Reno City Council
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
What Happened
Reno City Council held a regular meeting lasting several hours and voted on 40+ items, including property tax district expansions, food truck regulations, and election methodology.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Senior services resolution opposing Washoe County's proposed $260,000 cut to nutrition, home-delivered meals, and adult day care programs — Unanimous — County cut would eliminate $288,000-$420,000 in federal/state matching funds per program
APPROVED — Four-hour operating limit for food trucks per location instead of three hours — 7-0 — Vendors gain an extra hour to offset setup costs
APPROVED — $1.5 million base budget for expanded downtown police tax district and $775,000 for maintenance district expansion — Unanimous — Sets assessment amounts before property owner petitioning begins
APPROVED — Plum Lane multi-use path project design phase — Unanimous — Path, sidewalk, and safety improvements move forward; construction estimated at $1.5 million to $4.5 million depending on scope
REJECTED — Fire Department Administrators Association request to change shift schedule — 7-0 — RFDA will keep existing schedule; union had demanded matching concessions that IFF employees made
APPROVED — Ordinance 6217 modifying parks code to require City Council approval for river closures except emergencies — Unanimous — Director can now authorize temporary closures up to two weeks
APPROVED — Moratorium on new precious metals secondhand dealer licenses through April 25, 2012 — Unanimous — Pause allows staff review of industry standards
APPROVED — November 2012 ballot question on city council election method (at-large versus ward-based) — Charter Review Committee to develop ballot language
Debated But Not Resolved
Occupy Reno permit renewal — Opponents say encampment harms businesses and creates safety issues; supporters claim it's a legitimate protest evolving positively — Permit application will go through special events committee in February
Ward voting implementation — Diversity advocates argue at-large voting blocks minority representation; others cite voter rejection of wards in 1990s — Ballot language pending Charter Committee recommendations
BMX park removal at Springwood Drive — Staff cites liability and professional design concerns; neighborhood built it with community support and no complaints — Council ordered independent expert assessment before deciding removal, remediation, or retention
Alcohol overlay district fees — Staff sought approval to explore increased fees for bar licenses — Deferred 120 days pending downtown alcohol advisory committee discussion
What to Watch
$1,500,000 — Police tax district base funding — Property assessments in expanded district
$775,000 — Maintenance district base funding — Property assessments in expanded district
$260,000 — Washoe County senior services funding (at risk) — County general fund; city opposed cuts
February 6 county-city meeting on senior services — Joint session to discuss whether county will restore or maintain the $260,000 cut. Loss of county funds triggers loss of federal/state matching dollars.
February 22 public hearing on tax district expansions — Property owners in expanded police and maintenance districts will hear final apportionment details before voting on assessments.
Charter Review Committee ballot language — Committee must develop clear, unbiased language on ward versus at-large elections for November ballot. Previous 1993 language was confusing.
Get Reno government news every week
Every vote. Every debate. Zero jargon.