Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
What Happened
The Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency held a marathon combined meeting covering 40+ agenda items, including major zoning code revisions, homelessness services funding, affordable housing approval, and fire response. The meeting lasted several hours with substantial public comment on sustainability, wildfire safety, and development review processes.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Affordable senior housing project on city-owned land — Unanimous — 160-165 units at $425,000 purchase price for 1.99 acres. All-inclusive rent $8.96/month for seniors on fixed incomes, well below market rate of $1,200-$1,600 for one-bedrooms.
APPROVED — Emergency Solutions Grant COVID-19 funding (ESG-CV2) allocation — Vote count not recorded — $3.5 million total for bridge housing program, rapid rehousing expansion, and two outreach positions through Volunteers of America.
APPROVED — Development code chapters (1801-1803) and comprehensive amendments — Unanimous for most items — Updates to zoning districts, use regulations, natural resource protection, grading standards, landscaping, site design, and residential buffers. Sustainability provisions deferred to separate discussion.
APPROVED — Parkland dedication ordinance (C2) — 7-0 — Removes requirement for city to pay fair market value for dedicated parkland, allowing flexible negotiation with developers on park amenities.
APPROVED — Washoe County traffic signal maintenance agreement — 6-1 (Breckis opposed) — Reno continues servicing 22 county signals while maintaining 300+ city signals. Dollar amount of fee-for-service not disclosed in documents.
APPROVED — Regional Plan Conformance amendments (B8) — Unanimous — Master plan text changes align city policies with Truckee Meadows Regional Plan.
APPROVED — Housing Navigator position — Unanimous — Part of rapid rehousing program to transition homeless individuals from bridge housing to permanent housing, funded by Community Health Plan grant.
APPROVED — Cornhole recreation program — Unanimous — Five cornhole boards authorized at city recreation facilities.
Debated But Not Resolved
Washoe County signal maintenance workload — Councilmember Breckis questioned whether fee-for-service diverts resources from local signal problems (bike detection, pedestrian timing, school zones). Staff committed to providing resource allocation report.
Contract document transparency — Councilwoman Breckis raised fiduciary concern about voting on contracts without full documents. Staff committed to making documents available by next meeting using Google Docs.
Sustainability standards implementation — Council split on immediate adoption versus 12-month trial period. Deferred to separate workshop with broader stakeholder engagement.
Appeals and standing process — Multiple concerns raised about hearing officer role, standing determinations by staff, appeal timelines (calendar vs. working days), and work tolling during appeals. Legal team directed to provide analysis for January meeting.
Industrial zoning protections — Councilmembers concerned about large warehouse/distribution centers adjacent to residential areas. Staff noted expanded buffering and landscaping requirements in next code chapter.
Transfer station approval process — Debate over whether transfer stations should go directly to council or through Planning Commission. Decision pending Nevada Cares Campus zoning review.
What to Watch
$3,500,000 — HUD Emergency Solutions Grant COVID-19 funds for bridge housing, rapid rehousing expansion, and outreach positions — HUD
$1,300,000 — VOA rapid rehousing program expansion for 40 individuals — HUD ESG CV2
$425,000 — Purchase price for 160-165 unit affordable senior housing development — Developer financing with HOME tax credits
$200,000 — City match for fuel mitigation grant in Rosewood Canyon area (no out-of-pocket cost stated) — Grant match
January meeting on parking lot items — Council directed staff to compile ~30 deferred items (short-term rentals, sustainability standards, shelter provisions, tree ordinance updates) with prioritized timeline and council sign-off needed on which items move forward.
2050 Regional Transportation Plan presentation — Data still being compiled; scheduled for January discussion before RTC board ratification. South Reno Study projects will be rolled into this plan.
Fire incident report and mitigation plan town hall — Chief Cochran still reviewing investigation documents; council committed to holding resident town hall on fuel mitigation, evacuation, and property responsibilities.
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