate the optimism that we'll actually still be around in five years.

That's uh that's a good vote of confidence.

So that wasn't a qualified opinion.

So I know it's that's an unaudited, unqualified opinion for sure record.

It's an extrapolation.

I'm sorry, apparently we're a little loopy when we meet in the afternoon.

Apologies for that.

Loopy loopy.

Um very good.

Uh so at this point I'll open it up for public comment.

Any public comment on this particular agenda item.

All right, then hearing none, uh, thank you, Suzanne.

We'll go ahead and uh I'll be happy to accept a motion.

Happy to make a motion.

Uh so I move to approve the contract as presented and authorize the commission chair to execute the contract as discussed on the record.

Very good.

We have a motion.

Do we have a second?

I second.

Motion and a second.

Any final comments?

Hearing none.

All those in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion passes unanimously.

Thank you kindly, Suzanne.

We look forward to continuing to work together.

Thank you.

And the same on our side as well.

Have a good afternoon, everyone.

All right, you as well.

And with that, we will move on to item number nine, which is our discussion only items.

Uh we'll go ahead and start with our marketing update and we will uh start with Luma Media.

I'm assuming that's Regina.

Is it Regina?

Yes.

Hi, good afternoon.

Can everyone hear me okay?

Just fine.

Thank you so much.

Great.

So I will go ahead and get started.

Um sorry, my camera seems to be freezing, but here we go.

Um so I shared earlier a recap of Q1 efforts for social media and email marketing.

So we've kept email marketing pretty light during the off season, but we're going to start ramping it up as soon as um Mother's Day trains train begins.

So I'm going to go over just the the high level since it is pretty detailed, but I can forward it to anybody that wants to see the full version that didn't receive it.

So just a few notes here.

Um we focused on maintaining engagement during the off season and introducing key dates that are going to be happening, such as a Mother's Day train and when the general season opens up again.

A few of the most standout metrics were Instagram reaching about 25,000 views and 800 interactions.

Facebook was one of our strongest so far.

We had one post in particular with almost um 600,000 views, and that was all organic.

And in those three months, we also gained about 3,000 followers.

Again, that was all achieved organically.

So with the start of our ads, which we will begin next week.

That should definitely amplify these organic efforts.

That specific post that reached almost 600,000 views was a really short video that we had from a while back with a very simple caption and just the right people shared it, and it led to tons and tons of views.

So and I'm sorry, it was actually 800,000 views.

So we'll definitely be using that one for one of our ads this summer.

Um on the email side, we sent a total of four campaigns during Q1 and reached over 71,000 subscribers.

So with that, I will kind of transition into the spring family giveaway.

So this was a giveaway that we ran for about two weeks.

We sent it to just those who have written the Polar Express in the past and opened it up to those families.

So we had 63 people enter the giveaway and we selected the winner yesterday.

And we're ready to contact them once we get that final approval.

So I sent over a forwarded email of what that uh what that email looks like for the winner.

And just a couple of things to verify, which I will wait for direction on after the call, are if the winner to be contacted by the admin email or um or by anyone in particular.

And then they the prize was four tickets.

So if there are specific dates that they can choose from for those four tickets, that would be great to know.

Otherwise, uh, I'm assuming they can choose from any of the weekends of the general season.

Everyone else who entered the giveaway will receive a separate email thanking them for entering.

And they'll also receive the Sunday 10 promo code as um just a way to nudge them to not only participate in Polar Express like they do historically, but also ride during the general season, which was the whole point of this campaign.

Um my next update is on the media day.

So we have a list of media compiled from Melissa's list, the one that um Cherry sent over, and our own list.

So we're planning on sending that out this week.

I am just waiting on confirmation for a couple of things.

So, and I will follow up after this meeting on those, but it is uh the dates of the media day.

I believe it was the 17th and the 24th.

Yeah, 17th and 24th.

So I'm wondering if those days we will not open the train to the general public and just to media, or if it's open to everyone.

Um, and media will join in as well, and it'll be a kind of separate but same experience where they'll be able to take video and whatnot.

