Reno City Council
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
What Happened
Reno City Council held a regular meeting with approximately 40 items on the agenda, including ordinance votes, budget approvals, legislative positions, and board appointments.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Resolution 7821 (general obligation limited tax capital improvement refunding bonds) — Unanimous — Initiates 90-day public notice period for refinancing outstanding municipal bonds. This affects future taxpayer costs for city debt.
APPROVED — $15,000 donation to Art Town for 2013 festival opening and closing night sponsorship — Unanimous — Funds festival entertainment and public engagement about city arts initiatives, in addition to existing $125,000 city support.
APPROVED — Bill 6849 (ordinance restricting adult businesses) — Unanimous — Imposes additional restrictions on adult businesses consistent with First Amendment considerations.
APPROVED — Fire Department work schedule amendment (48/96 schedule for battalion chiefs) with sunset clause — Unanimous — Expires June 30, 2013, allowing renegotiation as part of next labor contract round rather than making it permanent.
REFERRED — Bill 6850 (alcohol sales restrictions in midtown district) — Unanimous — Pulled from midtown-specific ordinance to be addressed citywide at later time.
REFERRED — Bill 6851 (residential adequacy standards amendments) — Unanimous — Sent back for further work.
REJECTED — Motion to establish performance expectations and monitoring framework for baseball stadium public-private partnership — Vote 4-3 — Council voted against requiring staff to create performance metrics for the city's 30-year baseball investment.
APPROVED — Direction to staff to prepare positional statement for baseball investment documenting desired objectives and return on investment through 2043 — Vote count not specified — Documents baseline conditions so future councils can measure if objectives were met.
APPROVED — AB 32 (tax abatements for renewable energy with county commission review) — Support if amended — Vote 6-1.
APPROVED — AB 38 (cleanup legislation increasing tax abatement thresholds) — Unanimous support.
APPROVED — Assembly Bill 87 (school construction expediting) — Support if amended — Pending amendments to protect local authority and prevent expenses on county governments.
APPROVED — SB 165 (film and motion picture industry tax credits) — Support if amended — Conditional on clarifying tax credit redemption rules and cross-jurisdictional protections.
Debated But Not Resolved
Open Meeting Laws — Public Comment Timing — Council member Zodra argued for public comment before deliberation to inform council decisions; others preferred current practice of public comment at start to hear concerns. Council agreed to consider but maintained current practice.
Baseball Stadium Performance Metrics — One councilmember proposed measuring economic development (sales tax), urban development (retail), and community pride (attendance). Mayor and others opposed, citing difficulty quantifying civic value. Motion rejected 4-3.
Convention Center Revenue Strategy — Council member questioned 2013-14 convention prospects and whether space should be opened to universities and schools. Management explained focus on drive-in markets and local events. Continued for full report.
Paid Parking System Failure Points — Council member questioned whether single kiosk failure could undermine entire downtown paid parking enforcement. Staff acknowledged risk. Continued for further discussion.
What to Watch
$15,000 — Art Town festival sponsorship — Arts and Culture Commission budget
School district funding package — District proposes 0.25% sales tax increase plus $0.05 property tax increase to generate $20 million annually for $511 million in capital needs over 10 years. Watch for legislative action on proposed tax increases.
Comprehensive parking report — Director of Public Works scheduled to present full report March 13 covering UNR permits, midtown time-limited parking, and downtown paid parking systems after additional review meetings.
Midtown pilot program extension — Staff identified bridge solution with monthly cost requiring city manager approval before presentation February 13.
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