Reno City Council
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
What Happened
Reno City Council held a regular meeting with 19 voteable items, taking action on payroll system contracts, temporary staffing, updated fire codes, and property disposition policies.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — ADP Payroll System Implementation Project Manager Contract (retroactive and ongoing) — Unanimous — City committed to $1,165,000 total for system already 8-9 months behind schedule with $205,000 already spent; first live payroll began with checks expected the following week.
APPROVED — Temporary Staffing Agency Contracts (over $50,000 threshold) — 6-1 — City authorized continued use of temp agencies like Apple One for police and other departments without civil service vetting; one council member opposed, citing lack of detail on how many temps work where.
APPROVED — 2012 International Fire Code Adoption (replacing 2003 code) — Unanimous — Updated fire safety standards with regional modifications including exploding targets regulations; collaborative multi-jurisdiction approach rather than Reno-only code.
APPROVED — City Property Disposition Policy Review — 5-0 — Staff will outline current policies, compare to other cities, and inventory surplus properties to identify which can be sold to reduce city debt.
REJECTED — City Attorney Litigation on Term Limits (3-2) — Failed to reach required 4-vote threshold (quorum of seven). Council voted 3-2 to authorize the city attorney to seek court clarification on whether five current/former council members and the mayor can legally run for re-election under Nevada Constitution term limits. Vote did not pass; city will not spend public funds on legal opinion about candidate eligibility.
REJECTED — Independent Legal Opinion on Candidate Eligibility — Council declined to fund private legal counsel opinion, leaving candidates to obtain their own guidance.
CONTINUED — Street and Alley Closure Policies — Council voted against allocating two hours of staff time to develop written guidelines, choosing instead to evaluate each closure request individually under existing authority.
Debated But Not Resolved
Term limits for mayoral candidates — Should the city spend taxpayer money to get court clarity before March filing deadline, or should individual candidates pay for their own legal opinions? Supporters noted ballot reprint costs could exceed $250,000 if disqualifications happen post-election; opponents said this should not be a city expense.
Temporary workforce composition — One council member questioned whether one-third of city staff is temporary, raising concerns about stability and civil service standards; staff clarified definitions but no policy decision made.
Budget oversight gaps — Public commenter noted $300,000 slipped through cash disbursements without full itemization, arguing budget process needs stricter warrant review; council did not respond.
What to Watch
$3,200,000 — North Valley Regional Park Phase 4 (water play park and infrastructure) — Water rights sales
$1,165,000 — ADP Payroll System Implementation — City general fund
$1,000,000 — Operations and maintenance reserve for new park amenities — Water rights sales
$2,300,000 — Sierra Sage Golf Course debt payment — Water rights sales
$150,000 — Phase 5 park design (baseball fields, trails, dog park) — County commissioners and state recreational trails grant
ADP payroll system launch — System is now in parallel testing with first live checks coming shortly after this September 4 meeting. Council requested ongoing oversight of technology implementations to prevent future failures like parking kiosks.
Term limits court case — City attorney indicated a written legal opinion on proper quorum and abstentions could be issued within days, potentially allowing council to reconsider the failed litigation motion with different voting thresholds.
Downtown master plan process — University-downtown linkage master plan officially kicks off in October 2013 with RTC as funding partner; staff will return with detailed presentation on process, scope, and timeline.
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