CITY OF RENO NEWS RELEASE
Today the Reno City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting. Below are some highlights from the meeting.
The Reno City Council deferred taking action on several items on today’s council agenda related to fire services/deconsolidation in hopes of having an open conversation with Washoe County at the upcoming Joint Meeting which is scheduled for Monday, April 2, at 8:30 a.m. Attached is a fact sheet about deconsolidation.
• Agenda Item H.2
The City Council approved a request from the Ward Four North Valleys Neighborhood Advisory Board for $400 in Community Pride Grant Funds to the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 88 for supplies to complete an Eagle Scout Community Beautification Project at the North Valleys Regional Park. The project will include planting trees and shrubs and painting structures to make the park more enjoyable for all visitors.
NAB Community Pride Grant Funds are designed to be used for neighborhood-specific projects. These funds are allocated to projects that the city may not have budgeted for that the NAB would like to expedite. Funds are generally intended for projects that are short term in nature and quick to implement. While funding is recommended by the boards, its use and expenditure are guided by established city procurement, expenditure procedures and ground rules.
• Agenda Item H.3
The City Council approved the Reno Arts and Culture Commission recommendation allocating $130,000 in project grants to 22 arts and culture organizations for fiscal year 2012-2013. Of the 22 grants, 14 focus on youth, seniors and veterans while the remaining eight include youth, seniors and veterans in their audiences and programs. The project grants in the amount of $130,000 are included in the proposed fiscal year 2012-2013 budget as part of the Reno Arts and Culture Commission’s portion of the Room Tax Fund.
The Reno Arts and Culture Commission recommends grants and sponsorships should go to projects that: support local arts organizations and artists that build the local arts economy; generate taxes; provide infrastructure for the arts in our community; provide year around productions and events; balance disciplines; are community based programs rather than promoter or presenter organizations, and discourage financial dependency on city funding.
• Agenda Item H.4
The City Council approved the Reno Arts and Culture Commission recommendation to fund $62,993 in Cultural Event Grants to 18 arts and culture organizations for fiscal year 2012-2013. The Arts and Culture Commission noted that these grants allow arts and culture organizations to offer events and programs that are free to the public which is especially important to Reno citizens and visitors during these difficult economic times. Of the 18 grants, 12 focus on youth, seniors and veterans and the remaining six include youth and seniors in their audiences and programs.
The Reno Arts and Culture Commission recommends grants and sponsorships should go to projects that support local arts organizations and artists that build the local arts economy; generate taxes; provide infrastructure for the arts in our community; provide year-round productions and events; balance disciplines; are community based programs rather than promoter or presenter organizations, and discourage financial dependency on city funding.
• Agenda Item J.4
The city of Reno received preliminary notification from the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office on Feb. 24 that the Certified Local Government grant application which the city submitted has been awarded. The city will receive the full amount requested of $29,900 to create a new heritage center in downtown Reno.
The proposed heritage center would be located at the historic Amtrak Depot and will focus on educating residents and visitors about Reno’s diverse historical resources through a variety of interactive formats, e.g., “audio clips,” exhibits, and historical walking and bus tours. The heritage center also will serve as the base for programming related to the National Park Service’s Teaching with Historic Places initiative. Programming to support the TWHP initiative will include displays and educational materials, as well as a new website which can serve as a hub for lesson plans dedicated to educating Washoe County School District students about historic properties and their broader cultural significance.
• Agenda Item J.9
At a joint town hall meeting on March 1, 2012 with the Reno City Council and the Reno City Planning Commissions, residents and business owners supported the development of a comprehensive land use plan for the Midtown District, a successful grassroots revitalization area in the city of Reno. Today, the City Council directed staff to move forward with the development of a Midtown District Plan with the general boundaries of California Avenue, Regency Way, Holcomb Avenue and east side of Plumas Street while recognizing the differing primary uses between the residential and business sections of the area. Council requested to move forward first on the Midtown District Plan related to the business area and then followed by the residential. Simultaneously, staff will finalize the South Virginia Streetscape Design Standards and participate in the anticipated parking study portion of the Regional Transportation Commission’s Virginia Street Corridor Investment Plan. Future plans include the city continuing to work with business and property owners in the district, assisting in facilitating meetings, conducting appropriate research and assisting with coordination.
• Agenda Item L.5
The City Council approved the reallocation from Councilman Aiazzi’s council donation funds for fiscal year 2011-2012 in the amount of $2,000 to the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department to help offset costs associated with dance performances at Wingfield Park. Council donation funds can only be used for nonprofit organizations that provide substantial benefits within our community.
