Reno City Council approves separation of fire service from Washoe County, with independent operations beginning within 90 days.

THIS WEEK IN RENO CITY COUNCIL

Reno City Council met on March 14, 2012, for a regular session spanning multiple hours with about 20 substantive agenda items, including major decisions on fire service separation from county and zoning changes.

THE BIG DECISIONS

• APPROVED — Fire service separation from Washoe County — Unanimous — City of Reno will operate independent fire service starting within 90 days; Station 14 must be vacated by July 1, 2012; automatic aid agreement ceases except with federal/state partners and City of Sparks; mutual aid time limit changes from 24 hours to 12 hours.
• APPROVED — Red Rock Road site rezoning (289.6 acres) from General Rural to Planned Unit Development — Unanimous — Allows mixed-density residential development on northern area property.
• APPROVED — Moana/McCarran Lane tree replacement (Option 2) — Vote count not recorded — City will replant 140 trees with flexibility for private property allowance credits; staff must meet with affected neighborhoods within 30 days.
• APPROVED — Downtown special assessment districts apportionment — Unanimous — Sets gaming properties at 50% cost share, other properties at 31%, condominiums at reduced percentage with sunset provision requiring annual review.
• APPROVED — Seven board appointments — Vote count not recorded — Daniel Green, Thomas Hill, Ronald Holt, Sarah Ganiff, Molly Lynette, Byron Davis, and Paul McKenzie appointed to Historical Resource Commission and Neighborhood Advisory Board vacancies.
• APPROVED — Non-conforming sign ordinance appeal — 4-2 vote — Staff recommendation upheld regarding sign permit interpretation; council directed staff to clarify ordinance language to prevent future disputes.

MONEY MOVES

• $57,000 — Moana/McCarran Lane tree replacement (Option 2 with drip irrigation) — City maintenance budget (annual).

STILL IN PROGRESS

• Moana/McCarran Lane widening sound wall and tree removal — Community opposes 160-240 tree removals for sound wall installation; requests precast wall alternatives; unclear whether NDOT restrictions are justified — Phase 2 deferred to 2014-2015 for further evaluation; neighborhood meetings required within 30 days.
• Regional fire service structure and automatic aid — Disagreement over whether City should provide automatic aid to decoupling county fire service; concerns about Reno resources being depleted for county emergencies; questions about county's staffing plan and deployment model — County must provide specific details on staffing, deployment, and service to unincorporated areas before city decides.
• Flood Management Authority voting structure — County proposed changing from unanimous to majority voting; disputes over fund transfers for regional projects — Full presentation required at next council meeting.
• University of Nevada Reno PUD development — Questions about land use consistency, flood project timing, EPA requirements — Continued to December 12, 2012, for additional community and stakeholder discussions.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Meetings held: 1
• Items voted on: 6
• Total spending approved: $57,000
• Unanimous votes: 3
• Contested votes: 1

PULSE QUESTION

QUESTION: Should the city pursue independent fire operations, or would regional coordination with county serve residents better?

OPTIONS: ["Independent city fire service", "Regional coordination with county", "Unsure\u2014need more information"]

TAGS

Public Safety, Infrastructure, Zoning, Budget, Governance, Environment, Parks

Meetings This Week