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The Nevada Irrigation District board is scheduled to discuss ways to reduce costs for its daily operations and maintenance budget at its meeting today.
The board will meet at 9 a.m. at NID headquarters at 1036 W. Main St. in Grass Valley.
In order to free up property tax revenues to pay for projects, the district is proposing to slash the operations budget from $25 million to $22 million, according to Assistant General Manager Tim Crough.
About $1 million of that could be achieved by not filling 14 open positions, Crough said. NID currently has 176 employees, according to district records.
“We're also looking at other expenses, and asking ‘Do we really need this?' or ‘Can we put this off?'” Crough said.
The board could cut consultants, education and supply costs, according to General Manager Ron Nelson.
The cost cuts also fit into NID's business model, which calls for revenues to fully pay for operations, Crough said. Currently those revenues pay only about 50 percent of the operational costs.
Once the expenses are reduced, the board may look at possibly raising water rates to make up the difference, Crough said.
The directors are also scheduled to host a public hearing on the Newtown Canal Project.
The project would encase 1,900 feet of the canal in a residential area outside of Nevada City to improve water flow to downstream customers, according to NID documents.
Some area property owners have objected to the project, Nelson said. The homeowners are worried about the area's esthetics with the loss of trees and possible impacts to wildlife, Nelson said.
They are also worried that spillage will be lost from the canal which helped regenerate ground water levels.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
The board will meet at 9 a.m. at NID headquarters at 1036 W. Main St. in Grass Valley.
In order to free up property tax revenues to pay for projects, the district is proposing to slash the operations budget from $25 million to $22 million, according to Assistant General Manager Tim Crough.
About $1 million of that could be achieved by not filling 14 open positions, Crough said. NID currently has 176 employees, according to district records.
“We're also looking at other expenses, and asking ‘Do we really need this?' or ‘Can we put this off?'” Crough said.
The board could cut consultants, education and supply costs, according to General Manager Ron Nelson.
The cost cuts also fit into NID's business model, which calls for revenues to fully pay for operations, Crough said. Currently those revenues pay only about 50 percent of the operational costs.
Once the expenses are reduced, the board may look at possibly raising water rates to make up the difference, Crough said.
The directors are also scheduled to host a public hearing on the Newtown Canal Project.
The project would encase 1,900 feet of the canal in a residential area outside of Nevada City to improve water flow to downstream customers, according to NID documents.
Some area property owners have objected to the project, Nelson said. The homeowners are worried about the area's esthetics with the loss of trees and possible impacts to wildlife, Nelson said.
They are also worried that spillage will be lost from the canal which helped regenerate ground water levels.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
