Reno City Council Meeting
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
What Happened
Reno City Council met for six hours and voted on 40-plus items including police leadership, road repairs, sewer fees, zoning changes, and two liquor license disputes that remain unresolved.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Chief Nance as Police Chief — Unanimous — Fills department leadership vacancy after Chief Soto's departure.
APPROVED — Road repair contract with Sierra Nevada Construction — Unanimous — $1,819,007 for pothole patching coordinated with utility work to reduce disruption.
APPROVED — Sidewalk repair contract — Unanimous — $403,000 for repairs citywide.
APPROVED — Occupational safety audit with Total Safety Compliance — Unanimous — $204,000 for workplace safety assessment.
APPROVED — Six paramedic positions for Reno Fire — Unanimous — Federal GEMT program funds 24/7 EMS staffing at Station 3; allows Fire to respond to mutual aid without losing engine coverage.
APPROVED — Sewer connection fee increase (first reading) — Vote count not recorded — New fees apply by service area with annual inflation adjustments. Second reading January 25. Specific rates include typos flagged for correction before final vote.
APPROVED — Three zoning map amendments for mixed-use and industrial flex space — Various votes — Allows Panther Valley Flex Park, Highland mixed-use development (112.6 acres), and Sierra Mana Care expansion (96 units).
REJECTED — Golden Valley Commerce Center zoning from Mixed-Use to Industrial Commercial — 3-4 vote — Council concerned about 24-hour warehouse operations near residential areas. Applicant invited to resubmit under Mixed Employment zoning.
CONTINUED — Right Way Market liquor license reconsideration — No vote — Business owners presented video evidence disputing police dispatch call attribution. Council did not rule on motion to reconsider.
CONTINUED — Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission appointment — No vote — Disagreement over whether council must follow Planning Commission's recommendation (Sylvia Villanueva) or can appoint applicant Alex Belto. Returns to next meeting.
Debated But Not Resolved
Liquor license revocation fairness — Business owners argue dispatch calls crediting incidents to Right Way Market were actually made by City Ambassadors for events blocks away. Police cite call data as basis. Council has not ruled on reconsideration motion.
Stepped vs. immediate sewer fee increase — Builders want five-year phase-in to ease affordability impact; staff recommend single increase to fund capital projects immediately. Council deferred final approach to January 25 vote.
24-hour warehouse zoning near homes — Councilwoman Ebert opposes Industrial Commercial zoning citing Chewy warehouse precedent for light/noise pollution. Others argue applicant submitted voluntary conditions. Not resolved for future projects.
Downtown safety standards — Mayor requested special meeting on rules for all downtown property owners; city manager concerned about timing. No meeting scheduled.
What to Watch
$1,819,007 — Road repairs (permit patch program) — Pass-through utility company fees
$403,000 — Sidewalk repairs — Unspecified
$204,000 — Safety audit — City risk fund
$240,000,000 — Riseworth wastewater plant expansion (mentioned; funding timeline unclear)
Sewer fees January 25 second reading — Council will vote final rates. Watch whether they adopt staff's immediate single increase or negotiate a stepped timeline. Decision affects housing affordability and city infrastructure funding.
Golden Valley Commerce Center resubmittal — Applicant expected to return with Mixed Employment zoning to address residential adjacency concerns. Council's approval signals willingness to rezone if design changes industrial impact.
Right Way Market reconsideration motion — Unresolved. If council votes to reconsider, liquor license revocation could be reversed based on call attribution dispute.
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