and interest throughout the community.”The murals operate on a three-year rotation cycle, ensuring fresh artistic content while maintaining visual vibrancy. Mayor McIntyre sees this transformation as responsive governance in action.“It is just listening to what the citizens want, and they really like it and it brings a lot of activities and people to the city of Fernley to see what we’re all about,” he says.“Changes are inevitable and so this is part of that change.” This approach, aligned with broader urban planning principles, prioritizes incremental improvements while preserving small-town character, a strategy particularly relevant as Fernley prepares for substantial industrial development in surrounding areas. BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR TOMORROW Infrastructure development represents the foundation of any successful industrial expansion, particularly in Nevada’s high-growth corridor where companies like Tesla have proven the transformative potential of strategic location choices. Fernley’s infrastructure priorities focus on essential utilities that will support current residents and anticipated business growth, with wastewater treatment leading the investment agenda. “Our highest immediate priority is to build a new wastewater treatment facility,” explains Marchant. “The one we have is very effective, but it’s dated, and it’s limited in its capacity, so, we’re planning to construct a new plant that can produce a higher quality of effluent coming out that could potentially be used for industrial reuse.” In Nevada’s desert climate, this approach addresses water scarcity concerns while creating opportunities for sustainable industrial operations. Water resources are both a challenge and an advantage for the growing municipality. “Water is always a concern here, but the city has a very large holding of water rights, and we are expanding our water treatment plant to mix surface water with our ground well water to tap into the full scope of our water rights,” Marchant adds. Beyond utilities, Fernley is implementing massive 120 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08
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