OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Open Space Advisory Committee Meeting - August 17, 2026

Board of Supervisors — Monday, August 17, 2026
BodyCarson City, Nevada
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateMonday, August 17, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:22:23
Transcript — Verbatim
2:06

We'll pick up where you left though.

2:09

Okay, it's now five thirty.

2:11

I'm gonna call to order the open space advisory committee.

2:16

Uh let's move on to roll call and determination of a quorum.

2:22

Chair Wiggins here.

2:24

Uh Vice Chair Burge here.

2:26

Member Anderson.

2:28

Member Kimbrough.

2:30

Member Mozingo.

2:31

Member Nori.

2:32

Here.

2:33

And Member Schaeffer.

2:34

We have a quorum.

2:36

Okay.

2:37

Now this now is the time for public comment.

2:40

The public is invited at this time to comment on and discuss any topic that is relevant to or within the authority of the Open Space Advisory Committee.

2:57

So we will move on to item number four.

3:02

Uh for possible action approval of the minutes from our last meeting with the Parks and Rec Commission.

3:17

Seeing none.

3:49

Yeah.

3:49

I like obstain.

3:52

Um I say nay.

3:54

Now I forgot.

3:54

Yeah.

3:56

No nays for the record.

3:59

All right.

4:00

Then it passes.

4:04

Moving on to item number five, meeting items.

4:08

Uh, five A.

4:10

For discussion only.

4:12

Discussion and recognition of the Seahill Foundation for the Seahill Flag Restoration Project.

4:19

Lindsay.

4:20

Thank you, Mr.

4:21

Chair.

4:22

Lindsey Boyer for the record, open space manager.

4:24

So this item is to recognize and appreciate the efforts of the Seahill Foundation and the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation for their amazing efforts to restore the flag on Seahill.

4:38

So the flag on Seahill was built following September eleventh as a symbol of pride, patriotism, and unity.

5:00

So that's how it came to be in our ownership.

5:02

And the Seahill Foundation is a local nonprofit dedicated to preservation and maintenance of the flag.

5:08

And so they had identified the need for the pivotal repair and began organizing and have been organizing for some time.

5:17

They put together work days, which were a lot of moving parts and logistics.

5:22

They helped fundraise and pretty much everything in between.

5:27

The project was completed through the generous donations of time and labor from local businesses and community members.

5:34

And the foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation acted as the fiscal agent for the project.

5:40

So because of these amazing efforts, the flag today is restored to its former glory, which is amazing.

5:46

And we just wanted to recognize and express gratitude to both of these groups for their contributions, their hard work, their time, generosity, and dedication.

5:56

So we do have a token of appreciation for both foundations.

6:03

And I know we have folks from both groups here today.

6:07

So I'd like to bring them up and present these tokens and take a picture.

7:23

Okay.

7:23

Thank you, Lindsay.

7:24

Was that it on that item?

7:28

Okay.

7:30

All right, there's no motion, just a presentation.

7:33

So we'll we'll move on to the next item, which is item 5B for possible action, discussion and review of the open space opportunities map and future of open space acquisitions.

7:47

Lindsay.

7:49

Thank you, Mr.

7:50

Chair Lindsay Boyer, Open Space Manager for the record.

7:52

Thank you.

7:54

So this item is to kind of review the current status of open space acquisitions, our current priorities, as well as the status of some of our current acquisition projects.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████45%
Real Estate Acquisition████████████████████████24%
Land Use and Zoning█████████████13%
Trail Planning██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Personnel Matters██2%
Environmental Protection██2%
Transportation█1%
Public Art█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Open Space Advisory Committee Meeting - August 17, 2026

The Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) met on August 17, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the Robert 'Bob' Crowell Board Room. Key topics included recognition of the C-Hill Foundation for flag restoration, review of the open space acquisitions map, and updates on trails, river corridor projects, and departmental staffing. The committee approved the June 15, 2026 joint meeting minutes with one abstention.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The joint meeting minutes of June 15, 2026 (Open Space Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Commission) were approved. Member Anderson abstained; no other objections. Chair Wiggins stated "No nays for the record" and the motion passed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during either public comment period (agenda items 3 and 9).
  • Under item 9, Director Jennifer Budge provided a brief update on the Centennial Park bike park project (agenda item for Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on August 18, 2026).

Discussion Items

5a. Recognition of C-Hill Foundation for Flag Restoration Project

  • Open Space Manager Lyndsey Boyer presented a token of appreciation to the C-Hill Foundation and the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation for their efforts to restore the flag on C-Hill. The flag was originally built after September 11, 2001, as a symbol of pride and unity. The project involved fundraising, work days, and donations from local businesses and community members. No action was taken; this was a discussion and recognition item.

5b. Open Space Opportunities Map and Future Acquisitions

  • Lyndsey Boyer reviewed the history of the Open Space Master Plan (written in 2000) and noted that nearly 7,400 acres have been protected. The focus is shifting from acquisition to maintenance and management, but a few priority parcels remain. Staff presented a draft map (Exhibit C) highlighting remaining parcels of interest, including those along the Carson River corridor, near C-Hill, and on Prison Hill (state-owned).
  • Acquisition Status:
    • Buzzy's Ranch water rights: 1,200 acre-feet acquired (69% of total) funded by Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA); one more chunk pending.
    • Ash Canyon acquisition: $1.2 million Conserve Nevada grant awarded; appraisal in progress.
    • Oldwoods Ranch conservation easement: Appraisal started; expected completion end of July 2026 (no update received by meeting).
  • Committee members discussed ranking parcels, tracking availability, distinguishing between capital-O Open Space and lowercase open space (developer-dedicated), and the role of the map in future master plan updates. Staff noted that the map is a draft and will be refined through a master plan update process expected to begin soon.
  • Director Budge emphasized limited funding (Quality of Life funds nearly depleted after recent acquisitions) and the need for strategic use of grants and donor partnerships.
  • The committee discussed potential disposals or trades, but no formal proposals were made. Staff noted that most open space lands are deed-restricted and unlikely to be sold.

