MINUTES OF THE

SENATE Committee on Transportation

 

Seventy-First Session

February 15, 2001

 

The Senate Committee on Transportationwas called to order by Chairman William R. O'Donnell, at 1:34 p.m., on Thursday, February 15, 2001, in Room 2149 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster.  All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman

Senator Mark Amodei, Vice Chairman

Senator Lawrence E. Jacobsen

Senator Maurice Washington

Senator Raymond C. Shaffer

Senator Terry Care

Senator Maggie Carlton

 

GUEST LEGISLATORS PRESENT:

 

Assemblyman Joseph (Joe) E. Dini, Jr., Assembly District No. 38, Lyon and        Storey Counties, Carson City

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Donald O. Williams, Committee Policy Analyst

Alice Nevin, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

Janice R. Ayres, Chairwoman, Tricounty Railway Commission

Norman Williams, Tricounty Railway Commission

Terry Ward, Concerned Citizen

Mary C. Walker, Lobbyist, Carson City, Douglas County, and Lyon County

Dana Mathiesen, Administrator, Central Services and Records Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety

 

 

Chairman O'Donnell introduced Bill Draft Request (BDR) 43-562, and stated this bill was an agency bill from the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety (DMV/PS).

BILL DRAFT REQUEST 43-562:  Requires state board of examiners to determine       amount of money to be deposited in motor vehicle revolving account.     (Later introduced as Senate Bill 190.)

 

Donald O. Williams, Committee Policy Analyst, Research Division, Legislative Counsel Bureau, explained the proposed legislation would eliminate the current specific provision in the statutes that provided an account of $40,000.  He continued saying this amount was set in 1995, and since that time the number of field service staff at DMV/PS had increased significantly, along with the number of customers.  He noted BDR 43-562 would give the board of examiners authority to set the account amount, thus eliminating the need to request a change in the legislation every 2 years. 

 

Chairman O'Donnell clarified this was not an expenditure but would reset the account limit and would provide greater management flexibility to changing needs.   He noted it removed the cap and allowed the State Board of Examiners to set the amount.

 

SENATOR JACOBSEN MOVED TO INTRODUCE BDR 43-562.

 

SENATOR AMODEI SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

 

*****

 

Chairman O'Donnell opened the hearing on Senate Bill (S.B.) 77.

 

SENATE BILL 77:  Provides for issuance of special license plates and souvenir license plates to support reconstruction of Virginia & Truckee Railroad. (BDR 43-191)

 

Senator Amodei explained S.B. 77 was a request from the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation (NNRF) to issue specialized license plates in accordance with the existing rules and regulations.  He added this would be a commemorative plate for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad (V&T Railroad) to assist fund-raising efforts to reconstruct the V&T Railroad between Virginia City and Carson City.  Senator Amodei continued saying the State of Nevada had been involved in the project for many years.  He pointed out this special license plate project was one of the tools identified during the past 2 years that could help the NNRF raise funds to begin reconstruction of the railway line between Gold Hill and Carson City.

 

Janice R. Ayres, Chairwoman, Tricounty Railway Commission (TRC), and President, Northern Nevada Railway Foundation, presented a letter (Exhibit C) which would amend section 1, subsection 5, of the bill to transmit the fees collected, pursuant to section 1, subsection 4, of the bill, to the treasurer, Carson City, for deposit into the fund of the TRC or its successor.  She emphasized the fees would be used solely for the reconstruction, maintenance, improvement or promotion of the V&T Railroad. 

 

Ms. Ayres asked for clarification on the number of plates needed to begin production and Chairman O'Donnell said 250 license plate orders must be received before DMV/PS would begin the process of design, preparation or issuance of the license plates.

 

Norman Williams, Tricounty Railway Commission, presented an information sheet on the economic impact of the reconstruction project (Exhibit D) and stated he would be glad to answer questions regarding the bill.  Chairman O'Donnell inquired about the license plate design.  Senator Amodei answered a rendering with a picture of a V&T engine was submitted with the bill draft request and he would distribute a copy to the committee members.

 

Senator Care requested staff provide a fee schedule for the various license plates currently issued by the State of Nevada.  Senator Amodei said the intent was that the fees included in S.B. 77 would mirror the other commemorative plates issued in the state.

 

Senator Jacobsen suggested the design of the plate could be a school project. Senator Amodei said he would look into that suggestion.  Senator Jacobsen gave a short history of the V&T Railroad, noting the importance of the railway as a mode of transportation in past times.

 

Senator Amodei invited the committee to ride on the V&T Railroad which currently operates between Virginia City and Gold Hill.  

 

Assemblyman Joseph (Joe) E. Dini, Jr., Assembly District No. 38, Lyon and Storey Counties, Carson City, spoke in support of the bill.  He claimed it could be the second most popular license plate in our state’s history because of interest nationally and throughout Nevada about the V&T Railroad.

 

Senator Amodei said:

 

For the record, with respect to those funding issues: I can represent to you, as the chairman of this committee, and some of the other members of this committee who are on other committees, that this legislative session will have a chance to attempt to make the pot right on those earlier issues.  So, we will leave that for another day but I think it will be before a committee that you and Senator Jacobsen are sitting on as well, and I look forward to that discussion. 

 

Chairman O'Donnell suggested the TRC bring together interested persons to share stories of the V&T Railroad and to record those stories.  He stressed this valuable resource could enhance the V&T Railroad as a living history.

 

Terry Ward, Concerned Citizen, representing Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, testified in support of the bill.  He noted his organization had over 700 members, with 80 percent of them living out of state.

 

Chairman O'Donnell commented in the past there had been the capability of producing plates that were for display purposes only.  He suggested this might be an option for out-of-state constituents. 

 

Mary C. Walker, Lobbyist, Carson City, Douglas County, and Lyon County,  testified in favor of S.B. 77.  Ms. Walker said the three counties wholeheartedly supported the resurrection of the V&T Railroad.  Chairman O'Donnell asked Ms. Walker if the distribution of fees collected, as stipulated in the bill, was acceptable and she responded yes.

 

Dana Mathiesen, Administrator, Central Services and Records Division, Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, testified this bill had a fiscal note of $9881.  Ms. Mathiesen offered to provide the brochure with images of the special license plates, which were currently offered, including pricing information.

 

Chairman O'Donnell asked for profit and overhead figures.  Ms. Mathiesen said the $9881 fiscal note included costs for supplies, special dies, and stipends for the inmate workers.  She continued that profit on 250 regular plates and 250 souvenir plates would be $2619.  Chairman O'Donnell noted 1000 plates would need to be sold to break even. 

 

Senator Jacobsen questioned if the new plates could be made from scrap materials.

 

Chairman O'Donnell closed the hearing on S.B. 77 and requested staff to review the bill to make sure it conforms with other special license plates, and to work with Senator Amodei to see if the purchase of the V&T Railroad license plate as a souvenir plate was a feasible option.

 

There being no further business, Chairman O’Donnell adjourned the meeting at 2:16 p.m.   

 

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

 

                          

Alice Nevin,

Committee Secretary

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

                                                                                         

Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman

 

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