Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
What Happened
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board met for approximately 12 hours, approving housing incentive programs, rezoning one parcel, rejecting a development continuance request, and flagging serious concerns about the city's long-term budget stability and fire protection response times.
Key Decisions
[APPROVED] — Thousand Homes in 120 Days fee deferral program for affordable housing — Unanimous — Defers building permit and sewer connection fees over five years for approved projects. Covers 2,038 proposed housing units. Ordinance Bill 7117 established the framework; Bills 7118 and 7120 enable the city to reduce or subsidize impact fees for affordable housing projects.
[APPROVED] — Pedestrian ramp replacement project — Unanimous — Added Sharon Way location near LDS Stake to project using Community Development Block Grant funds. No dollar amount specified. Staff initially said the location didn't make the prioritized list, but agreed to add it after council request.
[APPROVED] — March 11th council meeting moved to March 25th — Unanimous — Allows council members to attend Spring National League of Cities Conference. March 4th afternoon meeting scheduled 2-5pm to accommodate budget review meetings March 3-5.
[APPROVED] — Innovation Drive zone change from industrial/commercial to general office — 6-1 vote — Rezoned 1.5-acre parcel at Innovation Drive and Double R Boulevard. Councilwoman Catherine Rebecca voted against, citing concerns that general office zoning lacks protections against drive-throughs on this arterial street. No restrictions committed.
[REJECTED] — Sierra Canyon development continuance request — Unanimous — Council voted to proceed with hearing the appeal immediately rather than delaying. Applicant sought more time; council said residents deserved to be heard.
[APPROVED] — Jury trials for misdemeanor domestic violence cases in Municipal Court — Unanimous — First such trials in Reno since 1989. Six-person juries required by Nevada Supreme Court regulations.
Debated But Not Resolved
Structural budget deficit — Council expressed concern that 10-year financial projections show a structural imbalance unresolved until 2022-2023, but city staff said next year's budget remains unbalanced. Council asked whether strong revenue increases mask deeper problems requiring state-level tax reform. Unresolved.
Sewer fund impacts of fee deferral — Councilwoman Brekhus stated she cannot support sewer impact fee deferral due to $500 million in debt issuance needed over seven years. She supported building permit fee deferral but not sewer subsidy. Did not commit to supporting the motion. Next step: vote not documented in this chunk.
City Council Rules updates — Council Member Breckis flagged at least six rule provisions needing revision, including agenda-setting authority, remote participation disclosure requirements, staff treatment protocols, and electronic voting consistency. Staff recommended against new rules, suggesting enforcement of existing rules instead. Next step: further revision before final adoption.
Fire response time jurisdiction — Mayor expressed frustration that Reno Fire Department's 9-10 minute response time exceeds Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District's 4-5 minute response time. Special meeting scheduled to discuss automatic aid agreements. This affects development approval standards.
Mortensen Garson overlay district development — 676-unit project with unit count increase from 470 homes presented in 2017. Council questioned whether lot placement was driven by sewer infrastructure proximity, asked about ridgeline impacts, grading practices, and visual mitigation. Planning Commission had denied the project. Next step: continued hearing.
What to Watch
$962,000 — Public works capital carry forward — Prior year budget surplus
$22,000 — Trailer replacement — Public works fund carry forward
$325,000 — Clean and safe team and court jury trial adjustments — Excess sales tax revenue
$2,000,000 — Freight House District allocation — Incremental sales tax from Freight House area
Mortensen Garson overlay district appeal hearing (Stan Lucas/Stan Mortensen projects) — Council must decide whether 676-unit hillside projects comply with zoning, master plan, and hillside development standards. Hearing continued; 705+ residents oppose. Fire response times and ridge protection are key issues.
Fire service coordination meeting — Special meeting scheduled on automatic aid agreements with Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. Current Reno response times exceed six-minute standard for new developments, affecting project feasibility.
Council Rules adoption — At least six rule provisions flagged for revision before final vote. Includes agenda-setting authority, staff interaction protocols, and remote meeting transparency requirements.
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