Reno City Council
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
What Happened
Reno City Council held a 5+ hour meeting with 26 votes on routine items, graffiti funding, state legislation positions, and a contentious 104-acre University of Nevada, Reno land rezoning that drew 24 speakers and split the council 4-2.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — UNR Main Station Farm rezoning from General Rural to Planned Unit Development (PUD) for office, commercial, and business park uses on 104 acres near McCarran Boulevard — 4-2 vote — Allows university to develop research and business space; opponents argued it converts prime farmland, violates flood zone protections, and abandons the land-grant agricultural mission.
APPROVED — Graffiti abatement program using asset forfeiture funds to hire one full-time abatement worker and expand 7-day weekly coverage — Unanimous vote — Addresses downtown graffiti crisis on Virginia Street and other corridors; funded through federally regulated asset forfeiture with 11-month authorization available.
APPROVED — City Attorney authority to handle certain labor disputes in-house rather than hiring outside counsel at $415/hour — Unanimous vote — Saves money on legal expenses for routine labor matters.
REJECTED — Proposal to change Reno City Council from non-partisan to partisan elections — 5-1 vote — Council will remain non-partisan; maintains focus on local issues over party affiliation.
REJECTED — Senate Bill 457 creating a sixth ward and ward-only voting system — Unanimous vote — Voters rejected similar measure in November 2012 with 73% support for current at-large system.
APPROVED — Assembly Bill 342 supporting new hybrid PERS retirement system for employees hired after July 1, 2014 — 5-1 vote — Addresses unfunded pension liability concerns; one councilmember opposed due to concerns about private investment involvement.
CONTINUED — Virginia Street/Center Street traffic direction — Council will hold neighborhood meeting with merchants before deciding whether to reverse one-way configuration on Center Street.
Debated But Not Resolved
Flood mitigation standards — Council questioned whether one-to-one flood displacement ratio is adequate for property in critical flood zone; university committed to "doing better" during design phase but no specific requirement set.
Agricultural land preservation — Opponents argued 104 acres should remain in farming and food production; university argued agricultural programs can expand on remaining 8,812 acres and defended zoning as asset protection without immediate development commitment.
Open space zoning alternative — Councilmember questioned why open space zoning wasn't considered instead of PUD; staff indicated current UT4 zoning was sufficient under code despite flood zone location.
Securitas security contract stability — Councilmember criticized ninth contract amendment indicating staffing problems and frequent changes at Community Assistance Center; staff committed to RFP process by July 1 to establish long-term stability.
Police staffing levels — Public commenter cited only 14 officers per 10,000 residents (among lowest nationally) and questioned why Safety 88 property tax revenue ($10 million, 2012) is diverted to general fund rather than police budget; no council response recorded.
What to Watch
$11,000 — Wells Avenue merchants graffiti removal and promotional materials — Donation funds
$5,000 — Reno Continental Little League park improvements — Donation funds
$1,000 — Washoe County Livestock Show operations — Donation funds
UNR flood mitigation ratio — University must specify exact one-to-one-plus ratio during design phase; regional planning commission review expected April-May 2013.
Graffiti program budget cycle decision — Asset forfeiture funds cover only 11 months; council must decide full funding source during budget process.
Virginia Street/Center Street traffic study — Neighborhood meeting outcome will determine whether one-way configuration reverses to improve business access.
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