Reno City Council Meeting
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
What Happened
The Reno City Council held a full meeting with 30+ items, running past 6 hours, approving major housing developments, employee raises, and a transmission line conditional use permit while debating noise ordinances and wild horse management with no resolution on several contested zoning changes.
Key Decisions
[APPROVED] — Nevada Energy transmission line conditional use permit (yellow route through Hines Ranch property) — 4-1 vote — Allows overhead power lines to deviate from originally-studied route through Peine forest, avoiding Stonegate development area but passing 22 additional poles' cost to ratepayers.
[APPROVED] — Canyon's PUD amendment increasing units from 81 to 126 homes — Planning Commission 6-1 recommendation — Adds 45 residential units on 119 acres with wildlife mitigation conditions including eagle conservation plan and $500/home affordable housing contribution.
[APPROVED] — Leaf at Harvard affordable housing project (168 units) — Unanimous — Adds infill apartments to Harvard Street corridor.
[APPROVED] — Property purchase from RTC for affordable housing — Unanimous — City buys 27-acre Clear Acre site for $2.256 million; developer will build 640 affordable/workforce units plus commercial space.
[APPROVED] — All employee cost-of-living raises (3% annually for three years) — Multiple votes — Increases total general fund spending by $2.2-4.5 million annually across municipal court, clerical, mid-management, and management staff.
[APPROVED] — Moana Field design contract — $450,000 from ARPA funds — Engineering work to make soccer complex "shovel-ready" for future construction.
[CONTINUED] — Downtown noise ordinance — City staff to conduct baseline noise study before formal ordinance proposed; multiple unresolved disputes over enforcement cost, C-scale vs. A-scale measurement, and entertainment district exemptions.
[CONTINUED] — Small business licensing code revisions — Council rejected prior draft due to provisions denying licenses to formerly incarcerated individuals and those with "legal disabilities"; staff to revise.
[REJECTED] — Great Basin Youth Soccer League RFQ for Penbrook flatfield complex — Single bid determined infeasible due to $22-23 million construction cost and inadequate financial plan; council directed staff to pursue design-only approach and explore bonding/Parks District options separately.
Debated But Not Resolved
Downtown noise ordinance — Residents demand noise limits on midnight-6 a.m. bar noise and motorcycle revving; business owners say enforcement impossible without major budget increases and worry ordinance will force hour cuts and job losses; no agreement on whether C-scale or A-scale measurement standard applies.
Wild horse management conditions on Canyon development — Developer hesitant to accept wildlife corridor, watering facilities, and trail requirements pending legal liability review; council split on whether city has expertise to impose animal management conditions versus delegating to Nevada Department of Agriculture.
Transmission line route (red FIS route vs. yellow easement route) — Residents opposed yellow route's forest impact and 200 tree loss in Ward 4; applicant argued yellow route already has 2020 easement and avoids impacting Stonegate development; council voted for yellow route but concerns about precedent and environmental review process remain.
School review process streamlining — Staff proposed raising school conditional use permit threshold to 400 students; Washo County School District concerned about duplicating regional facilities plan review; no agreement on whether threshold should be 350 or 400 students or how to prevent expansion gaming.
What to Watch
$2.256 million — RTC property purchase for affordable housing — City funds
$2.2-4.5 million annually — Employee cost-of-living raises (three years) — General fund
$450,000 — Moana Field engineering design — ARPA funds
$245,200 — Arts and culture public art program — Room tax
$220,000 — Volunteers of America homeless housing pilot — Private donation match
Downtown noise ordinance — Council directed staff baseline study; decision on whether to adopt formal ordinance code amendment likely returns September or October with unresolved disagreement over enforcement budget and business exemptions.
Flatfield soccer complex funding — Staff will return with bond feasibility, financial risk analysis, and Parks District timeline; council split between $450K design-now approach vs. $180K district planning-first approach; $22+ million construction cost still unfunded.
Small business licensing code — Revised draft addressing formerly incarcerated persons and legal disability provisions due back; council signaled willingness to approve if concerns about job access addressed.
Get Reno government news every week
Every vote. Every debate. Zero jargon.