Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
What Happened
City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board held a combined meeting with dozens of votes on development, labor agreements, zoning changes, and airport operations. The session lasted several hours and covered approximately 25 action items plus extended public hearings on two contentious development appeals.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — $3 million from redevelopment property sales to fund pool and public safety center — Vote count unavailable — City receives revenue from asset sales. (6-1 vote, with one opposed)
APPROVED — Collective bargaining agreement with Local 731 firefighters, July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022 — 7-0 — Covers 246 city employees; includes 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment ($971,640) and paid lunch breaks for non-line staff ($321.8 million over contract term).
CONTINUED — Logistics Center I-80 West Phase Two zoning amendment (26.9 acres) — Motion passed — Applicant requested delay to work with neighbors on traffic and safety mitigations.
APPROVED — Master Plan Amendment on residential adjacency and zoning — Vote count unavailable — Allows lower-density zoning in some districts; establishes 30-day administrative review for non-residential projects within 150 feet of residential zones.
APPROVED — Randy Reynolds as new Tennis Center operator — Unanimous — New vendor to manage tennis and pickleball operations. Council negotiated compromise: Parks director will provide quarterly reports to Parks Commission and annual updates to Council on operations.
REMOVED FROM CITY SPHERE OF INFLUENCE — Two parcels (27.5 acres) in Mogul area — 5-2 vote — Property will go through Washoe County permitting instead of city process. Mogul residents opposed, citing safety concerns over 480+ daily truck trips and inadequate railroad crossing timing (20 seconds for large trucks).
APPROVED — Fire hydrant parking distance correction — 7-0 — City code now matches Nevada law: 15 feet from hydrants (previously 7.5 feet per side).
APPROVED — 2021 redistricting process authorization — Vote count unavailable — City will redraw five ward boundaries based on 2020 census data; deadline December 1, 2021 for 2022 elections.
APPROVED — Tree preservation ordinance development — Unanimous — City will establish rules requiring urban forestry commission approval before public workshops; allows mitigation as alternative to tree preservation.
APPROVED — Opioid settlement response — Unanimous — City positioned to receive portion of statewide settlement funds for substance abuse treatment programs when finalized.
APPROVED — Ward-by-Ward zoning non-conformity reconciliation — Partial — Proactive approach to resolve zoning inconsistencies across 5,000+ parcels by ward instead of one-by-one review. One council member opposed.
CONTINUED — Verdi project development appeal — 6-1 vote — Applicant requested time for additional community outreach; new hearing scheduled August 11.
AFFIRMED — Riverside Apartments building permit appeal — Vote count unavailable — Council upheld hearing officer's approval of 34-unit mixed-use project at 700 Riverside Drive despite ongoing disputes over street abandonment, property ownership, and utility easement routing through Lunsford Park.
Debated But Not Resolved
Smoke-free workplace ordinance — Supporters cite cancer and health risks; bar owner proposes county-level implementation plus cigarette tax for police funding instead.
Downtown bar regulations — Resident argues bars need conditional use permits and limits on mixed-use properties due to noise and crime affecting 781+ residential units.
Mogul trucking facility safety — Residents cite 20-second railroad crossing timing insufficient for trucks, pedestrian danger, and recent fatality. Status: Council removed property from city sphere.
Fire Department staffing crisis — Councilman Reese documented 62 firefighters with 20+ years service, 10 retirements since November, and call volume double the county's. Status: City Manager directed to agenda regionalization discussions.
International airport expansion — Councilman Delgado raised noise concerns and asked about aircraft capacity limits in 20–30 years. Airport CEO stated they'll conduct new master plan in mid-2020s.
Planning Department staffing collapse — Senior planners departing while permit volume doubled to $3.4 billion annually. Status: Council requested 360-degree culture review.
What to Watch
$3,071,600 — Jacobs Entertainment property purchases (290 Keystone, $631,600; Zero Second Street, $2,440,000) — Payment to City of Reno.
$1,500,000 — Developer affordable housing commitment — Jacobs Entertainment.
$25,000,000 — Stellar Aviation private investment in hangars and terminal facilities — Private funding.
$225,000 — Sky Tavern carpet lifts installation — Fundraised/donations.
Riverside Apartments building permit final vote — Council has not yet voted on whether to affirm the hearing officer's permit approval. Disputes over street abandonment, property ownership boundaries, and utility placement through Lunsford Park remain contentious. Decision pending.
Verdi warehouse project (Germany Properties) — Hearing scheduled August 11 at 6 p.m. Neighbors oppose 24/7 semi-truck logistics operation citing noise, diesel emissions, and emergency response time impacts on residential neighborhood. Community outreach continues.
Jacobs Entertainment downtown development agreement — Applicant will return end of August with final development agreement and project details. Public workshop planned before tax increment financing vote. Church parking replacement plan still being negotiated.
Fire Department regionalization discussion — City Manager to agenda conversation with regional partners (Sparks, Truckee Meadows Fire) on shared services. Department has not created strategic plan in nearly 10 years. Call volume and staffing retention critical.
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