Reno City Council
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
What Happened
The Reno City Council met to approve a budget with significant cuts, authorize water/sewer infrastructure spending, approve credit card processing fee increases charged to customers, and debate two downtown entertainment venues. The meeting lasted several hours with 30+ agenda items.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Street light audit of 12,000 city lights to assess condition and efficiency — Unanimous — $100,000 from green energy fund to identify potential savings and ownership restructuring options
APPROVED — University East Phase 1 street rehabilitation (pavement, ADA access, storm drains on Bisby, Beverly, Soaring Eagle) — Over $1,000,000 — Infrastructure improvements east of university
APPROVED — Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility capital improvements — $209,000 (Reno's 68.63% share) — Joint facility with Sparks to fund infrastructure upgrades
APPROVED — Pass 2.7% credit card processing fees to customers instead of absorbing costs — Unanimous (both Wells Fargo and Infosend/Pace agreements) — Saves city approximately $1.025 million annually across general fund ($300K), building fund ($200K), and sewer fund ($525K)
APPROVED — Formalize sewer utility assistance program in enterprise fund — $50,000 annual budget — Makes official longstanding rebate program for eligible low-income households
APPROVED — Rezone 0.99 acres on north Vassar Street from Neighborhood Commercial to General Commercial — Ward 3 property
APPROVED — Appoint Council Member Martinez to Reno Housing Authority Board
APPROVED — J Resort Festival Grounds conditional use permit for outdoor concerts — 7-0 — Extended hours allowed (11 p.m. Fri/Sat, 12:15 a.m. for two annual special events), 15,000 person daily cap, 20 medium/10 large events annually
REJECTED — OneUp nightclub operating hours extension to 5:00 a.m. — 6-1 — Live entertainment and operations remain limited to 11:00 p.m. instead of 3:00 a.m. Planning Commission approval
Debated But Not Resolved
Sewer rate increase — Council split on whether 8% increase (5% base + 3% CPI) phased over two years is justified versus smaller percentage spread over longer period — Staff to conduct community feedback process before bringing ordinance back; final vote pending
Senior advisory board funding — Whether to cut $40,000 annual general fund allocation versus maintaining it — Continued to May 5 workshop for deeper analysis
Room tax allocation flexibility — Whether 50% parks dedication and 2% arts allocation are truly locked in by ordinance or can be rebudgeted during crisis — Continued for legal/policy review
Sewer utility assistance program structure — Whether to extend four-month rebate period and serve more people at lower amounts versus fewer at higher amounts — Staff directed to bring back alternative parameters
What to Watch
$1,000,000+ — University East Phase 1 street rehab — Operating budget
$209,000 — Water reclamation facility improvements — Operating budget
$100,000 — Street light audit — Green energy fund
$50,000 — Sewer utility assistance program — Sewer enterprise fund
Sewer rate ordinance — Community feedback process underway; city will survey residents on 8% vs. alternative increase scenarios before council votes. Watch for second reading timing and public response.
Downtown entertainment venue monitoring — Council promised post-event check-ins with city manager after J Resort concerts; code enforcement directed to address abandoned vehicles and street conditions on Commercial Row after police chief meets with affected motel owner.
Budget workshop May 5 — Final decisions pending on senior board funding, room tax reallocation, and staffing freeze details before labor contracts finalized.
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