Reno City Council
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
What Happened
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.
Key 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.
Debated But Not Resolved
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.
What to Watch
$57,000 — Moana/McCarran Lane tree replacement (Option 2 with drip irrigation) — City maintenance budget (annual).
Fire service transition timeline: City must vacate Station 14 by July 1; county's response to specific questions about automatic aid terms could restart negotiations.
Sound wall and tree removal decision: Neighborhoods have 30 days to meet with staff; Phase 2 design decisions (2014-2015) will determine final tree loss numbers and replacement responsibility.
Flood Management Authority restructuring: Presentation required at next meeting on voting changes and fund transfer authority; may affect Virginia Street Bridge and other regional projects.
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