Mayor: Rusty Tybo

City Council

Cal Stark - Vice Mayor
Kenny Huff
John Riddle
Gretchen Hubert

City Officials

City Manager:
Jolene Supp
(775) 752-3120

City Clerk:
Catherine Sue Smith
(775) 752-3120

Public Works Director:
David L. Linge
(775) 752-3715

Parks & Recreation:
(775) 752-3075

Wells Justice &
Municipal Court
Judge - Patricia L. Calton
Court Clerks:
Terrie Lundy
Cindy Pearson
Diane Moore

1510 Lake Avenue
POB 297
Wells, Nevada 89835
(775) 752-3726
Fax: (775) 752-3363

Elko County
Emergency Management
571 Idaho St.
Elko, Nevada 89801

(775) 738-8046 Office
(775) 753-8535 Fax

Planning & Zoning Commission

Yvonne Stuart, Chairman

John Riddle
Shawn Davis
Tom Callahan
Valarie Reed
Gary Jacobucci

Wells Chamber of Commerce

Chamber President: Thad Ballard
395 6th Street
Wells, Nevada 89835
(775) 752-3540 FAX: (775) 752-2172

EMAIL: Chamber of Commerce

Sheriff - Fire - Ambulance

Emergency
911 or 752-3333

Elko County Sheriff's Department / Law Enforcement
Telephone: (775) 752-3334

Wells Fire Department / Wells Ambulance Service
Telephone: (775) 752-2929
EMAIL wells929@citlink.net

CITY OFFICES:
We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed on holidays. Whether you require information about residential, employment, business or industrial investments or relocation in our area rest assured that we are fully prepared to assist you with your needs. We can also help you with your questions about education, medical, shopping and recreation equally.
Please contact our City Offices as listed above. Our friendly staff will be proud to answer your questions or direct you to the appropriate personnel or department.
We look forward to hearing from all of our visitors...even if it's just to say 'Hi!'

City of Wells Water System Improvement Project

BACKGROUND
This interesting settlement was originally established as a station on the Union Pacific Railroad. In September, 1869, Humboldt Wells (as it was called because of the headwaters of the Humboldt River nearby) boasted a Wells Fargo office, a log shanty saloon, and a railroad station in a boxcar.

By 1872, stores and hotels had been added to the single business street paralleling the west side of the railroad tracks, and stagecoaches ran south into White Pine County three times a week. But devastating fires in 1877, 1881 and 1900 slowed development, and, lacking any business beyond that provided by the railroad and the ranches, growth was very slow.

Since the turn of the century, Wells, like many of the old railroad towns, has slowly shifted its center away from the railroad tracks. In the 1940s businesses migrated a block south to US 40, and in the 1980s, it began an agonizing stretch toward I-80. The last business on Commercial Row, Quilici's, a 60-year institution, closed in 1991. Thirteen saloons once provided entertainment to railroad travelers. Now even the Bullshead Bar, the last and most famous of them, with its big dance floor upstairs, is closed and padlocked. However, the Ruby Mountain Brewing Company is a short drive south of Wells.

Wells' prosperity is solidly based in the crossroads created by I-80 and US 93. I-80 is a main east-west transcontinental artery with the US Highway 93, designated US 93 at Roosville, MT, extends from Jasper, British Columbia, Canada, in the north to Wickenburg, Arizona, in the south and beyond into Mexico.

Wells had only one operation well. Due to groundwater wells being the sole source of water for this system and the remote nature of the system, redundant well capacity is required under NAC 445A.6686. Also, according to the hydraulic analysis, the water system cannot meet minimum pressure requirements established in NAC 445a.6672. The City was also out of compliance on storage capacity.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Wells intends to drill a back up well, interconnect the water line to the existing system and increase water storage for added pressure. The secondary back up well and loop system is intended to eliminate dead end mains and provide safe pressure levels.

The City of Wells applied for a grant under the AB 198 program to assist with a water system improvement project. The grant was originally approved by the Board for Financing Water Projects (Board) on December 5, 2002, for $757,375.60 (61.3% of the total eligible project cost of $1,235,523). The original project scope was to be completed in three phases and included: a new production well, a loop water system and a 250,000 gallon water storage tank.

Due to problems with the first well drilled, the City of Wells did not have sufficient funds remaining to complete the water tank (Phase three). On April 27, 2005, the Board approved an amended grant for $1,102,310.09 (61.3% of the total eligible project cost of $1,798,222).

PROJECT STATUS
The new water well (Phase one) was drilled in the spring of 2004, not far from a well that was used to irrigate the golf course. The new well did not produce as much water as expected and was abandoned. A test hole and subsequent production well was drilled and found to produce 1,500 gpm.

Phase two of the project - looping the water system - is complete and in service.

Design for Phase three of the project - the new storage tank - is in progress.
Last updated 11/02/2006 13:11:04

New Update: 12-4-2008
The Phase Three Project for the new storage tank is underway and is currently being built under the name of the 'Angel Lake Water Project' on the south side of Angel Lake Road west of Wells.

Demographics:

As of the census GR2 of 2000,
there were 1,346 people,
525 households, and
352 families residing in the city.
The population density was 75.5/km� (195.6/mi�).
There were 633 housing units at an average density of 35.5/km� (92.0/mi�).
There were 525 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them,
52.6% were married couples living together,
9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and
32.8% were non-families.
28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and
9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18,
7.6% from 18 to 24,
27.9% from 25 to 44,
25.0% from 45 to 64, and
10.3% who were 65 years of age or older.
The median age was 36 years.
For every 100 females there were 107.7 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,870, and
the median income for a family was $41,827.
Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,852 for females.
The per capita income for the city was $16,835.
About 8.6% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Political Inclinations
Residents gave more to the Democratic party than any of the others.

Wells Housing
About 67% of housing units in Wells are owner-occupied. Housing in the city tends to be newer construction. Homeowners in Wells benefit from lower real estate taxes than most other cities in Nevada.

Commuting
In Wells, 90% of commuters drive to work. Commuters in the city are more likely, and able, to walk or bicycle to work than most. Commuting to work is generally easier in Wells than in most places of its size.

On a more humorous note, many people in town consider two cars going down the street at the same time rush hour; if they're going in opposite directions it's a traffic jam and if there's three? It's a parade!