Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Monday, May 10, 2021
What Happened
Council held a study session on forensic services, mental health response programs, special events funding, and parks recreation staffing. The meeting lasted several hours with no final votes on major items; most discussions were presentations that will continue in future meetings.
Key Decisions
CONTINUED — Forensic services arrangement with Washoe County — No vote — Council heard three cost options ($2M current contract, $1.5M with in-house staff, $1.188M with in-house staff plus outside lab work) but made no decision; city manager will meet with county this week to discuss new pricing.
CONTINUED — MOST (Mental Health Crisis Response Team) expansion — No vote — Police deputy chief proposed adding four in-house clinicians but council did not approve the positions or funding; debate ongoing about whether number and staffing type are appropriate.
CONTINUED — Special events budget structure — No vote — One council member proposed giving individual members $100,000 discretionary spending for ward events instead of concentrating funds downtown; council seeking more input before deciding; city manager to return with ARPA funding options within two days.
CONTINUED — Parks and Recreation minimum wage increase — No vote — Director proposed accelerating wage increases to $12/hour by 2024, creating a $1M deficit without fee increases; council debated whether to raise fees on families, use federal ARPA funds, or find other solutions.
Debated But Not Resolved
Forensic services independence vs. county partnership — Chief Soto says in-house service improves response times and control; council members expressed concerns about dismantling Washoe County's forensics since Reno would represent half their business and questioned whether collaboration was explored.
Who pays for police response to homeless services — Council member Jordan questioned whether county indigent services funding legally covers police responses; city manager said police presence is unavoidable but unclear who should pay; legal research needed.
Recreation fees vs. wage increases — Council split on whether low-income families should absorb fee increases for entry-level wage hikes; some members proposed using $51M in federal ARPA funds instead.
MOST program staffing type — One council member suggested using social workers and externs; police said licensed clinicians required for crisis work but offered to discuss hybrid models offline.
What to Watch
$51,519,971 — American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funds available for recovery and other city needs — Federal allocation
$1,100,000 — Special events and related costs (arts grants, sponsorships, overtime) — General Fund and Room Tax combined
Forensic services decision due next week — Council must choose between keeping Washoe County contract ($2M annually), creating in-house collection with county lab work ($1.5M), or in-house collection with outside lab ($1.188M). This affects two departments and potentially Washoe County's operations.
ARPA fund allocation decisions — $51M in federal COVID relief money is available. Council will decide whether to use it for wage increases, special events, or other pandemic recovery priorities. City manager returns with guidelines this week.
Parks fee increases pending — Decision on whether to raise recreation fees or defer to ARPA funds for wage increases comes back before final budget adoption.
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