Text of the State of the City address
Fernley Mayor Neal McIntyre delivered the 2025 State of the City address during a special event at the Fernley Senior Center on Feb. 26. The following is the complete text of the McIntyre’s State of the City address.
Good evening, Fernley Folks! Welcome to the 2025 State of the City!
Tonight, I’m so proud of the strong momentum the City of Fernley is carrying into the new year. As your Mayor, I enjoy the privilege of going into City Hall and working with our Staff on all the projects and services that they deliver. I am so pleased to tell you about the great work they do. They really care, and do their best.
Let me tell you about all the great things the City accomplished last year. In the past year, we broke ground on the new Community Response and Resource Center which will be opening soon, and many improvements were made to our local parks and roads. We had several workshops with residents on the development of future areas of town.
This progress has not gone unnoticed by the private sector and partners around the region. They all understand that “Fernley is open for business”.
In 2024, the City Clerk’s Office processed 276 new business licenses, and 4 new commercial liquor licenses, an increase of 17 and a half percent. That’s in addition to the other 16 hundred plus business licenses and 45 liquor licenses renewed from the year before. Business must be good because the Clerk’s office also processed 815 passport applications for us last year.
Issuing so many new business licenses just go to show that Fernley’s robust business climate is good for all developments large and small, like the Port of Nevada, the Victory Logistics Center, and the many small businesses that add to our quality of life here. I’m talking about: The Canal Wine Lounge, Tractor Supply Company, Fire Forno, Whiskey Rose Clothing Store, Squeeze In, and the list go on. There were so many great additions to Fernley that I cannot list them all here, and that was just in the last 12 months!
This success continues to propel the City towards new opportunities in the year ahead. To prepare for these opportunities, new Strategic Initiatives have been recently discussed with the City Council to harness this energy and drive it to bring more businesses that will improve our quality of life here. And I’m here to tell you tonight that a lot of exciting advancements in your City, and your government, are on the way!
True to our mission to “Facilitate the Responsible and Orderly Growth of the Community”, the City of Fernley is building a future that’s brighter and more sustainable than ever. With local community organizations, government agencies and businesses alike, we’re working together to ensure a bright and successful future for the residents we serve.
But first, let’s talk some more about where we have been, and how our amazing City Departments are the fuel that makes the City’s engine run. Thanks to their tireless efforts we’ve accomplished a lot of work in 2024.
Let me tell you about the largest department, Public Works, which was very busy in 2024. The Vector Control Division treated 719 drainage inlets with larvicide, and deployed enough insecticide fog to cover 132 Square Miles of municipal property to combat those flying pests within the city limits.
Due to their efforts, complaints about mosquitoes dramatically decreased by early May last year, by significantly reducing the number of harmful insects flying around town.
Our Fleet Division keeps the City’s vehicles and equipment, as well as those of North Lyon Fire, properly maintained and in good repair. Our 2 mechanics care for all 97 pieces of equipment, and they do a great job of keeping everything in excellent condition and ready to deliver City services.
Have you seen Picetti Park lately? The Parks Division partnered with local teens of the Comstock Youth Works program to improve the Park’s irrigation system, repaint the gazebo, and increase curb appeal by installing a new flower bed.
This great Comstock Youth Works program was made possible by the Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon County, and we thank them for their assistance.
The Facilities and Parks Division operate and maintain 14 parks, and 500 acres of City-owned property. They take pride in their work and are always available to lend a hand.
They are busier than ever because the City is continuing to see an uptick in attendees at our annual events, such as Spooktacular and the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall. I am so grateful for the Facilities Division who continue to expertly handle all the setup and take down in support of these special events.
I’d like to share a little story with you on how much pride Public Works takes in our community. In the early morning hours in July of last year, a massive storm hit our area causing severe flooding around the City, particularly in the Sage Ranch area.
The neighborhood experienced stormwater challenges that created large gullies in the highly erodible and sandy soil. The Streets and Storm Drains Division sprang into action to minimize the damage and began repairs to protect the neighborhood. They placed rock, by hand, in approximately a mile of drainage ditch and cleaned out miles of culvert pipe over the course of several weeks. Afterwards, we received numerous phone calls and emails expressing appreciation for the job well done!
