Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
What Happened
The Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board held a budget discussion meeting on May 5, 2021, reviewing dozens of proposed spending items and staffing positions across city departments.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — $65 million bond for MGD water reclamation facility expansion Phase One — vote count not provided — funds plant expansion with debt service split between connection fees from developers and sewer user fees from residents.
APPROVED — $2 million transfer to event center debt fund — vote count not provided — funds debt service on event center bonds using room tax revenue.
APPROVED — $1.8 million for parks capital projects — vote count not provided — General Fund capital projects.
APPROVED — $1.8 million for CDBG capital projects — vote count not provided — Community Development Block Grant special revenue fund.
APPROVED — Dual-path pool design approach — vote count not provided — allows architects to design both 35-meter and 50-meter swimming pools to show cost differences, though current funding commitment is for 35-meter facility.
PARTIALLY RESOLVED — Advertising for second Assistant City Manager position — vote count not provided — City Manager agreed to advertise position externally rather than promoting internally.
Debated But Not Resolved
City Manager contingency funding — Councilwoman Brecks questioned whether $1 million contingency is excessive compared to historical level of $350,000, but staff indicated this level has been in budget for multiple years — to be addressed in May 12 meeting.
Ombudsperson position ($121,000 annually) — Disagreement over whether full-time salaried role is justified versus contract position; council willing to approve but wants to assess effectiveness before final judgment — decision pending.
River Rangers (2 positions) and MOST team expansion (4 positions) — Council requested detailed information on both programs; Police Chief agreed to provide presentation at next week's meeting — decision deferred.
Cold case investigation positions — Councilman Reece advocated for dedicated funding but positions not included in current budget — to be reintroduced in future budget cycles.
Parks part-time employee pay rates — Concern raised that contractor rates ($13.65/hour) undersell city positions — options for adjustment to be presented next week.
River ranger staffing adequacy — Disagreement over whether two rangers sufficient; City Manager indicated ideal scenario requires eight rangers across four agencies — timeline contingent on hiring and inter-agency coordination.
What to Watch
$1,800,000 — Parks capital projects — Park districts
$1,800,000 — CDBG capital projects — CDBG special revenue fund
$1,000,000 — City Manager contingency — General Fund
$400,000 — Parks capital maintenance projects — General capital projects fund
$400,000 — City capital maintenance facility issues — General capital projects fund
$200,000 — Fire facilities capital improvements — General capital projects fund
$200,000 — Neighborhoods Certain Services, Reno Direct platform replacement — General Fund
$65,000,000 — MGD water reclamation facility expansion — Bond funds (connection fees and sewer user fees)
Pool design decision (June) — Council must approve final architect selection for 35-meter pool, though dual-path design process continues. This affects whether Reno can eventually host state-level competitive swimming meets.
Staffing and pay rate adjustments (May 10-12) — Multiple decisions pending on MOST team, River Rangers, ombudsperson, and parks part-time employee pay rates. These directly impact service levels and operational costs.
Budget adoption (May 19) — Final budget vote will include all deferred items and may reveal structural budget problems tied to event center bonds.
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