Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
What Happened
The City Council and Redevelopment Agency held a joint budget meeting to review the FY2016 fiscal year and discuss the FY2017 budget process. The council addressed roughly 30 items ranging from police staffing to motel code enforcement to blight fund management.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — FY2016 Ending Fund Balance of $5.4 million will be brought back as budget augmentations in January — Unanimous — City had operated under budget; money will restore funding to departments.
APPROVED — OPEB (retirement benefits) funding of $4.6 million toward long-term obligations — Unanimous — 40% of property tax growth will go toward unfunded retiree healthcare costs.
APPROVED — Budget priority survey process: council members will submit 5-10 priorities to staff for compilation — Unanimous — Ensures council goals get built into budget planning instead of being added last-minute.
COMMITTED — Staff will stop sweeping funds between budget accounts without council approval — Unanimous — Council discovered $10.9 million was moved without authorization to balance the budget; practice violated transparency rules.
Debated But Not Resolved
Police staffing levels — Council said Reno police handle far more calls per officer than comparable cities (509 vs. 182-431) and have fewer officers per capita. Police Chief identified need for more sworn officers and mental health specialists. No budget authority given yet; flagged for May budget process.
High-speed broadband pilot — Council questioned whether city should fund broadband installation or let private companies handle it. Staff said city would provide access to assets (conduits, alleys) only, not money. RFP proposals pending review; council will decide in January 2017.
Code enforcement at motels — Council wants aggressive enforcement of housing codes at downtown motels. Public commenter warned this could displace vulnerable residents. Council agreed to be thoughtful about approach but made no final policy.
Stormwater utility creation — One council member supported creating a separate utility to shift costs from homeowners' sewer bills to commercial properties. Staff opposed due to high administrative costs. Remains unresolved.
Blight fund continuation — Council spent roughly $250,000 of original $1 million blight allocation. Unclear whether to add ongoing $250,000 annually or let fund deplete. Finance department to send memo with options.
Fee and rate study public input — Council requested a public workshop for business community to review proposed fee changes before adoption. Staff will consider request but noted state law requires fees cover service costs.
What to Watch
$20 million — Annual sewer infrastructure (pay-as-you-go) — Sewer rates and connection fees
$13 million — Facility repairs for city buildings (Priority One and Two) — General fund
$6.5 million — National Building Stadium repairs — $2 search charge on facility rentals
$3-3.5 million — Annual Neighborhood Street Improvement Program — General fund
$1 million — Blight initiative (originally allocated; $250,000 already spent) — General fund
Police staffing decision (May 2017) — Council will decide whether to hire more sworn officers or add mental health professionals as non-sworn staff. Budget impact unknown but flagged as high priority.
Broadband RFP results (January 2017) — Council will receive bid proposals and decide whether city participates in public-private partnership to bring high-speed internet to downtown/midtown.
Blight fund continuation (TBD) — Finance department memo will detail remaining $10.9 million in unfinished projects and recommend whether city should commit to ongoing annual blight funding beyond the original $1 million.
Get Reno government news every week
Every vote. Every debate. Zero jargon.