Our Public Works employees are always prepared to respond 24/7 to localized flooding or snow removal on our public streets – and to repairing emergency vehicles at a moment’s notice – assisting citizens with their water and sewer services – or preventing the spread of vector-borne diseases. All Public Works Divisions have been exceptionally busy this year!
Major infrastructure projects around town have kept our Engineering Department busy in 2024 too.
As a region we have been working towards getting a community center for some time, and this project is moving forward on schedule and on budget. We are looking forward to the completion of the Community Response and Resource Center in the next few months! That means the project is really moving along fast. The groundbreaking for our community center just took place on March 27, 2024.
Remember, this first phase of the project is an 18 thousand square foot building with a multi-purpose room, administrative office space and lobby, classroom and meeting spaces, and a complete kitchen. That’s a lot to look forward to.
The project will also expand the existing parking lot area, construct sidewalks and widen Lois Lane from Main Street to the entrance of the Senior Center. A right turn lane will also be added to Main Street, and will help future community center and senior center users to safely turn off of Main Street on to Lois Lane.
When completed, the project will be a 20-million-dollar investment in our community serving as a hub for emergency response and childcare for the residents of Fernley.
To pay for the project, approximately 15 million dollars of the funding was committed from the American Rescue Plan Act. The remaining funds were made up of a Community Development Block Grant, transient lodging taxes, and budget appropriations.
This is going to be a wonderful facility to provide additional services to our younger residents in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. I look forward to seeing all of you at the ribbon cutting when we open the doors in early July!
Anybody driven down Shadow Lane lately? Shadow Lane is actively under reconstruction with approximately a 1 and a half mile stretch of that road being fully rebuilt, replacing water and sewer lines and adding sidewalks. The budget for this project, from design to construction, is 7 million dollars. It had been in design for 3 years, and a successful kick-off to construction work started back in November of last year. This project is estimated to be completed in June of this year.
Cedar Street is next in line for similarly needed improvements, going from Silver Lace Boulevard to 95A.
On the topic of transportation, I am pleased to announce a partnership between the Nevada Department of Transportation and the City of Fernley to complete 3 corridor studies in 2025. One: to identify needs for maintenance and improvement of Main Street from Interstate 80 exits 46 to 48, which includes the roundabout! Two: the entire length of Farm District Road, and Three: the Highway 95A corridor from Main Street to the south of town.
Also, the Nevada Pacific Parkway extension project is progressing through the National Environmental Policy Act review process right now. Weekly meetings scheduled with Mark Four Capital, Nevada Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad, the Federal Highway Administration and the City ensure that this project will continue to move forward and will be constructed as soon as possible.
I hope that everyone here tonight can agree that the potential for progress in Fernley is great. Did you know that Fernley has 17,000 acres in the north and the southwest areas of the City waiting to be developed.
But so much expansion is going to require a lot of planning and foresight. Both area plans have come a long way this past year, thanks in part to the public workshops the City held to get residents input and make informed decisions.
The next step for implementing the North Fernley Area Plan and the Southwest Fernley Area Plan is to create an Infrastructure Plan for each. These plans will identify all the infrastructure needs and designs for things like new roads and sewers for the build-out of the North and Southwest Fernley Areas.
And there’s more! There is a third and final development plan for the South Area required in the Development Code. Just like with the North and Southwest Area Plans, this new addition of land management to the City’s Master Plan will define how the City envisions the future design of ‘South Fernley’.
The South Area Plan will cover the area south of the Truckee Canal, and east of Highway 95A.
With so much work to be done, it’s an exciting time at City Hall. Last year we created a new Utilities Department, separate from Public Works. This new Department will be tasked with the operation and maintenance of our multimillion-dollar water treatment plant and the wastewater facility.
The creation of this new Department comes at a time when special attention is needed to build for the future growth of the City. Exciting updates to the water treatment plant in the works now will integrate surface water from the Truckee Canal with the treatment plants existing groundwater capabilities.
As part of bringing surface water to the water treatment plant, an additional 1 point 5 million gallon treated water tank was designed and is currently under construction. This additional storage is necessary to satisfy the existing demand and keep up with future growth of our City.
