Pahrump considering Nye County lawsuit
Dandelion
1. Convention Center
& Multipurpose Bldg
2. Public Park &
Soccer Complex
3. Driving Range
4. Fair Grounds &
Horsemans Park
5. Nine Hole Public
Golf Course
6. Softball Fields
7. R.V. Park & Rest
Area
8. Fire Sub-Station
o
o
Dalton
"Gamebird
by Mary Ann McNeiU
PVG Staff
PAHRUMPmThe Pahrump Town Board started off with
the good, exciting news Monday but kept the real clincher
until last. Ralph Purdy, with the help of Town Board
Member Bob Little and Town Manager Mike Cosgrove,
showed a simple artist's drawing of the proposed Nye
County Fair Grounds to be built just west of Highway 160,
roughly between Gamebird and Dandelion Roads. (See the
PVGazette artist's rendition, at left).
But the biggest news out of Monday's otherwise rather
routine meeting was that the Town of Pahrump has had
enough of what the hoard considers misrepresentation of
Pahrump interests through the Nye County Commission and
is considering filing a lawsuit for the commission to reap-
portion the county and the school districts to give Pahrump
more representation.
They want to do it before the next general election in
1998.
Town Attorney Len Smith said population figures show
Pahrump has roughly 60 percent of the county population
and it has only 40 percent of the representation. Cameron
McRae and Red Copass represent Pahrump, Bobby Revert
represents Beatty and Amargosa Valley, Bob Davis and
Chairman Dick Carver represent the northern areas includ-
...... qng Round Mountain, Gaibs arid T0nopah.
There was much discussion about the usual problem of,
"what is the real population figure?" and "whose figures do
Continued on page 4
Funds being sought for Highway 160 project
by Andy Holtmann
PVG Staff
The future of the Highway 160 widening project remains
up in the air as funding concerns are being looked into.
A popular and convenient travel route between Pahrump
and Las Vegas, Highway 160 has seen a steady increase in the
amount of traffic over the last few years. Emergency Medical
Service officials estimate that there is an average of one
severe automobile accident per month on the route. To
alleviate travel delays and safety concerns, state officials and
the Nevada Department of Transportation agreed in 1995 that
widening the roadway was the most viable option.
This summer, the first stage of the project was completed,
expanding the highway to two lanes in each direction between
Mountain Springs Pass and the Sandy Valley turnoff. Lack of
funding halted construction at that point. Now state officials
are seeking federal aid to complete the project and tend to
other needed roadwork throughout the state.
"'It is important for the Legislature to plan ahead," said
State Assemblyman Roy Neighbors (D-Tonopah). "We have
to make sure that our transportation system is adequate to
support Nevada's growing economy."
Neighbors, who is chairman of a special legislative corn-
mittee studying the construction and maintenance of roads in
Nevada, has been fighting to secure more funding for road
projects such as the Highway 160 expansion. The committee
found that during the 1997 legislative session, revenues
produced by the state's tax structure fell short of the money
needed to complete the Highway 160 project.
At the committee's first hearing in Las Vegas on Novem-
ber 10, Neighbors said there still wasn't enough money
available and that the future of highway projects for the state
will most likely be determined by the Federal Government's
appropriation of funds. Neighbors estimates that the comple-
tion of the project could cost between $10-12 million.
"Apparently, the money is there to cover the engineering
costs, but it is the actual cost of construction that we fall short
on," said Neighbor's assistant Sandy Harmon.
Nevada Senator Harry Reid though, feels that Nevada has a
good chance of securing the funds newssary to complete the
Highway 160 projecL Last week's passage of a six month
extension to the Inter-modal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act (ISTEA) in the Senate serves to ensure that ongoing road
projects will continue to be funded, be said.
"I was able to prevail upon my colleagues in the Senate to
include funding for the Public Lands Highway Program in the
six month extension to the highway bill that was passed by a
unanimous voice vote," Reid said. "Once the House passes the
final bill this week, I expect that Transportation Secretary
Slater will live up to his personal commitment to me to provide
funding for the Pahrump Highway."
Reid said that under a new bi-partisan version of the ISTEA
bill passed by the Senate Public Works Committee, Nevada
would receive over $160 million in federal funding per year to
be iased for roads and highways. He said the six month bill was
passed because the six year bill had been stalled on the floor of
the Senate. Reid, who sits on the Public Works Committee, was
partly responsible for the new IS'lEA bill and feels optimistic
that Nevada would receive its fair share.
"Under this bill, Nevada would see increased federal fund-
ing including money to maintain thousands of miles of high-
ways which cross the Silver State," Reid said. "Our overall
share of highway funds would also increase significantly under
this bill from 0.632 to 0.730 percent of funds collected."
Until such time though, the widening project will remain
uncompleted. Both Reid and Neighbors said that despite
delays they feel Nevada roadways will adequately be tended
to. The special committee on Nevada roads will hold a
hearing in Pahrump on February 13, 1998.
Nov. 1400at & Nov.
8pro- Kid00t
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