So then we'll need those uh photo release forms for anyone that's writing those days.

So again, I'll follow up on that, but just wanted to provide an update that we're ready to send out communications.

Um lastly, like I mentioned a little bit ago, we are launching meta ads next week.

So we've been kind of testing our organic posts and seeing which ones have the most engagement on copy and creative.

So we'll be we'll be compiling those and creating different versions of them to use throughout the season.

Um we have the historical low ticket sale dates, so we'll shift a little bit more of the budget towards those dates.

And uh since Meta ads, the platform itself shifts quite a bit.

We are my team and I doing uh training on the modes and best practices.

So that's another piece that we have been waiting on to fully launch the ads.

So I just wanted to give an update that that's starting next week, and we will stick with the 400 monthly budget until uh Melissa and I meet soon to discuss how we'll allocate the new budget based on uh budget enhancements that'll that'll go live next in the next couple months.

So those are the main updates.

So again, I'll share the full recap with anyone who wants to go into the the details of it for Q1 and see that one post that went pretty viral.

Um 800,000 organic views is great.

And it was again super simple, but it just really resonated with a lot of people.

And then I will send over those uh couple of things for media date and for the uh for the spring family giveaway.

And with that, does anybody have any questions?

Any questions or non-deliberative comments from the board?

Well Clay, just the when you were talking about the media days, uh May 17 and 24.

Is are we running off the top of my head?

Are we running regular trains?

Was is that I'm just trying to understand the question.

So we're wanting to allow or we're inviting media to come on board for those days.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, so the clarification I think that she's seeking is are those exclusively media days, or is it uh will we sell shared regular tickets as well?

And so that's something that we'll work on administratively.

Okay, to um to to figure out some guidance on that.

Okay, because we had opened up the ticket sales last month.

So presumably people have already purchased tickets for those days.

Right.

Okay.

All right.

And then are you wanting uh are you wanting coordination with the two DMOs or if I admittedly I I did not realize uh have you been holding out on us with your media content?

Well, is that what you're saying?

Um admittedly, I guess the answer is yes.

I've somehow I I'm not sure how I how I didn't realize this was happening next month.

So and I apologize for that, but but obviously I'll if you want Lydia, you know, from the visit Carson City perspective, I Leah may have been on on this already, but um, I don't know that my team is aware of this.

So whatever we need to do to help and support, we're on it now.

So very good.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anything else?

All right, fantastic.

Uh thank you.

I uh Mahela is it if um as far as distribution on this report, it was it was sent to um just I think myself and the vice chair and some of our staff.

Um is it should we is it clean clean us to not distribute it in conjunction with the meeting uh to the rest of the commission?

I want to make sure it's available to them.

Um, or is that something internal and is not it's just a report on what's happened in social media in the first quarter.

Is it different from what was presented here today?

It's not, I believe that that's that's what Regina summarized for us.

Um, but the the written report wasn't included in the in the agenda or anything like that.

Um and I'm I'm happy to reference it put in the case.

We can present it as a elate material and we'll be uh posted within 24 hours from today.

So if you have a copy of you may want to provide it to the clerk as line material.

Thank you.

We'll make sure we do that.

All right, very good.

Anything else for Regina?

Thank you so much, Regina.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right, uh Melissa, Move on.

I changed my screen.

Oh, Melissa am I there?

Yeah, there I am.

Oh my gosh, you can see my lunch.

I was eating vegetables though.

All right, I'm just gonna give you a quick recap on what we have going on on the paid media, uh, because March is really our first month of getting back on after we kind of uh dial things back at the end of the fall.

So um one just to note we have our outdoor boards going up.

They went up on Monday.

I already have some photos of them.

So the Mother's Day boards are up.

The good news is is that when we went through and did the final reconciliation or the final negotiation of the contracts, we were able to secure five boards instead of four.

So we'll have five boards floating through the market for the next couple of months.

Um and then kind of just tagging on to what Regina was just saying.