The cost for construction of the new tank is approximately 3 and a half million dollars, and is scheduled to be completed by September 2025. To lead this operation the City welcomed its first Utilities Director on board late last year.
Another priority for the future of Fernley is having an efficient and effective Building Department and Code Enforcement team.
Just last year the total number of permit applications submitted to the Building Department was 970. The total number of solar permits issued was 234. The total number of multi-family permits issued was 12, and the total number of inspections completed last year was 10 thousand and 40! You get the picture.
With the workload of inspections and complaints on the rise, the most effective way to handle code complaints is to have a dedicated Code Enforcement Services program with the creation of two or three new positions.
A newly hired certified officer would lead one or two other new code enforcement officers. This new program would be able to provide the training, the support, and the direction needed to address all cases with greater attention. The Code Enforcement Services program could either be a standalone department or remain a part of the Building Department. We know there is a growing demand for code enforcement services from the rise in complaints and requests made by residents. A new Code Enforcement Services program will address this problem.
Already, enforcing violations is getting a boost in Fernley from our recent collaboration with the Bureau of Reclamation on managing illegal encampments on Federal lands adjacent to the City of Fernley.
While I’m mentioning the Bureau of Reclamation, I’d like to say that the City is strongly in support of the B.O.R.’s intention to perform a new environmental impact study to explore more affordable and more sustainable ideas for maintaining the integrity of the Truckee Canal. All while protecting the local property owners from the risk of flooding from potential Canal breaches.
However, all the progress and opportunities around here in 2025 will bring challenges along with them. Just think about the number of new roads and utilities that will require maintenance, and the increased amount of municipal services that will be expected in the future.
As the population grows and the demand to meet the expected levels of service rises, the City will need to find a way to keep up. Increasing the City’s workforce output will be crucial to the future sustainability of Fernley.
The City Council recognizes this as well, and identified creating a Municipal Facilities Plan as a priority. The Municipal Facilities Plan will establish a framework for the space needed to meet the future growth of City Departments and the needs of our growing community.
The plan will involve growing crucial municipal services in our Water Treatment, Water Distribution and Wastewater Departments. With the expansion of water operations, it creates the need for increased maintenance facility space. The City must find ways to house additional Utility Department staff and equipment.
This will also be true for the other departments across the City, and even more office space beyond what we have now will be needed. Along with additional staff and expanded services, additional vehicle needs have been identified. The City is looking to purchase a bucket truck for Streets Department, a 6 thousand- gallon water truck for Water Distribution, and potentially new vehicles for Code Enforcement Officers.
This expansion in services is possible because the financial health of the City is good. Thanks to the City’s tradition of fiscal responsibility and the excellent work of the Treasury Department, there is a projected surplus for this fiscal year.
And in recognizing all these efforts, last year the City Council approved wage adjustments for City staff. Following a wage study conducted in late 2023, which found the City’s wages were amongst the lowest in the region next to comparable cities, the City Council made it a priority of this year’s budget to improve the compensation structure.
Through the excellent work of Robert Carson, who was hired a year ago as the City Treasurer, the City was able to bring up wages for all positions to the 50th percentile. This saw immediate results, with better qualified applicants and great hires across all departments in the past year. The City has also noticed better retention of employees and higher morale.
I’d like to particularly welcome two of those great new hires to Team Fernley! Mister Seong Kim, the Utilities Director for water and wastewater services, and Miss Maria Paz Fernandez, the City Engineer. Now, obviously, all this has an impact on the City’s Budget. And that is why I am happy to report that our Treasury Department working alongside the City Manager presented to City Council, who then passed, a fully-balanced operating budget for the current fiscal year.
In 2024 the General Fund actually had a 2 point 2 million dollar surplus. This was due to higher-than- expected revenues, and savings in salary vacancies and other projects that were budgeted. This additional surplus will allow the City to invest in onetime items that will benefit the citizens.
The Water and Sewer Funds also ended the fiscal year with a surplus that will go towards the projects identified in the City’s Capital Improvements Plan. And with this balanced budget, we were also able to allocate $4 million to the City’s fund balance to make sure the CRRC is completed.
I’d like to congratulate the Treasury Department on this achievement. It’s also reassuring to know that the last external audit the City went through received another clean ‘unmodified-opinion’. That’s the highest grade that a city can obtain for an audit.
