Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
What Happened
Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board held a full meeting over multiple hours, approving 20+ items including two marijuana licenses, a major flood-prone development project, affordable housing negotiations, and a pet store moratorium.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Pharmacy Benefit Manager contract change to Maxor — Unanimous — Saves city $1.2 million annually on health insurance drug costs.
APPROVED — Deep Roots Harvest marijuana retail license — 4-1 vote (Dewer opposed) — One-year license with rescission clause if state fails to finalize approval or applicant drops from top four state positions.
APPROVED — Thrive Cannabis Marketplace license — Vote count not recorded — Approved despite proximity to Empowerment Center recovery facility; rescission clause included.
APPROVED — Daybreak Planned Unit Development and zoning amendments — 4-3 vote — Allows 1,100+ unit development in floodplain area; blocks construction for one year until federal flood maps are updated.
APPROVED — Exclusive negotiating agreement with Knowlton Development — Vote count not recorded — Grants 60-day window to negotiate purchase of two city-owned properties (511 Coonsley, 455 East 2nd) for subsidized housing project.
APPROVED — Final moratorium on retail dog and cat sales — Unanimous — Six-month ban while city develops permanent zoning ordinance to restrict commercial pet sales.
APPROVED — Lake Ridge Tennis Club zoning change — 7-0 vote — Allows residential redevelopment of west side; retains tennis courts and fitness center on east side.
CONTINUED — Wild horse water source development — Unanimous — Delayed to address concerns about tank maintenance, HOA financial responsibility, and vague retirement clauses for water infrastructure.
REJECTED — Motion to delay Deep Roots and Thrive decisions six months — Council opted to proceed with conditional approvals instead of waiting for clearer state rules.
APPROVED — Reno Logistics Center zoning amendment — Vote count not recorded — Rezones 74.62 acres south of North Virginia Street from mixed-use to industrial.
APPROVED — Zombie Crawl event agreement — Vote count not recorded — Event promoter to reimburse city $73,000 for restrooms and cleanup costs.
APPROVED — Zoning code update (Title 18) augmentation — Vote count not recorded — $66,000 from General and Street funds; city will review Building Enterprise Fund eligibility for future costs.
Debated But Not Resolved
Daybreak flood risk — Opponents cited Executive Order 11988 floodplain protection, $700 million in 1997 flood damage, and Bureau of Reclamation projections of 20% increase in flooding by 2050 — Council approved with one-year construction hold pending federal flood remapping.
Wild horse water infrastructure — Whether stock tanks are sustainable long-term without excessive HOA burden — Staff directed to explore natural wetland alternatives with Army Corps of Engineers.
Cannabis background checks — Whether all co-owners of business entities must pass background checks or only primary applicant — Staff to clarify implementation for remaining two allowable licenses.
ASM Global facility marketing — Whether event center management provides adequate community coordination and advance notice — Council requested ongoing performance metrics and communication improvements.
Sign code enforcement — Whether 5.75-inch height overage qualifies as minor deviation allowing approval — Hearing continues; council sympathetic to small business hardship but concerned about enforcement precedent.
South Meadows traffic and flood concerns — Opponents argued outdated traffic data and inadequate mitigation for 40,000 daily project trips — Vote pending after extended discussion.
What to Watch
$1,200,000 — Pharmacy benefit manager savings — Health insurance benefits
$66,000 — Zoning code update (Title 18) — General and Street funds
$112,416.92 — SAVE volunteer program Q3 savings — City budget savings
$73,000 — Zombie Crawl event reimbursement — Event promoter payment to city
Daybreak flood remapping deadline — Construction blocked until federal flood maps update or one year passes. Watch whether remapping happens on schedule and if final site plans comply with new flood elevation data.
Marijuana licensing clarity — Two of three applied-for licenses approved conditionally; remaining two slots allowed under state law. Council deferred decision on whether to accept more applications or establish alternative models like non-profit funding after current moratorium ends.
Affordable housing negotiations — Knowlton Development has 60 days to negotiate police station property purchase. Watch for council approval of final purchase terms and affordability percentages (developer proposed 44-51% Area Median Income mix).
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