Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Friday, February 23, 2018
What Happened
Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency met February 23, 2018 for approximately 2+ hours covering legal strategy, police staffing, dispatch operations, and budget gaps.
Key Decisions
CONTINUED — Outside counsel hiring for sexual harassment litigation — vote count unavailable — Council will receive full presentation of options and costs at future meeting; requires 6-7 vote under Charter.
APPROVED — Outside counsel involvement with limits on City Attorney's Office influence — unanimously — Prevents City Attorney from directing outside counsel strategy.
UNRESOLVED — City Attorney recusal request — pending federal court — City Attorney declined to recuse himself; motion under court review.
UNRESOLVED — Police body camera positions (Evidence Tech and OA2) — not approved — Positions required by July 1 state mandate lack identified funding source after 911 committee funding ruled legally unavailable.
UNRESOLVED — Dispatch center staffing — identified as priority — Current authorized level 55 with 4.2% annual call volume increase; analysis shows 70 positions needed now, 84 by 2020.
Debated But Not Resolved
City Attorney litigation tactics — Council members questioned whether interrogatory questions requesting intimate personal details of sexual harassment plaintiffs matched community values; City Attorney defended zealous legal defense — will monitor through outside counsel oversight.
Police staffing priorities — Police Chief requested 16 positions (7 sworn, 9 non-sworn); Council questioned why body camera positions weren't ranked higher and whether community outreach roles could use nonprofit partnerships instead — positions not funded in current budget.
Dispatch center capacity — 505,000 calls handled last year with authorized 55 staff; dispatchers working overtime with stress concerns raised — identified as facility expansion priority but no timeline set.
Community Development fee structure — Council member argued fees should be revenue-neutral and cover actual costs; director acknowledged fees are rough estimates not matching actual labor hours — remains unresolved.
What to Watch
$30-40 million annually — General Fund debt paydown — General Fund operations (informational item).
$5.5 million — FY 1819 budget shortfall before balancing — General Fund deficit requiring solutions.
Outside counsel decision coming back with full cost analysis ($500K-$1M range) and recommendations on whether to hire private attorneys for sexual harassment litigation. Timeline unclear but special meeting may be scheduled before March 14 regular meeting.
Body camera funding crisis — Two required positions lack identified funding source. Police indicated uniformed officers may be pulled from street duty to handle data management if positions unfunded.
Dispatch center audit findings — Wireless carrier remittance audit underway; preliminary results show AT&T under-reporting, potentially owing significant funds. Results expected from Washoe County consultant review February 28.
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