Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
What Happened
Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency met for roughly 8 hours, approving 20+ items including emergency budget spending, development projects, and ordinance changes while leaving major police reform questions unresolved.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — $2.1 million budget increase for police overtime, fire, and city repairs from civil unrest — unanimous — covers emergency response costs through fiscal year end
APPROVED — Traffic citations audit compliance — unanimous — city must now conduct annual audits after 53 years of non-compliance with state law
APPROVED — Meridian 120 South Villages 1 & 2 tentative maps with 29 conditions — 6-1 vote (Brekhus opposed) — allows 625-home development on western edge despite fire/police/water service concerns
APPROVED — UNR skyway design review exemption — 4-3 vote — allows pedestrian bridge across 9th Street without design committee review
APPROVED — Alley abandonment near UNR — 6-1 vote (Brekhus opposed) — enables College of Business expansion and RTC multimodal station
APPROVED — Pickleball facility conversion from tennis courts — unanimous — funded through parks budget, donations, and developer fees
Debated But Not Resolved
Police funding and reform — Multiple speakers demanded defunding or restructuring; council took no action on 31% of city budget going to police, lack of internal affairs reports since 2018, or racial bias data
Emergency declaration scope — Disagreement over whether mayor's May 30 emergency declaration required council ratification; City Attorney cited statute but debate remained incomplete
Affordable housing requirements — Brekhus opposed Meridian project lacking affordability restrictions for student housing; others argued housing supply increases help renters overall
Fire station funding for Meridian — $1,608 per-unit fee collects only $419,000 of $9-10 million needed; unclear when/how remaining costs get covered
Streamboat Ditch access and drainage — Residents claim piping irrigation water underground will prevent ditch access; hydrological modeling scope unclear
Short-term rental ordinance — Jordan advocated starting process; council deferred pending zoning code update completion in fall 2020
What to Watch
$2.1 million — Emergency response costs (police overtime, fire, court, building repairs) — General fund
$400,000 — Redevelopment fund increment revenue recognition — Redevelopment agency
$1.6 million — City Clerk pay equity review and salary reclassification study — General fund
Meridian 120 South Villages 3-6 decisions — Separate votes coming on remaining villages; fire access, water service, and density issues remain contentious. Final maps won't come for months or years.
Police reform requests — No action taken on defunding, accountability, or use-of-force policy changes despite public testimony. Expect continued pressure.
Short-term rental ordinance timing — Deferred to after zoning code adoption; could impact Ward 1 affordable housing stock if delays allow more conversions to Airbnbs.
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