Hopefully, once people start seeing those boards, that will help drive up some of the organic traffic before we come in with our heavy, heavier media plan, which will start on April 28th, um, with our television and our radio.

And again, with our TV, we are looking at um KOLO, KTVN, KRNB, running those quick little 15-second commercials during news programming, um, which is what we've done in the past, and it seems to work, so we're just not necessarily going to change direction.

We were able to keep some of those rates down.

I was a little bit worried because we're running into our hard into our political season, but everybody was really great working with us.

So we actually exceeded the impressions I was hoping to deliver by 100,000, and then I still had budget left over.

So what I ended up doing is taking some of that budget and buying an extra week of radio during that political window since it's so hard to buy television during that time.

So with our radio campaign, which will also launch on uh April 28th, uh, we'll run a couple weeks of the Mother's Day messaging there, and then we'll switch over to our general season.

Um we will have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, eight weeks of radio this year.

Um, and with that, because we were able to reallocate those funds, we're gonna deliver an extra 200,000 impressions there.

So um then starting like right as with everything else right before Mother's Day, uh beginning May 1st.

We're gonna ramp up with our display ads online to promote Mother's Day and then also our online video to promote Mother's Day.

So those are just some things that we have going on with the digital that has already run.

I just wanted to give you a quick little breakdown for what we've done for March.

And March is not like a blowing off the doors kind of thing.

This is just a very like we're getting our toe back in the water.

We're gonna start with our paid search.

We're gonna run some display ads online just for awareness.

Uh, but we were able to deliver 550 clicks in March on paid search, which is a 17.14% click through rate, which is lower than what we usually do, but we don't have anything else supporting it other than social media, no offense, Regina.

But as we all know, just kind of those those lower funnel things.

We need the hot the upper funnel things to kick in to start getting people to click through.

That said, 17% still is not bad.

It's still better than the Google average, which is usually hovering around 12 to 14%.

So um, but we had a an efficient click-through rate of 85 cents per average uh click.

So um this just we were seeing some early engagement from users um who are looking for relative relevant rail information and tourism related items.

So we're happy with just our start with that, and I expect it will go up from now all the way through the end of the season in October on the awareness side, which is where we run our display ads.

We didn't get any clicks on that, which we don't necessarily expect to get clicks on that.

It really is an awareness play.

We don't use that to drive clicks.

Um, but we did deliver over 1500 impressions with that.

So again, that's just a very soft start.

I think those those things will continue to go up and ramp up throughout the entire season.

So um, other than that, I didn't have anything else to report.

And I realized that was kind of fast.

So if anybody has questions, fire away.

All good, thank you.

You you may not have heard Stephanie, but she said we had to talk at 1.25%, 1.25 times normal to catch up with the uh so you did you did very well.

You got us back.

I have a tendency to do that.

I get nervous.

All good.

Any qu any questions for Melissa?

Mr.

Chair, could I ask a question just going back to the media day?

Since we're still under the marketing agenda.

So are are we okay?

So the 24th, is that uh I feel like that's a Memorial Day weekend.

So are was that were we planning for that?

Or just want to be sure.

Okay.

Huh.

A premium media experience.

If you yeah, if you guys can accommodate, I'm you know, time.

But I yeah, and maybe that was the part of the plan or something was to tie in with the holiday weekend.

Sounds good.

They're both Sundays.

Yeah, these look like they're both yeah, Sundays.

So yeah.

No worries, thank you.

Okay.

Yep.

Very good.

Um, and then um my only question, Melissa, was just to um to confirm that I think we had accumulated a bit of trade with KOL, okay.

And just that that was on the radar in the mix, available to be used for regular season as you see fit.

It is actually so what I was thinking we would do, because I feel like we have a solid campaign for now running into to all the way through June for the end of the fiscal year.

I wanted to take that 1500 and apply it to what we're going to do in July and August so that we can maybe bump that up a little bit uh before we get into the next political window, which is in September.

And I checked with John Fiorelli, the GM over at KOLO, and he said he is perfectly fine with that.

