Reno City Council & Redevelopment Agency Board
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
What Happened
Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board met on September 22, 2021, and approved 12 items including two downtown redevelopment ordinances, a rezoning, and rental assistance programs.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Ordinance 6604 extending downtown redevelopment plan to 2043 — Unanimous — Allows existing debt to be paid through tax increment revenue extension.
APPROVED — Ordinance 6605 authorizing interfund loans from project area two to downtown project area — Unanimous — Enables transfer of tax increment revenue between redevelopment zones.
APPROVED — Rental and deposit assistance program continuation — Vote count not recorded — Emergency assistance expands, using $2,000,000 in ERRA 2 federal funds plus $1,500,000 from previous ERRA allocation.
APPROVED — Los Besus Boulevard rezoning (5030 Los Besus Boulevard) — Unanimous — Rezones 1.531 acres from neighborhood commercial to mixed-use suburban at southwest corner of Los Besus Boulevard and North McCarron Boulevard.
CONTINUED — Ordinance Bill 7185 prohibiting unlawful use of whips — Referred for second reading — Ordinance advances despite ACLU opposition citing impact on unhoused people.
Debated But Not Resolved
Whip ordinance (Bill 7185) — ACLU of Nevada argued the ordinance criminalizes unhoused people, noting the restricted zone overlaps where homeless community members live. They proposed alternative approaches like opt-in protections for residences and businesses or feeless permits. Council received 19 letters supporting the ordinance. — Ordinance returns for second reading and adoption vote.
What to Watch
$2,000,000 — ERRA 2 rental and deposit assistance program expansion — Emergency Rental Assistance Round 2 (federal; sunsets 2025)
$1,500,000 — Rental assistance program allocation — Emergency Rental Assistance funds (federal)
Bill 7185 second reading — Council will vote on the whip ordinance again. The ACLU's concerns about impact on unhoused people remain unaddressed. Public comment will likely continue.
Lear Theater purchase — Deferred from this meeting. Council moved it to the end of agenda seeking a supermajority vote but did not take final action. Return date unknown.
ERRA 2 rental assistance funds — Program must distribute $2,000,000 before Treasury deadline in 2025. Monitor whether funds reach eligible households.
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