Developers have expressed interest in working with the City to help lower the costs of building in Fernley by implementing a policy for Special Assessment Districts. This will provide a mechanism to build infrastructure and help start their construction projects faster. This will also result in higher revenues for the City to provide increased services for its residents.
It’s important to tell you that throughout this policymaking, there will be many internal processes of implementation that will increase efficiency and accountability in the City.
Lastly, some of the City’s current major projects such as the Community Response and Resource Center and the public park upgrades have been supported by grants awarded to Fernley. Those included the Community Development Block Grant, ARPA, and Land and Water Conservation Fund grants.
Speaking of water, Something I personally envision for the Future of Fernley is a Fishing Pond Park to provide fishing and leisure activities to residents. With quality designs and amenities for the public that surround the pond, this could make for a regional attraction!
The location of this park could be a 20-acre site located on Farm District Road next to the Canal. Some of the Fishing Pond Park’s amenities might include a parking area, covered picnic areas, a pavilion, and restrooms. The main attraction would be the 10-acre pond with fishing piers. There would be walking paths, benches, possibly even horseshoe pits and an archery range along the Canal.
The pond would be designed to receive water from the Canal, and have an infiltration basin that actually recharges the aquifer.
The pond would be designed to allow a habitat for fish to thrive, with a circulation system designed to allow for a fountain and irrigation for landscaped areas.
Some organizations that would be interested in partnering with the City on this Fishing Pond Park include the Bureau of Reclamation and Nevada Department of Wildlife. N.D.O.W. may even assist us in pond design, stocking the fish, and water management.
Allow me to mention that local partners would be really crucial to this project. The City is looking for the support of residents, businesses and contractors – maybe like some of you in this room -interested in providing financial and in-kind support for the development of this project.
Any involvement the public provides shows other organizations that this community supports the vision, and goes a long way towards helping this Fishing Pond Park become a reality. Here at City Hall, we’re determined to put in the work to help build the bridges and close the gaps in collaborating with our regional partners.
City Hall is proud of all the great partnerships that we’re developing and maintaining. Some of those include: the Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Partners Network, the Small Business Administration, the Economic Development Administration, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Lyon County Manager’s Office, North Lyon County Fire Protection District, Lyon County School District, the Western Nevada Development District, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, Northern Nevada Development Authority, the Nevada League of Cities, the Truckee Canal Irrigation District, Fernley Chamber of Commerce, Comstock Youth Works, the Fernley 4th of July Committee, Fernley Community Foundation, and Main Street Fernley. You get the picture.
This demonstrates that the City can’t be as successful on its own, as when it can leverage such great relationships to bring more resources to benefit our community.
Lastly, I’d like to mention a special anniversary coming up. Next July 2026 marks the 25th Anniversary of the incorporation of Fernley as a City! This gives all of us as a community many opportunities to celebrate and take pride in this place.
Making new investments in local place-making and promoting a big celebration around the City is where I think we should start. Investing in our public spaces with one or more landmarks, like a statue, could bring another point of pride and identity to Fernley. We’re looking forward to your ideas too.
And the timing in the Summer allows for a community-wide celebration. The 25th anniversary could be planned as a multi-day event wrapped into the Fernley Fourth-of-July celebrations from Wednesday, July 1st through Saturday, July 4th, of that year.
There will be a lot going on that Independence Day. It will also be the Nation’s 250th anniversary, so this could be fun!
I would like to ask everyone here tonight to begin the conversation in your own circles on what you would like to see happen to mark the silver anniversary of Fernley.
So, these are just some of the things that Fernley residents can look forward to in the new year. From new departments dedicated to focusing on the stability of our growth, to larger numbers of public workers in the field to consistently address the City’s needs. And best of all, a chance to reimagine, and work towards, a brighter future together. Right now, we have the opportunity to unite in a vision of what the next 25 years will look like in Fernley, and at the same time, come together to celebrate a milestone in our history.
As you can see, these are busy times for the City of Fernley. And as we continue to work through all these projects, as always, we will strive for transparency with our residents on the City’s progress towards truly becoming a place you all will be proud to call home.
Thank you, and good night, Fernley!
