Reno City Council
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
What Happened
City council held a regular meeting lasting several hours, approving 20+ items including two major rezoning decisions, a police headquarters construction contract, a controversial development agreement for downtown Fourth Street, and a homeless services debate that went unresolved.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Public Safety Center Phase One construction contract to Plenum Builders Inc — vote count not recorded — $19,937,633 to build new police headquarters on 74-year-old building site; funded through grants, property sales, and fund balance.
APPROVED — General obligation debt issuance for public safety and infrastructure — 6-1 vote (Councilwoman Breuss opposed) — approximately $87 million in near-term borrowing to fund police headquarters, fire stations, parks, and building projects.
APPROVED — Reno Neon Line District development agreement with Jacobs Entertainment — 5-2 vote — 20-year agreement providing sewer connection fee credits (up to $1.5 million cap) and regulatory exemptions for downtown Fourth Street mixed-use development; final terms remain unclear after hours of debate.
APPROVED — Two industrial-commercial rezoning ordinances (Envy Center 1 and 2) — 6-1 and unanimous votes — approximately 8 acres near North Virginia Street/Inside Boulevard and South Stead Boulevard rezoned to allow warehouse and distribution uses, despite concern from Councilwoman Breuss about piecemeal zoning without neighborhood planning.
APPROVED — Alleyway abandonment at 900 East 4th Street — vote count not recorded — 308-foot, 20-foot-wide alley abandoned to allow marketplace and mixed-use development; city will gain property tax revenue if developed.
APPROVED — River Ranger pilot program — unanimous vote — expansion of park ambassadors from 3 to 9 downtown parks operating 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., for one year.
APPROVED — Whip possession ordinance in downtown corridor — 6-1 vote (Councilwoman Breuss opposed) — makes unlicensed whip possession illegal in defined downtown area; permits available for legitimate uses like horse farms.
APPROVED — Rosewood Lakes Golf Course renamed to Rosewood Lakes Nature Study Area — unanimous vote — reflects course conversion to nature study area.
APPROVED — Coral Academy charter school tax-exempt bonds — unanimous vote — city held required federal IRS public hearing; city has no repayment responsibility.
Debated But Not Resolved
Homeless shelter capacity — Public commenters urged council to reopen Record Street Shelter for 24/7 use and convert motel temporary housing to permanent supportive housing; council took no action. RISE offered to operate shelter with "0% recidivism rate."
Development agreement terms — Multiple council members sought clarity on sewer credits, streetscape standards, parks fees allocation, affordable housing requirements, and performance measures; staff said additional details unclear; public workshop may occur before final vote.
Neon Line District public process — Council members concerned about lack of community input; developer and staff committed to presenting at neighborhood advisory board meetings and ward meetings beyond code requirements.
Industrial rezoning near homes — Councilwoman Breuss objected to warehouse/distribution zoning adjacent to residential mobile home park without comprehensive neighborhood planning; staff argued process followed code and Planning Commission approved it.
What to Watch
$19,937,633 — Police headquarters Phase One construction — Pennington Grant ($5M), city property sales ($3.3M), fund balance ($5.3M), general fund/insurance ($8.5M).
$87,000,000 — General obligation debt issuance (near term) — police, fire, parks, buildings.
$1,500,000 — Sewer connection fee credits cap — Jacobs development.
Reno Neon Line District Development Agreement — Council did not finalize vote on controversial Jacobs Entertainment 20-year deal. Public workshop requested before November 17 decision. Watch for clarity on sewer credits expiration, affordable housing specifics, and streetscape standards.
Tax Increment Financing (TIFF) discussion — Deferred to January public forum. This will determine how public tax dollars support Fourth Street development and address historic resources and affordable housing.
130-unit condo tentative map — Scheduled for neighborhood advisory board review in November and Planning Commission in December. Will test whether development agreement conditions hold.
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