In fact, he would appreciate that if we could stay out of that political window.

So Regina and I have been playing a little phone tag to kind of talk about how we'll lay out that next budget, but I'm going to use that to supplement what it is that we need to get done in the fall.

Very good.

I appreciate that.

Cause um, I I think typically uh our ridership numbers flag a little bit towards the end of the summer anyway, so in August.

And so, and so that may be a good a good little boost to hit it a little a little harder as we get into that time frame.

All right.

Uh very good.

If there's nothing else, then thank you so much.

Appreciate you being here.

All right.

Thanks, everybody.

Have a good day.

Thank you.

And we will move on unless uh unless Chris m mailed in his uh uh update to be read.

We'll move right on through to operations and train report.

Tom, do you have anything to talk to us about?

And uh when it's appropriate, if if you have any sort of update on cinematic endeavors, it would be appreciated.

Okay.

Well, I'll start with that.

How's that?

All right, sounds good.

Um so you know we did last year, right?

Uh we did uh film Dustland a couple days.

They want to come back one more day for that.

Uh we also did uh a pretty good size one called Nitral Circus, and then that was good.

And we did a recent one for um um some young guy when young filmmakers out of Georgia and Tennessee, they came up and did a Western uh streaming or something, but uh yeah, they had a hard time finding stuff for that.

It was neat seeing the young kids do, you know, just break into the industry.

So that was good.

Talked with Mike from Dustland again.

I think they want to come back one more, finish up their shoot, and then um yeah, and then Ray uh he he he's the one that gets most of these big train movies.

He said uh the the um Nitro Circus was the first show he's had in in a full year from on the whole country.

So um they were surprised uh they they had a hard time finding a railroad that would and he was surprised how easy it was, and we're out right out of Las Vegas, and so that was really good for them.

And also being out of Reno in Lake Tall, a lot of the film producers live up there.

So if if they're close by, it makes it easier for them to shoot up here.

So that's kind of a little good news.

Um the 18 oh we do the annual inspection next week.

We uh, you know, we uh we're filling up the boiler now, and then we're we've lapped in all the steam valves and uh uh then we the federal road administration comes up and we do a hydrostatic test.

Uh and then we do on the inside, we'll open it back up and we'll go inside with the cameras and they look at it and hopefully they'll bless it again.

Um it's about halfway through its 15 year cycle.

So um we did a we did a bunch of work on it this this year.

We uh had uh weld up the tender.

It took quite a while, a lot of it's kind of a temporary work, but I think it'll it'll kick it down the road for a while.

We found out the drawbar was all cracked, which is a big deal.

So we welded that up and we went through the power reverse and uh we did punch all the tubes and you take when we say punch the tubes.

We uh have a machine and and uh a poor poor guy used to be me going through there and clean all the soot out of the tubes, but it keeps the fire danger down and makes the boiler more efficient.

Um important thing.

We've been working on the coaches quite a bit.

We um we've sealed up three of the four coach roofs.

We roll it out with a silicone membrane, and then um the Jersey Lille.

We're in there today painting the lower pedestals.

I know we'll use that for the Mother's Day train and um kind of sprucing it up a little bit, um, working on the bathrooms a little bit, making them a little better.

Um that one has a year-round bathroom and has uh we're able to put um uh Anna Freeze in it, and so it kind of makes it a little bit bit nicer.

The Mount House car just got in the mail today from the Nevada Southern Museum a uh the globes that were broken in the top.

So they're unobtained them, so they found one.

They sent us two and one's broken.

So but we have we only need one, so that was good.

Um the track we we've done a lot of work on our track from the depot to the shop crossing.

We've tamped and surfaced, we put in new ties and new gravel.

We've uh uh inspected tunnel number four, had a miner that helped us last year, and we went up top and looked at everything and it's all holding up.

We still have some more.

We have a punch list for it, but we're still pretty good on that.

And um for rail bikes, it'll be pretty important to have a tunnel good because you know it'll be something for people to see, and it'll be a big deal.

Um, and for the trains too.

