Reno City Council
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
What Happened
City Council voted on 45+ items in a 6+ hour meeting covering homelessness services, arts funding, development projects, and city manager recruitment.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Cathy Woods wrongful imprisonment settlement — [vote count not recorded] — City will pay $3 million to settle case; deemed necessary for justice and reconciliation.
APPROVED — NEA Grant arts funding allocations — 7-0 — $250,000 to support 20+ arts organizations hit hard by pandemic; Reno one of only 9 cities nationwide to receive this grant.
APPROVED — Small Business Relief Program — [vote not recorded] — $1.4 million in emergency grants ($5,000–$20,000 per business) to help small businesses with 20 or fewer employees survive COVID-19 impacts.
APPROVED — Spaghetti Bowl land acquisition — 7-0 — City will purchase major parcel needed for expansion project; displaced tenant will be relocated and compensated.
APPROVED — Community Investment Fund nonprofit formation — [vote not recorded] — Establishes entity to administer federal New Markets Tax Credits for affordable housing, homeless programs, and business development.
APPROVED — Second and Lake Street alley abandonment — [vote not recorded] — Allows 358-unit apartment development with ground floor retail next to baseball stadium.
APPROVED — Ordinance 6575 (Grady's Law) — Unanimous — Pet stores banned from selling dogs and cats in Reno.
APPROVED — Ordinance 6573 — Zoning change for lbo Street from Industrial Business to Industrial Commercial.
CONTINUED — Clean and Safe Program contractor — Qual Econ contract remains unresolved; council questioned low service acceptance rate (38 acceptances from 2,500 contacts), contractor qualifications, and whether program should be brought in-house instead of contracting.
Debated But Not Resolved
Homelessness approach — Council split between enforcement-focused cleanup (current model) versus services-focused approach with mental health support and regional coordination with county. Council ordered special meeting to discuss.
Development Agreement ordinance — Disagreement over whether Planning Commission review should be required for development agreements. Council removed requirement, but Councilwoman Breús expressed concern about lack of protective guardrails.
University of Nevada Reno Skyway bridge — Multiple concerns: open meeting law violation allegations during initial reading, green space loss, design review process adequacy, ADA compliance assurances given past university architectural issues, and pedestrian safety near historic Morales Hall stairs.
Large plant zoning (Ordinance 6574) — Council approved 1-acre minimum lot size for 11-acre parcel, but Councilman Breea objected to potential septic tank density and environmental impacts upstream of water intake and swimming areas. Staff directed to address parcel mapping and infrastructure concerns.
CDBG fund allocation priorities — Councilmembers disagreed on whether to prioritize preservation of six expiring affordable housing complexes versus new development, and whether to reinstate grant-making program to nonprofits for mental health and domestic violence services.
What to Watch
$3,000,000 — Cathy Woods settlement — General fund
$1,400,000 — Small Business Relief Program grants — CARES Act
$250,000 — NEA arts funding — Federal grant
$2,100,000 — CDBG allocation — HUD
$1,400,000 — HOME allocation — HUD
Special homelessness meeting — Council will reconvene to decide between enforcement-based versus services-based approach; decision affects Clean and Safe contract renewal and $150,000 budget increase.
UNR Skyway project approval — Council to resume discussion on pedestrian bridge special use permit with unresolved questions about design review adequacy and green space mitigation.
City manager interviews — Three finalists scheduled for Monday, August 17; council must decide whether to expand pool to include additional candidates ranked as "twos."
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