Madame clerk, it looks like we have quorum. Maybe we can get started and call the meeting to order for the Reno [clears throat] City Council on March 11th 2026. >> Sounds good. Thank you. >> Thank you. We'll go ahead and start with the pledge of allegiance. Um, if I could ask our city manager, Jackie Bryant, to lead us in the pledge today. >> Thank you, city manager Bryant. Madame Clerk, if we could start with roll call today. >> Thank you. Calling role for the Reno City Council meeting on Wednesday, March 11th, 2026. Council member Taylor, absent at this time. Der >> here. >> Vice Mayor Martinez >> here. >> Eert absent at this time. Reese >> here. >> Anderson >> here. >> She mayor Shivy absent at this time. Mr. Vice Mayor, you do have a quorum of the Reno City Council. >> Thanks so much, Madam Clerk. Let's move on to agenda item A3, public comment for today. >> Sounds good. Moving on to A3. Mr. Mr. Vice Mayor, our first item today is opening public comment. It should be noted for those in attendance that comments are to be addressed to the mayor and council as a whole. Comments heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the council's agenda. Council may not take any action upon any matter not agendaized on today's agenda. When you're called on for public comment, please state your name for the record and begin speaking. The timer will begin when you've stated your name and you will be afforded three minutes. For those participating in chambers in accordance with council rules 6.3.11 while in this room, please be respectful. Disruptive behavior from audience members like clapping, yelling, whistling, etc. which impede the meeting will may result in a warning issued by the presiding officer. If this behavior continues, you may be removed from chambers. If you're an attendee in the Zoom meeting, would like to make public comment, please raise your hand at this time. For the record, um, Council Member Taylor is present at 10:08. All right, our first public commenter today is Terry Brooks, followed by Emma Dodie, followed by George Eddie Lorton. >> Good morning. It's me, Terry Brooks again, and today I'd like to share with you my thoughts on dealing with changes and what seniors go through. The longer people live, the more they adapt to their own way of life and the harder it is to deal with any changes in their life. Humanity is becoming more and more dependent on modern technology. And it seems that our younger population knows more than us about such technology. Seniors have gotten to know technology more and more through time. But the older we get, we seem to be traveling faster through time. So, we don't mind using technology that we've already been using, but we don't want to learn new technology that we have never been using. For a long time, technology had little to do with social interaction. But now, cell phones, e [clears throat] emails, and texting are depended on for such interaction. Whatever happened to getting together and communicating face to face? Wasn't that a lot better interaction than being in a different place? For a long time, people interacted by walking toward each other. But now, the older we get, the less we are able to walk toward each other. Our modern world is full of all kinds of new complications, which older people usually see as all kinds of new frustrations. And along with that, as we get older, our bodies aren't what they used to be, nor are our minds working quite like they used to be. The older we get, then the more we get set in our ways, while the rest of the world just strays into other new ways. The older I get, the harder it is for me to adapt to any kind of change, especially when it's something new that to me seems really strange. Actually, it was adapting to change that let us evolve into what we are. But if we keep on doing so, we'll evolve into something very bizarre. I would like to thank you all for listening to me today, and I look forward to coming back if there are not any changes that day. I'd also like to thank Isabella Balman for all the things that she's willing to do to help a lot of old seniors like me with some of the things we have to go through. Thank you. Thank you. >> Emma Dodie followed by George Eddie Lorton followed by Brighton Dennison. [bell] >> Good morning members of the council. My name is Emma Dodie and I am a senior at UNR looking forward to graduating this May. But it has not been an easy road to get there. I came here today to draw attention to this coming Sunday, March 15th, as long CO awareness day. In the summer of 2022, after I finished my freshman year at UNR, I contracted COVID and did not recover. My lingering symptoms driven by a choking shortness of breath forced me to take a leave of absence. I spent the following year seeing various specialists in Reno and Carson City, and no one had anything to offer. To make a very long story short, it turned out I had thyroid cancer, which was surgically removed in August 2023. The shortness of breath that had plagued me since I first had CO resolved within days. I returned to UNR that same month with goals to study longcoid and I'm happy to report that I now work in undergraduate research on campus studying myalgic and sephilomiolitis/chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS a disease that is far more debilitating than its name makes it sound and is common in longcoid patients although it is often triggered by other infections when I tell people why I study longcoid and post infectious conditions like ME/CFS I'm often asked why don't you study cancer I'm always asked this in a smug tone and my reply is when I was diagnosed with long co I was told there was nothing that could be done and to just go home and wait to recover. When I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, I was told, "We're going to do this, this, and this." There's no question about it. I preferred having cancer. And worse yet, I recovered from long CO only because it was actually cancer instead. How messed up is that? All people with all diseases deserve a path to recovery. But longco research suffers because it is a stigmatized illness. Last Sunday, March 8th, was International Women's Day. And I've always found the juxtaposition of those days one week apart intriguing. Twothirds of longco patients are women and it joins a long list of conditions that affect more women than men and are falsely assumed to be psychological. Multiple sclerosis started out this way until scientists found lesions in patients brains. Since 2020, abundant physical evidence of longco has been found in several organ systems, especially the immune system. Yet [snorts] patients are still told to positively think their way out of it. I wanted to take the time at this meeting to acknowledge longco patients here in Reno and publicly call for investment into this disease so that people like me can return to the healthy, active lives we desire. No one wants to think about the pandemic in 2026, but some don't have a choice. Thank you, >> Mr. Vice Mayor. I I just wanted to say you are not alone. Uh even my own niece has long COVID and has had it for years. So, it's a real thing. I believe it and I kudos to you >> George Eddie Lorton followed by Brighton Dennis followed by Creml Abuhan. Good morning sir we're going through some tough times right now I can feel for you but now we ended up with uh kind of morale at a low right here lately. I was wondering um I wanted to do a little statement. I'll do my best. I had a cataract surgery. Welcome to age. And now I need one on this side. So my vision is a little blurry. So at any point I might break out of the statement and get into what I have to do. So okay, here we go. Over the past several Reno City Council meetings, I presented a proposal to organize a 250th anniversary of the United States of America to place a Fourth of July parade in downtown Reno. Since our city has not held the Fourth of July parade in the past two years, I believe this milestone year presents the perfect opportunity to celebrate both our nation and our community. In presenting this proposal, I have asked for the city's assistance in helping organize the event. I have also made it clear that I am prepared to personally cover the $25,000 permit fee required for the parade. How however despite raising this proposal at three council meetings, the matter has not yet been placed on the city council agenda. Moving forward, it is important that we begin planning soon if we want to be successful in organizing a parade of this scale. With sufficient time, we can strategically plan an event that delivers excellent results for the community. Our vision is to celebrate the most inclusive Fourth of July parade Reno has ever had. We want to participate from Republicans and Democrats alike as well as representation from the Sikh, the Hindus, Asians, Hispanic groups, the LGBQ, uh community military veterans service members, and our police and fire. We had also welcome city ambassadors, local organizations, businesses, and any residents who wish to participate in celebrating our country. The longer this council waits to make a decision, the more difficult organizing the event will become due to the timeline involvement. The city's experience with previous parades would certainly be valuable, and their assistance would be appreciated. However, we need clarity soon. If the city chooses not to assist, we are prepared to move forward and organize a parade independently. At this time when both our nation and our communities feel increasingly divided, events like this can serve as an important opportunity to bring people together. A family-friendly Fourth of July parade could help foster community pride, strengthen unity, and create a welcoming atmosphere in our downtown core. I hope that within the next council meeting or two, we will receive a clear answer, or whether the city will support this effort. Either way, our goal remains the same. To ensure that the city city celebrates a Fourth of July parade together with a parade worthy of our community and our country. As divided as our nation may feel, this is an opportunity to bring Reno together. So, it's tough with the blurry eyes. So, I thank you very much for your time. So, I hope for the consideration and answer soon so we can get it together. Thank you. Brighton Dennis followed by Creml Abuhan followed by Iris Jay Papard. Good morning council. My name is Brighton Dennison. I'm an event organizer here in Reno. I have had the privilege to organize close to a hundred events over the last 5 years mainly in the downtown corridor. One of those being the Fourth of July parade um for three years, initially four. We did have to cancel the last parade a week out. I'm here not to speak in favor of a parade or against one, just simply to provide some context on why no longer have a parade. Um there are a lot of great Fourth of July celebrations all around the Reno area. South Lake Tahoe, Grey Eagle, Truckucky, Virginia City, all of these small towns that are very established and we simply could not compete. I spent over two years planning this event, not four months, and we just could not get signups. We do have citizens, families that can't make it to the lake. We have veterans that can't make it to the lake. And they were there, but we had no floats. We had no signups. Thank you. Cremal Abuhan followed by Iris Jaye Papard followed by Trisha Cedon. >> Hi everyone. Wow, I get to meet you guys finally. I called in before. I generally call in via Zoom, but this matter has to be in person. I'm a United States veteran. I'm with W 5, sir. Nice to meet you. I'm a submarine sailor, and we all know what happened with that ship recently. I am an 8404 FMF quad zero and a former merchant marine. I am here to be to tell you and tell everyone in the room that I'm absolutely against what's going on internationally right now with our with our allies in the war. I'm against the war in its entirety. America first. I'm having a hard time seeing how what we're doing today is America first. It's considered in my opinion a war of choice. Uh why is it America? Why do I say it's not America first? Because we're acting impery. were actually act acting in peaceful negotiations and attacking uh international uh in this case Iran. Let's just be clear with that. Why is this not America first? Because we're actually uh using warheads and in the particular tomahawk to kill children overseas. It's all over the news. CNN is one of the major reporters on this. Why is this not America first? Because we're using the separate separation of church and state against their own peoples. I mean, let's look at the the uh Justice Black uh Justice Black's Chinese wall of separation, Everson versus Board of Education as a perfect reference. Military.com is reporting that 200 service members have been complaining that uh they're using this as a military mandate against uh uh to motivate their troops, evangelizing our military force to fight a a a foreign power that is just religious in this case, which we went ahead and assassinated their religious leader. Why is this not America first? Again, the separation of church and state. In the US, uh the first amendment establishment course prohibits the government from creating and supporting and favoring a particular religion. Presidents Lincoln's second inaugural speech is an example that touches home here in Nevada being that we were created to support that election. Okay. So, in my conclusion, uh human rights, international stability, moral direction, and our nation under the banner of uh pursuing peace. This administration has taken steps that have increased global risk for us all. I know we're all busy with our personal stuff, but this might come home when that's bad. Examples include the killing of religious leaders during a holiday. It includes military and security operations during a sacred cultural holiday. It also includes an initiative of supporting aggressive military action rather than exhausting diplomatic pathways per Now get this. The Geneva Convention in 1977 protocols which we haven't signed on to has been violated. We the last administration created the civilian harm mitigation responsive directive which our department of war has canled has canled. So it these actions taken together reflect the trajectory of the public must confront through lawful uh democratic process. Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you sir. Iris Jay Lee Papard followed by Trisha Cedon followed by Christian D. Brown. Hi, I'm Iris Jay Papard, the executive director of One Truckucky River. I'll refer to as otr, a collaboration of public and private partners focused on the implementation of the otr management plan phase 1 unanimously adopted by the three jurisdictions in 2016 with a collaborative partnership of diverse perspectives. comments provided are not of otr as a whole, but are otr's executive director with otr's mission in mind to ensure a healthy, thriving, sustainable river connected to the hearts and minds of its community. I am here today to share that I'm very disheartened by the proposition of C1 to put more regulations and a possible fee to nonprofits. I first want to share that I sincerely appreciate so many staff members and council and the mayor for supporting and working in collaboration with One Truckucky River from the beginning to today. In no means do I want my comments to be taken as not appreciating that. I sincerely do. Nothing would have happened without that. I also want to say that I understand where this might be coming from because there are like in every sector some bad apples in the bunch and the nonprofit sector is not alone. What I'm concerned about is that there's not an understanding of what nonprofits really are. And this really does get on under my skin nowadays because I will say to people and explain to them what nonprofits will do. And then in their next sentence they'll explain they'll call us a company. There is a big difference between companies and nonprofits. Nonprofits money needs to go back into the mission of the organization. A company has the right to take their resources, their um revenue, and use it as they see fit. Nonprofits can make millions of dollars. It doesn't really matter the volume of money that's generated. It's where does that revenue go afterwards? Does it go back into the mission or does it go somewhere else? Oh, wow. I'm really going on and I don't have very many much time. Okay. Um, in sum up, I think that nonprofits in this community, including one Truckucky River, give a lot to um to City of Reno and to all the governments. And if you really want to check us, it's pretty easy. Have we completed our 990? Have you checked Sam's government link? And I know that takes staff time, but I don't think nonprofits should pay for it. I would like to I feel like this is disrespectful. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Iris, um, just so everyone knows, I think you meant C3, >> correct? >> Thank you. >> Okay, C3. Are you going to stay for the conversation? >> I'm unfortunately can't, but I will be watching it online. >> Okay, then I'm going to follow up with you. >> Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks, Iris. >> Trisha Ceden, followed by Christian D. Brown, followed by James Matthews. >> Ma'am, I think you left your keys. >> Oh, ma'am. >> Iris. Ma'am. >> Iris, you left your keys. >> Oh, did someone leave their >> keys? Remote. >> Oh, it's the remote. [laughter] It's the remote. We're good. >> That's what I'm here for to make a fool of myself. >> I thought that looked like a strange key, but then I thought maybe it's a vape. I don't know. At >> least nobody left their keys. Okay, so hi. My name is Trisha Ceden again. Um, I always hope I can come here and just not do this, but I'm here for a few things this morning. Um, I'm glad that you joined us because I saw your public safety announcement where you threw the chief of police under the bus. I'm here on my day off to make sure that you guys know that we expect even that this happened that the town halls continue. Possibly you can take them over. Um, I'm here curious as to why 200 grand was spent on the lights festival recently and all the unnecessary art around town and in the same breath you guys say you don't have money. Um, I'm calling for an independent investigation on this. Um, uh, I'm here to get ahead of the dis dismantling of seah. Um, because the problem is not solved just because you let the situation get out of control and you don't like the backlash. You don't get to roll over and play dead. Sparks sweeps into Reno. Reno into Sparks. The need, this needs to stop. Shame on these yesboats for the sweeps. I would like to ask that you all get together as adults and elected officials that you are and make decisions to fix this. We have abandoned and vacant buildings everywhere. You are tearing down affordable housing. And when you tear down weeklys, you tear down affordable housing. Those motel and abandoned hotel or two and people aren't freezing at night. 200 grand on lights in a snowstorm tells me you you can put money and buildings together to make it happen when you want. Um, that's really all I'm gonna say cuz I don't want to get personal. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Sorry. I'll wait for the thing to finish. [laughter] >> Go right ahead, sir. >> Uh, yeah. Good morning, everybody. Uh, my name is Christian D. Brown. Um, I'm just a local citizen that's been getting involved with the community more lately. Um, I'm someone who believes in the vision and future of a solar punk world, a world where our government is communitydriven, not really profit and capital driven. Um, a I believe in public transportation, in city funded community gardens, in community housing or centers. Um, and I'm seeing society slowly but surely move in that direction. um with green energy becoming more abundant and beginning to tackle the massive problems and agendas against it um and with more and more people getting involved with their communities and standing up for their neighbors, there's still a long way to go though. Uh I don't see light rails getting built. I don't see um community housing becoming more viable. Um and on these two notes right there, I'd like to speak on two things or one thing is I'd like to speak out against the Keystone data center that's currently getting built. Um, as an electrician myself, it's hard for me to go against something that gives my brothers and sisters work and the ability to provide for their family. But I'm worried about water being poisoned by forever chemicals and going getting pumped back into our aquifers and getting pumped back into our rivers. Um, I'm worried about energy being uh stripped from the public citizens and given to, you know, the billionaire class. Um, we're seeing that with Ohio and Indiana. Um, I want to build light rails and green energy, not data centers for the billionaire class. Um, and so as far as community housing is concerned or centers, I'd like to share a story yesterday that happened yesterday. I volunteer at Family Soup, which is a group of people who provide food, medical supplies, clothing, and a great deal of other cool things to unhoused people. Um, and so for privacy sake, I'll just call her L, but this is a story about L, who I came across yesterday and helped out. Um, L is someone who's well known in the community or she's been around for a while. Um, and she is an 80-year-old woman who's been on the street for, you know, eight months, sleeping outside a lot of the time or having to bring all of her belongings to various warming centers across the city. Um, [snorts] Ella has stage three brain cancer, HIV, and a long list of ailments that make it extremely hard to take care of herself. Um, she has to constantly get by by asking strangers for help. Um, needing people to help her move her stuff to places all the time or other things along those lines. Um, yesterday we had to help her move into her new little apartment that she has for a night. Um, and she's a lady who's just scared. she doesn't have care and help. Um, and her story isn't uncommon across the city. Um, I believe we need community centers where we have dedicated staff who can help people like this and give housing to people and take care who can't take care of themselves anymore. We have a large generation that's about to fall into the same category and we don't have people to take care of them. Um, I believe we can build a better future and we can build it starting here. Thanks guys. >> Nice job. Thank you. [clears throat] Marie Baxter via Zoom, followed by Jamie Chapman via Zoom, followed by Mike Clark. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. Hi, Marie. >> Hello. Um, so my name is Marie Baxter. I'm the CEO of Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada. We've operated in the city of Reno and across the dascese um for nearly 85 years, making us one of the oldest continuous running broad-based social services agencies in our region. We are a 501c3 not for-profit entity recognized by the IRS. We operate as a charitable arm of the Catholic Church, but operate independently under the tenants of Catholic social teaching. We are not classified as a church ministry, mission, or army of the Christian faith. We do not prostitize and every door is the right door for all who come to us looking for assistance. Every year we file a 990 and we also have to file with the Nevada Secretary of State's office. I am speaking on item C3 today and my significant concerns that I have. Um and I participated in all the stakeholder meetings, completed the survey and of course have read all of the commentary but wanted to just make some additional public comment. Um, I really feel the creation of this, although well-intentioned, um, is really, uh, it's unnecessary. We already have a lot of oversight within the nonprofit world between federal and state. And if we want to create a directory of everyone who's operating in the city of Reno, that information exists in real time with the Secretary of State's office and could be pulled over and pulled down as a tool that the city of Reno could utilize. Um, my bigger concern is related to fees and enforcement. Um, so at a time when the city of Reno is looking to increase efficiency and align with its smaller budget, expanding the work of the business licensing department seems illtimed and duplicates the collection of information that already exists at the federal and state level. Um, this indicates to me that the city of Reno likely sees this as a revenue source. Um, you know, the nonprofit world is very complicated right now. You know, federal safety net programs have been dismantled. rents are skyrocketing. We don't have a lot of affordable housing. Um, insurance programs are changing and will continue to change, especially with Medicaid um, in the coming months. And as nonprofits, we are doing more work with less opportunity. There are not federal grants, state grants, local grants. Um, and so we're relying on private donors and having any percentage of our budget that needs to be allocated toward a fee or a fine or something along those lines. um it just it impacts the citizens within the city of Reno. So I strongly encourage you to please do not adopt this. I think there's a better way to achieve what the city of Reno is trying to accomplish and understanding where nonprofits are operating um and how they interface with the for-profit community than another ordinance or registration or process that has um a time and fee associated with it. So I look forward to more robust conversation and thank you for your time. Jamie Chapman via Zoom, followed by Mike Clark, followed by Sharon Chamberlain. >> Hello, Madame Mayor and members of City Council. Uh, my name is Jamie Chapman. I'm the executive director of Midtown Reno. First, I wanted to thank the council members who joined us at Dancing in the Streets fundraiser on Friday. I'm happy to report that we raised almost $5,000 just that night, which brings us to 8,700 raised towards our $20,000 goal. We are going to continue fundraising hard to reach that goal by the end of March so we can have Dancing in the Streets again this summer. Um, now I'm here today to talk on agenda item C3 regarding the potential registration for nonprofit organizations. Uh, Midtown works as a 501c3 and a 501c6 nonprofit. From Midtown's perspective, we would be opposed to moving forward with the registration requirements if it wasn't applied consistently to all nonprofits, including religious organizations, and if a fee was imposed. If the goal of the city is visibility and coordination, it becomes difficult to justify the policy if large categories of nonprofits are excluded. So at Midtown, we work uh with a lot of nonprofits [snorts] across the city and we see how much these organizations contribute to Reno. Whether that's through events, community programs, or services, most of these organizations operate with really small teams, and a lot of us rely heavily on volunteers while already complying with federal and state reporting requirements. So, if the city does move forward with exploring a nonprofit registration system, I would encourage it include all nonprofits and it not include any fees because nonprofits are already operating with pretty limited resources. So, I just encourage the city to think carefully about future policy that could impact nonprofits that are already doing important work here in our community. Thank you guys for your time. >> Mike Clark, followed by Sharon Chamberlain, followed by Steven White. >> Good morning. >> Hello. >> Nice to see you. >> Nice to see you, >> everyone. Uh, Commissioner Clark, everyone, thank you for being here today. >> Thank you. I'm I'm here as a private citizen. I'm not here uh representing the county. I've not been asked to. I don't have the capacity to uh represent the county. So, I'm here as a private citizen and a few things I want to bring up. >> Well, good. We're glad we're glad to see you. >> Thank you. You know, uh we've got an elected sheriff in in our county. He protects his he and his staff, his team, his rank and file folks protect the unincorporated parts of the county. Uh the sheriff is and and his chief deputy, Mr. Sorino, some of our best and brightest. I I fully support them and everything they do. Um the problem that we have is uh what's taking place here in your your area, your city, your municipality. uh whatever emergency has been created uh you know by your side doesn't uh doesn't cause us whatever lack of oversight that might have happened doesn't constitute an emergency for for the sheriff. I want to know why the we got out of order here and uh had a sheriff who doesn't have the capacity to sign for the county signed a uh document with you folks. This should have been done in a proper fashion. I don't know who who amongst you or who in your uh departments or who in your city over oversees the uh police chief and I'm certainly not accusing anybody of anything. Uh you know, let the let the uh investigation run its course and we'll find out what's taking place. But at the end of the day, something apparently wasn't caught in time that led to this. And now our sheriff is going to come over here. We have a press conference about this. uh he doesn't have the capacity to sign a contract with you folks and and so I think we got way ahead of ourselves. This was disrespectful to the county, disrespectful to the county manager, disrespectful to the chair of our or our organization by announcing that the sheriff was going to do this. I I'm told we're going to vote on what you've already announced is going to happen next week. H how does that happen? How how does that happen where we vote on something after you've held a news conference and I'm looking at a signed document with the sheriff's name on it doesn't have the capacity to uh get the county involved in in your situation. I wish you the best. I hope things work out. But somebody in this organization needs to look at the oversight that you have so this type of thing doesn't happen. You know, we only have 24 hours in the day. Mhm. >> So paying the sheriff and paying the county is different than time. The city of Reno doesn't have the ability to give anyone any extra time. So the time that they take to work on your problem or work on your city is time that's taken away from the unincorporated parts of our county. This doesn't make any sense. I totally support the rank and file of your your police force. I know many of the police officers, men and women that are working there put their lives on the line every day. They deserve to have some oversight so they don't look bad. This looks like a a scene from Reno 911. Thank you, >> Mike. Thank you so much. And just so everyone knows, he's your county commissioner and he also is um represents Reno residents, too. So, thanks. Thanks, Mike. >> Sharon Chamberlain, followed by Steven White. Sharon. Hi. >> Hi. Good morning. Uh, this is on C3. [snorts] My name is Sharon Chamberlain and I am the CEO of Northern Nevada Hopes. We are a federally qualified health center serving tens of thousands of Rena residents every year with primary care, behavioral healthcare, addiction treatment, and preventative services. I'm speaking today in support of the comments submitted by other nonprofit organizations that have already spoken today. Let me be very clear. Nonprofits like ours exist to fill the gaps that government systems cannot. When someone cannot afford a doctor, when someone is struggling with addiction, when someone is facing housing instability, or when a family simply has nowhere else to turn, organizations like ours step in. At Northern Nevada Hopes alone, we provide more than $5 million in uncompensated care every single year to Reno residents. And we do that with zero direct financial support from the city of Reno. That is healthcare delivered to people who otherwise would go without it. healthcare the city does not have to fund emergency re room visits that never happen and lives that stay stable instead of spiraling into crisis. So I want to ask a very straightforward question. If nonprofits are already providing millions of dollars in services to Reno residents at no cost to the city, why would the city now consider charging those same organizations to operate here? That care saves lives. It also saves taxpayer money. And like every legitimate nonprofit, we already operate with significant oversight and transparency. We file annual IRS form 990 reports. We report to the Nevada Secretary of State. As a federally qualified health center, we operate under extensive federal compliance and reporting requirements. So when I hear proposals about creating a new city registration process for nonprofits profits, it raises an important question. What problem are you actually trying to solve? Because the information the city is seeking already exists, it is publicly available through the Secretary of State and the IRS, creating another layer of local registration risks doing one thing above all else, placing additional administrative and financial burdens on the very organizations carrying the significant weight of this community's safety net. Adding new bureaucracy or even worse, new fees will not strengthen the nonprofit sector. It risks weakening the very partners that the city re city of Reno relies on to help solve its most complex challenges. Nonprofits are not businesses competing in the marketplace. We are the organizations making sure people survive the gaps in that marketplace. Council members, nonprofits in Reno are not a nuisance to be managed. We are partners carrying the load when the system fails and when residents fall through the cracks. At a time when nonprofits are being asked to do more than ever, the city should be asking how to strengthen these partnerships, not how to create new layers of bureaucracy for the organizations doing the work. Because the reality is simple. If you make it harder for nonprofits to operate, you are making it harder for Reno residents to get the help that they need. And that is a direction this community should refuse to take. Thank you, >> Steven White. >> Happy birthday. [laughter] >> Late birthday. Um, I got to tell you folks, I'm I'm pretty upset this morning. You see, and by the way, Steven White, uh, I'm an artist and a notorious defender of the First Amendment rights of your First Amendment rights and the First Amendment rights of your children to be able to express themselves artistically on public forum without governmental interference. You know, I've been coming and challenging the city government here for 24 years, since 2002, predating every one of you. You know, the reason why I'm upset this morning is that um I'm going around, Nathan and I have been working together. We're handing out these flyers to uh all of the city uh high schools, not only here, but also in Sparks. I'm personally driving around and handing these out. And every high school I've gone to, the administrators are just excited about this. They're all recognized. There's a real need for this in our city. There's a need to give kids an opportunity to share their artwork with the public. Mayor, you understand this. You always have. The mayor has put up $2,000 to help us create art in the parks by helping us build two more of our art displays. So now we have a total of three. We're inviting all these kids to come down to the park and display their artwork in the park. And yet the city government and your art commission won't provide us with $7,000 to provide three more, a total of 10 of these sculptures for kids to be able to display their artwork on. Now, what we get back from the city art commission is that they have the funding for this, but they want us to prove that the need actually exists. Again, the mayor, you understand the need exists. I find it interesting. The state legislature understands there's a need that exists, a compelling need. That's why they passed State Assembly Bill 351 way back in 2005, requiring art to be part of the recreational experience of the public parks. The city art commission wants us to prove there's a need. How do you prove there's a need when you won't provide the displays for these kids to display their artwork on? And I got a question for you. This city government has spent $375,000 on a couple of sculptures that they are buying out of New York and out of Seattle, Washington. And by the way, the mayor voted no on that. You're spending I just found out you spend another $80,000 on these sculptures in front of city hall that have paint brushes sticking out of them. What's the need for that? Anybody want to tell me what the compelling need of the art commission is to have spent $455,000 for these sculptures to plunk down around the city and they won't provide your city your children with $7,000 to make enough displays where we can have art in the park? I rest my case. >> Thank you. >> Call me mayor. Let's talk about >> Thank you so much. I am very disappointed to hear this. I'm going to follow up. >> I'm sorry. I I will um send you an email. I'm I'm disappointed [snorts] >> if you call me. Call me because I have Bluetooth on my phones like >> I will >> for something happens in here on the acoustics. I you know >> I'm going to follow up. >> Please. We need to get this done. We need to We need the financing so we can start building these. >> You know, it's going to take us several weeks to build them. Madam >> you know. >> Yes. >> I I just wanted to let Mr. quite know that I've already got it on my list. I just haven't brought it to council yet to contribute as well. >> You know, seriously, it when you consider the money's being spent, you know, on these sculptures, it's inexcusable that you won't provide these opportunities for your kids. And I'm, you know, how much gas cost? I'm driving around all your cities. I live on a fixed income that's below the poverty level. I'm doing all this on my own. please do this for your >> Maybe there needs to be a discussion about how that money is allocated so it goes to the people that don't have the resources to create art versus the ones that live outside our city. Thank you very much, sir. Appreciate you. >> You know, I started this because the kids are Coline. >> Thank you. >> The kids were massacred to Coline. That's why I do this. I do it for your kids to give them an alternative to guns, drugs, and violence. Do it for your children for God's sake. Thank you, Mr. White. >> God bless you all. Thank you, >> Madame Mayor. With that, we have no additional public comment registered. For the record, we did receive eight comments which were general in nature or not directly associated with an agenda item prior to 4 p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, March 10th. These comments were written correspondence received via our reno.gov online public comment form or by emails to our office, and they have been distributed to the Reno City Council. Moving on to item A4, approval of the agenda. >> All right. Thank you, madame clerk. Nice to see you. Okay, hold on. >> May I? >> Yes. Do you have some updates? >> I do. Thank you. >> City manager has some updates. Go right ahead. