Reno City Council Meeting
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
What Happened
The Reno City Council met for nearly 9 hours, voting on 23 major items including spending decisions, zoning changes, homeless ordinances, and three development appeals with heavy public opposition.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — $1 million in school zone flashing beacons at 58 of 115 backlogged locations — Unanimous — Grant funds will improve pedestrian safety at roughly half of needed school crossings
APPROVED — Criminalize sitting, lying, sleeping, or camping in public spaces (Ordinances F1-F6) — 6-1 vote; Ebert opposed — Police can now enforce against homeless individuals; city provides no new shelter beds or services
APPROVED — 136-unit affordable housing project at former Records Street facility (Ulysses Development) — Unanimous — Mixed affordability levels from 30% to 80% AMI; city may demolish existing buildings at estimated cost TBD
APPROVED — Web data center on North Virginia Street — 5-2 vote; Ebert and Taylor opposed — Facility will draw 30 megawatts of power (equivalent to entire Steamboat geothermal plant); approved despite climate concerns
APPROVED — Downtown Reno Partnership agreement — 6-1 vote; Ebert opposed — Removes requirement for DRP to fund $800,000 in supplemental police services downtown; city replaces coverage with private security guards
APPROVED — 28-unit single-family cluster development at 2400 West 7th Street — Vote count unavailable — Includes crosswalk, easement, and 15-foot landscape buffer as conditions
CONTINUED — 273-unit apartment complex at Lakeridge (Plumis project) — 90-day continuance to April 23 — Applicant given time to address traffic, fire safety, and design compatibility concerns
APPROVED — $110,000 JAG grants for regional gang unit and human trafficking unit — Funding source: Department of Public Safety — Covers technology, overtime, equipment, and training
APPROVED — $280,000 for EV fast-charge stations at Public Safety Center — EECBG grant funding
Debated But Not Resolved
Criminalization vs. housing-first approach — Over 180 residents opposed F1-F6 ordinances, citing housing shortage and arguing enforcement wastes money; supporters cited business safety concerns and public nuisance. Ebert requested data on shelter capacity before enforcement. No follow-up metrics approved.
Data center sustainability standards — Council split on whether 30-megawatt power demand and climate impacts justified approval. Ebert and Taylor requested solar coverage, carbon-neutral requirement, and 100% renewable energy; applicant stated solar triggers NV Energy contract thresholds. Council directed staff to draft comprehensive data center ordinance in February.
Downtown police services reduction — Ebert expressed concern that removing $800,000 in supplemental police funding will make noise enforcement impossible; Reese viewed it as DRP budget cleanup. No solution approved; city manager said "we will cross that bridge when we come to it."
Building demolition costs and risk — Ebert refused to support demolishing Record Street property without specific security cost figures. Demolition bid not yet obtained; timeline uncertain. Agreement allows developer two years to close and allows commercial use if affordable housing fails.
What to Watch
$1,000,000 — School zone flashing beacons — Congressional delegation grant
$280,000 — EV charging stations at Public Safety Center — EECBG grant
$110,000 — Gang unit and human trafficking unit grants — DOJ/Public Safety grants
Data center regulation — Staff returns in February with comprehensive ordinance addressing water use, energy requirements, and noise standards. Climate advocates want moratorium; staff wants faster approval timeline for pending applications.
Budget deficit solutions — City faces $18-19 million structural gap. Manager meets with labor groups January 29; Council briefings February; final budget workshop March 5. Property sales, fee increases, and regional service consolidation under discussion.
Lakeridge development redesign — Applicant has 90 days to modify design and address fire safety, traffic impact, and neighborhood character concerns before April 23 hearing. Council skeptical but open to compromise.
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