Lyon County commissioners approved an extension of NV Energy’s Greenlink transmission project, moved forward with a proposal allowing trade and technical schools in heavy industrial zones and approved a legislative request changing how counties are assessed for child protective services during their Aug. 20 meeting.
The board also received updates on emergency response, development and major utility projects around the county.
Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve an amendment to NV Energy’s conditional use permit allowing approximately 10 additional miles of three 345-kilovolt transmission lines north of U.S. Highway 50 through portions of Dayton, Stagecoach and Silver Springs to the Storey County line.
The lines are part of NV Energy’s larger Greenlink Nevada transmission project and extend a portion previously approved by commissioners July 2 from the Walker River Substation to U.S. 50.
The amendment crosses portions of 15 parcels and includes towers ranging from approximately 75 to 180 feet tall, generally spaced about 1,200 feet apart within 160-foot easements. County approval includes 12 conditions addressing lighting, road maintenance, dust control, drainage, building and fire review and electrical safety standards.
The board also proposed an ordinance amendment that would allow post-secondary, trade and technical education facilities as conditional uses in Lyon County’s Heavy Industrial-Rural and Heavy Industrial-Suburban zoning districts.
Community Development Director Gavin Henderson said the change would provide opportunities for technical and workforce training closer to the industries requiring those skills.
Commissioner Robert Jacobson said allowing training programs in those areas could help local students prepare for expanding technical fields without traveling to Reno for education.
Commissioners also voted unanimously to request a bill draft for the 2027 Nevada Legislature changing the formula used to determine county assessments for child protective services.
The county wants a formula based on both population and actual use of child welfare services instead of relying primarily on population. The proposal would also create incentives for counties that successfully reduce use of child protective services through prevention and early intervention programs.
Emergency Management and Government Affairs Director Taylor Allison said county officials have already discussed the concept with the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services.
In its monthly development report, county staff said the Microsoft Data Center Campus planned north of U.S. 50 and west of U.S. 95A in Silver Springs has completed administrative design review, while grading plans for the campus and substation have been approved. Construction was anticipated to begin near the end of August.
The county issued 110 building permits in July and completed 1,064 inspections. Current plan review time was reported at three to five weeks. The county also received 15 commercial permit applications, including a new Chevron truck stop near Six Mile Canyon Road in the Mark Twain area.
County officials also reported continued work on the proposed data center ordinance following the Aug. 3 workshop. Staff is reviewing comments from commissioners and the public before bringing back revisions. Work is also underway on a countywide water resources plan and new design standards for development projects.
County Manager Andrew Haskin updated commissioners on the proposed second bridge in Dayton, saying several potential alignments cross newly acquired state park property.
State Parks has indicated it would prefer the bridge not cross parkland, but Haskin said the agency is willing to continue working with the county. He noted the bridge has been discussed for approximately 30 years and included in county planning documents for at least two decades.
“It wasn’t a hard no,” Haskin said.
Emergency Management Director Allison also reviewed the county’s response to recent fires, flooding and a tornado warning. Lyon County personnel assisted neighboring Washoe County with evacuation messaging during the Bug, Red Mountain and Stallion fires before returning to Lyon County to respond to flash flooding in Smith Valley.
Shortly afterward, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning after detecting rotation near Patrick and USA Parkway moving toward Fernley.
Allison thanked residents for continuing to pay attention to emergency alerts despite what she called “emergency alert fatigue.”
Commissioners also approved state grants totaling more than $311,000 for child and family services programs, including Differential Response, Independent Living and Respite services.
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