On December 21, 2022, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) announced  $167.62 million in Community Project Funding to support 85 programs and projects across Nevada as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus appropriations package.  The press release stated, “The Incline Village General Improvement District is receiving $1.6 million for its effluent pipeline project. The money will be used to help replace five miles of the original pipeline that services Incline and Crystal Bay.”

The current cost estimate for the effluent pipeline project is $64,049,353.51. The estimate is nearly twice the project cost originally estimated.  The project was to begin in 2015, and rates were raised two million dollars per year in 2013 to fund the project and avoid bonding. But the project was not executed and, unlike the current estimate, no critical path schedule was provided. Instead, leaks and delays created a firefighting mode. About $4.5 million in capital construction costs related to these activities has been written off.

The funding had been promised for several years.  US Army Corps of Engineers project manager Laura Whitney had stated in an email  September 11, 2020, “We are anticipating that the agreements will be in place by the end of the 1st quarter or early 2nd quarter of FY21.” [before Dec 2020]. And on its web site, US Army Corps of Engineers, included the fact sheet below with this reference to Incline Village:

“In FY22, pending receipt of revised scopes, schedules, and budget from the non-federal sponsor (Incline Village General Improvement District), the Corps will aim to execute two Project Partnership Agreements (PPAs) with the sponsor. The first PPA will be for a sewer effluent storage pond project and the second PPA will be for Phase II of the sewer effluent pipeline project. Further activities for both FY22 and FY23 will include technical project oversight and processing progress payments for both projects.”

But there WAS NO BUDGET APPROPRIATION [see below:  highlighted in yellow] – so IVGID received no funds in FY21 or FY22 for effluent pipeline related projects.

In April 2022, IVGID authorized a three-year contract with Washington DC lobbyist Marcus Faust for $215,000.  Faust has been paid over $474,000 since 2015.   

The author, J. Gumz, is a long-time resident and property owner of Incline Village and a registered voter.  Cliff Dobler, also a long-time resident and property owner of Incline Village, contributed to this article.