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. We will have an attorney client meeting at lunch today. Item C5, the biggest little bike network, will be at 2 p.m. time certain. Everything else is scheduled to run in the order as agendaized unless you decide you need to move something around. >> Okay. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. >> Madam Mayor, I do know that the Downtown Reno Partnership is here with a number of members. So, if their item could be moved >> in whatever order you desire to see it. >> Fine with me. >> They are Charlie too. So, perhaps they might go first. >> Yes. Because I need to get them back to work. >> Okay. With those changes, Madame Mayor, I'm happy to move to approve. >> Okay. Thank you so much. I have a motion. I have a second. All those in favor say I. >> All those opposed? >> I. >> Motion carries. All right, madame clerk. >> Item A5, approval of the minutes for February 11th. >> All right. Make a motion. >> So moved. >> I have a motion. >> I have a second. All those in favor say I. >> All those opposed? Motion carries. All right. Madam clerk, >> if we would like to approve and um pull items for the consent agenda. >> All right. Sounds good. All right. I'm going to ask council members if I see green lights. I'm going to call on you. Councilwoman Anderson. >> No. Okay. Uh, Councilwoman Eert. I can't I don't see your hand up. >> Yeah. No, I don't have any items to pull. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. To >> approve. Thank you so much. >> Um, I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. >> All those opposed. Motion carries unanimously. Go straight to C2. >> All right. We're going to head right into item C2. Madam clerk, do you have any public comment on this item? >> Thank you, Madame Mayor. We do not have any public comment registered for item C2. >> Okay. All right. We're excited for this presentation. Councilwoman Jordan, you will always be Councilwoman Jordan to me. So, >> good morning. I I'm excited to hear >> um all the incredible things that you're doing. And you brought your chair, >> correct? I did. Tony, look. Good morning. How are you guys? Yeah. Well, good morning. Thank you for um seeing us, Madame Mayor, Councilman. I'm excited today um for Naomi to present our downtown Reno partnership year in review. So, I'll give it to you. >> Thank you. >> All right. The floor is yours. Take it away. >> Thank you very much. Uh council member uh manager Bryant and um Mayor Shivi, good to see you all again. I what I wanted to do is we come before you each year to kind of give you a synopsis of our prior year's accomplishments and things we've done and then we give you a little view into what we have planned strategically for the coming year. So in the recognition of you're probably all sick of powerpoints, we're going to run a video. So >> Oh, I love that. Take it away. Hello, I'm Moma Jordan, executive director of [music] the Downtown Reno Partnership. I'm proud to share an update on the work the Downtown Reno Partnership has accomplished [music] over the last year. None of this happens without the strong collaboration, dedicated staff, and a community that believes in downtown Reno. Let's start with our ambassador [music] team. The eyes, the ears, and the boots on the ground that make such a visible difference every day, [music] 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This year alone, our ambassadors picked up more than 468,000 [music] lbs of trash. The ambassadors also completed over 3,000 pressure washes, [music] removed more than 900 pieces of graffiti, recovered more than 1,100 shopping carts, [music] and provided more than 950 rides to shelters and critical services to our neighbors in need. [music] And if all this wasn't enough, during the recent snowstorms, the ambassadors were instrumental in helping clear Virginia Street and [music] support the Western Lights Festival, ensuring our downtown remained accessible and welcoming. Our work is [music] strengthened through close partnerships with the city of Reno leadership, Reno Police Department, Reno Fire REMA [music] elected officials, code enforcement, and now even an expanded relationship with Wo County and the city of Sparks. [music] These collaborations are critical to keeping downtown Reno safe, clean, and vibrant. On the economic development front, we [music] updated and shared our second state of downtown report, providing critical data, trends, and metrics [music] that clearly show why downtown Reno is a smart place to invest, expand, and do business. It's [music] one thing to develop a report. Quite another to take it on the road and share it with realators, brokers, and investors, which is precisely what Nathan Dangji, [music] our economic development director, did. The state of downtown report is an important tool to help [music] attract retailers and investors to our urban core. We also rolled [music] out our retail attraction booklet highlighting priority spaces and opportunities for prospective [music] tenants, an important tool for those looking to invest in downtown. We're also [music] very appreciative of our collaborations with the redevelopment agency advisory board. Very important partnerships are really what makes [music] our downtown incredible and points to its future. Our team continues to work closely with the University of Nevada, Edon [music] in their good work, and with the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority to support conference attractions [music] and help drive foot traffic and economic vitality. And our blue carpet treatments, a celebration of new and expanding businesses. We also celebrate their anniversaries, [music] and these blue carpet treatments have been a huge success. Beyond drawing strong attendance [music] and community visibility, our last five events generated significant positive foot traffic and robust media attention, amplifying the momentum of the positive things happening downtown. From a marketing perspective and [music] the great leadership of our marketing director, Kristen Sabini, we secured a free [music] live instudio television segment dedicated to showcasing downtown Reno, [music] highlighting our businesses, our events, and community leaders with each segment. This positively downtown segment highlights our ongoing campaign by [music] the same name where we share stories of businesses, residents, and more to highlight all the happenings and more [music] right here in the heart of our city. Our social media presence continues to grow with an average of 20 standalone posts per month featuring everything [music] from business spotlights and events to ambassador highlights and downtown news. Engagement and followers continue to [music] climb, helping us tell the story of a downtown on the rise. Thanks to the city of Reno, we doubled the number of trash cans [music] downtown, wrapping them in vibrant designs that add color and character to our streetscape. We also installed 100 planters [music] along Virginia Street, bringing muchneeded softscape and seasonal beauty with both summer and winter plantings [music] that enhance the pedestrian experience. Our Roland Reno event at Belie Plaza drew more than 5,000 [music] people to our urban core. A familyfriendly free event and a powerful reminder of how activating public spaces creates [music] energy and connection. We've also continued hosting quarterly lunch and learns for a variety of downtown stakeholder [music] groups from the residents of downtown to our brewery district to the Riverwalk district, ensuring [music] we stay connected, collaborative, and aligned. With more than 50,000 bowlers coming to downtown [music] over several months this spring and summer, our team is working closely with the RSCBA on promotions to ensure visitors explore, [music] shop, dine, and experience everything downtown Reno has to offer. When you look at the numbers, they're impressive, but what they really represent [music] is momentum. They represent cleaner streets, stronger businesses, growing investment, [music] and a downtown that continues to evolve as the economic and cultural [music] heart of our region. Thank you to our partners, our board, our stakeholders, and our community for your continued support. The progress we've made this year lays a strong foundation for even greater impact ahead. Downtown Reno's best days are still in front of us. I love it. Great job. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> It's so much more fun to see it in action. >> Slides. >> Thank you. And uh the good work of Courtney Meredith and Design on Edge put that that together in about a week. >> Wow. >> When we started looking at the PowerPoint that would have taken probably about 20 to 30 minutes. We shortened it up and that was about five five and a half minutes and uh video just reflects a little bit more concisely sometimes. So >> it really does. I I like to see it in action. >> Thank you. So uh that was kind of a look back at our last year and the things that we focused on and accomplished. And if uh our madam clerk could pull up the PowerPoint. >> Oh, sorry. All right, it's on the screen right in front of me. So, what I wanted to do now is just sort of jump into a couple of quick slides to show you what we have as our priorities as we move forward into this next fiscal year. So, of course, uh nothing happens without the guidance of our incredible board at the downtown Reno Partnership. We have 17 members that represent a diverse set of businesses, residents, electeds uh all across our downtown and they drive what our priorities are. We answer to our board. We are a private uh nonprofit 501c6 and they dictate our safe and clean uh priorities in downtown. So here's some more of our board members of which we have today. You you met chair Tony Marini. We have vice chair Jonathan Bolware is with us here today and uh Tony will be coming off as chair in just a few months. So this will be his last uh official presentation. I believe he's >> Is that a one year? >> Two. >> Oh, it's a two-year. Okay. >> Yes. So for the priorities going forward, if you looked at what we did in the last year, we really just want to continue with those priorities. We want to enhance our expertise in various areas of clean and safe and really um drive up the training and connections we have with different resources in the region. So we're going to continue with a number of those things as our for focus. And as we move into some of the budget information and the assessment, uh you'll you'll get to see that things are really flat. So, we're going to just continue with the things we've been doing with some exceptions. Uh, before you today is a campaign that we were originally planning to launch last year. It got a little stalled out because of some weather and some details that we needed to work out on some of the county codes and the ordinances related to some of the waste related to pet waste in downtown. This will be kicking off here in the next few months because the issues of pet waste are really, really critical. They not only uh can pollute our waterways, they can get on your feet, they can spread disease, and quite frankly, to not clean that up is a crime, and you can be fined up to $500. So, we're we're launching a campaign in this uh coming year to make sure that everybody is aware that you need to clean up after your pet, be a good pet owner, and provide, as we handed out here to you today, some dog waste bags. and we'll go out with uh partners to share the message to clean up after your pets. Additionally, we're going to continue our work with our regional partners, whether it's through city of Reno, RPD, the county, REMA, and fire. These relationships that have been built over the last seven years have really moved the needle on the collaborations and eliminated a number of silos that might have existed previously. We host a Monday morning meeting at our offices with a number of law enforcement homeless related individuals in the region and it really does help us to identify the issues of the week, the month, the year so we can strategically address those issues. One of the really cool things that we partnered with Nevada athletic director Stephanie uh Rimp is we are going to do a pack the plaza event. So, we're going to bring in our uh Nevada athletes at our wonderful University of Nevada and have them do an event uh likely on Locomotion Plaza or Believe Plaza and it will be a fun basketball oriented event. This has been done in some other cities. It was done here a number of years ago. >> I remember when we did it. It's awesome. >> It can be a three-point contest, a dunk contest. You can get the community involved. Um it's probably been a solid 13 years ago maybe that it happened. Uh, but we're going to bring it back. And the athletic director was phenomenal and jumped right on it and said, "Yes, we want to do this in partnership with you." So, >> when are you going to do that? >> Pardon? >> When are you going to do this? >> We're going to do it in the fall, probably before the uh basketball season kicks it. >> Yes, we're excited about that. And then, of course, we've been kneede in all the preparations for the Bowlers. We're excited for them to be here for about four and a half months, bringing about 50 to 60,000 people to the region. We love the positive foot traffic that that event and all of our special events bring to downtown. So, we're excited for that to kick off this Saturday. Again, we're going to continue with our state of downtown. Uh Nathan Deani continues to update that and share it and goes on the road show with that information. And of course, our retail opportunities booklet continues to update that. That includes about 20 properties downtown. It's their zoning. It's their floor plans. It's all the stuff if you were looking to invest in our urban core. That's one of the first questions you're going to get asked is what's available and what's the framework? What's its footprint? what's the ordinance surrounding it? So, we provide them with uh that information to help sell downtown. Here is information our on our assessment rate table. If you'll recall about two years ago, we came before you and in the spirit of understanding we want more people to invest in, live in, move into downtown. We the board got together and said we're going to lower the assessment formula by 5%. That is the maximum amount that the board can lower the entire formula. What that does is it means your residents get the reduction, your business, everybody gets the same amount. They get the same 5% reduction. We kept that reduction in place last year and we are proposing that we do the same this year. We want to be an addition to people investing in downtown and we certainly don't want anything to be cost prohibitive. Um and again you'll see here that assessment rates you get a 50% discount if you're a nonprofit. 85% is what the residents pay and commercial properties pay the majority. So again the formulas are going to remain what they were last year. And uh final slide here is with our budget. Um we are at $4.15 million as our budget. That went up about $50,000 from last year. of course rate of inflation. Uh we're kind of working in a negative budget, but you can see that we are prioritizing the work of the ambassador services and our security personnel first and foremost. And then of course the uh additional overheads and the administrative uh functions that we have, the premium plus services there where you say the see the enhanced services on Virginia Street. While the great uh COVID money that you allocated to us purchased the original planters and the original planting, we are now taking that on as our responsibility for the updates on those and any expansion of those programs. Um as well as the trash cans. Uh we have now taken that into our responsibility for the wraps of those trash cans, their maintenance and that ongoing responsibility. So, our assessments are are virtually flat and that's all we have. >> All right. Fantastic job. Love it. Love it. Love it. Okay. Um I'm looking for green lights. I see you on right down here. Go ahead. >> Yes. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Hi. Good morning. Um really excited to see this presentation and interested in what you're doing downtown. What I'm most interested in today is what your plans are. you kind of said and of course we're preparing for the 50,000 bowlers that are coming over the next five months, but I want to know what the nitty-gritty is there. What are your what are the blue carpet events that you're going to be having for our bowlers in the next five months? >> Well, you'll be excited to know we've had two meetings per week for the last few weeks about the Bowlers. We had one this morning at 8:00 a.m. So, what it started with was ensuring that and and the city can certainly speak to this is understanding the the safety and security components of it and who is providing what at what times and what hours. We have coordinated with the RSCBA to understand the foot traffic flow. Uh interesting to note that there is a team that starts at 11:30 at night and gets out at about 3 3:00 in the morning. So we worked with the RSCVA and the other stakeholders to say we are ramping up our ambassador services during those uh nighttime hours to ensure that those bowlers have a pleasant walk back and forth to the different properties. So that is uh one thing we are activating what we refer to at Forth Virginia as Placita South. It's the uh owned by Caesar's properties but that concrete slab area where a number of special events occur. And every Tuesday we will be activating that space from 2:30 to 4:30 with unique uh sort of bowler centric activities from music to treats to interactive art to swag to tables to even the rolling wreck which we have sponsored and so rolling wreck will be out there. So there'll be lots of fun activities for the bowlers as they traverse back and forth. Um, so yeah, we're doing all those things and we work uh closely with um all the host properties on how we can make the Bowler experience the best that it can be. In addition, we have right now if you go down to our partnership plaza in coordination with the city of Reno as well, they are wrapping all the trees and lights. There's been some additional lighting installed in these areas as well. So, uh we're continuing to enhance the pedestrian uh avenue for all the bowlers as well. >> Okay, great. And then has there been any um coordination? And I know that you've got the best relationship with the downtown businesses. Are downtown businesses doing anything special for the bowlers in partnership with you? >> Yes. Through the RSCBA, and I'm going to get the wrong name. Visitors advantage. >> Insiders. >> Insiders Advantage. I apologize. It's a digital booklet which all the all the retail businesses, restaurants, bars can participate. It's all kind of QR driven and it will let you know and it'll be on a a big board in the National Bowling Stadium where they can scan it and see all the businesses that are participating properties. And what that means is maybe they have a special bowler discount or maybe they have a special meal or a drink or whatever. They can scan that and understand in in the entire region what uh specials are out there for them. >> Okay, great. And then one last question. Is there anything that we can be doing for you to help you um get the word out there about all of these special things that you have planned or to engage more businesses to become better partners with you to really celebrate the the visitors that we have coming here? >> You know, I think one of the best things is um the RSCBA is leading the charge on that uh advantage booklet with all the businesses that might have some special uh for the bowlers. Uh definitely reach out to Tasha. They can reach out to me. they can just reach out to me in my email or call our hotline 775 uh 313480 and we'll direct you to the right person that's doing those things. Um but yeah, any any point of contact that you guys right here, us talking about it is wonderful for us to do that. So, >> thank you, Miss Jordan. >> You bet. >> Okay, I love it. Great questions. [snorts] Bry's very skilled at a lot of these events and marketing and so it's really good to get a perspective. The weird thing about the bowlers is that they come sort in different times, right? So, it's hard to like celebrate like any one massive event, but we are Saturday, which is super exciting. Exciting. But, I'm just saying they come throughout different times, so it's a little bit harder to capture everyone at once and >> multiple teams throughout the day and night. Yeah. >> So, they're they're constantly coming and going all throughout the day and night. >> Perfect. Um, Councilwoman Taylor, you're on their board. Would you like to weigh in on anything? >> I'm good. >> Okay. Um I have a green light over here. Councilman Eert. Go ahead. Yeah. So, great to hear you're having so many meetings and and working with uh you said RV RSCBA twice a week to figure out some um events or planning for the Bowlers. I have a question and this is something I've been kind of thinking about and and um bouncing off some other council members is um what about like a scavenger hunt type deal where we can have like some selfie spots or some neat places we could refer our bowlers to go to and um just have a list somehow that they can just kind of see some of the sites in Reno, you know, in the downtown area. maybe see some some interesting art pieces, try some um you know interesting food, uh go to some historic locations. Is there anything like that in the works where people can feel like more interactive and and have just kind of like a checklist like I saw downtown Reno, I really got the experience. >> There is um and the city has been involved with a lot of this the RSCVA. So there is some uh communication going to the bowlers about a number of points of interest in the area. Could be centrally located downtown. Could be something really cool where they take a bus ride somewhere and check something out. So we have all of that. I will say on our plaza, we're going to have some pretty cool artistic bowling pins that are being installed. A great selfie spot for all of that as they traverse back and forth. My understanding is a lot of them don't have cars. They're flying in. Um, >> so we really are trying to centralize a lot of the activities and interest points into our downtown. I know all the host properties have many, many things planned for them, but yes, there was a lot of effort and they'll get that through that communication uh directly from the RSCBA and the USBC bowlers. So, they're going to get updates all the time on goings on points of interest, things to do, uh, special things just for them. >> Great. Thank you. >> You bet. >> All right, Councilman Ree, go ahead. >> Thank you so much. Um, Council Member Jordan, I want to start by thanking the Downtown Reno Partnership and the business improvement district. I think that the work that you do is very important to the community and I think people don't always understand the connected parts of it, but the downtown area is very critical. It's the heart of the city. So, it has a very unique role. Um, downtowns I think across the country are facing some really unique challenges, right? I think just sort of post pandemic and the wake of how the world's patterns have changed as people have moved into suburbs, it really means there's a different way to think about organizing your downtown and I think you have been a part of that conversation from day one uh in terms of your leadership on the uh bid. Uh I had the privilege of coming of course to the Christmas party. Um we had you in chambers just a couple weeks ago as we were celebrating your ambassadors. Um I think we're seeing real progress. I wonder how we might translate that progress into communicating that to the broader community because at the end of the day sometimes what people feel isn't connected to the reality. I'm downtown. I was at the row this weekend for an event two different nights. Um and so I know how um incredibly important and vibrant downtown is. Um and so I I wonder if you might speak to a couple questions that I have and I was just thinking about it as I um you know heard the presentation. First of all, how do you measure the impact of the success for the bid? Like what are the metrics? And and madame clerk, I think my time got off there, but I I don't want anyone to think I'm going over time. Um, but can you share what you're talking about for those bid performance metrics? >> Sure. So, one of the things we do is we do some surveys and we do actually have some surveys out uh right now from a business perspective to kind of say here's and and the state of downtown is a is a nice example of a baseline kind of understanding what all the things are at a baseline and then each year it gets modified to kind of understand how things are progressing. So, a lot of it is survey based, a lot of it is assessment uh payer feedback, and a lot of it is um if you look at when the information comes before you for the official assessment roles, when you talk about having about 1500 properties downtown, last year, I think you had about four people that opposed the ambassador uh program or the the benefits. >> So, I think you look at that, we hear every day. uh we do keep data on the feedback that gets received about the work that the uh ambassadors in the entire program does. So a lot of it is sort of um hard to measure because it's visitors that come in and say I was here four years ago. It's dramatically different now than it was four years ago. Do we still have a long way to go and too many vacant buildings? We do. I think everybody's swimming in that direction. So we do that. Um one of the other things we're doing, you had kind of commented on it was we pushed out our positively downtown campaign. We have done placed ads. We're uh doing some stuff on some of the streaming platforms. We have a number of publications that are pushing the um positively downtown, which is stories of people investing in, living in, and contributing to downtown, telling the stories of why they love downtown. Nothing says anything better than those that are boots on the ground down here every day. The realities of that are our board and our assessment payers have said, "We want you focusing on safe and clean." So, our messaging is less than 2% of our budget. We alone cannot message what's going on downtown. We need partners to help us get the message about all the great things that are happening. Our digital presence has increased enormously. Um, but we can't do it alone. So, we need partners to help us tell the story of all the great things going on downtown. >> Well, and I think your uh response really begets the my other question which is about those partnerships. So downtown has some very major partners and when they're engaged with you and then we're rolling in the same direction I think um they have a lot of success. Can you talk about the major employers and anchors like Caesars the row properties um obviously Mr. Marini is here Mr. Corano I think joined us as well. I mean those are our most critical stakeholders in that space outside of residents, right? But I need to know how you are helping to strengthen that relationship and working with them to improve downtown for their um presence. It's and it's not just the big uh anchors. They they are very important. Uh the Kronos have been a staple in this community and philanthropic partners, event partners, all that kind of thing. But it's also our small businesses, right? And so I want just want to understand the partnership uh sort of nature of those relationships. >> So we are in whether it's our newsletter, our meetings, our quarterly uh lunch and learns or just telephone calls and communication quite frequently. A number of those that you just spoke of are on our board. So we meet and communicate quite a bit. Additionally, we launched this last year a program where we did a matching where we would front $500 if the small business uh business would match another 500 and we would help them with their maybe they needed professional photography, maybe they didn't know how to do a Instagram reel, maybe they needed some assistance with those things and we want to make sure that the ice cream shop down the street has the exposure to stay successful. not just open their doors, but remain open and expand and and uh those sorts of things. So, we deployed that program this last year as well. So, we reach every point of communication that we can out there. Always open to more, but we're in constant communication. I text or talk to Tony, I think, more than he would like. >> Well, I like Miss Marie, but he always dresses better than me, so it's sort of a difficult part, but thank you so much. I think our board, our body shares a lot of those same goals and I know that Councilman Taylor really works hard to incrementally work on these things every day. So, I'm very grateful for her leadership as well. >> Yeah, she's great on board. >> Looking for green lights. I don't see any. Um, I want to say thank you so much for your service to Kristen. You guys are Nathan. Nice viral video. I don't know if you saw, but Nathan had a very viral video. He was skiing under the arch when we had the big snow dump. And I have had people reach out all over the world and say, "Can I really ski under the arch?" They [laughter] think it's that people that haven't been here uh think that you can actually do that. So, thank you for promoting tourism. We love that. That was very cool. I think it got how what was I mean I saw like 12,000 likes, but it was what was the overall number? >> Over a million. >> Over a million views. over a million views that video got. And so >> a lot of them were out of market views, which is >> that was the thing because they I got DMs cuz I I did the remix part of it and added the Olympic version. And people were saying, "Can you really ski in downtown Reno?" I'm like, "Yeah, we do it all the time when we get enough snow, right? Got to have the snow first." >> Yes. Yes, we did. It was it was a a perfect storm literally of the road being closed for Western Lights, dumping snow, and Nathan ran and got his skis. So, it it worked out really well. >> And he had a suit jacket on which I think made it extra special. >> Yeah. I just I want to say thank you to you, your entire team, your ambassadors. You guys were just here and had some incredible stories. One young man came from the shelter. And also I I really want to touch on the opportunities that you provide to people getting back into the community and doing that work. It's really really important. Um I just I don't think you guys get enough credit quite honestly because whenever I'm walking down there I see it every day and it's really really commendable. >> Thank you. I can't take the credit. Uh certainly alone there's a great small but mighty team led by Jonah and Ruben are here with us. Doda, Ruben, >> they had our ambassador team and they they [clears throat] really have the tough job. They have the tough job day in and day out. >> Well, we >> kudos go to them. >> We really appreciative and um I always love these updates. Come back anytime and let us know how we can help. >> Thank you. >> Always like Randy said, go ahead. >> Sorry, I just I didn't want to rush you. >> No, no, go ahead. >> Um Madame Mayor, I just wanted to call attention to Miss Eert's suggestion. And I thought that was really creative and interesting. And even though we might not have a a Reno bingo card where people, you know, printed and conceptualized yet where people are walking