6a. Director's Report (Jennifer Budge)

  • Personnel updates: Park Project Manager Nick Wentworth leaving (last day Sept 2); new hire Madison Pong started. Park Ranger Tristan Lopez hired from Washoe County. Erin Larson promoted to Community Outreach Coordinator.
  • Lands bill update: A bill has passed Senate committee and is awaiting House action; includes technical corrections, disposals, and acquisitions. City Manager is leading state land discussions.
  • Golf tournament announcement: October 16, 2026, at Eagle Valley Golf Course, proceeds benefit youth recreation programs.

6b. Trails Coordinator Report (Gregg Berggren)

  • American Discovery Trail Relay: 250 team crossed Golden Gate July 4, reached Carson City July 17; continues to Delaware by Thanksgiving.
  • E-bike working group: Online survey has over 650 respondents; open house scheduled for August 24, 2026 (5:30-7:00 PM at Community Center). Survey closes September 7. Results to be presented at joint December meeting.
  • Centennial Regional Trails Phase 1 (3 miles): Contract signed with professional trail builder; construction through winter, completion by spring 2027.
  • C-Hill: Lincoln Bypass Connector (1.2 miles) completed by Muscle Powered volunteers; next: realigning social trail to the flag.
  • Ambrose Trail: 5-foot-wide accessible trail with interpretive signs under development.
  • Riverview Park Trailhead: Construction expected February 2027.
  • Ash Canyon Trailhead: Going out to bid summer 2026; includes vault toilet, parking.
  • Nazir and Mary and Ansari Foundation: Funding for interpretive signs and benches at Silver Saddle Ranch; public art project proposed at Fifth Street Trailhead.

6c. Open Space Manager Report (Lyndsey Boyer)

  • C-Hill Flag Restoration completed end of May 2026.
  • Carson River Master Plan: In editing phase; final draft to be sent to departments and technical experts; approval targeted for joint December 2026 meeting.
  • Moffat Flood Storage Project: Public-private partnership to increase flood storage and restore Eagle Valley Creek. Work starts September 2026; includes $75,000 maintenance endowment and three-year maintenance agreement with developer.
  • Sheep Grazing Project: 20th year – 2,400 sheep grazed for 7 weeks (April-May 2026), consuming over 100 tons of forage. Fall graze planned for the first time.
  • Quality of Life 30th Anniversary Celebration: October 24, 2026, 2-5 PM at Silver Saddle Ranch.
  • Natural resource monitoring highlights: Various assessments by Marenna Lovejoy and Travis Navarro.
  • Staffing: Travis Navarro promoted to part-time Natural Resource Technician (formerly trailhead caretaker).

Key Outcomes

  • Approval of June 15, 2026 joint meeting minutes: Passed (1 abstention).
  • No actions taken on items 5a (recognition) or 5b (acquisitions map); both were discussion only.
  • Directives: Staff to continue master plan update process; e-bike working group to report in December; trails projects to proceed as scheduled.
  • Future agenda items: October 19 and December 1 meetings will include awards recognition (volunteer coordination assigned to Chair Wiggins and Member Anderson) and continued discussion of open space priorities.

Meeting Transcript

We'll pick up where you left though. Okay, it's now five thirty. I'm gonna call to order the open space advisory committee. Uh let's move on to roll call and determination of a quorum. Chair Wiggins here. Uh Vice Chair Burge here. Member Anderson. Member Kimbrough. Member Mozingo. Member Nori. Here. And Member Schaeffer. We have a quorum. Okay. Now this now is the time for public comment. The public is invited at this time to comment on and discuss any topic that is relevant to or within the authority of the Open Space Advisory Committee. So we will move on to item number four. Uh for possible action approval of the minutes from our last meeting with the Parks and Rec Commission. Seeing none. Yeah. I like obstain. Um I say nay. Now I forgot. Yeah. No nays for the record. All right. Then it passes. Moving on to item number five, meeting items. Uh, five A. For discussion only. Discussion and recognition of the Seahill Foundation for the Seahill Flag Restoration Project. Lindsay. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Lindsey Boyer for the record, open space manager. So this item is to recognize and appreciate the efforts of the Seahill Foundation and the Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation for their amazing efforts to restore the flag on Seahill. So the flag on Seahill was built following September eleventh as a symbol of pride, patriotism, and unity. So that's how it came to be in our ownership. And the Seahill Foundation is a local nonprofit dedicated to preservation and maintenance of the flag. And so they had identified the need for the pivotal repair and began organizing and have been organizing for some time. They put together work days, which were a lot of moving parts and logistics. They helped fundraise and pretty much everything in between. The project was completed through the generous donations of time and labor from local businesses and community members. And the foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation acted as the fiscal agent for the project. So because of these amazing efforts, the flag today is restored to its former glory, which is amazing. And we just wanted to recognize and express gratitude to both of these groups for their contributions, their hard work, their time, generosity, and dedication. So we do have a token of appreciation for both foundations. And I know we have folks from both groups here today. So I'd like to bring them up and present these tokens and take a picture. Okay.

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