Uh we upgraded the two the crossing quite a bit in Gold Hill.

The upper lights are on the new LEDs, and then the cantilever lights are all new, so it's it's brighter.

And and we had a federal inspection on there with the punch list, we got that done.

Chris got the crossing in Lineahan done, quite a bit of work to do down there.

I think he's looking for some spare parts for that.

That's for some reason the spare parts in these crossings after 10 or 15 years are hard to get.

So I turned them on to a company that I just got got some spare parts for S tree crossing.

Um little stuff like that.

If they don't work, it's a big deal because you can't go through them or you have to personally flag them.

Even the Union Pacific for one year couldn't get parts, so their manager were out there flagging at Lockwood, you know.

So uh I don't know why it is that way, but it is um have an EcoScalp project for the Car 13, the bullion car in Virginia City, and uh uh don't quite have permission to finish it from the Story County, but uh we'll cut some beams for it and it'll be it's nice to see those kids do good stuff.

Um rail bikes is a big thing for me.

Um uh so I'm not really happy with our rail bikes yet, not at all.

So um I did find another company reached out to me with another rail bike.

So I I think I'll bring them up and test them out up here, you know.

And I talked to David before the meeting a little bit.

Um I figure David's kind of my contact on the rail bike thing because he's kind of up to speed the more.

Um but when we do get going, I'm gonna need some infrastructure down there, like on the end of that stub track, I'll need some kind of containers to roll the bikes in in the evening.

So uh, and then uh, you know, there's one shade structure up top.

We'll probably need to put another one in and need power.

But other than that, I think you know, the depot operations are pretty easy to sell tickets, lock it up and keep it secure.

Um our high rail kaboda is working really good.

We built that from scratch.

Uh well, we took a high rail system and put it on a Kubota.

So uh yeah, that's uh we had to push the barrel bike up last yesterday, so I talked to the manufacturer, and he does have some new clutches, but um that's the big weakness on these things so far.

So I don't know, until I'm ready to go, I I just can't put something out there.

Um so that's where the rail bikes are at.

Um these are different kind of a rail bike.

You have to turn them on each end, which I like the other ones because you didn't have to, but these have a really a much better braking system.

So and you can couple these up for uh uh four passenger uh and uh uh one bike's powerful enough to pull the other bike up.

So if the kids could be on one if they didn't want to pedal.

And uh my understanding that these are they're pretty expensive, but um these are geared and they only have a few for sale because they're just this is it.

Um uh they um they have a system where uh if you go too fast, if you go faster, you can set it what speed you want, but if you go faster than 11 miles an hour downhill, it'll actually start slowing down.

So that's the maximum you can set that.

I think they have it for seven miles uphill.

The one thing for Leah though, uh they uh these are you know on their uh what they did was more for couples.

Um, and they were charging 160 for a bike, and uh the um Mendocino people are charging 300 for a bike.

So uh I think that's out of our league, but that's right downtown, you know.

Um so uh I don't know what it's gonna be, but it's not gonna be fun.

Uh the 160 still seems like awful expensive.

It depends, you know.

Um I think if you went to American Flat, that's a whole different thing, you know, on a botany tour or something or whatever special event.

But I I also see uh, you know, an evening canyon run, you know, for here, you know, every rail's got different climate, different people, you know, different popular amounts of population.

Up here, we have to do everything right to get a minimal amount of people to ride, you know.

You can be in Michigan and just have a sloppy and just get sold out.

I shouldn't or shouldn't say that about Michigan, but uh I was at a rail I saw it go like uh, you know, um a particular one, but um you know, so I think whatever the whatever it comes the first thing I just need a bike that's gonna be just really bulletproof, and then I think we can market it however we want and make it work, you know.

So uh if I do go ahead and get these bikes, I don't have two different bike systems.

I can work on the other ones and as they get better, you know, that for the future, but I can't put something on there that you know I don't feel comfortable with, unfortunately.

We've worked on these things forever, so that's where we're at right now on the rail bike.

So but I do need to be able to put some kind of structures there, you know, uh on that stub track, you know.

