Posted on June 4, 2018
By Jennifer Denevan, Mohave Daily News
The town advisory board approved two actions related to the lagoon project in a special meeting May.
The board approved recommending public works and other required departments negotiate with Technology Construction, Inc., for the additive bid of the total project for the Laughlin Lagoon Special Improvement District, which needs to be completed by Dec. 31.
They also approved requesting the Clark County Commission appropriate and authorize spending up to $1.5 million, including a 10 percent contingency, from the Fort Mohave Valley Development Fund for the dredging project to be added to the funds currently available and approved by property owners within the special district.
Bids for the dredging project were due May 18. Only one was turned in and for more than the projected amount. A special meeting was called to address the bid and expenditure.
The projected costs were expected to be about $2.75 million and the bid came in at approximately $4.1 million. The request is to use funds from the Fort Mohave Valley Development Fund to help offset the difference.
Martin Knauss, Laughlin Economic Development Corporation member, gave a brief presentation related to the lagoon project. He said the LEDC endorses that the county commissioners be requested and authorized to use the Fort Mohave Valley Development Fund.
Knauss said the additive bid came in at about $4.1 million is for the entire project, including the circulation channel along the 25 acres owned by the Nevada Division of State Lands. This represents a qualifying and beneficial expenditure under the development fund law. The project would be beneficial for Laughlin economically speaking, he continued.
He read a portion of the development fund law for the LTAB and audience. He said a portion of the lagoon is in the development fund lands and will have a beneficial use for the entire community.
There were some questions by the board members. One question was about the land owned by the Nevada Division of State Lands. Knauss said the additive bid includes dredging of the channel that’s in front of the division of state lands’ property and getting that portion of the land deeded to Clark County has been sought but hasn’t been done yet.
Benefits include possibly ridding a mosquito problem, trying to do the project later may not happen because property owners may change, will add jobs, will add economic activity, will keep community from looking badly if the lagoon stays stagnate, Knauss said.
Opinions for and against using the development fund money were heard during the meeting. Some of the concerns that arose included how quickly the meeting was held, that using the funds is inappropriate because it doesn’t actually meet the requirements of being beneficial for the entire community and that the dredging shouldn’t happen at all and to leave the environment as it is currently.
Proponents spoke of how the community will look better with the lagoon dredged, that it will benefit the entire community by driving in tourists and that if the project isn’t completed now, it will never be completed.
The LTAB members made their own opinions heard. Kathy Ochs, Gina Mackey and Stephanie Bethards all gave favorable opinions of the project noting that eco-tourism would be one benefit. Chairman Jim Maniaci attended via telephone conference.
Source: Mohave Daily News
