History of IVGID

The Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) was created by Washoe County under State law (Nevada Revised Statute 318), effective June 1, 1961 (Washoe County Ordinance No. 97, Bill No. 57). NRS 318 authorized the newly-created District to levy taxes to pay for improvements and for five elected Trustees to set up and run the District. The initial Board was appointed by Washoe County and consisted of Robert L. McDonald, Raymond Plunkett, Raymond M. Smith, Harold B. Tiller, and John H. Uhalde.

Since its beginning in 1961, IVGID has had nine general managers. John Uhalde, the project manager for Crystal Bay Development Company, served as an unsalaried general manager of the District from 1961 to 1967. Subsequent General Managers included Wallace W. White, Kermit McMillin, Larry Rihl, Mike McHugh, Robert Hunt, Pat Finnigan, John Danielson and current General Manager William B. Horn.

In 1961 Incline Village was being developed by Crystal Bay Development Company with Arthur L. Wood as its President. IVGID issued bonds to pay the cost of building water, sewer and road improvements, and the bonds were repaid through assessments levied against the properties that benefited from the improvements. Administration of the District was paid for by ad valorem taxes. IVGID’s tax rate at that time was $.50 per $100 of assessed valuation. (IVGID’s current tax rate is $.0741.)

The District’s first job was to construct, maintain and operate the District’s sewer and water systems. The District was also authorized to build roads within the District to Washoe County specifications, and when the roads were completed they were dedicated to the County for maintenance and were no longer a District responsibility.

In 1967 Washoe County amended IVGID’s enabling ordinance to add recreation facilities to its responsibilities. After extensive public hearings, in June 1968 IVGID purchased Burnt Cedar Beach and Incline Beach from Crystal Bay Development Company for $2.1 million. IVGID instituted a $50 per year Recreation Fee (collected at the same time as property taxes) to pay for bonds to finance the purchase and make improvements. The deed to the beaches contains a restriction that limits access to the beaches to the District as it was constituted at the time of the purchase.

In the late 1960s, IVGID began planning to expand its sewage collection and treatment facilities to serve the entire District and export the treated effluent out of the Tahoe Basin. This was necessary because of a state and federal mandate that the use of septic tanks in the Tahoe Basin be discontinued and that all treated effluent be exported out of the Basin. The cost of this major project was funded by a Federal grant and by assessments against the benefited properties.
The properties along Lakeshore Drive that were not part of the original District and the area between the District and the California State Line also had to find a way to serve their properties with sewage collection, treatment, and export. The residential properties along Lakeshore Drive that were not a part of the District annexed to IVGID in order to obtain sewer service. Washoe County Sewer Improvement District No. 1 (the club area and a small residential area in Crystal Bay), and Crystal Bay General Improvement District (the area between IVGID and Washoe 1) obtained sewer service through merger agreements with IVGID. The merger of Washoe County Sewer Improvement District No. 1 was completed in 1978. However, IVGID served the Crystal Bay General Improvement District with sewer service through an agreement until 1996. IVGID was not willing to merge with CBGID until their water system was brought up to IVGID standards, and that was finally done in 1996, at which time the merger with CBGID was completed.

In 1976 IVGID purchased the Championship Golf Course and Executive Golf Course (now called the Mountain Golf Course) for $1.2 million, and Ski Incline for $1.5 million. IVGID purchased these recreation properties from Japan Golf who had purchased them from Boise Cascade in 1973. IVGID’s Recreation Fee was raised to $100 per year to cover the debt service of this purchase. Included in the purchase of the golf courses was Bowl Incline, which IVGID sold for $400,000 in 1978.

In 1977 IVGID acquired from Boise Cascade the 58-acre “core area” parcel which extends from Tahoe Boulevard to Incline Way. IVGID’s original seven-court tennis complex was constructed on this site in 1978. Six acres of this parcel was sold to the Washoe County School District for the Middle School site at its appraised value of $284,628. The playing fields at the Middle School are on IVGID property and were jointly developed by Washoe County and IVGID, with funding provided by District 9 (now 4B) construction taxes, Washoe County School District and IVGID. The Middle School fields were open for use in 1981.

In 1983 IVGID completed the purchase of 900 acres in Douglas County to be used for development of a disposal site for its treated effluent. New regulations on the disposal of wastewater required IVGID to either upgrade its treatment facility in order to continue disposing of the treated effluent in the Carson River or to have a year-round, land-based disposal system. IVGID’s treated effluent was being used for irrigation on a ranch in Douglas County in the summer and was being discharged into the Carson River in the winter. Construction of the Wetlands Enhancement Facility was completed in 1984.

In 1986 the Ski Lodge was renovated, the Ski Incline Master Plan was completed, and planning began for expanding Ski Incline. In 1988 the new Ski Incline quad chairlift was completed and the Crystal Ridge run was opened, along with a new Child Ski Development Center, and a new maintenance shop. Ski Incline was also renamed Diamond Peak.

After nearly twelve years of discussions and planning regarding an indoor swimming pool/community center for Incline Village, construction of the Recreation Center began in 1991. District 9 (now District 4B) residential construction tax funds were used to help finance the cost of construction of the Recreation Center, which opened in December of 1992. The parcel on which the Recreation Center was constructed was purchased by Washoe County and deeded to IVGID after the Recreation Center was constructed.

Construction of IVGID’s Burnt Cedar Water Disinfection Plant was completed in 1995. The plant uses ozone to disinfect IVGID’s drinking water and allowed IVGID to receive an exemption from the filtration requirements of the federal Surface Water Treatment Rule.

With community input, a Strategic Plan entitled “Creating Our Future – a Shared Vision” was developed in 1999.

Construction of the new Burnt Cedar Pavilion was completed in 2000. The facility received Washoe County’s Award of Distinction in 2000 and TRPA’s Best in the Basin Award in 2002.

After many community meetings and much public input, the Recreation Facilities Master Plan was completed in 2000.

In 2001, the skateboard park was constructed at the corner of Tahoe and Southwood Boulevards, and Snowflake Lodge was remodeled.
Major projects in 2003 included construction of a new $3.2 million Public Works facility, planning for and beginning construction of the new Chateau building, the Championship Golf Course renovation, construction of a new high speed quad chairlift at Diamond Peak, the construction of four new tennis courts, and the finalization of a program for the sale of potential surplus land coverage.

The year 2004 saw the opening of the new Chateau in the fall. The Championship Golf Course re-opened in the spring of 2005. The election year, 2004, saw the election of two new Trustees; Bea Epstein and Beverly Mapps and the re-election of Trustee Bob Wolf to another four year term. These three Trustees' terms will expire at the end of 2008. Joining these three Trustees are Trustees John Bohn and Gene Brockman whose terms expire at the end of 2006.

In 2006, the Board of Trustees adopted a Strategic Management Plan. The Board members and Staff have agreed that this document will be reviewed and updated, at an annual Board workshop, to be held following the first Board meeting of each new calendar year. Late 2006 saw the completion of Phase 1 of Effluent Export Pipeline Project.