Uh we usually get the high rails on the crossing, it's easier for them to put them on there.

And the stub track, we use that in case we have a mishap when we're coupling up the train at the depot.

We actually have a D-Rail on there, so that so the train will derail rather than going down the canyon or into the parking lot.

It's just you know, it can happen, you know.

Unfortunately, the depot's not flat.

It's uh it's not it should be in a bowl, you know.

It's not so it's um it's uh yeah, it's just the way it's set up.

And these do require turntable on each end, you know, to turn the bikes around.

So all right.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Uh questions or comments for Tom.

Can I chair just first?

I just wanted to say thank you, Tom, for continuing to try to fine-tune the rail bikes.

I appreciate I I know.

I I mean I appreciate you got safety in mind, safety, safety, safety.

Um, so just even looking at another opportunity, I appreciate that as well.

Uh Stu from my team has come back from Go West Summit and ABA before that here in Reno.

And to a T the appointments he's had with with the uh it doesn't matter, domestic international tour operators.

Everybody's gung-ho about the train, but the next question is when are the rail bikes coming back, right?

So uh there's a demand out there, you know, and and and uh we're just kind of tempering the expectation, like hey, we're hoping to get some testing done uh you know later this year and and hopefully for 27, right?

You know, we'll be able to have it.

I want them for this year.

Oh, I do too.

Something like but but I I was afraid if we said something, you know, the phones are gonna start ringing, right?

Because people will want to package up, you know.

So uh, but yeah, the the demand is it's definitely there if for sure.

So but and and I and then Tom, if I get I just wanted to say the work you're doing up on the cars is great.

I was up there with Eric from my team, and uh Eric got a chance to see the entire property.

Tom took us around I don't know, probably an hour, hour and a half.

Um very nice work that you all you're doing on the cars, and I appreciate that that infrastructure, you know, and the improvements and everything.

It was really nice to see.

So I think we're have a great uh year coming up and great experience for our our customers.

So thank you.

Thanks, Dave.

And the high rail that uh Tom showed us the Mr.

Vice Chair, you don't get two comments in a row.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Okay, break in, Stephanie if you want on the cavata.

That thing is awesome.

So Tom, like custom building thing, I it's so cool.

I should I shouldn't show a picture if I could, but golly, I love that.

The thing that he built.

It's just his ingenuity is fantastic.

I mean, it never ceases to amaze me, right?

He takes something and builds it into something, and uh my god, that's cool.

So anyway, I just yeah, I had to throw that out there.

It's really neat.

So when's the ABA coming out?

ABA was uh January in in Reno.

So that's where things obviously tipped off people being here, right?

And so we talk about the VNT and you got the train piece, but then like I said, immediately, and what about the railbikes?

What about the railbikes, right?

So you know, I just yeah, people are genuinely excited because they want to start selling stuff, so which I think we got to be prepared for that when the time comes to have a structure in place, you know, and I'd love to see us figure out a packaging opportunity where somebody can do the train and the rail bike, you know, and I think that's something we should really look into.

You know, and I think that's something we should really look into.

And the only reason I say that is because those very questions have come up at the last two trade shows.

You know, is there a possibility for people to do a train and a rail bike experience, you know, and I realize we're not always running the uh trains, right?

So you'd have to coordinate you know around around the trains running.

But uh the question definitely came up a handful of times at both trade shows.

So anyway.

And we're not we're not going to IPW in May or June or whenever that is Leah but um if we were I know it would just come right back around you know uh on the train front.

So so anyway thank you.

And I don't have a third comment so yeah let it go.

I can have the they said I could have the two sample rail bikes for like two weeks so maybe I could coordinate it around and you know you schedule it just to just keep going back and forth as many people as we can.

