Jardine files for commission’s District 3 seat

The retired general manager of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District has filed for the open District 3 seat on the Churchill County Commission.

Rusty Jardine had also been with the Churchill County District Attorney’s office for eight years before becoming TCID’s general manager and legal counsel from 2010-22. Jardine has a background with water issues, the U.S. Navy mission and the agriculture community. One of his concerns, however, focuses on Churchill County’s growth and how the area can meet its housing needs.

“Our thoughts are directed to meeting housing needs,” Jardine said. “In some efforts to do so, we have to provide well thought out, sustained growth.”

Jardine recognizes the housing need, but he also said the county must work with residents who may find multifamily structures built in their backyards. He points to the approval last year of multifamily units on Birch Lane near established homes. Jardine said there were heated meetings on the proposal before commission approval.

“We have to be very careful about this,” he said. “But we have to do it in a very orderly, sustained fashion and be cautious with the how, where and why.”

With his background in water issues, Jardine said the county must be aware of water resources and needs. Jardine recognizes the importance of the U.S. Navy’s presence in Churchill County and said he doesn’t want to see growth interfere with the mission of Naval Air Station Fallon and the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center.

In a program begun more than a decade ago, the Navy and county began working on conservation easements. The program to implement conservation easements began 16 years ago when the county approached ranchers asking them if they would be interested in working with the Navy by selling their development rights while maintaining land ownership.

The Navy’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program ensures the land around NAS Fallon remains agricultural while at the same time, the base doesn’t encounter encroachment that could hamper its mission.

“I’m in favor of conservation easements because it’s a good concept,” Jardine said.

Jardine added it’s important for the county to work with the Navy and other partners on the Fallon Training Range Complex modernization and expansion that was passed by Congress in December 2022.

Since the opening of the Rafter 3C Complex in June 2022, Jardine said the area is diversifying its activities. Along with the opening of the Rafter 3C comes other concerns. As the number of events increases, Jardine said he sees the need for additional lodging in the area and more housing for those who may move here because of employment with new businesses.

Jardine said the events center is bringing more visitors to the community who want to enjoy what Churchill County offers.

In 2017, Jardine was part of the team that successfully mitigated the flooding with preplanning and adjusting to various situations caused by the heavy runoff of water down the Carson River. From January of that year to June, he said the task force was “behind a learning curve” to predict their next steps. Likewise, he said FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was also experiencing the same problems of predicting Churchill and other counties' needs.

The Nevada Department of Transportation had a major role, and Jardine said the agency assisted the county by building culverts under U.S. 95 south of Fallon and U.S. Highway 50 south of Harmon unction.

“It was fantastic,” Jardine said of the planning. “I’ve never seen anything like this with so many moving parts.”

Jardine said the collaboration among agencies is something the county commission has learned to do well.

The flooding of 2017 was not the only situation involving water issues. Although Jardine was with the Churchill County District Attorney’s office in January 2008 when the Truckee Canal breeched south of Fernley, he and the TCID board had to maneuver through the litigation for a number of years.

“We had to resolve all the litigation to avoid the end of the day for the district,” he said of TCID’s future.