Reno City Council
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
What Happened
Reno City Council met for a regular session lasting several hours and voted on 30+ items spanning parking meters, land development, zoning changes, and grant allocations.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Southeast Connector Phase 2 master plan amendment and franchise agreement — 6-1 vote — Council green-lit a $25 million to $150 million Regional Transportation Commission-funded project to extend Veterans Parkway and related roads, but one member cited legal conformity concerns under state law.
APPROVED — Parking meter system upgrade (898 single-space credit card meters downtown) — Unanimous — City will transition from coin kiosks, projecting $650,000 annual meter revenue and $600,000 annual citation revenue to fund equipment and three new staff positions.
APPROVED — Midtown zoning ordinance (Bill 6875) — Unanimous — Established new zoning districts allowing up to 30 units per acre with updated parking and landscaping standards.
APPROVED — Gaslight Lane parcel map and special use permit denial upheld — Unanimous — Council rejected C4 Equity's request to subdivide 7.5 acres into four industrial parcels in a residential area, finding insufficient evidence that proposed uses were compatible with nearby homes and that infrastructure (20-foot-wide private road, septic systems) was inadequate.
APPROVED — Property sale for fire station construction — Unanimous — Proceeds from parcel sale will fund new fire station at Daman Ranch and Veterans.
APPROVED — Southeast Connector annexation (9.39 acres) — Unanimous — Property north of Gold Ranch Road added to city.
APPROVED — Regional law enforcement grant — Unanimous with conditions — Council accepted U.S. Department of Justice grant split 40% Reno/40% unincorporated Washoe County/20% Sparks, but requested memo on historical fund allocation since Reno's population is 53% of county total.
APPROVED — Committee and board appointments — Unanimous — John Hester to Civil Service Commission; Robert Mulana to Senior Citizen Advisory Board; others to Financial Management Committee and unspecified boards.
APPROVED — Four discretionary donations totaling $2,000 — Youth mentoring ($1,000), Boy Scouts scholarship ($250), after-school program ($250), graffiti reward program ($500).
Debated But Not Resolved
Grant fund fairness — Council member questioned why Reno receives 40% when city represents 53% of county population; Police Chief cited prior regional collaboration agreement; council requested three-year historical allocation memo before full oversight.
Parking meter valuation — Council questioned whether $87 annual fee for 684 feet of utility conduit on Virginia Street Bridge represents fair market value; staff agreed to provide appraisals for review.
Development agreement reporting — Public Works director acknowledged city is not regularly reporting to council on active development agreements; staff committed to verify annual reporting obligations and begin submitting reports.
Parking citation revenue projections — Council member questioned whether $600,000 annual citation revenue is achievable with reduced enforcement staff (cut from 7 to 3 people); staff expressed confidence due to DMV hold implementation.
What to Watch
$250 million — Regional Transportation Commission program of projects (multi-year regional transportation improvements)
$150,000 — Police department grant award for equipment and training
$111 million — Southeast Connector Phase 2 construction and right-of-way (RTC funded)
$3.8 million — Community Development block grant augmentation (grant-funded)
$9.4 million — Preventative and corrective street maintenance including mill, overlay, and slurry seal work (RTC agreement)
$2.9 million — AA Deanda Gentry and Second Street pavement reconstruction (RTC agreement)
Master plan amendment for Southeast Connector — Staff must complete PSFI element update within 4-6 months to achieve legal conformity under NRS 278.284 before special use permits can proceed.
Parking meter contract final terms — Council approved the concept but requested staff return with final vendor contract including all performance standards and credit card minimum charge policy ($1 or 2-hour minimum).
Grant oversight meeting — Council member requested detailed meeting with Police Chief on grant scope, pension implications of overtime, and council direction on future grant utilization.
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