Yeah my whole team is just chomping at the bit so you know we've got some troopers uh on on our team so they don't even need the electric uh motor assist we'll just let the pedal out of the canyon you know and I'll weigh 465 pounds each so yeah nothing yeah Lydia will she'll eat it up yeah no but yeah seriously the team my KPS3 so our integrated marketing agency of record for visit cars city uh there's like six people there uh these are they do all those tough muttered things bicycling race so if we want people to come out and you know try to really like you said we want to break them I mean that a nice way but you know break them up and all that good stuff uh they couldn't be more excited to to come out and be a part of some testing as well so yeah we could probably easily have eight to ten people you know and just ro like you said rotate take one down come back up next guy take one down you know come back up so a lot of people are are willing to to do some testing so and I'll I'll push the throttle so I if if you need the guy to go as fast as possible happy to do that so all right very good thank you Tom appreciate the update uh with that we'll move to sub item D which is our executive assistant update Sherry Bailey good afternoon um things are moving along nicely for the season kickoff next month um ticket sales are about a par what they were last year we're at about 29,000 dollars so far um so we've got the plannings for Mother's Day and the Father's Day weekends that I'm sort of knee deep into right now about it for me.

Very good questions comments all right uh hearing none we'll move on to the last part of this item which is to announce our upcoming meeting and it is anticipated that that meeting will be held on Wednesday May 27th at 9 a.m.

And we will move on to item number 10 which is commissioner comments or announcements and requests for information.

No action will be taken and no discussion among the members or with staff will take place during this item of the agenda.

Do we have any commissioner comments announcements or requests for information I just wanted to say that Eric and I met with Tom I think last month on the spikes.

So Dustin Wonder Troll um Tom has been gracious enough uh we're gonna have one uh acros I could across the the way from F Street depot uh and then obviously we still would like to put one at our depot as well so the actual spikes right now are going through the uh well on the 12 footers engineering is done they're actually working on the fabrication of of the three so again we would have one at the top um at Tom's uh location we would have one at our depot and then we will have the third one down at um uh the mill in Minden right so at the terminus on on the end and so yeah go ahead was there also gonna be one at um gold hill oh yes but those are the 2753 pictures yeah yeah so we gotta have the three tiers and all that good stuff so I just didn't know uh how if we if we need to have something on a future agenda uh to to accept you you know the the piece of art and all that stuff or how the commission wishes to uh handle that but um i the the cost of that uh spike is coming through the grant that we received uh from travel nevada backed by the EDA so the the the federal side of things and we we did talk to Tom you know in terms of it needs I think it was a three foot concrete base or whatever so it'd be the same Tom's place as it would be somewhere on the property and play I haven't had a chance to get up to the depot our depot uh with Eric just to kind of look around right you know so I thought maybe we could coordinate that with you and you know if if Stephanie and Leah would be okay with that just to kind of get a location and everything but we're kind of to the point where I do need some direction and guidance and the okay

I haven't had a chance to get up to the depot, our depot, uh, with Eric just to kind of look around, right?

You know, so I thought maybe we could coordinate that with you and you know, if if Stephanie and Leah would be okay with that just to kind of get a location and everything, but we're kind of to the point where I do need some direction and guidance and E okay that we'll be able to place said spike at the depot.

Very good.

I won't dignify your comment with a response because we may not deliberate.

I appreciate you not dignifying my comment with a response.

So does but your comment is so noted.

Any other comments or announcements or requests for information?

Um I have just one, and that is that we are uh we are moving forward uh much slower than I had hoped, but on our interest bearing account, so we that is in process.

Uh Moritan was acquired by someone else, but same team uh expected to be pretty much the same.

So we're in the administrative point of things and and should hear from them once we get that going and set up, and then they'll uh I'm sure they'll be happy to come and give us a rundown on what they're thinking to do with our money.

So all right.

Uh with that, uh hearing nothing further, then we'll uh close that item out and move on to item number 11, which is our second and final opportunity for public comment.

The public is invited at this time to comment on any matter that's not specifically included in the agenda as an action item.

No action may be taken on the matters raised under this agenda.

Is there any public comment at this time?

Excellent hearing none.

We will move on to item number 12, which is to adjourn the meeting.

The time is 209, and this meeting is adjourned.

Thank you, everybody.

So um,