around and, you know, checking things off, it would be amazing if, and I guess this is my ask to business owners in downtown Reno and Reno at large, when we see bowlers that are in Reno, we need to treat them like they are our guests. We need to celebrate them. We need to thank them for coming to Reno. and we need to treat them as if they are selfie worthy. So that's just my call to the community. We have an opportunity to really showcase how special this community is and showcase how much we value our visitors. So if we can take a real small town big heart view of this opportunity that we have in downtown Reno, I think that we can really grow um in a way that is good for everybody. >> I love it. >> I think Councilwoman Anderson kind of hit it perfectly. Um, you know, we've been down there handing out stickers. We have the R sticker and there's little bowling pins on it. Um, the Special Olympics are here, uh, bowling right now and then it'll roll into the USBC, pun intended, on Saturday. So, we go out and greet them and just say, "Good morning. So glad you're here." Give them a sticker. And that really has, we've got already gotten some feedback about the conversations and how much they already love Reno and they love that special uh, communication that only the biggest little city can provide. >> That's cool. Love it. Good job. Okay, Councilman Taylor, >> are you ready for a motion? >> Oh, no. I just saw your I didn't know if you wanted to make a comment. I will tell you this and I don't know if I should share it, but there's something really cool. It's sort of scavenger huntesque and history related of places all over the city that have been in films because we've actually had quite a bit of film here and also many people know that Marilyn Monroe shot a film here along with many many actors. So, I did not know how many films were here in Reno, but you'll it it'll be exciting because you'll be able to identify it >> with the film and then the place in Reno. And so, it's it's very cool. So, it'll be sort of our Hollywood initiative. It's going to be a good one. All right. Great job. >> Mayor, I think it was you that had asked um what you all maybe it was what you all could do to help is and you're already doing it as elected officials. you have moved the needle on all things downtown uh in a really positive way and we we're seeing that progress. It's it's not happening fast enough or large enough for any of us, but it is happening and you've commented on Councilwoman Dur has commented on how much she loved the softscape and the planters. We hear from you. We hear from the residents and the assessment payers and they say the same thing. Those softscape little touches really make a difference particularly in a concrete sort of particularly winter months uh scenario. So we hear that and we're trying to do the small things to really help to facilitate the bigger things. So I would just say keep doing what you're doing, sharing the positive. We can continue to share things with you to then push out on your social media channels and with those groups in which you have connections and just keep sharing the positive of downtown because the momentum really is there. Uh and the future's right. [snorts] >> Go right ahead. >> Well, I I just want to say u Miss Jordan because you mentioned it. One of the things that I want to be very aware of every day is just the public safety elements that are related to downtown. Um, this is something that this body is very focused on. Um, we, you know, I of course was at the Western Lights Festival is phenomenal. We had a a larger than, uh, normal uh, police presence, but when we have people who don't feel safe coming to downtown, all the work that you're doing can be undone very quickly. And so, Madame Mayor has been very focused. I think this body is very focused. We expect um market improvements in that. And I think some of the numbers tell us, "Yes, there are improvements." But the people's experience is really what matters. And so, when I'm out in the community or I knock on a door, I'm in a coffee shop talking with someone and they say to me, "Hey, I'm just not sure I feel safe going downtown." Um, maybe they aren't. Look, I I am a larger guy. Maybe men just feel safer in their spaces when they are there. I I want us to make sure that we're focusing on that and I know the ambassadors play a role in that, but also some private security opportunities and just that knitting together of the work that we do with you in the public safety space. All the marketing in the world cannot change if it is not safe. And so that's the commitment that this body makes to you and certainly the people who live downtown. I know uh Miss Taylor has been working on that uh very vocally. And so again, these are critically important things and and certainly that's our expectation for our police department is that they understand how very vital and very important downtown is. Um all of our neighborhoods are are to be safe, right? Um downtown just has some unique challenges because downtowns are challenging. And so for you to know, I think you already know where I stand on the issue, but um because we've served on this body together um and continue to work together, that's the commitment that we we extend to you is that we understand the assignment and we will go out and make the important improvements that need to happen to make that. So, >> thank you. I think that's where the where the corner really gets turned is when we have visible uh perception improvements um in the safety sector downtown. Councilwoman. Yeah, >> I just want to say thank you to um Council Member Anderson for kind of seeing my vision a little bit and I just wanted to kind of piggy back off that that just, you know, we want to be kind of an art town and we have these art pieces throughout and I um I I just think it would be great to have people want to share photos of themselves at these um works of art and not necessarily just for the Bowlers, but just for people um that are visible. visiting, but also people that live here that maybe don't come downtown that much. You know, to uh Council Member Reese's point that um maybe they haven't felt safe, so they haven't had a reason or a desire to come downtown that much. And to uh Madame Mayor's point about the video of Nathan skiing, you know, all it takes is a few social media posts to to grab people's attention to maybe spur that kind of um interest in coming downtown again. So, I do hope that maybe that's something that we can look into a little further. Absolutely. >> And um just again to kind of draw from all those communities, you know, the visitors, the bowlers, and then the people that live here that are like, well, I didn't know all that artwork is here, or I, you know, haven't been down to the river in ages. I'd like to see that, you know, or um you know, oh, there's a new restaurant here. What whatever it is. But if people have just like a a little list that they could check off and say, you know, oh, I did it. I saw all these new things and and encourage people to post pictures of themselves doing these things. You know, it's it's essentially free advertising, right? So, um I hope that we can kind of figure out a way to do something like that or or maybe I'm not understanding and maybe you do have that type of thing, but um I think it it's something that we should work on for you know kind of the broader community. So, thank you. >> I think all the bones for that are there. I think what we are seeking or needing is the financial assistance to push the information out and there are some partnerships that are helping us to do that. Um but I think furthering that we have all the pieces are there. We can we have all the collateral about the amazing arts and the murals and the museums and the uh all the different things that we have in our 110 blocks that is our downtown improvement district. So we have all of that. It's just and we're putting the information out of which our budget allows. It's just we need it to get bigger. We just need more people, including locals, to understand about the the cool things that are happening downtown that they just need to come down and check it out. >> Yeah, >> there's fun stuff going on. >> Yeah, I wonder if that's something RDA funds could be used towards. So, I don't know. So, thank you. >> You bet. That's a That's a very good point, >> Megan. Very good point. Um, and I I want to point out, too, that they are one of the largest sponsors of everything downtown um in everything that you do. And I know that we have our initiatives have been really strong about activating downtown because we want the lights on, we want it safe, we want it fun and vibrant. However, I do think that there is a disconnect whenever it comes to what our role is. If we really say we want that and then we come to you and it's, you know, very disconnected on what your priorities are and our priorities, they should be really in line because sometimes I know you don't do those events because they um tend to be not make sense um because of something that we aren't doing or recognizing or seeing. And I think if we could do a, you know, be really in sync with wanting to activate downtown with you, um, instead of making it not, you know, I don't understand the complexities when it comes to, you know, why exactly. And we we probably could do have Lance come and break it down um so everyone understands because you see these large um costs to events and sometimes that's really hard for the smaller ones to get going and even the larger ones as you know there have been times you have not done events and if we really want to say if the city really want to wants to say we want to activate downtown then we have to be your partner in that and and all the other events I would say especially downtown it cannot be fragmented. The other thing I would say um I think we really need to advocate more um for for placemaking and what I mean by that is the planners and even the trash cans. I know the trash cans you know people might not think it's a big deal but the planners have made a huge difference. They have been very very wellreceived which is awesome and I love it and I love to see the colors but what's the next level and I would say to Brian Ricardo over here um what is CP TED stand for >> SEPD >> oh you're on Yeah. Is that how you say >> SEPTED >> SEPTED? >> Um do you want to tell us a little bit about that? And I think it falls right in SEPTED. I think it's crime prevention through environmental design. >> Okay. He Yay. I got it right. See, he was going to come up there because I knew he would be probably the one in the room to know. And I'm just saying through that capacity, that's what I would love to see next and what you guys have in store and how you do it together because crime goes hand in hand. I'd like to point out and I believe it's uh 247. I've been studying so I'm coming back and here's the deal. Um the legislature recognizes CL crime as blight and also safety. um health hazards and they go hand in hand and so we will have the definition come together but this is the initiative through crime prevention, safety and design. So they all matter and when they come together it just makes such a massive difference in redevelopment and um economic vitality. I'm so I'm super excited. Brian knows this. This is a world. We're excited to work with all the agencies and really kind of going to the RAB uh once a month and understanding kind of what the RDA's priorities and and we'll call it lane because if we're all things to all people we're nothing. >> So we need to understand who's whose priority and lane is each uh thing. I will say we answer uh I certainly do to my board and the priorities that our board has set which is a direct reflection of the assessment payers and they have said it loud and clear safe and clean safe and clean safe and clean. So as far as moving further into the space of uh special events activations, we play a role in helping to sponsor. Let's say the brewery district decides that the offbeat festival is the thing that they want to make as their district event. We help in the sponsorship of those. We're not here to say what event the districts believe is the most important or beneficial to their businesses, but we will help support it once they have decided. So that's kind of what I see our role. It doesn't mean there's not opportunities to look at those. I think the relationships between the RDA, the city of Reno, us are a CBA very important. Um those relationships are getting more refined and clearer every day under the leadership of uh manager Bryant. I think they have become much better over the last year than they were the year prior. >> Madame Mayor, >> awesome. I'm gonna just >> Naomi, just to correct the record because I want people to look at look it up. It's NRS chapter se uh 279 um 279.418. Um it is related to public health concerns and blight. And so those are tied in together. Um I had an opinion and I don't think that they correlate together. So, I'm going to be responding to that, but I again, it comes through crime prevention through design, lighting, and oversight of public safety. So, go ahead, Councilwoman. >> Yeah, I just wanted to be a third voice to support this uh whether you call it a scavenger hunt or bingo card, you you have put all of this together. It's really a different way of showcasing what it is that that makes it super simple to access. And I wanted to mention that our parks department has already done a similar thing. You know, we have some 88 parks and they have put together a bingo card for um scouts and their Sierra kids and their other programs that encourage people to go to the parks and experience. They can check off. And so as part of that, you can potentially also win a prize, right? And if there could be a series of prizes like you hit five of these and you get a something, you know, a hat or something or you hit 10 of these or 20 of them. But we've already done it. I think another funding source and I truly believe this is not a very expensive because parks couldn't have done it if it was a big cost factor. But um RSCVA may have some funds if this is truly in my opinion less than 50,000 probably less than 30,000 possibly only $10,000 to produce the [clears throat] cards or the list as council member Eert said and and then connect it with potentially a small price. But I do think it would get people out walking after they've been cooped up in the bowling stadium. I mean they're doing their most fun activity. But it's also good to get out some air and to see the beautiful plantings that you are um sponsoring which when I first saw them I'm like I'm asking everyone who did these and I didn't realize in the beginning that it was the partnership. So thank you for doing it. It makes the city feel like a special place. >> I'm hearing all of it. We're going to take it back and just stay tuned. I think you're going to see a bingo event in the future. >> Okay. I love it. Um last but not least, is AJ here? He's probably not here. I'm thinking he could create a Reno Laboo and everyone can win a Reno Laboo. [laughter] I know AJ would be like, I can do that. Anyway, good job. Thank you so much. Um, Councilwoman Taylor. >> Yes. Oh, okay. I move to accept staff recommendation for the DRP budget. Second motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed. Motion carries. All right. >> Thank you all very much. >> Thank you so much. >> All right. All right, madam. >> All right, we are heading to C1. >> C1. >> Okay, perfect. >> All right, this is exciting. Hello. Nice to see you. You were hiding over there. I barely could see you. I'm like, wait a minute. There she is. This is really, really exciting. Um, congratulations. I know this is just I don't know if you've slept for a few [laughter] years, but um it's remarkable. Always so grateful that we have this resource in our community and you guys have been doing great work for a long time. I had the pleasure um to work with uh your previous director. Um and so I just I want to commend you because I know these are not easy projects. So I'm going to give you the floor and you're going to tell us how exciting this is. >> Yeah. Well, thank you so much. Um, I appreciate you allowing me this time today and all the work that you do on behalf of our community. I'm Kristen Kennedy. I'm the executive director of the Domestic Violence Resource Center. I have a very brief um PowerPoint, but I did make a note to make a video for next time. Next [laughter] time, well, you'll you'll be able to you can kind of film the progress, but you can't really now with a lot of dirt. So, >> right. So, I just wanted to give you an update on our building project and um for which you know many of you attended the groundbreaking back in November. But what I would like to do first and just give you a brief snapshot of um what's going on with domestic violence trends in Wo County and what we're seeing. So in 2025 there were three or 3,898 incidents of domestic violence reported to law enforcement in our county. Um unfortunately that number exceeds the highest number we've ever seen which was in 2020 during the pandemic when many individuals were required to shelter in place with their abusers. So um and then also our numbers indicate that um from 2025 show that we served 4,322 individuals and we provided almost 15,000 bed nights through emergency shelter and transitional housing. And while there is some overlap between the law enforcement reports and incidents and what who comes to our agency, it's not you know there it shows that there's a lot of people as we know who don't report to law enforcement and may just come to us and then of course there are many people who do neither. So, you know, what this um shows is just the reality that we have a significant issue in our community um in regards to domestic violence. And you know, the domestic violence resource center, we've been in this community for nearly five decades. So, we used to be the committee to aid abused women or CA. And um we've provided safety, refuge, education, advocacy, resources to individuals and families fleeing domestic violence right here in Northern Nevada. Our vision is to, you know, have a society where homes are a place of safety, relationships are built on respect, and our community has worked together to end domestic violence. So, one of the ways we work to end domestic violence is by providing emergency shelter. So, this is a rare view because our shelter is confidential of some of the rooms in our shelter, our current shelter. And our shelter will house up to max of 25 individuals. Um but if you think about the numbers I just talked about with the reported incidents and how many people come to us, you can see that 25 um people in the shelter is not enough. But you can picture just this morning, think about the 17 people that were trying to have breakfast around that table and the nine women that will try and share that kitchen to prepare dinner for their children. And when our shelter is full, sometimes at max capacity, sometimes up to eight people are sharing that little bathroom. So while our current facility has served us well for over 40 years, the truth is that it was never designed to meet the scale or complexity of the need that we see today. So that's why we've launched our inside these doors campaign. And it's a community effort to build a 41,000 square foot purpose-built domestic violence resource center here in Reno. And this will be the per the first purpose-built domestic violence facility in Wo County. When completed, it will expand our shelter capacity from 25 beds to 100 beds. And it will bring more expand our life-saving services um expand upon what we already offer, financial coaching, counseling, advocacy, support for children. But it brings all of that, our wraparound services and our shelter under one roof. So construction's moving forward. The footings have been poured and in a couple weeks we're going to pour the slab and start going vertical and um we expect our completion to be about early summer of 2027. What is So this is what it will look like. So um and and just so everybody knows we're on Vassor Street right there across from News 4 close to the post office. So that's where we will be located. And this new facility will really not only expand space in the shelter, but it will allow us to also enhance and expand our services. So, you know, all of our um uh all of our residents will have private bedrooms and private bathrooms. I mean, you can imagine if you're going through trauma and sharing having to share a room with somebody else, how difficult that is. a dedicated children's activity room, teen space with a basketball area, a Katie Grace um clothing boutique, expanded counseling services, job training space, a small medical office. We will have shelter accommodations for men and their children, offices for partner agencies to serve clients on site, and also pet kennels so that pets have a comfortable area to relax before they um are transported to Noah's Animal House, our partner agency. So, this is the kind of support that people really need to truly rebuild their lives. And [snorts] most importantly, um, this new facility will allow us to say yes to more people seeking safety. And I, you know, the the impact to our community, I mean, increased shelter capacity means that we will be able to really help increase the overall safety of our community, reduce homelessness, uh, you know, for women and children. Domestic violence is the number one cause of homelessness. Alleviate pressure on public health, mental health, and law enforcement systems. We can help prevent work-related absences and help individuals build more sustainable and productive lives, which contributes to a more robust economy. But most importantly, this new center will offer hope to children and break the cycle of domestic violence. So today I'm proud to share with you that our community has stepped forward in extraordinary ways through the generosity of individuals, businesses foundations community partners, which includes two $12 million leadership gifts. One of those from the William and Pennington Foundation. We we have raised over $30 million towards this project. And so that means this life-saving facility is being built almost entirely through private philanthropy, saving taxpayers and our local government a significant amount of money. And a big part of the reason I'm I want to be here and I wanted to um be in front of you today and in front of the community is to applaud the community for believing that investing in solutions like this one is a shared responsibility. And we are incredibly grateful to the many people who've stepped up. And because of that generosity, we're only $714,000 [laughter] away. Only >> that's a lot of money. >> I know it. Yes. But it still is a lot of money. So there's still a push and sometimes the end is the hardest as we know. But this project is so much more than just about building a building. It's about creating a community where people always have somewhere to turn when violence threat threatens their safety. So today I'm asking you all for your continued partnership. You've been, you know, such strong supporters of efforts to make Reno healthier and safer. And as leaders in our community, you have so much um tremendous influence and we would be grateful if you would continue to serve as advocates for this project by helping us share the story of what this project means to this community and how close we are to realizing it. So, there are three simple points that I hope you will take away and share with others. First, that this new shelter will dramatically expand safety for survivors in our community. We're increasing shelter capacity from 25 to 100 beds. That's 42 rooms. Second, this life-saving facility is being funded by the community and not by taxpayer dollars. And third, the project is almost fully funded and there is still an opportunity for anyone and everyone to to bring us to help bring us across the line. So together, I know we can close this final gap and ensure that when someone in our community needs safety, there's always an open door at the Domestic Violence Resource Center. And I just thank you for your time today and for your leadership. And if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer. >> First of all, I don't think I introduced you correctly, Kristen. Kennedy, everyone for the record, and you probably know her wonderful husband. Um, it is so impressive what you have been able to accomplish. I also just want to make sure because I I want this council to know that we um I think kind of launched your sort of substance abuse side of the work you're going to be there with our opioid funds. Thank you so much. So, I just I want the council to know that um that's a space that we've been supporting for them and it's so needed. >> And I think people don't really realize >> how critical these resources are because often times women in domestic violence are kind of thrown frozen out of their financial ability um when that sort of happens. But the one thing I want to point out that you don't typically see and it's really impressive clearly you're working with Noah's animal house, right? Yes. >> And that's amazing. Showing two organizations come together and you are providing boarding for pets before you know they they go to Noah's whatever. Right. >> Which is often times why many women do not leave their home because their pets are also have to be part of the solution. >> Absolutely. >> Because it's their only saving grace many times. >> Absolutely. And part of the family a family member for many. >> It's incredible. But >> um Kristen, we really commend you. Do you want to say anything, Councilwoman? No. [snorts] Okay. >> Any any comments? Go ahead. >> Thank you so much. Um absolutely joy to have you in chambers. Um I am grateful for the mayor and the manager um bringing this update. Uh I think Margaret Frederick's deserves a lot of credit because she is always on us to be in your corner and fighting for you where we can. Um, I also want to thank Marlene Lockachard who um has been the president um of this organization and I'm not sure if she is today uh but she has been for a long time and what a dream it has been to realize this vision that you've shared with us today. Um I am someone who in high school uh started out uh working uh to learn how to become a [snorts] CA volunteer and to be on the phones to work with folks who are experiencing domestic violence. uh and then watching the transition and of course I had the privilege for a brief time to serve on the DVRC board. So this is something that for me has been um kind of a lifetime of personal interest because I acknowledge how devastating it is for people experiencing domestic violence. And so I'm very grateful for the expansion. I I think that you have done a tremendous job of leading the organization into the next era and this is that next step. uh for my part at this body, it's hard for us because we don't have an a way always to plug into it. But of course, I think where we can with permitting fees, uh development credits, different kinds of sewer credits, and those kind of things, we have certainly wanted to contribute those things and and measurably so. Um it's one of the scariest things that a person can experience. I think madame mayor said a lot of things that I would say about people's reluctance to leave situations that they are facing domestic violence and how many times people have to return to their abusers. Um and you know there's this I think this uh statement out there or some information that says sometimes a person will leave six times before they really break out. And unfortunately in this country um oftentimes um people are killed in domestic violence situations. So they and they attempt to leave. And so there's just a lot going on here that I think is worth our greater unpacking of the issue. Um and again for our a region our size to have an organization like yours that is pursuing these important aims I think is a testament to the willpower of the many folks who have who started call originally who have stayed with it through successive ups and downs and different leadership changes and new boards and um and also just trying to find a space because there are a ton of very valuable and committed organizations that have different parts of this cause um that um you have been there for so many years and and even through the name change and the different iterations always bringing to light this important topic. So I'm grateful to you uh certainly in the coming years if there are ways that we can support in greater depth. I would be in favor of that. >> Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Yeah, there are so many barriers for people to leave. And so our goal is really just to alleviate those barriers and and really give them a safe place. And and many people also don't realize that we own two apartment complexes where people can live for two years with us in transitional housing to help rebuild. And we do a lot of financial education during that time. And in the past couple years, we've had three people go from transitional housing to purchasing their own home. And we have two pre-qualified right now. >> Yeah. Sounds pretty awesome. Um, and I should just share we had a woman um extremely extremely successful that I was able to reach out and work with Molina and we um you guys um got her in right away and she lived there for about a year and then she actually went to go to work um as an ambassador and she's just climbing up the ladder. She's since left, but it's a true testament how you can change lives and it started with you guys. So, it really um I I've seen it firsthand. Amazing. Councilwoman. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, um I had kind of a lot of thoughts, so I'm just going to start off with some kind of dismal information. And I know that in the city of Reno, I believe from 2024 to 2025, [clears throat] the number of homicides as a result of domestic violence doubled from, I believe it was from 4 to 8. Um, which is a horrible trend. So to see that there's this many cases of domestic violence is um really sobering and so difficult to hear. And also, um, it's it's wonderful to hear that there's the, uh, the expansion of beds, but, we're still so far behind in in the the needs for the community. So, um, I think that's all the more reason to um, remind us as council members to be supportive of the nonprofits that help kind of uh, fill that gap where, you know, there's just not enough resources at the county. maybe financially or or um beds, you know, to to help people out. So, thank you for the work that you're doing. I hope that we can um continue to um support the work that you do and also partner with our our nonprofits in that space. And and also, you know, to Council Member Reese's point about it takes several times to leave, there's a a a very large trend of financial abuse that goes on with domestic violence, too, where the abused person is put in a position where they cannot financially leave. Um, and uh there's usually some isolation, but also the main factor is financial. If you can't afford to go anywhere, that's a lot of times why people stay with their abuser. And I know a lot of times there's kind of a um a victim blame mentality out there of like, well, why don't you just leave? Well, it's it's not usually that easy and especially if there's children involved. So, um I hope that you know you can uh continue to raise awareness for what's happening out there and um look forward to to this buildout being completed and and providing more resources out there. So, thank you. Yeah, >> on a lot of the messages that we always go out there in the community with. So, I appreciate that. Thank you. >> Thank you so much for being here and the work that you do and I think you've definitely and the community has put their money where their mouth is. This is a very impressive effort of fundraising significant significantly. Um, this isn't wasn't part of your presentation, but we had an opportunity to talk maybe it was last year and we talked about some of the legislative initiatives that could help really try and move the needle. Are you and your team looking at some of those things coming up? I know it's we just got over a special [laughter] session, but we're we're going to be talking about it. Are are you prepared to maybe just give us a little insight? >> You know, we actually just met for the first time to do a brainstorming session. We work with the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. We're one of the program members. And so, um, as part of that, we come together with them and we do just a basic, you know, brainstorming. So, for example, last legislative session we did the brainstorm and and what we said at the Domestic Violence Resource Center is that we're seeing a real big issue with financial abuse and coerced debt. and the coalition um you know leaned into that and took that to the legislature and and worked with our our our state legislators and was able to get a bill passed and signed by the governor um to anybody who has been um coerced into you know identity theft in a domestic violence situation or coerced um has coerced debt in other ways um can get that debt forgiven now. So, those are the types of things that we've been involved with. Um, and so we're at that brainstorming stage and then I sit on that policy task committee with the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence where we we will spend the next, you know, until session starts kind of refining what we're we're hoping to bring forward. So, I can keep you up to date though on what we're looking at. and >> I would really appreciate that and I think we're the body is is very supportive of the efforts that you bring forward and I don't want to add anything else to your plate but I'll try and keep up with you too. Thank you very much. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> I I just want to >> just say something because Brandy always does how can we help which I love. um that you know there's such a stigma that goes with this and this does not discriminate on um any certain class. I think people need to remember that and as people out in the community, you know, talk to your friends, talk to your girlfriends, be that oftenimes they're hiding what's happening at home and they're not even sharing it with their closest girlfriends. And so if you're seeing something, say something and help them get to a safe place. >> Absolutely. So >> yeah, I appreciate that. We always say you can call our office just to get if you're a friend and you want to get tips or advice or thoughts on how to help your friend, you know, so you don't have to be in a moment of crisis to call our office. Oh, there's such shame with it >> because I I've seen it with um a friend of mine and she said I I was so ashamed to tell anyone cuz I here I was out in the world and I felt smart and I felt, you know, talented and and worthy here, but at home I didn't. I She said she didn't want anyone to see that side of her. And so it made me really realize that so many women are suffering in silence and as you know fellow women and friends that you know just recognizing some of those things because we have good gut intuition when things don't seem right and I wish I had stepped in sooner >> but I I also think we feel uncomfortable maybe like we stepped over the line and so but it it really made me realize that it doesn't discriminate And we have to again it's a massive stigma that women feel. So I just don't think that that gets like talked about enough on that side >> you know because we look at it this way but so many women are suffering in silence. And I think to your point especially when there are children involved >> it's it's very very difficult. That one's a big reason why they don't leave and how am I going to do this without you know all these things. So, thank you, Kristen. You're amazing. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. And please keep us posted on um how you're doing with your substance abuse initiative so we can continue to support that. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Excited. Okay. Thank you. >> Support your time. >> Thank you, Kristen. Okay, Madame Clerk. Item C3. Okay. Um we do have a legal meeting, but you know what? We also >> got people in the audience. >> We have people here and I need to get them back to work and probably many of them also have to catch flights. So I would love uh Madame Clerk, I assume you looked at the line items, correct? Yeah. Okay. Um because I want to make sure we have guests here. So I assume they have registered. Nope. Okay. If you got Come on up, Vicky Van Van Beern. We're doing the ballroom. >> C4. >> C4. >> Perfect. >> Perfect. Okay. I You were You were catching me. I knew it. I knew you got it. Okay. Hi you guys. I know you're busy, so I need to get you back to work. And often times you have someone with you that's heading out of town. So, um, the floor is yours. Before we start, madame clerk, do you have any public comment on this item? >> Uh, there's no one registered to speak and we did not receive correspondence. >> Okay, >> Vicki, the floor is yours. >> Uh, good afternoon, Vicky Van Beerren, director of finance for the record. I just have a quick brief overview for you. This is an annual item that comes before you each year. So, I just have the quick update on what that is and then I'll turn it over to Mr. Caro and his team. So this aligns with the strategic plan through fiscal sustainability, economic and community development and infrastructure. Uh just as a background, um this comes before you every year. Council approved the amended and restated ballroom facility management agreement in December of 2011 and the term of this agreement extends until February of 2028. The agreement provides for the marketing plan, the annual operating budget, and the capital improvement plan to be approved by council each year. And as a reminder, they are on a calendar year. So what you're looking at today is from January through December of this current year. So they're on a calendar year. Um the downtown management company has prepared these documents for council review. I have reviewed them as well and they're in your packet. um in 2025. So last calendar year they had a net profit in the ballroom of almost $300,000 and then they had about $51,000 for capital expenditures that included roof repairs and audiovisisual equipment. Net profits are shared 5050 between the city and the management company and losses are covered entirely by the management company. They did have losses during COVID when it was shut down and so those were covered during that time. In 2026, the forecasted net income is almost $250,000 and the proposed capital for this current year is $65,000 and that includes staging and risers and audiovisisual equipment and some HVAC uh repairs as well. The capital fund, the city manages this. Uh the account balance is $500,000 as of the end of the calendar year. A 100,000 of the net profit is placed in that until the account balance is at least 500,000. Again, it's at the $500,000 mark as per the agreement. If gross revenues are insufficient to meet the $100,000 annual deposit to keep that at that $500,000 level, the management company does contribute the difference. And again, they did do that during COVID when there was not sufficient funding. And so with that, that concludes my part of this presentation. I want to turn it over to >> Great, >> Mr. Corano. All right. Who Who's coming up? Mark. >> I'm coming up [laughter] >> now. Mr. Colano, but not quite that tall. >> Nice to see you. >> Hi. How's everyone? >> How long have you been here now? >> Year and a half. >> Has it been that long? Okay. All right. So, I was going to say you're new, but you're really not new. >> No, no, no, no. >> Okay. I don't get to say that that you're new. Go ahead. [laughter] >> Um, you know, we're really excited about what, you know, last year we were able to accomplish. We saw 23% increase uh year-over-year. >> Uh, while the initial uh look at the finance looks like it's a little bit behind this year, understand that that's also a forecast. So, we continue to book groups throughout the year. So, we're confident that we'll be where we need to be by the end of the year. Um, we continue to push entertainment downtown. We look for everything we can do to activate. Uh, you've heard a lot this morning about bowlers bowlers. Uh, I've learned a lot about Bowlers in a year and a half. Had no idea what Bowlers were a year and a half ago. >> An expert now. >> Uh, I don't know. I've heard about oil patterns, so I'll figure that out when we bowl on Saturday. Uh, but very excited about what they're going to do uh for our community over the next four months. also very excited about what we're continuing to do downtown to activate this area. Uh really excited about the collaboration between the city and everyone else on how we can improve what's going on down here. And so appreciate the support from from Jackie, from uh Councilwoman Taylor, and everyone else that's been helping us with that. So with that being said, I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Um how's the lineup looking? You feel like you got a good lineup coming >> as far as the bowlers. This will >> No. No. For >> Oh, you're talking about as far as entertainment. Yes. So, uh, if you look at we have seven more groups that we're in the final stages of booking that we're really excited about. Uh, entertainment, we already have a couple of shows coming in the ballroom and then there's 10 others that are on the books. So, we're looking at trying to close those deals, but I think overall we're going to be in a really good spot. >> Okay, that's awesome. Um, do you know I saw Journey there and I saw Tears for Fears. >> Oh, did you? >> Big big fan of the what what is that the 70s and 80s? >> Yes. >> Well, Journey, I think was Journey 70s or is that 80s? They were late '7s. >> I'm not going to date myself. >> Are they 80s? >> Sure. >> For sure. 80s. >> 100%. >> 100%. >> For sure. They weren't 79. [laughter] >> No. Steve wasn't 79 and we just didn't know it. >> It was 84. >> Look at this. Bry's got trivia. I love it. It's so >> Oh, she knows Chicago Air Supply. Who else? >> I [laughter] love it. Well, then we share that in common besides ADHD. I love it. I love it. Okay. Um, thank you so much. Any questions? >> Go ahead, Council Member Ree. I'll look for green lights and then I'll Nothing. Okay. >> Go ahead, >> Mark. Thank you so much for being here. Um, I wonder, you were here during the earlier presentation about the business improvement district and the great work that they're doing. Can you just tell me how those work together? like I I want to make sure that they are supporting you, you're supporting them. H how do we move forward? Because it would seem to me that when you're filling up the ballroom um and there's capital improvement needs, it's because there are great things going on. Um I think we've had a I think Disney on Ice, we've had uh Pro Bull Riding, um some really impressive events. Um sometimes on the same weekend as other events. what what can we do to make sure that we're moving with you and helping you and and backstopping where we have to. Um it it seems like there's a lot going on. I often see uh these groups of folks in red ties, always doing their, you know, sales pitches and conventioning there. Just tell us a little bit more about that. >> Yeah, you know, I would tell you DRP is they're an absolutely amazing organization. Uh you know, it's really nice to see all the different businesses that sit on that board. Um because ultimately as we bring entertainment downtown, conventions, everything else, it benefits all the businesses from downtown, uh a year and a half ago when I got here and started learning about Bowlers. Uh one of the biggest things they talked about was having other stuff to do in Reno. And so not just being inside our building, but going to the museum, going to the Pioneer Center. Uh we we partner with the Aces. uh trying to figure out how to how to make this a vacation because whether it's bowling or a convention, they have a choice and they're they're going to spend their money the way they need to. And so DRP has a has a really good relationship with us. We all have them on speed dial. Uh we work closely with them. The presence is amazing. I would tell you leading up to this weekend with the kickoff and the bowlers, the twice a week meetings that have been put on the calendar have been uh very collaborative, very very beneficial for all the businesses. And so I think you know just continuing that partnership. I think they got great leadership and great board members and that makes a huge difference. >> Well, and I think I mentioned earlier I was in the Silver Legacy this weekend for an event and there were signage everywhere of course welcoming the bowlers. Um it's obviously that you have um a keen interest in there being here as do we. I mean this is a billion dollar impact when we really think about the number of years it will be here and how it works for us. Um the route from let's just say silver legacy row properties over to the bowling stadium is the placita. Yeah. >> And so what what's going on there? That's also part of what you're doing activation with. And does that support the ballroom's larger function? >> Yeah. So not so much the ballroom activation, but it supports downtown. It supports the the livelihood of what's going on. And so as they are moving from our property into the bowling stadium, uh that'll be activated every Tuesday. Uh we've also taken some of our ambassadors in our in our uh facility as well to put them out there to ensure that there's a presence in the entire time they're out there. Um we've looked for every way we can to make the bowlers feel welcome all the way from we've worked with uh the Reno airport. So from the time they get off of the plane until they get to the property until they get to the bowling stadium. We're looking for every opportunity we can and the city's been great with adding signage. Uh Naomi's group's done a a fabulous job with adding lighting and everything else. And so there'll be activation will be different things to do. Um mayor hit it earlier. You don't see the same person for 4 months. The the average stays about 3.4 days per bowler. So every four days there's a reset. And so we have an opportunity to impress bowlers and and new visitors every four days. So we're excited about what that brings. It's a little harder when they're >> it it can be, but we we're with all the meetings, we get to learn from the first couple where we have opportunities to improve and then continue to improve the experience as we move forward. I would tell you the feedback that we've gotten thus far has been phenomenal. We've brought a lot of captains in a year and a half ago to get their feedback of what happened in 23, how did it go, how can we get better, what are you seeing in other cities, how do we make Reno the preferred stop? uh and we've taken all that information and and we've acted on it. And so I think uh through the feedback we've got from them as well as what we'll get as they come in, it's going to be probably the best year we've seen it. It we know it is the highest year we've seen since 2011. Uh and so we're excited about what that's going to bring not just this year but for the extension as well all the way through 38. >> And can I ask the manager maybe this question? It it does relate to your pres your response but it has to do with the Ballards and this is maybe a Kerik Ksky question. It's sometimes hard to follow the capital improvements from year to year. So are the Ballards still planned for this stretch of roadway in order that we can support the safe passage of people in that area? >> I don't know. >> I don't have any idea, but we'll find out from Carrie. Oh, actually here comes Ashley. She knows the answer. >> I think this something Mr. Chrono and I also worked on in one of the related um it was a $2 search charge issue some years ago. But what sometimes happens on council is the project is identified. We try to find the funding. It takes a while to bid it. So by the time we know when it's going to happen, I I want to make sure I'm giving credit where credit is due because I do think it supports the activation of that area but also improves the safety of that area. >> Yeah. Go ahead. Hi. >> Ashley, attorney, assistant city manager. For the record, if I understand, counciloman Reese, your question is regarding the Ballard for pedestrian safety around the Reno Event Center. >> Yes, >> that is correct. That was approved by the $2 search charge and that construction is planned here shortly. >> Um the public works department and we've worked very closely with the row and with RSCBA to ensure that we're aligning that with appropriate times when the bowlers, >> right? We don't want it right when the bowlers are here because then >> we don't want them to walk through a construction zone. We just want to keep people safe. So, they are working in close coordination with that timing. >> Okay. Thank you so much for that. I just didn't want to um let Mr. Hughes go without acknowledging that we we want to make sure the experience they have in the building and outside the building is safe and that's >> and so now I understand which project you're talking about. Absolutely. Our team has been amazing. Uh we've adjusted the schedule where needed to. >> Great. >> Uh so I think we're in a really good spot for that. >> Thank you so much to both of you for being here. Appreciate that. >> All right, you guys. I I think you did a great job. Thank you so much. All right. Anything else? Any other questions? No. >> We'll look forward to your journey lineup. >> Awesome. >> Okay. I think we just need a motion. >> Councilwoman Anderson, go ahead. >> Make a motion to accept the report. >> Thank you. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. All those opposed. Motion carries unanimously. Bye you guys. Thanks so much. >> Mayor, do you want to do C3 very? >> I I want to do C3. Yes. and then we'll go into our attorney client. Perfect. Okay, madame clerk, do you have any public comment on item C3? >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. We don't have any public comment registered. However, we did receive two comments associated with this item prior to 4 p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, March 10th. Two letters of opposition. >> Okay. Thank you so much, Lance. Floor is yours. Take it away. Lance, for the record, >> Lance Fat, director of licensing and code enforcement for the record. >> Fat. Um so today's presentation provides an overview of the public outreach that was conducted with regard to nonprofit registration. It outlines the background leading to the discussion, the outreach conducted with the NPOS's and the key themes identified throughout that engagement and potential options for moving forward. So a little background in April 2025, council requested information regarding the nonprofit registration due to the concerns regarding planning reviews, zoning restrictions, and public safety. Last June, council directed staff to perform outreach to nonprofit organizations to better understand the impacts, concerns, and the operational realities before considering any changes. As you'll all remember, under the existing code, nonprofits are exempt from business licensing, which has framed many of the stakeholder comments and is a key component of this discussion today. So, for public outreach, staff conducted broad outreach using citywide email lists, newsletters, social media to ensure that NPOS's were aware of the discussion and had opportunities to participate. Three virtual stakeholder meetings were held totaling 141 attendees representing a wide variety of nonprofit sectors and organizational sizes. Additionally, a formal survey was created and received 263 responses. So the top three stakeholder concerns um stakeholders consistently identified the potential financial impact of any registration or inspection related fees as their primary concern. Secondly, confidentiality was raised frequently, particularly by organizations that ser that serve the vulnerable populations in the city. Many of the respondents felt that the additional registration requirements could be duplicative considering processes already completed through the state and federal reporting. So, a quick snapshot of some of the survey results here. Um, you can see that most nonprofits preferred no charge to the current approach, 62% in fact. 87% opposed both registration and inspection fees. So if we were to move forward, they're saying, "Please don't charge us." Many feel registration could create barriers and confidentiality is their significant concern. [clears throat] Some of the stakeholder recommendations that we gathered um if a registration is required, it should be free. They felt that the city should use existing state and federal registry information and also include strong confidentiality protections, especially for the sensitive organizations here. [snorts] So a few possible solutions. Um, we could require registration. A mandatory system could focus only on public facing nonprofit locations, incorporate confidentiality safeguards. However, this may not apply universally to all NPOs. Likely, only information for certain nonprofits would be considered confidential. This is something we'd have to vet with the city attorney's office. Registration could include an annual review process to ensure records are kept up to date. And the city is also requiring building it could also require fire and building inspections. Process-wise, the department is already has procedures in place to to cover things like this. So, that's not a concern primarily at this point. Option B would be to maintain the voluntary system that we have in place. It would uphold the current participation model, voluntary participation model supported by most of the stakeholders at this time. In this case, staff would enhance educational outreach and communication channels to ensure nonprofits remain informed to relevant responsibilities and city processes processes. Remember that regardless of the city, regardless of the fact that city may not conduct safety inspections at these locations, the owner in the building, owner of the building and the operator is responsible to follow the laws that are currently in place. Many NPOs recommended working together and alongside organizations such as the chamber to maintain their own list that could be shared with the city and other NPOs. So staff is requesting direction on whether to develop an ordinance that would formalize the registration process or to alternatively direct staff to continue to strengthen the existing voluntary approach through expanded outreach and communication. >> Happy to answer any questions. >> All right, Lance, great job. Thank you so much for taking the time and meeting with everyone. And I know that this has been um a lot of engagement and I really appreciate the nonprofits that come before us. Um I I want to make it clear because you do you remember how we got here? I do. Uh, yeah. >> How did we get here, Lance? Uh, >> it first came up. >> I don't know. They We have a new council, so you might want to explain to them how we got here. >> I think the specific incident you're referring to was when a uh cannabis establishment was approved next door to the uh empowerment center. >> Yes. And that was um a rehab. It was a rehab center for women. And um we literally and the buildings were touching and everyone and they came before us and they said how did this possibly happen? And then what happened also then we started looking into it. Then there was a liquor store put right next door to um they ended up backing out but it was uh literally right next to another rehab. And so this kind of thing just started pop popping up. And then um especially in places with children because there's a lot of nonprofits that deal um with children and their conf confidentiality and keeping them safe um from you know current existing things. And so they kind of fall under this interesting like school type of thing because it's children, right? And here's the thing. What we found out is we didn't am I correct that we did not know we did not know where our nonprofits were located >> the lance for the record correct we don't have a way of identifying them now other than what is publicly published um >> so and let's say if you get a call for service like let's say for fire what are the requirements for fire because that could be another barrier that we identified um and I want to make it very clear I should have said this from the very beginning this had nothing to do with fees because I really believe if you're a certain level, there's so many nonprofits doing amazing work and we partner with so many of them. Um, and so what at least at the very level there is some sort of way to identify them for public safety reasons or especially the ones that they talk about confidentiality um in case some they are at higher risk of incidences because they are um you know so they're at higher risk because the work that they do. So they should have some way to get services particularly from public safety initiatives, things like that because we've certainly have seen where especially in domestic violence um the uh the um perpetrator will um try to you know come after them and so they can have sometimes calls for service like that and if we don't know where they are but they also go back to the you know it's their um privacy and you have to absolely absolutely respect that, but they're also in situations where they're super vulnerable and they have much higher risks of um having something violent happen to those places. And so again, you know, how do we connect the public safety aspect? So they have those services in lock step. Fire is a big one. Um do they are they required to have a fire inspection? >> So the way it works is that if you were to do a new build, like for instance, the last presenter was talking about um you know, their new their new facility. They're going through all the building processes. That will require building inspections, fire inspections, etc. That's all signed off on just like normal. >> Um, where it gets a little tricky is if somebody were to go into an existing building and then perhaps be there for a while or do tenant improvements, we may not know that by the legally by the law, they're supposed to go get the building permits. We may not have a fire inspection in there to see because we didn't know that they were there. Um, but from the business licensing perspective from from our department. >> So, okay. Okay. As far as the the calls for service and things like that, >> they wouldn't necessarily go through our database and business licensing to identify those addresses. So, if something was someone was to call in, obviously they would probably try to communicate an address or at least where they were in town and dispatch has the way of navigating that, you know, that type of a situation. Not necessarily diving into the database of ours uh with business license um to find a licensed >> or a registered um entity. Is there some way to parcel that out on the public safety side versus business license side? >> H how so? >> Like is there a different database that we could pull from to identify like if they needed our services right away? Because isn't that a problem if they don't know they exist and they don't know where they are? >> The database and I'm I'm not an expert in the dispatch area. Um but the the the information that they use is not pulled from our our licensing database. So they have their whole separate world that they live in as far as um how they identify where how and where to go and when and and what the best route is and and who owns the place and things like that. >> And maybe that's it so that they're identified so that they have services right when that when they need them >> because the fire piece of it does make me nervous. >> Sure. >> Yeah. And it's possible we I could communicate with with dispatch to see if how how they would how they would know um of these places and and you know what's what they're walking into >> without just a 911 call >> because we I mean we can easily do you know a registration and no fee, >> right? or you can the lowest level it's zero then you're once you know because listen there are some nonprofits that they um you know are very well supported and there's the other ones that are just grinding just trying to >> make it >> you know just trying to keep the doors open or just I mean doing all the work from their home and so there's ones that can really afford to you know pay a small fee and I'm and I was never talking about you know like in business license we have to come in and say our sales are X, right? And 90% of nonprofits do incredible, incredible work, but there are people that take advantage of the system and I've seen them many times and they, you know, will come through my office and those are the ones that you're just thinking how how does this happen? So, you know, just so that everyone um I think for me it was the biggest was the public safety piece. And I was so surprised that we put a literally a a marijuana establishment next to um a rehab center where people are trying to stay sober and you know, it's just like >> and they were saying they were smelling it too. And so those poor women were just feeling tortured and I felt so bad and I thought how do we have this happen because we know where schools are. We have done a lot of work with oh the requirements on marijuana right and where they can go and where they can't go and what happened was it was like how does this happen when we had all these requirements well we didn't know there was a nonprofit there and so I just also think out of respect for them that's how this came to be it wasn't about a money grab or wanting to make more listen they are like I said without them there's so much work that we could not get done so how do we fix the safety aspect of it and everyone get to where they want to be. Does that make sense? >> Yeah, absolutely. I I mean, and I think there there, like I said, if you were to formalize the registration process, then you could require that those inspections take place and you could say you have to come in and register and you need a building inspection and a fire inspection just like any other normal operating open open business. Um on on the other hand, you could, like I said, the second uh recommendation is to possibly just communi communicate and do outreach with the chamber. They're they're involved with a lot of the nonprofits in the area as well. A lot of these groups when I spoke to them were willing to say, "Hey, we'll run this list. We'll keep this list. We'll we'll con uh converse with the city and we'll when a new business is coming, we'll help you look at this list and see if there's anybody around." Um, and then we can educate our partners on, hey, you need to get an inspection, you need to get this stuff. So, >> and then just be careful because there's a lot of nonprofits that can't even afford >> to have a location that they're doing a lot of work out of their homes and they're calling and you know they'll just they just you know and they're really cutting their expenses too. So just I want to make sure because with business licensing sometimes I think we make it and this isn't you Lance you've been amazing because you know how I feel about this but and you are on the right track and I love what you're doing and you're very business forward but even still like um at home businesses sometimes we can make it difficult with some of those things that we require. So, I'm just I want to be careful that you we don't do something that we could that would make it harder for these nonprofits to, you know, do their work. >> Sure. >> So, okay. I'm going to start with you guys over here. I She's [laughter] like, "Hey, I'm going to start with Councilwoman Anderson because we're all going to take a shot at this." Go ahead. >> Um, okay. I first I think I should disclose that I um Brandy Anderson have been a member a board member of the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation for the last three years. So, in case that disclosure matters before I make these comments, I wanted to get that on the record. Um, I really appreciate the work that has been done here. I feel like we're creating a system in search of a potential future problem instead of isolating the problem and putting it on the applicant for some of these more um adult focused or substance focused whether it's, you know, um products that are being sold or um services that are being offered. almost if a if an applicant is moving, I think we should put the burden on the applicant to do the three week three block or one mile, whatever the radius is to identify and certify that we don't have any of these nonprofits or um vulnerable populations around the business in which they're trying to bring to the to the area. If we were to do something like that, we're not we're not putting undue pressure or having a duplicative system um for the nonprofits. And um as it relates to public safety, if there is a 911 call, it's usually between the dispatch and the person to share the address and dispatch the the unit, whoever is going. Um and I know from a fire perspective, Madame Mayor, that um each district, they are required to know which one of those which buildings what's happening in each one of those bings so that they know what they're they're responding to. So, usually they know the sensitive the sensitive um populations within their within their district. So, >> who who does >> the fire department? >> They do. >> Yes. >> Uh >> that usually So, I'm not saying I'm not saying it's a guarantee, but I'm saying, >> you know, I run down fire. They they don't. So, I'm just saying. So that's why >> what I'm saying is that people that work in a in a fire district, they are aware of the of the businesses and the vulnerable populations that are in their district because they normally get called there on the regular. So they're that I'm just saying they're very educated in who they're they're serving in their specific districts. So I would just my my point is is that I think that putting the burden on the applicant and not on the nonprofit might be a better solution um and equitable. >> Totally. And I'm open to anything. And if the hard part is if they are new to that area, they might not be familiar with the services. And there's a there's a really great um and I'm really excited about there's a new nonprofit um that's doing some really good work. Um I I probably shouldn't say until they get their business license, but uh there it's on the county side, but I'm just saying if they're new, they wouldn't have been there before. And so sometimes those are challenges. And I agree with you. Maybe it's on the applicant side, but I do think um it's all fine until it isn't. So, go ahead, >> Vice Mayor. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um I'd like to make a similar disclosure to remain transparent to the city council and public. I'd like to disclose that I'm a board member of the United Way of Road Nevada and the Sierras. This item deals directly with an impact to nonprofit organizations like UW NNS. I've consulted with the city attorney's office and have been advised that I would not need to recuse myself from participating or voting on this item today. So, I just wanted to start my commentary by disclosing that and following suit uh with council member um Anderson as well. I think many of us have that same role outside of the city council. And so, I just wanted to lead with that and also thank you um director Ferraro for the work that you have done to engage all the nonprofits. I know it's been a heavy lift to have multiple avenues for nonprofits to engage and provide feedback on this. I'd like to echo one of the solutions that was provided um you know by council member um Anderson to where maybe if there is a way to codify or signify that certain business licenses that may negatively affect the work that's happening around them. uh that could be a requirement that's that's posted or put a burden or responsibility I should say that's put on that those applicants and it could be something that's during the renewal process or just part of the application process and so just wondering if you've considered that avenue if that's a different way to look at possibly avoiding these conflicts that have happened as the examples that have already been provided here on the DIS today. >> Sure. Uh Lance for the record. So, some of these license types already do require some sort of a survey to be submitted with the application. Um, like marijuana cannabis for for instance. Um, there's they're required before they come to city to to get a a zoning verification that they have conducted a survey. Um, things that we've obviously encountered with a situation like this is that the surveyor didn't even know it was there. Um, so >> yeah, >> that's that's a tricky part. um other than, you know, being a >> uh you know, boots on the ground, having uh staff go around and and do that that service themselves and really say like, "Yeah, we went and doororn knocked and we found out this all of these different businesses exist in this area." That would probably be the most foolproof way. Um in certain circumstances, like I said, it's it's it's already codified in some in some areas, but not all the sensitive uses necessarily. um that that is an issue that can that can come up through the survey process >> and I understand. I just think that the fact that you already have something in place and maybe expanding the way that we implement that program or having certain parameters. I think the challenge which you just talked about today, the amount of staff time it would take to go doortodoor and check if there are nonprofits operating. Um, obviously there are lists that we can compile from within the city or outside from other organizations, but it just seems like a heavy lift to be able to consistently update these lists and make sure that we're up to date with what's happening within our organizations. I'm out of time, so I'll leave it at that for now. >> Go right ahead. >> Thank you. Um, a similar disclosure, I'm the vice chair of the Eddie House. Um, but I share some of the concerns about respect for your budget and resources. I just want to really ask, do you think that we have a a problem here that we need to do something about? We talked I I view this sort of in the same space as the short-term rentals where it was on our radar. We're looking at it and it isn't necessarily um something that we need to be super concerned with at this point. So, I'd like to hear your answer to that. And then I'd like to just relay some of the concerns that I've heard from some of the businesses um that are some of the challenges that they have seen in regards to nonprofits none specifically. >> Um last for the record. So do I think there's a problem at this at this point in time? We've had these these couple instances that have that have triggered this, right? Um when I met with the group the groups um this was the most interaction I've had from any business group if you want to call they're not a business they're I'm gonna just get to say that as as as a business entities they were very concerned they were very involved they were very willing to do the work >> to say we don't need this let's show you why let's compile our own list let's let's set up groups to where we can share this information across the city with the city um they even brought up other things outside of public safety where they said, "We really want to know how many of these nonprofits exist because we might have a hundred nonprofits for dogs and cats, and we don't need more of those right now. We need something else." So, people coming into the area wouldn't have to just start up a nonprofit and then close up and shut down shop right away. So, they were like, there's they they do see a benefit to a registry of sorts. They just didn't think it was necessarily the city's place to do that. >> See, I love that. I think that sounds like a great place where we might be able to get out of the way and let these nonprofits do what they need to do. and I'm always in support of that. Um, did you have an actual cost of associated with what it might take for the city to do do this work? >> I didn't do a formal cost analysis, but uh based upon the numbers that exist in the city at this time, there's somewhere around 1,00 to,100 nonprofits that are registered um in according to to records that we can gather. Um, right now we have about 300. They're voluntary voluntarily registered with the city. So to capture those and bring them in, I mean, we've have 20,000 business licenses. So adding on a few hundred more really doesn't it really doesn't pound in an issue with the uh with the cost associated unless you're talking about things like Council Member Martinez said where we're going around door knocking on sensitive abuses. So that would really hit um and cause a um a work. >> I don't know how to do that. >> What's that? >> Why would we knock on doors? Oh, that was just part of the conversation of uh um conducting how the surveys are conducted and and like to really kind of foolproof way. You really wouldn't know unless you went around and >> because I'm envisioning you knocking on doors. >> Yeah. Right. >> No. So, >> I mean I guess at this point I'm not necessarily in support of doing any major um effort on the part of the city and it sounds like we can get some voluntary participation that has a good balance. And the concerns that I'm hearing from some of the businesses, and we've discussed this a little bit, is some of when it comes to food handling and queuing outside of businesses, there's a different criteria that is applied to a regular business that is registered with the city than a nonprofit. And I think there are some ways that we might I may be able to work with my colleague on district board of health to do some things in that space. So, thank you very much. >> You're welcome. Okay, Councilman Der, take it away. >> Yeah, thank you. Um, [clears throat] appreciate all of this discussion and the work you've done, Lance. Um, you know, sometimes it's hard when you haven't experienced something to understand the nature of an issue. Uh for those of us who have served here a little longer, we um went through meeting after meeting with nonprofits um horrified that we would allow a location of businesses next to them that undermine their mission. >> Yeah. >> And I think that's the crux of it. The solution, I don't presume to know, but asking our staff to do more work was the opposite of what was proposed here. As I understood it, what was proposed here was for each nonprofit, and it could be limited to those that are not homebased, that have a physical location in the city um that's separate from a homebased business, let's say, to identify themselves so that when the city does its screening work, which were uh the people said, "We'll leave it to the applicants." Well, it already was left to the applicants. In the case of marijuana, they had to screen and make sure that they were so many feet away from a school, so many feet away from a certain other type of business. We had them where they came in and there was huge uproar because they were across the street from a child- centered dance academy. You know, they were thinking about they were going to have to move. So, this wasn't about the nonprofit coming in later after the environment is set. This was about a business directly opposed to the work of a nonprofit coming in and not recognizing the legitimacy and existence of the nonprofit trying to do their work. So from my perspective, the proposal was really about protecting nonprofits, protecting them. And I also advocated for no cost. I think it was you that said, well, people won't do something unless there's at least a dimminimous cost like 10 bucks, which I I felt like, okay, fine, for the greater good. But having to live through that and have the the people so upset. People in uh like the empowerment center or other nonprofits, they're not scanning our building permits on a regular basis. This isn't what they do. They're focused on their mission. And the idea was to make it simpler for you to do your job and more importantly perhaps our permitting and building, you know, our development permitting and our building permit departments so that they're not moving forward blind to the existence of these nonprofits. Now, you take a big nonprofit like Renown or we we heard today from Northern Nevada Hopes. People know where they're located. Um, I think it's pretty easy for a restricted company that has restrictions, whether it be alcohol, marijuana, or whatever, to find renown or find Northern Nevada hopes. >> But many, it's been pointed out here today many times that many of these nonprofits are small, low budget, and the idea was to provide them with a safety net, not to harm them. >> And if there's another way that we can do that, I'm all ears. But I I think if it's within our scope and ability to provide um this level of coordination with our building and permitting departments so that we don't have these sort of tragic mismatches, then I think that makes a lot of sense. Council Eert. Yeah. So [clears throat] I have a few uh notes written down. So, one I we've talked a lot about that one dispensary that went into an area that was not compatible. Is there any other examples or was this a one-off? >> Um the the example that uh council member Derer mentioned that was actually a little bit different. It was in the fact that I I guess this is before my time but from my recollection of reading things that was a uh a licensed business that was in delinquency status. It lost its lensure. um or didn't pay. So, it fell off of our radar. Um so, they were not necessarily a nonprofit organization. Um but they were a business that was not licensed and therefore didn't show up on >> Dance Academy. The dance academy. >> So, this was on Plum Lane and we had a dispensary coming in across. But since they had lost their business license, >> okay, they weren't a nonprofit. They just that was a mistake to the best of my knowledge. But you have some others. I think that's what she's this this that we're talking about right now wouldn't have solved for that. >> No. >> Anyways, right because Okay. It wasn't a nonprofit. So, is there another example of a nonprofit ending up next to um a dispensary or something of that nature? Um, Madame Mayor had alluded to an issue with it with a an package alcohol facility, I believe, um, again before my time, but uh, it was the plan was to go in across the street, and I don't know if that NO was, um, >> was necessarily a secret. I think it's a larger one. >> Um, so that may have been that may have been some point of contention in the review process. >> Okay. >> But other than that, off the top of my head, those are the three that have stood out as being, you know, alarms have gone off every time we've talked about it. >> Okay. So, it's not something that we're dealing with a lot. It's not something that we need to like sound the alarm on and and staff up for. >> It definitely doesn't happen a lot. >> Okay. Okay. So, that that was something that I just wanted to make sure I understood like how how urgent this was. um cuz I know we are struggling budgetarywise and I don't want to um straddle the staff with more work um if we're not able to pay for additional staff. Um so um I did have another question about um just in general business licenses like how how does a city of Reno enforce that aspect of it? because we're talking about doing, you know, potentially a list of nonprofits, but how are we keeping track of the ones that are already supposed to be doing a business license? >> So, generally speaking, our our database just uh every time we see a business, they either come to us or uh proactively or we find them out in the field because maybe they didn't even know they needed a license or maybe they were just trying to get away without a license depending on the scenario. Um once we get them licensed we they they go into our database. >> Okay. So we don't have a staff actively going out and finding these businesses. Correct. >> We do we do have that functionality of our compliance officers. They go out in the field and they maintain certain designated areas um and they look for not only are they going to um communicate with the licenses that already exist and contact them for any compliance issues or maybe they need to renew their license and we've you know run out of options of phone calls and emails. So, we deliver a letter. Um, but they know their areas. So, when they drive around town, they see like, "Oh, what's that?" >> And they'll go knock on the door and say, "Hey, see you guys got a new business license. Here's some information, you know, that you're going to need to fill out." And that also, that's how we come across some of these NPOS's as well. >> Well, I was curious, you know, in some of these um maybe shelters where people are trying to um escape maybe domestic violence situations where these would be in homes. There's also businesses that are run out of homes. Correct. So in that situation, how would you know if there's a home business started? >> So if there's a homebased uh nonprofit, we we could >> No, I mean just a business like >> any sort of homebased business advertising. >> That's that's basically all you can do. Um we don't you see advertisements and then find out that somebody was operating a business, but it's homebased. >> Okay. So essentially this if we put this process in place this would be more intensive than what we have in place for businesses. Um I I don't necessarily think more intensive. I think it's very similar where we just don't have a if we don't if we hear about the non the the unlicensed business that's operating out of home. We have some clause because we can say you need a business license that's in code. Mhm. >> Um if we find out about a nonprofit, if we were to enact something like this, um we're at this point right now, we don't have the cause to say, "Hey, you need to come register with us. It's all voluntary." Okay. >> So, it's it's a very similar process, >> which is different because we don't have the legal authority to do it. >> I think she raises a really good question because it's on the business owner, >> right? We have to come and get our business license. If we don't do that, we wouldn't you wouldn't know they existed. >> Correct. >> Right. So, it's really on them to go and do that. Now, you could explain, Lance, because I think Megan brings up a good point. What um does that entail? So, they have to I guess fill out a business license form. They also have to put in there like their sales and stuff. So, you can kind of gauge are they a small business and they pay their they pay their business license based on like what those receipts are. >> Correct. So it's good in the sense that you don't have businesses, new businesses paying a lot of money when they can't when they're really not generating any revenue. Correct. >> Right. >> So in my mind, very similar. So it could very much be zero. But then talk about because we don't want to make it more difficult, but it is up to them to come forward and and do that. And I would think it would limit the liability of the city. Let's say, you know, um a nonprofit where, you know, children are getting after school um services for, you know, maybe it's for hearing and things like that. Um let's say it burned down, would we have any liability? I'm going to ask Carl this onto the city in some capacity if we didn't know that they existed and they came back and said, "You didn't, you know, we didn't know where you were located or those kinds of things." And so how do you now you you're telling me new nonprofit would have to add in. It's the old though that might not have any of those um fire requirements. But I also want to understand how intense it is for staff if I come forward and say here you go here's my business license or just to say here here's my nonprofit for the record and maybe it's not through business license. Maybe like to Bry's point, it's more through the um dispatch or something to that capacity. >> That's always a possibility. I don't know if you wanted to. >> Yeah, just for the record, John Shipman City Attorney's Office. No, for um No, there wouldn't be any liability. I mean, again, anybody who's doing an activity that has to comply with our zoning has to comply with our zoning. So, just because they don't comply with our zoning does not mean that we're going to be on the hook. But if they didn't have to comply because they didn't have to, >> then we would not have the liability. >> That sounds like >> the zoning would cut across the I mean the the key is not whether it's a business or if it's a um nonprofit that the the question is going to be what is the use? So if they were doing a daycare or something like that, Yeah. >> that would be covered by zoning. >> Got it. >> And also I think by the the fire requirements or the building requirements as well because those are building code, fire code. So, not necessarily the fact that you're licensed or not, but you're responsible for this proper sprinkling or the extinguishing or things like that. >> Yeah. Um, okay. Because I was just trying to think maybe it is on the dispatch side or some other way so you avoid some of that. And I and I don't think that like to your point, you said it's not that intensive to say here you go, you're registered, but I don't know if that's the proper place for it to live when it comes to that that kind of um requirement. >> Sure. >> But I did want it very clear because when we did deal with the nonprofit that came in, it was I we felt horrible. They were really unhappy with us um on every level. And you know, it really >> they were virtually forced to relocate. >> Yeah, they did. They had to rebuild. They had to >> They're still >> They're They're operating, but they're building new properties and they have different people that are maybe less susceptible. They're selecting their client. >> But it's one of those things where you say, "How how did how did this happen?" It wasn't intentional. Excuse me. What did you say? >> I was just saying I'm not sure that people would be selecting their clients differently. That's what I was saying. >> And who's housed where? They have different housing options. >> I don't think the empowerment center is selecting their clients differently. >> I don't mean selecting. I mean where they're housing them. >> I'm sorry. I just was responding. >> I got it. >> Okay. But madam mayor, I had something to say. >> I I just wanted um [clears throat] and you know when you when you work with the director, it was it was a tough it was a tough thing. Sure. >> It was very tough. They were very unhappy. And for me, I just, you know, it's something that I could really feel her pain when she came. And uh if we were all sitting here at the time, you probably would have said, "How does this happen?" Because it seems like, "Wait a minute. How would we not know that they're there and we didn't and we just let that happen." So, >> right. Madam Mayor, if I could >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Um I just wanted to say I I appreciate my colleagues coming up with some different ideas. Um and again I'm not married to any particular approach. One thing I am concerned about if we have like a third party whether it's an organization of nonprofits or the chamber with you know whatever it is what I'm worried about is extra coordination with the city who are issuing permits you know that is one reason if it's right on a database where they're located um then it's extremely easier for the permitting staff to do their job. you're not out running around doing screening. They aren't. And and I'm fine with keeping a voluntary process, frankly, with all this education that you've done. If if they want to make sure that incompatible businesses don't locate near them, then maybe that needs to be the message is that it's on you nonprofit. If you're worried about people moving into you that are incompatible, you should register with the city, right? Your location. um just like a school or a charter school or a private school, you know, or a training center, you know, they're not official under Wo County School District kind of schools. >> They they can register too. So again, don't misunderstand I I guess the commitment to any particular answer. You're out doing the research. I just wonder did you communicate to the nonprofits that this is for them? and you know do they understand what motivated the proposal? >> Uh Lance Pra for the record I I hope so. Um those questions did come at come at me very often like is this just a money grab? Um this is very convenient timing to start charging us for stuff and >> but we started this at least two years ago. >> Exactly. I try to explain that and and try to explain the reasons behind it and and let them know that that even if there was money involved, it's going to be it's a very it's a very low amount. um even even if it's I would say like zero. >> Um that's I did I did try to communicate. >> Yeah. I just wondered if they understood what prompted it and that it was not an aggressive move against and and I perhaps should disclose it. I've probably been on 20 nonprofits over the last 20 years in one capacity or another. Um I went off most of them when I got my council job so I wouldn't be in conflict with anything I could focus on my council job and we're on so many boards, regional boards. It's just how much can you handle? But I just wanted to say again, I hope I'm getting this point across. There doesn't have to be a solution through your office, but I also don't think the best solution is through, let's say, a chamber because how didn't that information get [bell] updated and communicated to our permitting staff and our building staff? I I I think we've added too many layers of into the process to where it's not I'd rather just have them voluntarily register if they want to be protected. Okay. >> Um, Lance, let me ask you this one. Do businesses have to um how often do they get their fire inspections? >> Uh, generally speaking, I believe the fire department uh is on a on an annual basis. I think that they try to get to that. Um, I I know that there's obviously staffing issue and constraints in that. Um, I wouldn't speak to the exact How often do they have to get um they have to have their extinguishers signed off on? Uh, again, [clears throat] it's kind of out of my wheelhouse. Um, I'm not positive. I The part I do know is that when somebody gets licensed, they have that initial inspection and then everything's checked off at that point. What happens after that piece is kind of is kind of out of my wheelhouse, >> but sometimes they wouldn't have to have any of that. They could just move right into a location. It wouldn't trigger anything. So, how so that is very important. It wouldn't trigger a thing. They could move right into any building or whatever that happened. So, when you're talk that's very different. Most nonprofits can't afford, you know, oh, let's go build and make sure that zoning is all in place. So, let me ask you this. What triggers a fire inspection? >> Uh, there are a couple parameters with a business license that would trigger it. And it's basically how >> what would trigger a nonprofit [clears throat] for a fire and inspection >> for it would be the same if if we had that if we were requiring a registration, the same parameters would go after that. >> But right now, nothing. >> No, excuse me. I think that there's also Isn't there um some type of building code side of the house that might trigger fire inspection? >> Exactly. The only time that we wouldn't that nothing would trigger is if we if somebody moved into a building, >> right, >> and didn't tell anybody. Um which is a you know, and if they started manipulating if it was already built and they didn't touch it, it's already been approved, >> right? And so, >> but if they go in there and start manipulating things, that's when it's it needs a new set of eyes to say like, wait, were there permits involved? Were there not? Um we we wouldn't know. They're still legally responsible to do that permitting and to do that fire safety. We just wouldn't know in some of these cases. >> They are legally responsible. Excuse me, Madam Mayor. They are legally responsible to meet certain fire code like have an extinguisher for so many square feet or have a fire drill. >> Absolutely. A business license does not >> trigger that >> does not trigger your ability or your your requirement to abide by >> what does that's I think what the mayor >> does the normal the building codes that are in place um the the fire safety code international fire code the building code someone know what that is they have to be responsible for their own it's kind of like you get a driver's license you were supposed to read the book maybe you didn't know when to stop in front of the puddle or whatever but like >> and they do why do they ask us to have a driver's license >> what's that >> why do they ask is to have a driver's license. >> So, so that you're safety safety purposes, I'm assuming. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, I don't see we do a lot of that work on the business side to keep that safe and make sure >> but we don't require it over there. And so, what happens if a nonprofit burns down >> and I suppose it's the same because what you're telling me right now is we didn't have to inspect. >> Sure. >> Did you hear that? We did not have to inspect. So, I got you. So, that's where I'm thinking that it's it's I think it could be a little problematic. >> Um, go ahead, Councilwoman Anderson. Oh, okay. Um, I listen, I don't want to make it more complicated for you. I But I also think we have to be very careful of like, oh, we don't have the staff. So when we sit there and say that we allow things to happen like downtown, we haven't had a code enforcement officer for a long time. So don't start with that because then you become complacent and things never get done. And that's what we get to get to sit here and say, "Oh, we don't have the money. We don't have the staff." I'm all about cutting red tape. That's how I got here because when I came to get my business license, they said, "That'll be $5,000 to move your sign two feet." And I thought, "What? That's crazy." And that's how I actually I I didn't know anything other than I thought that was crazy and it should change. And then we had all these red blocks or roadblocks with Midtown. And I came here and I asked, "Hey, how do we get sidewalks?" And I remember looking at at uh Bob Cashelle and um you know, that got the ball rolling in Midtown and but I I also felt like there was a lot of red tape. This isn't about red tape. This is about safety. So, we can sit here all day long and and say those things. That doesn't add up to me. So, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. And they there does not have to be a dollar amount tied to this in any capacity. That does not have to happen. So, if that's their argument, you know, and we were just listening to you saying if you tie a little bit to it, that could be $5. I don't even care. And for some maybe they can't afford that and we don't want to do that. That's not the that is not the reason why we've looked at this. So, >> and just to just to add to that because I I think that's a that's a great point. You said you know you could go on without without um without charging fees there is going to be a you know an internal cost to that no matter what because of the fire inspection fee and the building inspection fee. Those are the fees. We really just do recouping costs on those. So we are going to be doing that work and taking that off the bottom line and some there is some sort of financial transaction whether it's put upon the city or put upon the the NPO. So just a >> just to reiterate that. >> Yeah. Go ahead. >> I'm just a little confused based off of these last statements. What is the problem we're trying to solve here? Are we trying to solve for incompatibility with development or are we trying to solve for fire safety? To the best of my knowledge, those were both of the main issues that that were brought up when this >> both at the same time. >> Both at the same time. Okay. Okay. Um cuz it was my understanding that this was to to start a list so that we could keep certain types of businesses away from certain type of nonprofits. >> That was definitely one of the reasons and that was the primary reason that sparked the discussion. >> Okay. Okay. Um well I I have a lot of hesitation to have that kind of list just due to the nature of um you know people that are trying to get out of domestic violence situations needing to be in areas that are um confidential. Um so I'm hesitant to um make that kind of list especially given today there was a commenter that says that there's a a state list. I don't know if that's true or not, but um I'm not really interested in duplicating efforts if that's something that we could just look at online. Um that would save a lot of work for everybody. Um also um you know, if we are going to um send people out to look for things, I think it should be at the cost um of the type of business that's requesting the permit. We just categorize some some types of businesses that, you know, we say you have to go out and check a certain perimeter or maybe we engage with our our save team and see if if that's something that they could um check on for us since it's not, you know, regarding ticketing or anything like that. It's just checking the area. But I think, you know, there's been comments made about the cost of doing business in the past. And um if if a business of a a certain nature wants to um come into an area, I think it's it's um it's fair to ask them to pay for any associated fees um to to check the area. Um but I'm I'm very hesitant to say we're going to do a list at all. And again, it sounds like there already is one. So, I don't I don't really know why we need to have a separate one. >> Um, >> just to answer that last part, to the to the best of my knowledge, um, there are lit there. Yes, you have to file with the state and you have to file with the federal government to get this kind of status. Um, >> 501c3. >> Yeah. And in and there obviously, you know, many types of 501s as well that like kind of can fall under this umbrella. Um, but from speaking to some of these uh these these NPOs independently, they may have that address as their home address, >> but they also may have a facility somewhere else. >> And that facility may not be advertised. If I'm running a domestic abuse um uh NO, and I say, I'm just going to run this out of my house because I need I don't have the money to to start a facility. I still need a place for people to stay. So, I'm going to have that place over there. So that might that might not show up on the list because it wasn't that's not where I'm running my business out of and that's [clears throat] that's what they conveyed to me. Um >> I think a lot of these places are trying to be very transparent. They're they're audited heavily by the IRS and and >> well that's all the more reason in my mind to use that list because it keeps the confidentiality of the location. You contact the person that's on that list. you can then go take a, you know, a fire inspection of that location and you don't have to store that information of where it's located. Um, I think, you know, if we're able to uh monitor advertising and have people go and and kind of uh monitor locations to see if new businesses come in, this sounds like a much easier process to me to manage. Um so I I think that I I would prefer that that would be the route that we take both for the confidentiality aspect. Um, >> okay. >> Lack of duplicating efforts, easier to administer. Um, just, you know, every every angle for me, it it makes more sense to go based off of that state list and just contact the person that's, you know, that that's registered with the state and go from there. >> Okay. >> That that's fine. It still doesn't address these um fire inspections. That's still doesn't address that. >> That That was my point, Madam Mayor, was you contact the people on the list and say, "We have to do a fire inspection." >> Oh, okay. So, you want to do it where you would contact them on the list. I see what you're saying. So, if your list exists then, okay, so let me ask you this. So, here's the list. >> Mhm. >> Not a bad idea. I I like where you're going. when you have the list and then because we don't want them to spend more work doing it. How >> a list exists. >> Okay. Yeah. And then where do we give that list for the inspection? >> Contact the the person on the list and say we need to do a fire. >> But who's going to contact them? >> Fire prevention. We have a department. >> Yeah. Okay. >> The same people that do the inspections currently. [clears throat] >> Yeah. Um, and there are people that actually would like to make sure that they are in existence with fire codes, just so you know. Um, because actually one of them just reached out to me and said that we didn't know that we needed that we didn't have one and that because of that that their liability with their insurance was high and how did they not know that that they didn't need it and they would have gotten better fire insurance rates that literally they they just reached out. So, I think that's also interesting, too, that um to protect their safety because you might not know until you interact with a fire inspector, the things that you can do, especially if you have wires that are coming out, those types of things. This this isn't a, you know, money grab or a gotcha. And we can do nothing. And if one of them burns down, I think there would this discussion would come back or in some capacity. It's it could be considered very dangerous. Um, I would love to hear, you know, what they want to do about that. Like I said, maybe we do nothing at all and that's fine with everyone, but I I think that that without knowing what that would be. >> So, >> Madame Mayor, is this just a discussion today? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Would it be possible to ask if you could look into the feasibility of using the state list and contacting, you know, the people that are registered for that? um and you know the fire department or whoever does those um inspections and see if that's something that can be done. >> Absolutely. I can I can bring something back. I mean, just off the top of my head, I I don't see a re other than the the footwork of saying this is either business license department or fire preventions department, you know, whoever handles this list or goes off this list is to >> first of all designate which one of these are home home and versus commercial and then eliminate maybe half your list, maybe threequarters of your list right? >> Um, and then take that list and and then go down go down and say we need to make contact. Uh, if you're commercially open to the public, we need to do a fire inspection. Um, I don't even think you need to change the law to do that because it's actually a commercially it's open to the public. >> I think there's a way to do it. I'll >> for spirit of moving on, I'll um get with our fire uh department. Those guys are very knowledgeable. They'll know what I think they'll know best of how to get there so that we can make sure that we're getting their safety and those kinds of things without creating more work for you or those guys. They're not here today, so it's hard to put that piece together. Um, so I apologize, but I think that would be because they're going to know the system and how it runs and they could just stand up here and say, "Oh, you know, we do this, so don't worry about it." And that'd be great. I just don't know, >> right? >> So, if you guys are okay with that, let's we'll have them come and tell us how they navigate it because I'm sure, you know, they're not new. They know. >> So, Madame Mayor, do you want to continue this discussion to another day? >> Yeah, it's discussion anyway. And I appreciate you, Lance, for doing the work because you said you would go out there and talk to them and, you know, we want them part of the process. And I'm not opposed to them managing their own list. That might be something, you know, like a nonprofit list and then because we don't know how many are active and not active. >> Sure. >> So, anyway, thanks, Lance. Appreciate it. Okay. Um, madame clerk or madam manager, we need to go into an attorney client, correct? and lunch. I want you to eat and have lunch. And then what else are we >> We have a 2 o'clock time certain for a biggest little bike network update. So I think we can do lunch in an attorney client in 53 minutes if that works for everybody. >> Perfect. Okay. Thank you. As we move into [music] the next budget year, we're excited to share some of the key accomplishments this past year in the biggest little city. Whether working to ensure a [music] safe and welcoming community, planning for responsible growth, or maintaining strong fiscal accountability to [music] our residents, our team is dedicated to building a community that people are proud to call home. >> Running a city is no small feat. It takes seven dedicated council members and over 1,700 committed employees to make this city thrive. While you see some of them every day, many are behind the scenes. >> But we all have one thing in common. We make Reno more than just livable. >> We make it loable. Ensuring the infrastructure in our community stands the test of time is [music] critical to obtaining a vibrant and resilient city. >> The utility services team oversees storm [music] water, waste water, and recycled water throughout the city, including the sanitary sewer system. I know sewer is one of those things that people don't often talk about, but sewer systems play a crucial role in protecting public health and our environment. One important element in the sanitary sewer system is [music] lift stations, which are needed in low-lying areas to pump sewage up to a gravity sewer line. All of our sewer lines convey sewage and ultimately end up at our wastewater treatment facilities. Over the last 5 [music] years, our team evaluated 27 public lift stations in our community and determined that some needed major rehabilitation. Since the evaluation, the city has successfully [music] rehabilitated five lift stations and completed the design improvements for the seven remaining stations in need of rehabilitation. [music] These remaining lift stations will be constructed in the next two years to ensure the sustainability of the systems for years to come. Since 1995, City Reno Council has made street maintenance and rehabilitation a major priority. The public works team maintains a pavement management [music] system to evaluate the condition and serviceable life of over 755 miles of streets. This system allows us to plan for preventative maintenance and major rehabilitation projects based on priority. Maintaining infrastructure such as roads is the job of the maintenance and operations team. This last year, the streets division maintained 755 mi of paved roads. That includes 37,000 miles of road being plowed, over 6,000 potholes repaired, and over 12 million square feet of cracks sealed or filled. Our teams work around the clock when needed to ensure that residents can get where they need to go safely, rain, snow, or shine. At City of Reno and our sewer and storm drain division, there's 50 of us that take care of just over 800 miles of [music] sanitary sewer that includes 35 lift stations. Our sewer and storm drain division in the city of Reno ensures safe maintenance for over 600 miles [music] of storm water lines. It's our aggressive preventive maintenance program that ensures that your system will respond properly to prevent overflows and flooding, keeping our residents and our environment safe and sound. The fleet management team maintains over 850 pieces of equipment, including police cars and other emergency response equipment. This year, the fleet management team was ranked in the top 100 best fleets in the Americas. And doing work in-house saves the city millions of dollars each and every year. And our final areas of responsibility is facility maintenance. We perform a wide variety of repairs and remodels and preventative maintenance on over 200 city-owned buildings. And just this last year, we completed a seismic retrofit of city hall, which ensures the safety of both staff and the public during earthquakes. Parks, recreation, and open space are vital [music] for creating healthy, sustainable, and vibrant communities. Last November, the Reno [music] City Council adopted the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan. The plan identifies top priorities and an implementation strategy to improve existing parks, trails, [music] and recreational facilities, identifying and acquiring land for new parks and recreational spaces, [music] activating the Treky River Corridor and downtown spaces, and expanding recreational programming. >> But the crowning achievement this year for the parks team is the Moana Springs Community Aquatics and Fitness Center. Opening in August, this 52,000 [music] square foot facility will include a 50 meter indoor competition pool, multi-use indoor recreation pool, an outdoor [music] soaking pool, 5,000 ft² fitness facility, and more. This project represents a vital investment in the health and well-being of our community for generations to come. As we approach the completion of two major projects in our community, the public safety center and the Moana Springs Aquatic Center, it's important to highlight the clean energy components of both projects. At Moana Springs, the city received a community project funding award to install solar and was selected by NV Energy to be a community-based solar resource host site at the same location. [music] The Moana Springs parking lot features solar covered parking to support this project. and the public safety center will include rooftop solar as well as battery storage to provide energy savings. By investing in clean energy, we are moving towards [music] a cleaner, more resilient and equitable energy future for our community. Reno is one of the best places to live, work, and play. So, we know that growth in our community is inevitable. At the city, we are focused on responsible growth to achieve balanced and long-term [music] development that benefits all residents. Last year, the city of Reno completed the ward redistricting process that [music] transitioned our community from five to six wards. Redistricting ensures that each elected official represents approximately the same number of residents. Final maps for the new wards were voted on by the Reno City Council following a community engagement process that spanned across four months and included 17 opportunities for residents to participate. The new ward maps will go into effect following the 2024 election cycle. We encourage you to visit our online mapping tool to learn more about the new wards. >> Responsible growth means long-term planning. In January of 2021, the city adopted a new zoning code. And in June of 2022, the city initiated an amendment [music] to address outstanding cleanup items. This includes everything from grammatical errors to accounting for updates [music] in state law. Development services has spent the past year working through these changes and seeking public input. Final adoption of an updated zoning code is anticipated early next year. >> The city of Reno is working with our regional partners to manage water resources sustainably for future generations through the One Water Nevada initiative. This program is working [music] to ensure there is enough water available to meet the needs of all users while protecting and even improving the region's water quality and environmental integrity. A key element of this project [music] is the advanced purified water facility at American Flats. With construction expected to begin in the near future, this facility will apply state-of-the-art water purification processes and provide the region with the potential for over 2 million gallons of highquality drinking water daily. At the City of Reno, we are focused on ensuring that everyone has access to safe and affordable housing. The city of Reno helps to improve [music] housing stability by providing rental and deposit assistance for all residents, including seniors and veterans. In the past six months, [music] the team has assisted 584 households with rent, supported 175 [music] costbururden seniors, and dispersed $1.5 million in rental assistance. The city of Reno is a leader on the affordable housing front. Back in 2019, the state law changed and since then, the city has been allowed to enact an ordinance that has given us the right to wave or reduce fees for sewer connection fees and building permit fees as long as the project is associated with an affordable housing development. And to date, Reno has approved reductions and waiverss totaling almost 8 million. This has contributed to 1,800 new affordable housing units that are moving forward. City Council has also added conditional requirements for certain development projects and those are to help pay for affordable housing. This has been triggered on five development projects. This is estimated to generate over $4 million in funds which will support affordable housing. Last year, the city of Reno supported the development of 492 affordable units through funding programs and city incentives, including federal home funds, volume cap allocation, and sewer [music] fee reductions. Developments that were supported include the Marble Way Apartments, Copper Mesa [music] Apartments, Oravada Street Senior Apartments, and the Ridge at Sun Valley. And while increasing the number of affordable housing units is a priority, the team is also working to invest in low to moderate income neighborhoods. In the past year, the city funded $1 million in park and pedestrian safety renovations. I used to come for the station. I used to come here and enjoy the hotels and go down to the river and and I was familiar with the automobile museum, but I never in a million years thought I'd be working here. My name is Philip McDougall. I'm the president of the National Automobile Museum. The history of the National Automobile Museum goes way, way back. So, most people know the name Hera from the casinos, but they don't know the story behind it. Mr. Hera, he had a collection of 1,400 of the most unbelievable cars. And when he passed, he didn't have a will. The community got together and they said, "You can't sell all these things. This is part of our community. It's part of our identity. We need to keep them here." They raised money to build the museum. The city said, "We're going to contribute the land if you get the money to build it." And then the Holiday Inn, who purchased all the assets of Mr. Paris collection and said if you do all that then we're going to throw in 175 cars of the total collection of400. So all those things came together because the community thought it was important and in 1989 the museum was opened up. We want to be a community partner and we are right. We have events. We have older cars, newer cars. Elvis's car, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future. We have a brand new children's educational activity center. 3,000 square ft of technology for those kids and adults to get hands-on experience on how cars work, how next generation of technology was created. We wanted to be different. We wanted to embrace the community, be a [music] community partner. We did a complete renovation and then we went out with an active campaign, not in that car mode, not museum mode, but outdoor concerts speakers parties birthdays and a whole new selection of cars. I think the biggest change is that [music] we have a new exhibit every 60 days. It really is fun to watch how a family can come in and they'll just go in five different directions because we have something for every generation. It's not just a building. It's not just the cars that are in there. It's the people. It's the livelihoods of everybody that's around this town that keeps us going. The downtown partnership has been a lifesaver for us. Just helping us overall in the day-to-day challenges we have. Like any business downtown, [music] we can't make it without the security issues addressed, without the communication addressed, and it's all one big team down here. So, the restaurants help us, the uh businesses help us, everyone here. We all kind of depend on each other. And that's what we're trying to bring to the equation is another partner can help us all be a little bit stronger and a bigger community partner. Uh, I see a greater emphasis from the downtown partnership, from the elected officials, than the community leaders to get together and say, "If we really want to succeed, we have to succeed as a group. No silos. The restaurants, the businesses, uh, the the gas stations, everybody that's here has to get a common bond. Otherwise, we're [music] not going to succeed. It's the storytelling. It's the camaraderie. And we had that not only with us and the museum, but all the local businesses [music] downtown here. We have the same common bond and passion. Downtown Reno is the place to be. It's a family place. It has something for everybody. Come to the museum. Go to a local restaurant. You're going to feel safe. You're going to have fun. And you're going to be 15 minutes away from wherever [music] you live. My name is Robert DS. I'm a field specialist with Rise. And this experience with Bonnie Pace and the Pathway Pilot has been awesome and tremendous. And I'll never forget it. I'm free. Sorry, heat. Heat. Heat. I'm free. Heat. Heat. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> What home means Nevada to me is [music] is just that it's always a place that I find comfort and soulless. We travel a lot. We camp a lot and I just love coming [music] home. Home means Nevada for so many reasons. My name is Scott Dunie and I'm the owner of the Home Means Nevada company which was formerly Reno Envy. I grew up in the Bay Area and I went to school at UNR and my thought was that I would spend two years in Reno and then I would go back home. [music] But after the two years, I just fell in love with the place. I love the people, the community. It's just been awesome. I was talking to a friend. I was giving him my address and so I told him Scott Duny D Reno Envy 89523 and he's like Reno Envy. I'm like Reno Envy. So it was kind of at that moment that was our aha moment where I realized that the state abbreviation for Nevada envy [music] sounded like the word envy. So that's where it all started from. Think what's great about the downtown Reno [music] community is that, you know, people believe in Reno. You know, we have something here. People really love this community as much as I do and and people really resonated with the idea of having like a local brand. Uh downtown Reno honestly has has been a challenge, but we're a small business and we've been down here since 2008. And honestly, if we can do it, you know, there's a lot of opportunity out there and we kind of wanted to prove to people that retail works. in 2012 rebranded ourselves and we went from Reno Envy and renamed our our brand the Home Meats Nevada Company. Kind of tried to support the local artist in the community by bringing their products in and selling them on on their behalf. [music] We have all sorts of great stuff. We have coffee from Glory Cloud. We have local honey. It's important for us to collaborate too with local celebrities. Christa Palmer is an Olympic athlete [music] and we had the opportunity to partner with her and create her own authentic Christa Palmer Battlebborne t-shirt. >> My name is Christa Palmer, Nevada's Olympic diver. This is a really special company to me because [music] my roots are in Nevada. I grew up down in Carson City. I truly feel this connection between home meanings Nevada and [music] my story. This has been a really cool partnership that I've been able to develop over the years with Scott projection of Reno downtown. I really see it opening up more doors for people to continue to get outside, continue to take their dogs for a walk and enjoy the Reno River Walk to be able to have space to enjoy those lovely afternoons. I think that's where I kind of see the progression of Reno going and for more people to enjoy what Reno is. It's truly a treasure here. People believe in Reno and we believe in Reno. There's so much opportunity and so many different types of people in [music] downtown Reno. And the city of Reno has been great with this partnership with the visitor center. The RSCVA has been [music] great. The collaborations that we do with the community, with the university, with Crystal Palmer Olympic athlete. It really is about a community that kind of binds us together. If we didn't [music] have that support, we wouldn't be able to survive in downtown Reno. I've always felt like Reno's been kind of our little secret and we love to share that secret. We'd love to see Reno grow and prosper. Great [music] for shopping for friends, great for gift giving. So come on down, visit us, check it out. It's been a while. >> Come visit downtown Reno and see what you're missing. Do you want to make a difference in your neighborhood? The city of Reno's six neighborhood advisory boards are [music] your chance to shape the future of your community. From parks and public safety to development projects, your voice matters. Joining an AAB is easy and it's a great way to connect with neighbors and city leaders while making Reno an even better place to live. Applications are open now. Visit reno.govnab to learn more and apply. Get involved and help make Reno not just livable, but lovable. Hi, I'm Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran. It's an honor to connect with you as we look back on 2024, a year of innovation, strong work, and unwavering dedication to protecting our community. The Reno Fire Department reached incredible milestones, overcame challenges, [music] and made a real impact on the biggest little city. Let's look back at 2024 and the achievements and highlights of the Reno Fire Department. 2024's wildland season tested our region with incidents like the Gold Ranch, Davis, and Callahan fires straining resources from across the West. Although these fires happened just [music] outside Reno city limits, our firefighters stepped up to assist while ensuring our Reno community remained well protected. In 2024, RFD deployed 264 resources to more than 100 wildland fires, contributing over 65,000 [music] hours of work. These efforts brought nearly $2 million in reimbursements back to the department. Right here at home, we responded to [music] 51,737 calls for service, an increase of [music] over 2,000 from the previous year. Our commitment to service continues to grow along with our community. The safety and training division saw impressive growth in 2024, paving the way for a stronger, more skilled team. We proudly promoted 11 captains and eight operators, hired 25 new firefighters, [music] and welcomed five single roll EMS personnel. This year [music] we ran two 3-week fire equipment operator enginemies, one two-eek fire equipment operator truck academy, and a two-week acting captain's [music] academy. These intensive programs help sharpen our skills and prepare our teams [music] for any situation. We also expanded our monthly company level training sessions, introducing specialized active shooter training and wide area search exercises. And through partnerships with surrounding fire departments [music] we enhanced our response capabilities for wildland fires and hazmat operations. Additionally, we upgraded [music] the training facilities at station 11 with new technology to improve the delivery of our programs, ensuring our team is always ready to meet the demands of our city. >> [music] >> The Reno Fire Prevention Bureau experienced significant strides this year in 2024, starting with the appointment of a new fire marshal, three fire captains, and [music] three new fire inspectors. Our team saw great success in our arson investigations, achieving an impressive 80% conviction rate, and completed over [music] 6,000 building inspections to help keep Reno safe. For the fourth consecutive year, we hosted our dumpster program [music] thanks to a grant from State Farm. This program helps neighborhoods in the wildland urban interface clear dry vegetation and debris, creating defensible space. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped reduce wildfire risk in our community. In 2024, we were also thrilled to receive nearly 245,000 from FEMA's fire prevention and safety grant to develop a community wildfire protection plan. This comprehensive framework will prioritize wildfire mitigation efforts, improve emergency preparedness, and ensure long-term safety for Reno's residents and infrastructure. Keep an eye out in the coming months for ways to get involved. We're excited to collaborate with you in 2024. We [music] work closely with our community partners to update the regional hazard mitigation plan. The plan assesses the potential impact of all prioritized hazards to the region [music] and provides mitigation strategies and actions to reduce such risks. The update ensures the plan remains effective in addressing the evolving needs of our communities. We also prioritized firefighter health with initiatives like our fourth [music] annual cancer screenings and the introduction of the coronary calcium scan. These proactive prevention programs are vital in detecting early markers of heart disease and cancer. Critical steps for firefighters facing heightened risks associated with their profession. Additionally, we launched a groundbreaking [music] pilot program with the Epic Brain Center exploring enhanced mindbody performance treatments. This innovative [music] approach supports firefighters dealing with PTSD and other mental health challenges while empowering them with improved executive function to perform at their best. >> 2024 was a landmark year for the Reno Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Division with [music] 30,649 calls for service. Collaboration played a key role in 2024 as we joined forces with [music] regional partners to strengthen our unified response to medical emergencies. We were excited to welcome our new EMS management assistant and expand our specialized training for our single role program. Ensuring our EMS team is always prepared to meet our community's high demand for advanced emergency medical services. We conducted division level training on new medical equipment, including cutting edge video luringoscope blades that are vital and life-saving situations and [music] new medications that can be used to treat various patient presentations by our mid and advanced level providers. We also implemented a new medical charting platform, further enhancing patient care. >> Reno Fire Department's support services division achieved significant milestones in 2024. enhanced vehicle maintenance and repair, increased apparatus safety, and equipment modernization. Through our apparatus replacement program, we added two new brush trucks designed for firefighting and rugged terrain and a state-of-the-art ambulance, ensuring our fleet meets the diverse needs of our community. We also enhanced operations by refining the use of fleet cameras throughout our vehicles. [music] These systems capture critical moments during incidents, training, and daily operations, providing insights that improve safety and support crew education. Our logistics team continues to push innovation forward, adopting advanced battery powered tools on our fire engines and ladder trucks, and improve personal protective equipment. These enhancements extend equipment lifespan, improve functionality, and prioritize firefighter safety. Looking ahead, we're excited to introduce a new heavy rescue [music] apparatus in 2025. The first of its kind for our department since 1986. As an all-risk [music] fire department supporting many different types of incidents, this addition ensures our crews are ready to respond to any emergency no matter the challenge. >> As we reflect on 2024, Reno Fire Department has much to celebrate. from our interlocal agreement with the Reno Tahoe airport authority enabling us to assume [music] firefighting services across all airport properties and our partnership with Truckucky Meadows Fire and Rescue which now provides automatic aid to ensure the closest resource response to emergencies no matter the jurisdiction. We're building the foundation for continued growth and excellence. I'm pleased to share that we also received the keys to 455 East Second Street, our future central [music] fire station. We're excited to begin serving you from this state-of-the-art facility in 2027. At RFD, we believe that being part of the community is just as important as responding to emergencies. Whether it's hosting fire safety programs, participating in local events, or building relationships with residents, we strive to be more than the first responders, we're your neighbors, partners, and advocates for a safer region. None of our work would be possible without the dedication of our team and the unwavering support of our Reno City Council, state, and federal representatives. Their commitment ensures RFD is always ready to serve and protect our community. On behalf of the Reno Fire Department, thank you for your trust and support. Together, we accomplished so much in 2024, and we look forward to an even brighter [music] and safer year ahead. Thank you for standing with us. >> [music] >> Grab a slice, hit a ride, get a rush, and roll the dice. Step into a world where Nevada's northern [music] lights shine bright and last calls are rare. In a city that never sleeps, where the spirit of the Wild West lives on [music] through daring rapids and rocking out goes beyond the crowds. Founded on the rebels of resilience, we aren't what you expected. We're what's [music] coming. We don't just embrace downtown, we infuse it with life. We are a [music] convergence of adventure, art, and taste. It's not just our city, it's our identity. The mighty Truckucky, our lifeline, and the Nevada sky [music] as our backdrop. Downtown Reno is a tribute to our roots and a leap into the future. Discover [music] 110 blocks of stories of residents, entrepreneurs, creators, and masters of their craft coming together in the spirit of discovery and progress [music] in a city that never ceases to reinvent itself. We are the unexpected. Been a while. [music] Downtown Reno invites you to rise with us again. What's your story? >> Hello and welcome to On the Agenda, a semionthly podcast by the city of Reno that quickly updates you on actions taken uh at the most recent council meeting and checks in with various departments [music] to keep you up to date with happenings at city hall. I'm AJ from the city of Reno's communications department alongside Reno City manager Jackie Bryan. [music] Hello, Reno City Manager, Jackie Bryant. >> Hello, AJ. I can't believe it's been two weeks since we were last together. >> Two weeks already. Uh, it was a um a long night, but we're here now and everyone made it and >> had a have a lot to go through. So, before we get into our main topic, parks funding, let's recap just a couple actions that were taken at yesterday's city council meeting [music] um and talk about how our agenda order has changed. So, how has the agenda changed? Okay. So the first thing is that uh we've changed the agenda a little bit. We're testing out a new approach where we have removed the department labels [music] because this restricted us from moving things around in a way without confusing everyone as to the order of the items. So now department items have been moved up earlier in the meeting are now just labeled C rather than D. And the rest of the items are listed in the order that we are actually expecting them to be heard. Uh this will make it a little bit easier for everyone to keep track [music] of where we are throughout the day. Um but as a reminder, the mayor or presiding officer still has the ability to hear the agenda in whatever order they deem necessary according to council rules. >> That makes sense. So it's just kind of making it a little more uh uh cohesive in how it goes through. >> Yes. So, we also had a few other items because like we said, we were here a little later. Um, what are a few of the the items that council heard yesterday that we should tell people about? >> So, the two biggest items that I think most people will be interested in is that we had a hearing at 6 p.m. regarding the appeal of the planning commission's decision to grant a conditional use permit to allow a new apartment complex on the corner of Plum Street and [music] South McCarron Boulevard. So that appeal was ultimately denied in a 4-3 vote [music] and now absent a subsequent appeal to court that apartment complex will proceed. Earlier in the day we talked about ADUs. The feedback was provided from council to staff and staff's going to take that feedback, draft an ordinance and then take it to planning commission and have them provide additional feedback. And after that, it'll come back to council again for a first and second reading two different times. >> So yesterday or a few days ago by the time you hear this, council heard some items related to parks funding, including uh reservicing tennis courts at Mariloma Park, and some grant acceptances to support adaptive mountain biking, the river ranger program, and CPR training units um among other things. To understand how our parks facilities are funded and to make sure we check ourselves before we park and wreck ourselves, we are joined by Nathan Ult, director of parks and rec. Hello, Nathan. Thank you for joining us. >> Thank you. Happy to be here. >> Very long trek down the hall to our studio. >> It I did have to cross the elevator bank. [laughter] >> So, Nathan, first things first, when we talk about parks, how many parks are there in the biggest list city that your team will oversees? >> So, officially there are 87 parks. Uh and there's also five to six plaza spaces that we maintain, including landscaping. We also have landscape maintenance districts where which are really exciting. Essentially, it's for spaces that don't have an HOA, but they have some rideway landscaping um and things in the roadway. So, parks and wreck and the park maintenance division oversees the the maintenance of that through a contract. So, lot of space, a lot of trails, a lot of lot of everything people don't think about that usually falls to us. A lot of river path, those types of things. >> And that's everything, right? You said like maintenance, lawn care, river rangers, you you your parks department oversees all that, >> right? And then the stuff that's underground with irrigation. A lot of lot of things underground that people never see, but if they don't work, nothing grows. >> So, one thing folks may not understand is that parks and wreck has many divisions to it. What are the programs and divisions is under the parks umbrella? >> Sure. So starting maintenance um all those beautiful flowers you see growing through our horiculture department our wonderful horiculturist Ryan Sharer and his uh especially one of his key staff we um grow those things from a seed and bring them out. We don't just buy them from a store. They grow those from a seed and um Ryan's just an amazing resource for the city and I think a lot of people see it but it's good to know the name behind it. Uh and then also our urban forestry. So in in maintenance it's horiculture, urban forestry, we have an irrigation division. Uh and then we have uh about 30 people doing the maintenance of our parks including uh you know the 87 parks we mentioned the plazas, the trails and the open space. Uh and then on the recreation side, we've got um a health and wellness division which operates our facilities at U Moana, the new Moana pool and fitness facility along with Evelyn Mount Community Center, the Paradise Park Activity Center, Neil Road Community Center, and then we have a few other buildings. McKinley now we're operating programs out of that. Uh Plumis Gym, and then Horseman's Park is another space that's uh being utilized by some community groups as well. Wow, that's a lot. >> Yes. So, that's just health and wellness. >> All right. And then you've got then you have our adult sports programming. You have our adaptive programming, which we can get into a little bit when we talk about the grants. Of course, aquatics um with the pools that are around our our city. We have five now that uh our summer ones, our outdoor ones are getting ready to open here for uh in Memorial Day. Uh and then our youth division uh operates our Sierra Kids uh before and after school program. Um they're also starting some new youth programming outside of that. And then of course they'll be moving into summer camps to take care of kids for out of school time in the summer. >> And you can find all this information essentially on our website reno.gov/parks andre. >> Absolutely. And follow us on socials to see what's new and what's coming and and get the alerts for registration. >> But that's another thing people might not know about is that there's a Facebook page dedicated to the parks and recck page. So if you are like I only want parks info, you can go follow that page. >> Absolutely. We'd love to have you. Um, so now that we know kind of the many facets to the uh to the parks department and just how many parks there are in the biggest little city, uh, no pun intended, but let's get into the weeds of it all. How how do we fund parks? There's no money tree growing in Idol, right? It was like >> that. That's correct. Yeah, we haven't found we haven't found the seeds for that yet. Um, but I think traditionally uh in Reno it's been primarily through um the general fund, right? Through essentially a tax subsidy. So these are services and have been seen as services for a long time. Um typically parks are a service. They're an infrastructure piece. So the maintenance side is almost 100% a subsidy. There's very little revenue that comes in um as a part of operations. So if you think of our revenues as a three-legged stool, right? A subsidy through tax base. Um and then we're we're looking at growing our operational revenue, which is more on the recreation side, right? Right? So you pay for a program, you participate, you're the only one who participated. The rest of the tax base doesn't contribute equally to that. So they do from a park infrastructure standpoint because that's free. But for a program, you'll pay a fee to participate since that's a benefit to you individually or to your family, right? And then that third leg of the stool would be that nonoperational revenue, which is kind of what was on the agenda this week, which is which is grants, which is sponsorship. Uh things like that where where we're not operating a program, but we're allowing people to from a sponsorship perspective to sponsor it and bring that to the community on uh on behalf of their company, their organization, their nonprofit. And then grants, of course, which could be through the government or through nonprofit and foundations. So those are the kind of the three-legged stool. And and I think for a long time it's been off balance with the tax base funding parks and wreck. And so now we're trying to lengthen those other legs of the stool. So we have a nice balance and that we're a little more resilient from challenges. >> So you're really only like the one of the few if only departments that people like outside sources can fund like Reconnect is a great program. