Nye County may not qualify for economic stimulus funds for chip-sealing projects, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could have money for drainage improvements at Wheeler Wash, Acting Public Works Director Dave Fanning said Monday.

Nye County applied for $47.7 million under President Obama's economic stimulus package last December, formally known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It asked for federal money to build a new jail, a new administration building, an Amargosa Valley Community Center, improvements to the Beatty airport, a new Gabbs airport, road work and the diversion project.

Money was available for shovel-ready jobs that would create jobs though many applicants didn't know the rules.

Fanning told county commissioners Nye County roads targeted for chip-sealing won't qualify for some of the $7 million given to rural counties under ARRA due to criteria submitted by former Public Works Director Bob Wickendon before he retired in 2002.

Nye County submitted a list of 52 roads to be paved or chip-sealed with a price tag of $26.6 million. Fanning said they have to be collector roads.

"The criteria and guidelines nobody had in their hands at submittal time when we submitted everything," Fanning said in regards to the stimulus package. "Nobody understood the process back then, I don't understand it today."

Jeff Fontaine, executive director of the Nevada Association of Counties, said Nye County had a problem with some roads that weren't considered at least minor collector roads.

Fontaine said he's still trying to sort out an agreement with the Nevada League of Cities and the Nevada Department of Transportation on allocating the road money to the rural counties, which is a small part of the $201 million total allocated to Nevada.

"Every county ought to be able to get that money. The problem is the rules are changing," Fontaine said.

However the good news is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will tour Wheeler Wash tomorrow to discuss a new proposal on diverting stormwater flows, Fanning said. The corps originally came up with a pricey $33 million proposal to build a large levee six miles above the alluvial fan.

County Commissioner Gary Hollis and former Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos suggested a less expensive proposal, with up to nine dams to block the stormwater flows that devastated the Winery area Sept. 2, 2003. There was even a proposal to divert storm water into gravel pits that would relieve minor flooding.

"It appears there has been some great headway in finding some money to move forward with the Corps of Engineers," Fanning said. "It's my understanding they're going to talk about Wheeler Wash where the nine dams were proposed before."

U.S. Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., announced recently he would be submitting a request for $800,000 in stormwater improvements on Wheeler Wash.

Nye County's federal lobbyist Rick Spees, with the Washington, D.C., firm of Akerman Senterfitt, said Nye County asked for money from the Nevada congressional delegation in the fiscal year 2010 appropriations budget for the stormwater diversion project.

"It doesn't surprise me the Corps of Engineers is going to take a look around," Spees said.

But otherwise, when it comes to the $800 billion money under ARRA, Spees said Nye County won't be getting funds for a new jail, the major ticket item at $25 million, but could be receiving money for law enforcement officers, energy efficiency and community development block grants.

Spees said numerous cities, counties and states submitted wish lists for the stimulus money not knowing what the criteria was.

"The bill was structured a different way so that list, and everybody's list, became irrelevant. There isn't just a bunch of money given out to cities, counties and states for new construction projects like a new jail," Spees said. But he added, "There is money in certain federal programs like the highway bill. In fact, Nye County is eligible.

"The county is getting stimulus money, they're not getting stimulus money necessarily for what they would do on their own priorities. There will never be money for a jail. That is not in this money."

But Spees added, "at the end of the day Nye County is going to get some money out of that bill, just not the way they intended."