Redevelopment Agency Board Meeting
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
What Happened
The Reno City Council and Redevelopment Agency Board held a combined meeting on November 19, 2025, covering 40+ agenda items in roughly four hours, including property transactions, police staffing, noise regulation debate, and budget concerns.
Key Decisions
APPROVED — Police Impact Fee extended collection timeline through 2045 without raising fees on new development — unanimous — keeps maximum $13 million cap but spreads collection over longer period, reducing burden on new homeowners currently paying $60,000+ in fees.
APPROVED — Staff authorized to explore increased downtown policing and community engagement with zero-tolerance enforcement — unanimous — decision on actual funding and implementation deferred to future council vote.
APPROVED — Reno Aces Baseball ground lease renegotiation (Council Item C7 and RDA Item B1) — unanimously — staff now authorized to explore contract terms addressing 20-year misalignment between operating and lease agreements; term sheet to return for approval.
APPROVED — Elevator maintenance contract one-year extension — $69,000 added to $846,400 total not-to-exceed amount.
APPROVED — Parking meter maintenance contract — $200,000 not-to-exceed for transaction fees and equipment maintenance.
APPROVED — State land engagement for Catholic Charities/Reno Gospel Mission redevelopment per Assembly Bill 241 — unanimous.
APPROVED — Motor carrier safety ordinance adopting federal and state regulations — unanimous.
APPROVED — E-bike and e-scooter safety coordination with state and regional legislators — unanimous.
Debated But Not Resolved
Downtown noise regulation — Council split on enforcement feasibility, cost (staff lacks dedicated resources), ambient noise baselines (already 80-100 dB downtown), and balance between entertainment district viability and residential quality of life. 198 prior public comments: 30 opposed more rules, 9 supported more restrictions, 64 opposed more restrictions, 95 neutral or concerned. No ordinance brought to vote. Next: separate meeting if desired; staff to continue monitoring.
Downtown police presence — Police Chief stated department is down 30 officers; moving officers downtown creates unsafe response times in north/south areas and eliminates traffic enforcement (linked to 23% accident decrease), investigations, and regional teams. Council member requested downtown enforcement team funding exploration through RDA. Next: further discussion in next round.
Police staffing and reserve officer program — Six frozen positions, ongoing retirements, recruitment challenges limit capacity. Reserve officer program and prisoner transport vehicle proposed to free up sworn officers for serious crimes. Funding source unresolved. Next: staff to bring formal proposals with cost estimates.
$24 million FY 2027 budget deficit — Revenues not keeping pace with inflation; one-time solutions insufficient. Council needs direction on potential furloughs, layoffs, or project deferrals. Next: contingency proposals returning to council.
Appeal fee increase from $100 to $1,200 — Three council members opposed citing access to justice concerns; requested either fee reduction or hardship category/donation offset program. Next: scheduled for January or February discussion.
What to Watch
$2,000,000 — Wildland fire reimbursements to Reno Fire Department for 2024 deployments — reimbursements from incident costs
$245,000 — FEMA fire prevention and safety grant for community wildfire protection plan — FEMA
$50,000 — Bloomberg climate initiative grant — Bloomberg
Aces ground lease term sheet — Staff renegotiating with Nevada Land and Aces Baseball; term sheet returning for council approval. Impacts $1 million annual payments through 2043 and $22 million annual economic spending from team operations.
Downtown enforcement funding — Council exploring RDA funding for dedicated downtown zero-tolerance policing team with specific resource and legal requirements to be determined.
Budget contingency proposals — Staff returning with specific recommendations on hiring slowdown, potential furloughs, and project deferrals to address $24 million structural deficit.
Get Reno government news every week
Every vote. Every debate. Zero jargon.