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think Yeah. Rec's a great a great example. Um I I like to say that parks and wreck are the part of uh of government that people get to touch and feel. Whereas I mean you can feel the road if you want to but um and you but generally when you're talking to police and fire your day is not going great. You know, sometimes it is like it's not it's not any will of police and fire that your day is not going great and they do a bunch in the community otherwise. But parks and wreck is the thing people choose in government and get to participate in a way that uh is fulfilling and meeting needs from a connectivity standpoint from a senior sitting at home alone all day versus being able to come and be with their friends um for low or no cost. So, we've got some great programs there. Um, you mentioned Rec Connect for those uh there's a great sliding scale program that allows people to access our facilities for as little as $12 a month if they're [clears throat] if their income and their household side size um indicate that they that they need a hand up, not a hand out, a hand up, they still pay a share. But um and then on the other end of that spectrum, if you're doing great financially and our fees are comparable to the market rate, so we don't undercut the private sector in the fitness industry and things like that. So, so a lot of thought to how what goes into how we price our our programs and things like that. So, it's important to find those things out on our website or at our wreck and parks commission meetings and at the fee schedule when that comes up. So, there's there's a method behind those changes and and a reason for it and it's to be resilient and and be open for a long time to serve the public. >> Real quick on that, people can use their insurance for like Bright Connect and for different programs that we have. >> Sure. Yeah, there are some programs that we've set up in the last couple of years for um healthc care uh provided access especially for our seniors. We've gone from having 200 seniors utilize our space and it was at no cost but the city ate the cost. Now we've engaged uh six health care programs where the healthcare programs reimburse the city and there's no out-of- pocket cost to the seniors. So they scan a card from their healthcare program and we get two or three bucks a visit and then the seniors get to use it for free. So, we've seen it go go from 200 people to now 1,300 seniors are accessing our program and spaces. And the city is bringing in like 5x to the revenue we were bringing in prior to from a senior program. >> So, this makes a perfect segue into our next set of questions actually. Um, let's start with the grants that were were approved yesterday. So, what were those grants? Those were items uh B1 through 14, >> right? Um, so let's start with the first two, uh, B11 and 12, which were, um, for our adaptive program. I can't say enough about it. If you've ever seen me on anything, I talk about how great this program is, how amazing a April, uh, Anthony, and Sean are in the adaptive and and, uh, therapeutic wreck program and inclusion program. and they also handle that for for all of our programs to make sure that our spaces are inclusive and our uh our folks who might have some some developmental challenges are able to participate in in the same way. So, um this is this is April has really built her own little empire through grants and through relationships and and frankly through delivering. The only way you maintain relationships like this is delivering an excellent product and being really good at saying thank you and and uh I can't count how many times April has had something just come up where another grant grantee has failed and to deliver. And so they come to April last minute and say, "Hey, I have $30,000. I need to get it allotted and assigned." And she has a program ready for it and it helps amplify what we already have. So she doesn't start something new. It just amplifies what we have. And that's that's a way we balance the stool too is is using adaptive and inclusion as a model to say that we don't need to start something new necessarily but if we can offset that general fund subsidy again we're more resilient during challenging times. So, uh, the two grants that are on there, uh, the the therapy program, the alumni program from Announce, so those are folks who are coming out of, it could be addiction, it could be, um, uh, a a surgery, something like that. They're starting to, they're struggling from recovery and things like that. So, this program connects them with fitness and it connects them with, uh, folks who are also going through that uh, challenge. So, this this helps support that. And so they come down to our facilities and they work out and they work with uh Tony and some of his trainers to really stay connected and and stay on, you know, keep their head space in a good space as well as getting their body back into shape after whatever challenge they've been going through. Um and then the one below that, our adaptive mountain biking program. Um we've got an amazing um outdoor mountain bike facility at Sierra Vista Park, which is in Northwest, the old golf course. Um there's an biggest little trails u committee has been building trails in that old golf course for I don't know 10 12 years and and it is it is becoming very quickly a regional resource and uh people from around the world come and bike in these spaces and a few of our trails have been uh adaptive and they're accessible and so we have bikes in our adaptive cycling center that uh that people can check out and go do these trails. So, if if you need an incumbent bike that is completely hand operated or if it's a if it's an electric bike where it's powered through a battery, uh if you don't have any power in in your legs or arms, you can still get on a bike, right, and go explore and be a part of these trails. So, um this grant is helping to support that through the purchase of of other of other equipment and to offset and maintain what we've already got. So, wonderful thing. B13 is a grant for our river ranger program. Again, this is that non-operational revenue that goes to support a program that already exists, right? And again, we'll offset some of those um the the burden to the general fund, which is which has always got a lot of needs. So, for this grant, we're going to we're going to for this summer hire part-time rangers for the first time, and we're going to see how that could help amplify what is a great team of six or we'll have seven rangers shortly. Um that will allow us to expand our coverage and our frequency along the river. So, um, very grateful for that. We've also got some other things in the hopper. We hope we'll continue to expand that program. >> Nice. And the the river rangers are going to be all along the Truckucky and kind of helping keep that flowing. No pun intended. >> Yeah. Okay. >> River rangers, your river rangers are focused on the river, keeping our spaces clean and safe. They're a preventative measure, which is what uh the Truckucky River Fund really liked about this. A lot of the things they get are for cleanups. They get a lot of applications to clean up spaces. um the river rangers have the ability through the enforcement um authority that council has given them is to to really help prevent things from getting in the river in the first place. >> So, you know, if you see a card out in the middle of the trucky downtown, you're going to see a river ranger and their waiters go out and grab it. So, they love doing it. You know, um don't tell risk, but they love doing it. They get out there. No, it's during low flow parts. But, um anyway, anything that's there, they're quick, they're responsive, um and there's a lot of will on their side to to get this done. So, >> and then you've had another grant for CPR training. >> Yeah, this is a it's a donation really acceptance. Um, we had we have a an aquatic staff who is a lifeguard and water safety instructor who is also a Girl Scout and was going for her Gold Award, which is something that means that a Girl Scout's making a lasting impact on the world. And so her project was she tied her work into Girl Scouts and she created vests that go over CPR dummies. And um the idea is it it's to get young 15 16 year old kids comfortable with the ideas that you may have to perform CPR on a grown woman who has breasts. And so she's made these vests out of kind of wets suit material and then silicone implants and they go on our our CPR dummies and give our staff and our trainees the opportunity to just get comfortable with that idea. So, um, she made, uh, six or seven of them and, um, she's got interest from some companies to to see what it would take to to have that, um, in their repertoire, too. So, some some CPR and like not the Red Cross, but a similar training type of a program, right? >> So, it's a really cool thing. And so, she donated those to the cities as a part of the project. And so, we'll have those in our inventory. And that's what the acceptance is. But the story is almost cooler than the donation. Like, it's a great idea. Um it was one of our our our obviously first and foremost Reno residents but one of our Reno staff >> um that that had this idea and connected the dots. >> Get them on Shark Tank right now. >> Right. >> Council also heard a bit about the Mariloma Park tennis court replacement. Um tell us a little bit about that. Is this similar to like the Reno Tennis Centers uh recent improvements? >> Uh I think it's it's similar in maybe the outcome different funding source. So, this uses um this uses residential construction tax primarily um which is something that comes as a part of development, right? So, if people build houses, we get $1,000 per house to put into the park system. Uh and this this is an opportunity mir's tennis courts and ball courts. They have there's a basketball court there that's kind of I always think of I don't know if any Fresh Prince fans out there, but whenever they had like an NBC show where there's a basketball court and you're like that's not a real basketball court. That's what our basketball court at Miraloma felt like. It was like a weird cage and they had a hoop on it. So, we're going to build a real basketball court out there. Um, and then we're going to we're going to take our current tennis courts and we're gonna we're going to keep two tennis courts, but we're going to turn in six pickle ball courts that are going to be just as good as anywhere in the city. Um, and provide that side of town with some some uh additional opportunities for pickle ball. We're going to do some path improvements out there. So there's a lot of really really good stuff going on at Mariloma Park and it's it's one of our older parks and it needed some love and so that's what we're doing out there with this. >> Would you say that the addition of uh the pickle ball courts is a big deal. [laughter] >> All right. Okay. That's all the time I have. >> I thought it was funny. >> Nathan, I don't want to take up too much of your time, but everyone loves parks. Everyone loves uh things that you guys do. So, how can people get involved if they want to help? >> Sure. No, thanks for asking and I will take all of your time talking about it. Um, we've got a ton of great ways coming back. One, one amazing thing council did last year was approve a fund development manager position which is allowing us to attack those non-operational revenues that we haven't been able to in the past. Grants first and foremost, sponsorships, but then also this grassroots giving idea where people that do want to engage and do want to have a say in this park means a lot to me and I want to give back to it. So, my kids grew up here, they played here, I played here, whatever it is. Um, we have we want to make those opportunities possible. So, some of the ways we can do that right now, um, Landon Miller is our grant, our fund development manager. Um, we're working on, um, kind of a sponsorship or or recognition for our flower baskets, for our flower beds. Subtle, >> not going to be a big like flashing sign. It's just going to be a tasteful little mention of an organization, a family, things like that. We do that with our trees through Relief Reno. Um, we're also working on a a swim lesson endowment to make sure that all of our kids have access to swim lessons regardless of ability to pay. We're trying to work with the school district to get it as a part of the school day. So, some huge things we're working on. A big thing at Moana uh pool and fitness center is our donor wall is coming online. So, if you'd like to have some firm recognition for as long as that pool's open, um, you can do that as as a individual, as a family for as low as $500 for some of our businesses. Uh, Pennington Foundation gave nine million. they'll have a spot. Our coffee friends over at Dutch Bros have given money. Um the construction company's going to give some money to be on that wall. But that's for everybody. It can be for, you know, if I want to recognize my grandpa, who I just love him, you know, but if I want to put his name on it, I can do that. And so, uh, so those are some opportunities there. We're also looking at rebuilding the Idle Wild train. Um, so we've got some work going with Tesla and some folks over there, right? Just a, you know, we lost the log ride at San Raphael, so we can't lose the train. So, we're going to work on rebuilding the train and the train tracks. So, there's good momentum there. We're working on a playground endowment so that again that hopefully this leg of the stool will be as big as any leg that this will be a big part for people to give back financially and help make a difference in their spaces. So, and then on top of all that, we always need help. We we do park cleanups. We just repainted under the bridges at um Second Street, right around the fire station, just under those bridges. We know that at times they're going to be graffitied and vandalized, but we want to show the community we're paying attention and that we're going to do a reset. All right, Madame Mayor, if you would like, we can reconvene the meeting. It's 2:25 and at this time, Council Member Eert is absent. Um, and based on um, attendance in the room, if you'd like, we're going to go ahead and open up item D1, >> but let's get staff down here for item D1. >> There'll be a minute. Madame Mayor, may I just in the interest of our council's timing today, item D1 is an item in Ward Five and it's a very basic and simple matter. Um, so I don't require a presentation, but would have to have an ordinance introduction read by the famous Carl Hall. >> The infamous >> the infamous Go ahead. >> So, we're going to open item D1 >> and ask Mr. Shipman to read Yeah, this is uh bill number 7328 case number LDC 26-000029 Whispering Road zoning map amendment ordinance to amend title 18 chapter 1802 of the Reno Municipal Code entitled zoning reszoning a plus or -.23 23 acre site located north of Crystal Park Road, approximately plus or minus 60 feet north of the intersection with South Verdai Road and Quilys Ranch Road, 595 Crystal Peak Park Road, and more particularly described in the attached exhibit A in reszoning said property from public facility to general commercial together with matters which pertain to or connected therewith. >> Okay. >> And madame mayor, if you'll open the public hearing. >> I will now open the public hearing. Madame Clerk, has proper notice been given? Any correspondence received? >> Proper notice was given. One comment was received in opposition of this item and has been distributed to the Reno City Council and we do not have any public comment registered. >> Thank you so much. All right, >> mayor. Get a motion from vice mayor. >> I I think this is council member Reese's word if it's okay if he would do I'm happy to second the motion once he's ready. No worries. >> Yeah. Move to uphold the recommendation planning commission and refer. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. >> I. All those opposed. Motion carries unanimously. Sorry, I don't know. Oh, I was thinking it was Megan's but not. >> So, thank you. >> Yes. >> Okay, Madame Clerk, back at you. >> All right, we're moving on to item C5, biggest little bike network update. >> Yay, Dale. Good stuff. Good stuff. Right. Right, Carrie? >> Yes. [laughter] >> Yay. Okay. Good afternoon. >> Any public comment on this item, >> Madame Clerk? Any public comment? >> This is a discussion item only, so we do not have any public comment registered and have not received any correspondence. >> Okay, that's awesome. The floor is yours. Take it away, Bill. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Council, for the record, Bill Thomas with RTC WO. Um, here today to give you a presentation on a very special project to us at RTC and I know to the city of Reno. Um Dale's going to go through Dale Keller, deputy executive director, go through the update because he is uh very much aware of the details and I think he'd be better suited to give you the details and answer some of the questions you have. But um I I'm here also if you have any questions of me. Um you may remember that this started many years ago with a pilot project, one that was very much led by your staff working with RTC. And I'm glad to say that um I think you'll be very happy to see how this has evolved into something that is unique to our community and hopefully something we can replicate elsewhere. So with that, I'll hand it over to Dale. >> Okay, >> great. Thank you, Bill. Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council, Dale Keller for the record. So today, I'll be giving a a brief overview of the biggest little bite network project. We're focusing on making downtown Reno safer, more connected, and more accessible for people who walk and bike and move throughout the city in many different ways. So, the goal is very simple. It's to create a network of bike routes that link major destinations that give people that transportation option beyond driving. So, making the connection in the downtown itself, but also from the university all the way south um into Midtown. The network focused on four key downtown corridors that'll be redesigned for better support for walking and biking. So, starting on the left side and the west, you have Vine Street running north and south all the way down the river all the way past I80 into the university. Um, going to the east, you have Virginia Street highlighting making that major connecting that already exists at the university and all the improvements that were done in in Midtown. And then on the east side we have Lake Evans Sinclair providing another alternative north south that enters an east of the university connects to the ballpark and then to the east side of downtown. And then for the uh east west connection is fifth street. Fifth streets out there. We have that quick build and we're going to actually make those big and permanent improvements. So the plan includes over four miles of connected bikeways in addition to what we're doing with some more quick builds in Midtown. We're stalling around 20 miles of additional bike lanes this year, which is very exciting, very transmoral, transformative for the city. We're gonna be having protected bike lanes that creates uh separate cyclists from vehicle traffic will include traffic calming uh neighborhood streets like bike boulevards as an example. Safer intersections for improved crossings and site visibility. And then what we heard a lot was wayfairing signage to help navigate through that network. So, as Bill mentioned, this has been a long time coming. This shows from the conception of this back in 2024. Talked about the microobility uh pilot study getting action and uh recommendations for approval by this council and support to move this along to final these things and with the cherry on top with the Virginia Street Placemaking study and with that direction really help provide staff to get to where we are. We've had a lot of public comment uh and we're in that final stages. We're at the finish line and we're ready to start construction here this August after hot August nights. And we found a good construction window where we can avoid some special events and still effectively deliver this construction project and get done um before winter and in November time frame. So why does this all matter? Why are we doing this? Um and Reno keeps growing both from uh bicyclist riders and for scooters and is how do we provide that safe in infrastructure into downtown Reno. Uh right now there's many different destinations as we talked about and these this project really closes that gap. So safe streets, more people ride in, fewer crashers and then that stronger community in the downtown area. We've heard a lot from the community and we had many different opportunities for stakeholder input as you saw from the pleasing schedule sign. Uh what we heard from pop-up events, public meetings, and online feedback is they everybody wants a more safe and connected downtown. We want better signage, additional bike parking, public art and placemaking, and then partnerships with local businesses. So what does this look like when we get done here in 2025, later this year? We have that final design underway. We're reaching to that 100% design. We really get all of our approvals done here in May time frame. We want to start construction once again this summer after hot August nights. We want to focus on Virginia Street and Fifth Street and then we'll come back. We'll work on Vine and then Lake Evans and Sinclair. Um so we're excited for this. This is really transformable in downtown Reno and all the other bike infrastructure and I think this has a huge positive impact for the community and we're here to help answer any questions that you may have. So thank you for your time. >> Mr. Keller, can I just ask a couple of questions? Number one, fantastic presentation, very exciting. Um, it's been a little slower than I had hoped only because we had some great things that happened out of the super TE, the pilot program, the work that was done on fifth. Um, so um, every government official wants things to move faster and it does move. And so I'm happy that we're here today, but expressing to you just my frustration at the the speed of which it uh has happened, not anything about your work on it. Um let me ask this. I don't see like the Truckucky Meadows Bicycle Alliance here today. I might have expected that their members might come. Um this was a long process to get to today. Um including um the Dutch cycling embassy um program that came here. I think our council paid for portions of that. Um there was a lot of work done with our staff and your staff. Um do you know if they knew this was happening today? Did we reach out to them? Um because I think they've been great advocates. >> They continue to be great advocates and I'm unsure about today's outreach. Um however, we talked about all the pop-up events and all the momentum that we had from last fall and really convey and communicate what our final design looks like and they've been big supporters. Um, and as you can as you know that we've gone a long way with understanding the needs of the bike community and find great partnerships to help support not only bike community but also the businesses as well. >> Well, and and can we look at can you go backwards in the slides? There was one that had um some roadway Oh no. >> Uh I thought oh it may have been that I misunderstood this slide. Um is there a map that shows which streets it will be covering? There it is. Okay. I wasn't wrong. Um and so tell us what where to take this colorful map to mean explain it sort of in the most basic terms. >> So instead of focusing on just one corridor, we're looking at that network and the biggest level bike network will actually allow not only just one route but actually make all these different connections. You see all the dash lines, those are existing bike facilities or future ones are planned. So this is fills that gap in between from the university side and all the way into Midtown. So providing three north south corridors where there is not one continuous today and these are what we call low stress facilities. So that separation where you feel safe. We're not making this just for your elite cyclist. We're making it for all users and all abilities. So that's what we're really excited for. And then we've really focused on destinations as well. So making sure these destinations actually go somewhere and people will ride it. And how does the BLBN uh hook into both the Audi Wells corridor project and also the work that you're doing north of the university on Virginia to go from the university up into the north valleys because those are also parts of a broader vision that RTC has been casting. So I want to understand how this connects into those. >> Great question. And so first one for the Audi Bis corridor if you see on the red on Lake Street that connects you to the Ninth Street. Nice Street has a shared use path that runs north I 80 that connects right into the Audi facility in Wells. And so it's a great Wells over to University Connection all the way Midtown and also with the all the improvements that were happening in the north valleys continue this in actually you could actually go on a a a path and bike lanes all the way up from Lemon Drive all the way down in about three years you'll have that connection. So these continue this build upon it. We're building inside to out which makes a lot of sense. And so there's different opportunities of writership including in the north valleys >> and the fourth street corridor improvements that we launched um Miss Taylor and I were there maybe a week or 10 days ago that has a bicycle facility on it. >> Yes sir. And you see that dashed in highlight as well. So even getting out to West Reno from McCarron all the way through once again you're building this big network. I thank you for bringing that up because I didn't mention that. I mean, we're looking every aspect of every ward we have, there's something going on that we're improving for safety for pedestrians and cyclists. >> Amazing. Thank you so much. I may have other questions in my second round. >> Thank you, Council Member D. Yeah, Council Member Der. >> Yeah. Um, thanks, Dale, for this. Yes. Long time in coming, right? I have a question that at once we move out of the downtown. Oh, first, if you could show the picture of what it actually looks like with that separation, the concrete. You said something like concept to concrete there. So, are you expecting they'll all look like the upper picture or is there some that will look like the lower picture? >> It's a combination. So, it's context sensitive. So, for very low speed facilities on Sinclair in particular, we're making those bikeways. So, you're you're tightening up the roadway, maybe have some speed humps instead, and you're sharing the roadway. But when you get more high-speed, high volume ones, we want that separation. >> What's some examples that like? >> Yep. Some examples is what you see it is those are protected by claims. No, but what kind of street would that be on? >> So this on the top one be fifth street which out there today be as an example >> mean Virginia Street >> and then the portions of Virginia Street, right? And outside the special event zone will have these buffers. Inside we'll have just a buffer, not a protected. >> So it won't be green like downtown Reno. >> It'll be more the divided even though those aren't high speed. >> Correct. >> Those are low speed. >> Correct. And it's all based speed and then also volume amount of traffic we have. >> So I'm wondering about like Plumis. So a long time ago uh south of Arlington but south of Moana maybe really uh Plume is a very wide street and a long time ago I mean 15 years ago maybe you put on a diet so it was reduced to two lanes and then there's these wide bike lanes. >> Do do you expect to do anything down there? I'm not asking for you to do something down there frankly. I'm just wondering what your plan is. So, biggest little pipe network is focused in downtown. As we get a little bit south um and into Midtown in that area a little bit, we have this active transportation project that we're going to start later this summer. I would can show you the map of that. We're finalizing what that scope is and working with city staff and making sure that whatever that quick bill would look like, it could be maintained and then it could be changed or we >> think it would be more like this green. >> Yes. >> Oh, okay. >> So, one of the things and I I a human behavior. So I live just one street south of Moana. So I cross Moana going south on Plumis and what happens is the bike lane's there and and it's only one lane. So I tend to pull over in the bike lane. I'm going to admit this to turn onto my street to not block the traffic that's behind me that's all wanting to go 30 and 40 speed limits 30. I I do it routinely. Not not everybody does. So I'm just curious. I assume that's bad behavior probably. and maybe I should just stay in the lane, back up the traffic. >> I won't accuse you. I won't accuse you of bad behavior. >> Uh but those are things I think we when we put in this type of infrastructure, you see by having some of these more hardended services, you drivers won't be >> a number one, but on the one below, you could still pull into that green. >> Correct. And there might be some other opportunities that we >> There's very few bikes on there. I mean, that's why, right? There's it's not like we have a steady stream of bike traffic on blue. We just don't. So I just wondered what the expectation was for the green. >> So you should stay out of it. I assume. Correct. Okay. Even if there's nobody for miles and we haven't seen anybody for 20 minutes, but we shouldn't go there. >> Okay. >> Does anybody else have any questions or comments? Yeah, Council Member Eert. Um [clears throat] yeah, I'm just wanted to say thanks for the presentation and for talking about um the connectivity up to Lemon Drive. I did just want to give some feedback though as as the the ward representative for that area. I do get a lot of um concerns from the community members that say, you know, really we want like more focus on um more lanes for driving. There's not a lot of people using uh bicycles or other modes of transportation that go in a bike lane to get from the north valleys into town. Um also when we do have weather, you know, snowy weather, um we end up with a lot of ice in the bike lanes which make them kind of not very usable and also if we get snow plowed then we have big piles of snow in these bike lanes. So, um I just want to pass that concern along to you. And also, um just to piggy back off that, there was just a meeting um [sighs and gasps] a couple Thursdays ago regarding the Lemon Drive, um road improvements, and I just wanted to express that um it was very frustrating to me that that was scheduled on the same date as the Ward 4 neighborhood advisory board meeting. Um it's very difficult to have constituents have to decide which meeting they're going to go to for information. Um the city of Reno NAB got cancelled because of the the bad weather, but the RTC uh meeting continued and I wasn't able to go to it because my neighborhood didn't get snowplowed, so I couldn't leave my street. But I just want to share that feedback that if we want this to be a process where we have the community engaging. Um I'd like if you can engage a little more with the city of Reno staff and not schedule um meetings for ward specific things on the same night as a NAB. That's really like a conflict. Um, and you know, um, there's kind of a perception a lot of times of, uh, the city or RTC doesn't want people to know what's going on, and that certainly doesn't help that public perception when people feel like they have to choose one thing or another or meetings don't get rescheduled when um, there's bad weather and people can't get to an RTC meeting. So, I I just wanted to share all that feedback. I do also appreciate the bike lanes and the division of them where it's going to happen because um I I know I've shared multiple times there's been um fatalities where pedestrians and bicycle bicyclists have been hit on North Virginia and I'm looking forward to that um divided bike lane going in along there um north of North McCarron. I'm not sure if that I mean I know that stretches end dot but I'm not sure if RTC or NDOT's going to handle that section of the um the bike lane through there but just really looking forward to that um for um public safety purposes. So just wanted to kind of keep the focus a little bit on W for specific stuff. Sorry if I'm, you know, um, shifting shifting a little too far, but just wanted to address some concerns for my community as well. >> Yeah. Thank you, Council Member Eert. And just one comment. I will take full responsibility and we'll ensure that won't happen again regarding overchuling between those NAB meetings and and our public meetings. So, I'll take that back and we'll make sure that won't happen again. >> I appreciate that. