Reno City Council
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
What Happened
Reno City Council held a regular meeting that lasted several hours and addressed 40+ agenda items, including zoning changes, business licenses, charter amendments, and legislative priorities.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Bank of America letter of credit fee reduction for Event Center bonds series 2005a — Unanimous — City saves approximately $200,000 annually in bond fund fees.
APPROVED — North Valley Estates zoning and master plan amendments (three resolutions/ordinances) — Unanimous — Rezones approximately 32 acres near Panamerican Way and Tera Court to allow development of roughly 300 residential units total across three projects.
APPROVED — Sewer capacity improvements on East and West Fourth Street — Unanimous — Project tied to Regional Transportation Commission work and addresses capacity deficiencies between Stoker and Keystone.
APPROVED — SEC Platform/Strategic Plan Dashboard — Unanimous — Creates public-facing data tool to track city performance on strategic priorities and council initiatives.
APPROVED — Ordinance 6406 on bars and bar restaurants with restricted gaming — Unanimous — Adds new licensing requirements to Municipal Code Title 5.
APPROVED — Lake Mill Maxi Mart business license (conditional) — Vote count not recorded — New ownership and operational conditions applied including 24-hour security cameras, no tobacco paraphernalia, no expansion of alcohol sales beyond 10% of floor space.
APPROVED — Campaign Finance Reporting quarterly investigation — Unanimous — Charter committee directed to research whether reports can be filed quarterly through Secretary of State's office instead of current two-week cycle.
REJECTED — Affordable housing ordinance allowing 120% AMI flexibility — 6-1 (Councilwoman Breuss dissenting) — Council found insufficient evidence-based guidelines and permanent affordability protections for allowing flexibility above HUD standard of 80% AMI.
REJECTED — Charter committee pursuing judicial retention elections — 5-2 — Council declined to have committee pursue Missouri Plan-style judicial appointments as charter amendment.
CONTINUED — June 21st meeting minutes — Extended to first August meeting — City clerk to add detailed narrative summary of council member comments on city manager evaluation.
Debated But Not Resolved
North Valley Estates Development Impacts — Council Member McKenzie argued three separate proposals totaling ~300 units were split to circumvent traffic studies and mitigation requirements; noted Lemon Valley schools at capacity, Lemon Drive over capacity, and Lemon-Buck intersection rated F. Requested developer concessions for schools, parks, and road improvements before final map approval. Council approved project without securing additional contributions. Next step: Staff to review Evans Ranch PUD connectivity and fire truck access standards.
Affordable Housing Policy Framework — Council members expressed concerns about lack of definitions, equity in discretionary fee deferral decisions, and whether deferrals should apply to all developers or only subsidized housing. Mayor supported immediate action; Breuss preferred evidence-based guidelines tied to subsidized housing for homeless populations. Next step: Staff to develop definitions and guiding principles using HUD standards.
Charter Amendments—Voting Structure — Debate over ward-only voting versus retaining at-large council positions. Concerns raised about mayoral role definition, appointment versus election of City Attorney, and timing relative to pending federal court decisions. Next step: Charter committee finalizes recommendations Monday; joint council meeting August 10th.
Judicial Selection Process — Charter committee recommended commission-based appointment instead of direct election for municipal judge citing merit-based selection. Opponents raised constitutional concerns under Nevada Constitution Article VI Section 20 and noted voters rejected Missouri Plan three times statewide. Next step: City Attorney to vet constitutional/statutory issues before August 10th joint meeting.
RDA1 Extension Timing — Council disagreed on legislative priority. One member called RDA1 extension premature (doesn't expire until 2028); others argued next legislative session is optimal timing given Henderson's recent extension. Public raised concerns about redevelopment's community reputation. Next step: Full presentation on July 27th with fiscal analysis and school district revenue impacts.
What to Watch
$200,000 — Event Center bond fund fee savings (Bank of America letter of credit reduction) — Event Center bond fund.
$500 — Huntsman Cancer Foundation donation — General fund.
North Valley Estates Final Map Approval — Council approved zoning and master plan but final map cannot move forward until regional planning agency conformance review (expected October). Watch for developer mitigation concessions that Council Member McKenzie requested on schools, parks, and road improvements. Final map decision coming after regional review.
Charter Amendment Recommendations (August 10th Joint Meeting) — Three major governance changes pending: voting structure (ward-only versus at-large), judicial selection process (appointment versus election), and campaign finance reporting frequency. City Attorney vetting constitutional issues this month.
Affordable Housing Policy Framework — Staff directed to return with definitions (tied to HUD 80% AMI standard) and guiding principles for fee deferral program before Council final vote. Watch whether deferrals apply to all developers or only subsidized housing projects.
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