Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
What Happened
The Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board met on March 25, 2020, addressing routine business plus significant COVID-19 budget planning discussions spanning roughly 20 agenda items.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Elections agreement with Washoe County for all-mail primary election and voting day registration — Unanimous — County absorbs state-mandated cost increases with no impact to city budget.
APPROVED — Seven ordinance adoptions (Bills 6553-6559) standardizing administrative hearing and appeal procedures across city code sections — Unanimous — Streamlines process for business licenses, sidewalk vendors, and sewer service appeals.
APPROVED — New Director of Utility Services position created (Bill 7135) — Unanimous — Establishes management structure for city utility services.
APPROVED — Negotiations with Nevada Land LLC for Wells Avenue flood project property — Unanimous — City will negotiate improvements to underutilized property near Wells Avenue bridge; staff authorized to discuss broader recreational trail integration.
CONTINUED — SAFER Grant for Fire Department (8 firefighter positions) — No vote — Finance Director recommends declining grant due to minimum staffing requirements limiting flexibility during economic crisis; grant covers 75% year one, declining to 50% then 25%.
CONTINUED — Budget approach for fiscal year — No vote — Finance staff recommends submitting flat budget without cuts, then returning August/September with targeted adjustments based on actual revenue data. Some council members wanted more aggressive cuts now.
CONTINUED — Idlewild Park playground equipment design — No vote — Councilmember questioned whether tree fort design blocks tree views; staff to review before approval.
Debated But Not Resolved
Waste management during pandemic — Councilmember suggested allowing recyclables in regular trash to handle increased household waste; staff to meet with Waste Management and report back.
Budget submission timeline — Council discussing dual-track approach: pursue 90-day delay through Nevada League of Cities while potentially submitting modified budget as previously worked on.
Federal stimulus relief — Clarified that cities under 500,000 population receive funding through state distribution formulas and CDBG, not direct federal application; Reno eligible for significant allocation.
STEAD Plan $55 million bond — Councilmember requested detailed discussion of wastewater project cost, effluent management, sewer fund backing, and growth projections before proceeding.
What to Watch
$55,000,000 — STEAD Plan wastewater infrastructure project total cost — State bond (first $2.6 million already drawn).
$5,000,000 — Pennington Foundation grant matching requirement — City requested extension on July 1 deadline to address COVID-19 budget uncertainty.
$800,000 — Annual support payments to Nevada Land LLC — City general fund budget (contingent on future negotiations).
SAFER Grant decision (April 8 meeting) — Council must decide whether to accept federal firefighter grant or decline to maintain budget flexibility. Decision impacts 8 already-hired firefighters and minimum staffing requirements.
Budget approval (spring 2020) — City to submit preliminary flat budget April 1, then revise significantly in August/September once actual revenue data available. Potential general fund loss estimated at $30 million in worst-case scenario.
Nevada Land property plan — Developer must present detailed proposal showing how Wells Avenue property integrates with broader recreational trail network before final approval.
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