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Taylor. >> Thank you, Mr. Vice Mayor. So, is the project cost still about $17 million or >> in that range? Yes, ma'am. >> And that includes design and construction, >> correct? >> So, what are some of the construction operations? Because we talked a little bit. Um, my follow-up question for that is going to be to Carrie. Are there things that the city might be able to do to improve um with some some of the things that we might need to get done in these areas with our funding? Not asking you for more funding, but what kind of operations? Obvious some of it's going to be striping. Are you going to be removing some of the pavement? Are you going to be extending the sidewalks? What what actually are the construction activities? >> Some of the big physical improvements that you will see will be at the intersections. And so we want to shorten those crosswalk distance and then make a a safe space for walkers as well as people riding bikes. So you see a lot of those at the intersections across that all those four different corridors. So, like if we wanted to improve um electrical conduit or irrigation or some of the underground stuff, will you be doing any of that work with this project? I'm trying to see if there's opportunities to to combine efforts um while you guys are going to be out there to take advantage of any traffic control or anything that that we might be able to do to improve some of the aesthetics. That's a great question and we've been coordinating with staff to ensure those type of I I'd say uh joint purposes can be done. Uh we've worked now if there's more that needs to be happen um I think there's some opportunities we can look into construction or um there might be some ways we can work together so we're minimizing this impact we're not tearing up the road twice. >> That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent. Now the funding side of it, you had federal funds. >> Yes, ma'am. >> And then there was a match. How much was the RTC match? >> 5%. And that came from RTC uh fuel tax. Cool. Well, thank you. Good luck. Have fun. >> Thank you. Does anybody Anybody else? Council member Maurice. >> Uh I don't think I have a question. I didn't know if there was a required motion. Is it just presentation? >> Just discussion. >> Just discussion. >> Thank you so much. >> Thanks so much uh Director Thomas and Mr. uh Kelly for all the presentation and all the information. Thank you too to the public's works team for all your work on this. We'll close up that item. Thank you. And move on to agenda item C6. I believe is the next item. whenever you're ready. >> Thank you. Uh Carissa Bradley the QAC for the record. Good afternoon council. I'm very excited to be with you all today. I think I'm the last item before you and the end of this meeting, so I'll try to make it quick. But today, I'm here to present a quick update about the FY27 through 29 strategic plan and really just have a dialogue with you all to confirm that we're heading in the right direction as we continue to uh build out your strategic priorities for the city of Reno. As you'll remember coming back to our October 29th workshop a couple of months ago. I don't know about you, but it feels like that was just a couple weeks ago, but I now realize it's been quite a few months. So, to reorient you, this was our strategic priorities that were approved by this group to uh d sort of set our strategic direction for the next three fiscal years. Those are fiscal stewardship, legal obligations, safe community, well-maintained city infrastructure, access to natural spaces, and quality of life and government effectiveness. Today's presentation is really focused on two things. First, I want to provide just a broad overview of what's been happening uh since that workshop, what kind of work we've done and what lies ahead. and then to more granularly discuss the fiscal stewardship and legal obligations sections of the plan and make sure that we kind of got it right based off of the feedback that we've received from this body, the community, and staff experts um over the past few months. To reorient you where we are in this planning process, we've gained insights. We've agreed to our areas of focus. We've drafted the plan since our October uh workshop. And now we're really in this refining period to make sure that what's in this document and what's in this uh plan really serves as that strategic roadmap for our staff and for this body as we lead into the next three fiscal years. Also during that October workshop, you'll remember that I asked this body to consider this trapezoid shape here in yellow to serve as our area of focus. So, what that means is that these five areas would have more specific goals, um, which we're calling major opportunity areas, and I'll go over that in a few seconds. Um, but more specific projects and things that fit under here that will be continually reported on and tracked and made sure that we're making that progress and setting those milestones as a city to achieve. So, as a reminder, this strategic plan um kind of scope-wise includes things that are g general government services and funds. Um again, that 36-month implementation cycle, we kept it a little shorter than some of the other plans that this body has adopted in the past uh to really focus on that execution. Um, we're really looking at uh strategic work that makes improvement to some of our our areas of weakness or deficiencies, prioritizes our limited resources, uh, really can work to transform the way we do our work to help improve service delivery, minimizes risk, and really lays a foundation for days um, ahead. What's not in this strategic plan uh is things related to the redevelopment agency, the sewer fund or services or projects where our regional partners are really that lead entity on providing that service. Now to just continue to kind of build out what we're we're talking about today. So the mission and vision of the plan have already been approved. the priorities, that 36-month areas of focus, that trapezoid I mentioned earlier, and but today we're here to talk about this major opportunity areas. So, we're now kind of whittling down to that that last layer of the plan that this this body will take action on. So, what is a major opportunity area, right? What what is this lingo? What's Karissa talking about? So, a major opportunity area is essentially a goal. Um, it's what will the city it answers the question of what will the city achieve by the end of fiscal year 29? and think of them as things that are going to require this body's leadership or coordinated action to accomplish targeted improvement areas um things that are going to require that time resources and effort to accomplish and as I mentioned earlier those transformational projects that help us to um really change and improve the way we do our work. So, with our strategic plan, as I mentioned previously, we've got those priorities, the areas of focus and the major opportunity areas. Um, you'll see in future presentations those areas in blue, but today's focus is really in those green sections of fiscal stewardship and legal obligations. So, we'll be going over six major opportunity areas in total. And the first batch will be under fiscal stewardship, which are FS1, which is structurally balanced budget, which I'll go over on the next slide. FS2, which would be revenue reform, and FS3, which is to reduce subsidies. Now, structurally balanced budget. Um, I'm glad that I'm coming fresh off of your council workshop last week. I think Vicki did a really great job of outlining um some of the needs that the city has when it comes to um becoming structurally balanced. For the past two fiscal years, we know that we have started with a a budget deficit and we have been able to um find one-time funds or strategic reductions in services and supply budgets and those types of things to help us to make sure that um by the time we submit to the state for approval that we are balanced. However, um we're not structurally balanced at this point. structurally balanced if you were to look at your household would be like your income is plenty enough to pay your bills and we want to get to that point uh with certainty each year. Um it's kind of a fiscal term but this is the goal. Um so in this slide I have current state. So, beginning on June 1 or July 1 of this fiscal year or of FY27, that's kind of where we we are. And then by the end of that 2029, uh we would hope to structurally eliminate that gap, reduce our reliance on those one-time resources and find the financial capacity to sustain and expand community services, right? U meet those needs of the community. The second area uh major opportunity area that is being recommended based off the feedback we gathered over the past few months is around revenue reform. So when I say revenue reform um Vicki does a great job of using that um pie chart to show the city's general fund sources and our funding sources in general. Revenue reform I like to think of is growing that pie. How do we have uh additional revenue sources or more strategic um ways to sustain funding sources uh over that time span? So this could be anything from you know increasing our grants, increasing our public private partnerships or more uh structural issues that we would uh pursue. But the ultimate crux here is to help expand and increase that pie. The third is to reduce subsidies. Uh so over the past few months uh because a it's good practice and b with a fiscal situation we've had uh it's taken a lot of self-reflection and looking all of our contracts and all of our agreements and through that process there's been identified places where we could reduce some of the subsidi subsidies happening. Um, and so this strategic major opportunity area would be to by the end of 2029 that we've completely gone through all those agreements and service arrangements and evaluated to make sure they're in alignment with the city's core responsibilities and um eliminating andor restructuring those arrangements to make sure that they're they're in alignment with this council's priorities and our policies. Moving on to legal obligations is our three here which is the enterprise resource planning uh LO2 which is core services and LO3 which is the citywide contract review. First is the ERP or enterprise resource planning. Um right now our current payroll system is uh set to expire with our the vendors set to expire uh in sunset and we know that there's some issues within the system about um system failures or disconnected systems and we know that this is a really great opportunity at this time uh to invest in this system and this software to be more reliable uh more modern and fully integrated with other cities across uh other city services uh during budget workshop last week. There was also um recommendations in the the CIP to kind of kick off this project. So in alignment with with other efforts of course LO2 core services. So uh I like to say that we we know a lot of the things that we do as a city, but this effort would be to really hone in definitionally like what do we do? Why do we do it? How do we know that it's something we're required to do versus somebody else is required to do? Um so when I say core services focus it's really to define and evaluate our required and discretionary service responsibilities. If you uh take a step back and remember our October workshop we had a an attachment that was our drafted uh legal obligations report. Uh so our government affairs team has started to go through and see in our NRS what are all the things that we are required as a city to com to provide for the community. uh and what are those things that are more discretionary or we have flexibility in in that service level. So by the end of 2029's fiscal year, we'd want to have a more clearly defined and agreed upon list of those core services and take a look at what is our um acceptable service level for those. And uh finally, we have LO3, which is citywide contract review. This one is actually a newer addition based off of some of the briefings that we did uh with you all and I think is a really uh important MOA to add to our list here. Uh but essentially in coordination, it would also I I could envision it being kind of similar and tied to that uh reducing subsidies conversation, but doing and completing a um citywide contract and agreement review to make sure that all of our our agreements and interlocals and whatnot are in the best position for the city of Reno. So operationalizing the plan. You might be sitting up here and saying, Chris, you've we've had strategic plans forever. What what's any different than this? How does this change things? Um, and I agree and I think there's some ways that we can improve and enhance that process to really make sure that uh what this body set says the priority is is continuing to be monitored and those milestones are set. So, we're we're recommending or I'm recommending that we keep our staff reports and our presentations aligned. You know, when staff comes up and they say this is in alignment with fiscal stewardship, yada yada. I think to Councilwoman Anderson's point re uh previously, it's a really great messaging tool that everything that we do is really tied back to this body's priorities. We also uh want to keep our department initiatives and metrics aligned to the plan and our budget requests, continuing to align those and prioritize those ones that execute on the uh council's vision. But some areas of for improvement um that will be seen in this new strategic plan are quarterly progress updates to council uh for all of the major opportunity areas, getting an update of where we're at on each one of these. Um publishing more actively on status updates on the website or a dashboard, whatever we come up with. Uh but being really more proactive in that messaging and and talking about where we're at and monitoring key trends and indicators and making sure that um there's a complete story being told around these priorities. So, next steps. Today, I presented our fiscal stewardship and legal obligations sections of the plan. Open to discussion, make sure that we're on the right track. U slotted to come back to this body a few times in the next few weeks. So, get ready. Uh April 8th, we're planning to bring the safe community section. April 22nd, the well-maintained city infrastructure. Uh May 20th is access to natural resources. And then during council break, we're planning to um shop this out to the community. make sure that um we incorporate any uh review or feedback that might need to be incorporated and then hopefully uh bring it back to this body for full adoption after the council summer break and the recommended motion is on the the screen. >> Thank you so much for the presentation. I'll look to the council to see if there are any questions or comments that anybody would like to make at this time. >> Council member Der. Yeah. >> Yeah. I just I appreciated the thorough preview. I know I spent a lot of time with you guys trying to understand where we were and where we're going. Would you mind putting back that first trapezoid that you showed? >> Okay. So, no. Well, the one with >> Oh, the trapezoid. >> Yeah. I am still unclear about why it sounds like we would adopt milestones or objectives, goals, whatever word you're going to use for the yellow, but not for quality of life. And it sounds like a lot of things are in quality of life. Like, let me give you an example. Sustainability. We've had a plan since 2017, but we've adopted no ordinances. That is starting to get so old that you guys would probably say, "Well, we need to redo the whole plan. I mean in 10 years we haven't adopted any ordinances to put meaning meat to the plan. So, but if it's in quality of life, which I suspect it is, then how do we make sure we get this done before it's not too late? Like, we've lost 10 years of actually um organizationally requiring, let's say, electric charging stations or green building or lead certification or bees or pesticides or whatever's in that plan. >> Okay. So, where does it fit? just using as example I could come up with arts, parks, all kind of things that speak to quality of life. H how are we gonna address those things? >> Uh thank you for the question, Carissa Bradley for the record. So I I like to think of the the pyramid as sort of our all of our services and everything that the city does relates to one of those layers. As your example would allude to sustainability might fall into that quality of life. uh through this recommendation is that the quality of life bucket is sustaining what we are currently doing to make sure that um you know those things are >> um >> okay I understand but where does it where would it fit in any of these other buckets blue green >> let me try so you are correct it fits in quality of life along with um art culture special events >> history whatever >> yeah all the things that the community feedback if if I recall correctly said, "Hey, great job, Reno, but you we really need to focus on these other things." So, that's how we ended up prioritizing these other things so that we could knock out some of the community's concerns in a more in a prompt way, 36 months rather than a traditional five-year. >> Yeah. Well, we've been almost 10 years at this and we've had several um strategic plans and I guess if we keep going this way, we will never have sustainability ordinances. Just using that as an example or we won't have we we just did a plan for the arts like a year ago, I think, right? Our new art plan, but we'll never actually do it because it doesn't fit in one of the bottom five buckets. So I I'm not sure that I can get behind that because it's important to do some of it all. For example, on parks, I'm not really sure is access to natural spaces. That doesn't really speak to me about parks. >> Okay. >> Is it parks? >> Yeah. So just generally access to natural spaces has things like parks, the river, um more of those tangible treat like that kind of >> well those are natural features but the access to them to >> Yes. Sorry. And then the well-maintained city infrastructure bucket would be things like our wreck facilities if that helps. >> Okay. Yeah. >> And council mur saying we're not going to do anything with sustainability. I mean, if you'd like me to add to your request of list of things to do the sustainability ordinance, I can add it. This just means we're going to report and focus for 36 months once a month on these things because this is what council and the community prioritize. It doesn't mean that the other things that we're doing go away and it doesn't mean that you can't ask for something else. But >> we only have so much time and resources. So, it this is what council has prioritized to date. Well, I in my meeting I I didn't personally prioritize. I didn't we didn't have a vote as I remember. Maybe we did that. We just said this all we're going to do, but if we did, I don't know that I understood what thing fit fit in one bucket with these new names because to use the sustainability continue using that. Our previous uh strategic plan, we used instead of a triangle or a trapezoid, we used a a circle with everything fitting in together. and sustainability was one of the six. >> Is the issue that you want me to put the sustainability code ordinance on the list? >> No, it's not. >> Okay. Because I can do that if that's the concern. >> The issue is as a bucket there there's a lot more things in sustainability that aren't covered by these bottom five things. And >> I see >> I am just concerned going forward that we stop doing anything in those arenas. >> It's not about stopping anything. We're going to continue to be effective as a government organization. We're going to continue to work on quality of life. But >> the concept, >> but you already said though, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you already said we're not going to prioritize those things, >> right? >> Can I offer just a different perspective on this because I I feel like unless you have one single policy in mind, which I don't I don't think that's what you mean. I think you mean sustainability where it applies and can be improved, right? >> It belongs in every bucket. So >> an eye on sustainability belongs in every one of those buckets. So really the bucket is encapsulated in that big yellow. That's just my perspective on it. >> Well, my perspective um I've been in government like 40 years and every one of those years I had a strategic plan and and um if I've heard it said once, I've heard it said 25 times. It's not our priority. It's not in the strategic plan. It's not this, it's not that. It's used to exclude certain things as well as include certain things. And I view it that it's a opportune uh um what would you call it heristic or model to to try to prioritize and I believe me I the struggle is real, right? I've been in Jackie's seat many times having to do a strategic plan cover either elected appointed officials who want us something and I I understand how important it is to focus ourselves but what I also obser observed over this decade um is that we haven't addressed a number of things and I'll just use the master plan for example in the master plan we'll say well I'll pick trees right everybody knows I care about trees. >> Yes. >> Um it says trees, trees, trees, but we still after all the time have no rule. It it never rose to the level of the importance. And so it's just one example. I could come up with 20. And and I know my time is over. So I'm just sharing a concern that I have that we may not realize all of the decisions that we're making and things that we're including, things we're excluding by having such a rigid model. That's all. Okay. >> Thank you. And thank you for acknowledging that. I think Council Member Taylor, you had something. We'll move to you next. >> Actually, I just wanted to get back to what are you what is the question for today? Because when I read the motion, it's it's going to specifically to fiscal stewardship and legal obligations. That's what we're looking at to say yes, these are the priorities of where we're going to move forward. So, we're not saying we're not going to do sustainability. We're not going to bring something forward. We're focusing on the things that you just brought forward to today to move us forward in the next 36 months. >> Is that accurate? >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh today's item is is positioned to have a discussion around those first two levels. So of the fiscal stewardship this screen and the next couple of >> and that is based on the information when you came before us last time where as a council we voted and said yes this is our number one priority without this based on our budget constraints based on our resources based on the stuff that we've all been hearing for the last year and a half with our financial position. We've got to make sure that we have our financial house in order before we can move forward with any sort of pollinating be strategic or uh sustainability. That's got to be the number one thing. That's what we voted on. That's what we said last time. Right. >> That was my understanding of the motion at that time. Yes. But to your question, today's discussion is really focused on those six in that yellow box to make sure that we we hit the right. No. Are these the the topics for us to to work towards? >> Okay. I just want to make sure I understood and I'm I'm comfortable with that. Thank you for the work. I know that you've done a lot of briefings and taken a lot of time. So, thank you. >> Thank you clarifying. I think anyone else? Council member Reese. >> Thank you so much. Um, thank you so much for the presentation. I think part of the issue is is that we've gotten some briefings and then maybe the last time you were in front of us, we had to speed through and we did not get to do the next step of the presentation. Please understand that that's no reflection on the work that you're doing. This is very important work. I feel like sometimes what happens for me is I've gotten these great briefings that you and your team have offered and then I don't have a lot of questions as we sit here. Part of our goal is to communicate with the public, right, who might either be sitting here or either they could be online. Um these are very weighty topics and I don't know if um people will always connect the dots to exactly why they implicate a various item or I think Councilman Verd said a huristic, right? And so I think that is probably the larger question. Um but I also think that this allows us to as Miss Taylor said individually identify the priorities and move forward on that basis. So for my part I don't have related questions but I do think that the work that you've put into it is very good and that we're doing the important thing of making these choices. I suppose some of these are going to be harder, right? That the today's topics maybe seem like very straightforward. maybe the other ones would have areas where we might have some robust debate about them. I also want to um uh sort of comment that I think all of these things could potentially implicate sustainability. So I don't really see it as like a cold out thing. I see it as being an overall framework like even if you just look at the the top portion which is like we'll call it quality of life broadly. Um I think that is intimately tied to sustainability. So for my part I think it's you've addressed it. So thank you for that. >> Thank you. Council member Reese. Council member Eert, do you have any comments or questions? I just want to make sure we're getting everybody. Before I head on to you, Council Member Door, I just want to make some comments. if you could put up slide 19. Um, and just maybe to address what um, council member Derer is getting to. I think the way that I see um the strategic plan taking shape and moving into the next steps, it's really about the council still having the ability to provide policy input and drive that forward with the understanding that at the base level, our goal is to maintain fiscal stewardship, meet our legal obligations, create a safe community, provide enough funding to have a well-maintained city infrastructure, and having access to natural spaces which ultimately in my perspective and obviously willing to have a conversation with those the other folks on the dice but leads to having a higher quality of life and providing a safe environment for our community and our residents to continue to thrive and enjoy their life here in North Nevada and particularly um in Reno. But I just wanted to put those things on the record and if you'd like to respond or add to anything there before I move on. Okay, council member doer we'll move on to you next. >> Yeah. Um first of all could you go back to your pyramid? Um one thing I want to show or actually uh one of the slides that shows the detail for the green and the green. Yeah. So uh the next one which is the next pyramid item I guess it's uh here we go. Thank you. Um, I want to share that during my briefing, you know, again, I've been through these strategic planning things at infinitum and during my briefing, I think it was myself that brought up, why don't we include contract review under legal obligations, right? Is that right? >> Yes. >> Yes. And so what I'm trying to do is put meaning into these categories that, you know, staff if if they just brought what they had, we wouldn't have the words contract review on there. They weren't on there. I I suggested we add them. People thought, "Oh, that's a good idea." What I'm trying to add value and detail to this thing because what they're doing is they're going into the next level. What do these things mean? And so, you know, please don't misunderstand. I want to know what they mean. So, that look, I won't even be here, but let's say you have a uh going back to your pyramid, I'm sorry. Uh something that going back to the one with the gold. Let's say you want to do an ordinance about signs, ADUs. Where does that fit? Like I just want to know that's our regulatory environment. Um does it I I mean it isn't improving our regulations is not here. I don't know what bucket it goes in. Okay. Um, so I just want to make sure that you're not too landlocked and they say, "Oh, you can only do regulations on safe community and and I certainly advocated one of those which was about street racing." And we did it right. We we and there were other ones on public safety where we added um uh you know parking things and and a variety of things over the years. But what if we recommended a ordinance on I don't even know what uh some new topic. I I mean it doesn't naturally fit anywhere here. It might be to improve a process in planning or to let's say noticing like that was something I worked on early on. Who should get a notice of our projects and we expanded the distance? This is way way back. People might not remember but where would that have fit? Like these are just the questions I think are important to ask anticipating what kind of things might come before you and does it fit in a bucket. Is the bucket broad enough to address it? And that's no one has to answer because I don't think there is a very clear answer right now. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So >> are there any other comments or questions from the dise >> I hope somebody will answer someday like whether it's Jackie or you guys where would um ADUs fit where any of the things that we've worked on for the last two years do they fit anywhere any of the projects >> okay a parking program that might be under safe community might not might be under revenue generation I don't really know but Okay. >> And Manager Bradley or city manager Bryant, if you all have uh the message just clear that it seems like there's more information that's required on specific items and priorities that the council may take and just seeing if those can fit in anywhere. Um, again, we can't really forecast every single item that may be coming forward, but maybe a general understanding of where some of these priorities may land and what policy decisions may have to be taken into consideration if that's just something that comes before the dis and the body and that's when we have to decide and figure out if that's a priority. >> I think that's right. And I and I don't think this is intended to be restrictive. It's to and intended as a 36-month strategic sprint on specified areas. I could argue that ADUs would be under legal obligations. Would it be one of the three uh areas of focus? No, but it could be. It's up to council. >> Thank you for clarifying. >> We didn't hear you. I'm just it's a strategic sprint for 36 months so that we don't go 10 months without addressing what the comm or 10 years I should say without addressing what the community and council have said is important to them. this holds us accountable to those to that feedback >> and um I understand that we got a directive from the legislature for ADUs but that was after we spent four years or something actually going back eight years to work on ADUs you know and our staff were working very hard on that we just batted at home you know right when the legislation was coming out but any year prior to that we would not have had any kind of legal directive to do anything so I'm just you know I just think it's good to be thoughtful and think it through and anticipate >> what we're cutting out and are those things that you I know you said it's not restrictive, but I I've been around strategic plans and that is often how they're used is to prioritize and to discard some efforts. What if we have something coming up, I think in a couple months about uh live entertainment or it's something about um something like that? I I don't I haven't been informed about it. is it it's on one of our upcoming agendas we just talked about a couple days ago. I don't know where that fits. You know, I don't even know if we should be doing it. I mean, so I'm just sharing my I'm just one person and I'm just sharing my experience of working on strategic plans is they can cut both ways. So, all right, enough said for me. >> Thank you. It looks like we need a motion for this. So, if anybody would like to Yeah. Council number two. >> I move to approve the major opportunity areas for fiscal stewardship and legal obligations and include them in the draft strategic plan for community review. >> Second. We have >> a motion to second. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Thank you so much. >> You >> everybody and thank you for the presentation. We have already concluded I believe all the items on the Reno City Council meeting. We'll move on to council comments. I'll start to left of me. Council member Eert, do you have any comments? >> Uh, no, not at this time. Thank you. >> Thank you. Council member Der. >> Not at this time. >> Council member Reese Taylor Anderson. >> Sorry, I am going to make a comment really quick. Um, I just wanted to acknowledge Miss Door, your work on the horse fencing. Um, >> is it working? This this season has been the lightest in having horse interactions in our neighborhood and we're still at the bottom. You know, they come right down toll right pretty much right onto my street right away, but they haven't this season. So, I just want you to know that the efforts that have been >> undertaken have made a big a big impact. Yes. So, thank you. >> Okay. Well, thank you so much. And they're in phase two and so they'll be able to kind of close the loop and it should be even better. Thank you. Thank you. From my part, I just have two things. Just to remind folks that the spring community cleanups are starting here in uh about 10 days. So, we have the first one in Ward 3 at Worooster High School, Saturday, March 21st at 900 a.m. So, if anybody wanted to drop off those items, get more information, they can visit our reno.gov website for more information. Also, uh, Madame Mayor, before she left, would like me to put on the record and ask if there's opportunity to address, uh, what she brought during her comments earlier today, uh, in looking at local artists and then their involvement in the arts and culture advisory board. Um I believe council member Anderson is our liaison on that board, but she wanted me to make sure to mention that and if there's a possibility to continue that discussion um and making sure that local artists um get some consideration. Uh I don't know exactly how she was framing it, but I just want to make sure I put that on the record and brought it to everybody's attention. >> Yes, >> I will take that to the to the board. >> Perfect. Thank you. With that, we'll go to our last >> I didn't actually. >> Oh, yeah. Council member Eert, go right ahead. >> Thank you. Um, Vice Mayor Martinez, I um wanted to uh let everyone know if there's people watching on YouTube that there will be a a neighborhood advisory board coming up March 19th at 6:00 p.m. at the Ste airport. And there will also be a community meeting regarding a proposed development in Ward 4 on Lemon Drive. that will be at the Stee Ele I'm sorry, Lemon Elementary School at 6:30. Also on March 19th, this is a a Praau development, which is currently zoned residential. Um I believe they're looking for feedback on potential reszone to industrial. So, just want to let the community know um in case they have feedback to go to that meeting. Again, it's Lemon Elementary School March 19th at uh 6:30 p.m. to discuss a potential um reszone to put in a um I believe some industrial development uh on Lemon Drive. So, um thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Eert. We'll move on to the last public comment. Is there any public comment, Madame Clerk? >> Mr. Mr. Vice Mayor. Um, so for item E1 on your city council agenda, we do not have any additional public comment registered for correspondence on Oh, I'm sorry. I'm on the wrong agenda. Um, J1 >> J. Yes, >> sorry, I was already on the redevelopment. Um, >> we have received some written correspondence after 4 p.m. yesterday. That has gone out to the council. There are six letters that have been distributed and they will be a part of the permanent record. >> Thank you. Not seeing any registered public comment. We're going to go ahead and open the redevelopment agency board. Madam clerk, if we could take role. >> Calling roll for Wednesday, March 11th for the redevelopment agency board. Council member Taylor >> here. >> Dor >> here. >> Martinez >> here. >> Eert >> here. >> Reese >> here. >> Anderson >> here. Shivi is absent at this time. You do have a quorum of the redevelopment agency board. >> Thank you. We will move on to initial public comment agenda item 83. Do we have any public comment registered? >> We do not have any public comment registered for the redevelopment agency board. >> Thank you so much. With that, we'll close out and go to approval for the agenda. I think uh city manager Bryant has some updates for us possibly. >> Yes. Thank you, Vice Mayor Martinez. I'd like to withdraw item C1 from this agenda please. >> With that, can I get a motion to approve the rest of the agenda? >> Thank you. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I >> I none opposed. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you. We'll move on to agenda item D1. Any board comments? >> Oh, sorry. We need a motion on item A5. >> My apologies. Uh we'll move back to agenda item A5. Approval of the minutes >> to approve. >> We have a motion and a second from council member Anderson. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes unanimously. Thank you for keeping me on track, madam clerk. We'll move on now to board comments. Agenda item D1. Are there any board comments for the redevelopment agency board? Yeah, council member. >> Yeah, I would like to see if maybe we can have uh the DRP come back and see if there's anything we can work on with them with the RDA or maybe have staff look into that um RDA funds and any kind of um programming or projects we can work on together. I know I I brought up that potential scavenger hunt today if that's something that we could do. I know staff has worked on a lot of potential projects already, but um if that's something that we could just um fund and let the DRP kind of lead that. I would like to know if that's if it's a possibility. >> I'll uh make sure that Miss Jordan is aware. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Do any other members have comments? Al that doesn't look like it. We'll move on to final public comment. Do you have any public comment, madam clerk? >> Mr. Vice Mayor, we don't have any public comment registered and have not received any additional correspondence. >> Perfect. With that, we'll look for a motion to adjurnn. >> Thank you, member Taylor. We have a motion, a second. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Motion passes unanimously. We have one final item on the Reno City Council, which is another motion to adjourn our meeting. Can I get a motion? >> Motion to second. motion and a second. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. We are adjourned. Thank you so much everybody.