The Nye County commissioners approved the entire consent agenda at Tuesday's meeting.

Free money is always good news, particularly when it comes to or from the government. The board approved accepting several grants that will help town agencies continue to serve the community at Tuesday's meeting.

Grants and Funding

* The board accepted a "United We Stand" planning, training and equipment grant for $29,999 to help purchase equipment to aid in hazardous materials response throughout the county. The grant will be administered through the local emergency planning committee and was funded by the state Emergency Response Commission.

* The board also approved the transfer of the county's 2009 private activity bond cap to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority, an organization that provides affordable housing for low-income families as well as rental subsidizing for elderly or disabled people.

C.J. Manthe, chief operating officer, explained to the board during a brief presentation, that there are over 600 people in Nye County on the waiting list for their services.

The bond cap was for the amount of $2,363,282.57. However, that is not money in terms of pure dollars and cents, but mostly translates into giving the NHRA the authority to issue mortgage credit certificates or mortgage revenue bonds.

Public works and infrastructure

* The county building at 250 N. Highway 160 will soon have a Siemens computerized air condition control system now that the board has approved the installation of economizers on the existing air conditioning units. The upgrade is needed due to recent testing that found the indoor air quality with higher levels of carbon dioxide than ASHRAE and OSHA recommend. The project will cost $18,500 and be funded through a capital projects fund.

* County employees who use the county's network will be happy to know the board approved a contract with Technology Integration Group to modernize the data network core infrastructure.

TIG will be paid $562,615 for its services which include, but are not limited to, providing firewall replacements, higher-quality video conferencing, and VoIP support.

The project is being funded through the budgeted county special projects fund.

People

* The board also ratified Mark D. Hatfield as the director of management for information services for Nye County. Hatfield has an MBA in electronic commerce and was the manager of information services for Stow, Ohio, for six years prior to coming to Pahrump.

* Dave Fanning was ratified as the director of public works at Tuesday's meeting as well.

Infrastructure

* Under protest, the board approved entering into an expanded commercial water/sewer expanded service agreement with Utilities Inc. as "a means to get the Pahrump Justice Facility expansion project back on track," according to the agenda back up.

The protest is attributed to a $47,957.50 fee for monthly sewer billing under-charges from April 2002 through April 2008. The county maintains this is "stale dated."

* The board approved the final map to create a commercial subdivision in the medical zoning district located at 330 S. Lola Lane, adjacent to the Desert View Regional Medical Center at the southwest corner of Lola Lane. The subdivision will be on approximately 3.2 acres.

* The county will also be looking into whether it is cost effective to drill its own well at the Calvada Eye and explore sewer capabilities for the area as well. The commissioners approved spending up to $35,000 to evaluate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this option. Funding will come from a settlement agreement fund.