Storey County approves $24,280 payment to BLM to expedite Silver City water-main right-of-way

Storey County commissioners on Feb. 18 authorized the county manager to sign an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management to pay full actual costs, an unbudgeted $24,280, to process an expedited right-of-way application and to monitor use of the right of way related to the Silver City water-main replacement.

Lisa Bridal, speaking for county staff, said the request was filed in 2024 and that repeated failures, leaks and boil-water orders in Silver City create urgency. “We are requesting that we pay the full actual cost rather than waiting for BLM because they don't have specific money allotted for this right away, and we could be waiting quite an extensive amount of time,” Bridal said.

Commissioner Mitchell moved to approve the agreement and payment; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Why it matters: County staff described ongoing operational failures in the Silver City water system and presented the payment as a way to accelerate federal processing so replacement work can move forward without indefinite delay.

Next steps: County manager authorized to sign the agreement; staff will proceed with coordination and monitoring related to the right-of-way application and the water-main replacement.