Highlights from October 24, 2012 Reno City Council Meeting

Today, the Reno City Council held their regularly scheduled meeting. Below are some highlights from the meeting.

• Proclamation declaring October 24, 2012 as EnergyFit Nevada Day
Urging residents to improve the health, comfort, and energy efficiency of their homes by using the EnergyFit Nevada process to conduct an energy audit to identify costs savings energy efficiency measures and to make those energy efficiency improvements to their homes, Mayor Cashell proclaims October 24, 2012 as EnergyFit Nevada Day. EnergyFit Nevada provides rebates of up to $2,000 for implementing residential energy efficiency upgrades and improvements using federal grant dollars received by the State of Nevada to develop a home energy retrofit industry. For more information visit www.energyfitnevada.org. The City of Reno has engaged in an energy retrofit of City facilities and has reduced its energy use by 30 percent.

• Proclamation declaring October 2012 as Disability Awareness Month
Mayor Cashell proclaims October 2012 as Disability Awareness Month, asking all citizens to recognize and celebrate the varied contributions people with disabilities have made to our City, our State, and our Country. Approximately one in five Americans, or 54 million people has a disability.

The City of Reno is committed to providing support and services such as the Military Sports Camp, youth wheelchair sports, and the adaptive equipment rental program to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. For fiscal year 2012-2013, the Reno City Council outlined Accessibility as one of their priorities. Annual priorities are established as short-term goals and are intended to enable the City to attain long-term goals and achieve the Council’s vision for the City.

• Agenda Item I.1  
The City Council approved an amending an ordinance which will implement a new application fee for new package liquor licenses and on-premise full alcohol licenses along with providing for disciplinary procedures and penalties for repeat offenses for alcohol violations such as sales to minors. A final vote for the ordinance change is scheduled for the next City Council meeting on November 7, 2012. The Council also approved a resolution to increase fees for alcohol licenses in the amount of five percent for five years. The increase will be implemented in January 2013 and in the month of July thereafter.

Alcohol license fees are much lower in Reno than other cities of similar size within the state. There has not been an increase in fees since 1996. The City did conduct a public input process (per NRS 237.090) regarding the possibility of creating increased fees.

• Agenda Item I.4
Helping to address the community’s concerns with what appears to be a proliferation of tobacco paraphernalia openly sold and displayed in convenience stores and other businesses frequented by minors and tourists, the City Council approved amending an ordinance requiring a privilege license for retailers of tobacco paraphernalia along with regulating the sale and display of the paraphernalia. A final vote for the ordinance change is scheduled for the next City Council meeting on November 7, 2012.

• Agenda Item I.5
With the intention of implementing a residential and commercial single-stream recycling program while keeping rates low, the Reno City Council voted to move forward with the first reading of the ordinance related to the Waste Management Franchise and Recycling Program.  Council directed staff to continue working with the existing haulers and non-profits in the community to ensure the ordinance did not adversely affect their businesses. A final vote for the ordinance change is scheduled for the next City Council meeting on November 7, 2012. Council members advised they reserve the right to not support a second reading if the issues related to the existing haulers were not satisfactorily addressed.

• Agenda Item J.4 
The Reno City Council voted to continue informal negations with Curb Systems for the next two weeks with a report/update to be brought back to the Council at the November 7, 2012 City Council meeting. Council still reserves the right to terminate the agreement and not accept the parking system. Council member Hascheff serves as the representative to mediate with Curb Systems. The informal negations are related to fixing of issues set forth in the Notice to Correct (dated May 3, 2012) and as represented in Curb System’s letter (dated September 25, 2012).

• Agenda Item J.7
The City Council approved increasing the expenditure to the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) in the amount of $100,000 (originally $71,250). The funds are to be used to offset costs associated with EDAWN’s operational and business development expenses, with a focus on attracting business to downtown Reno.

For fiscal year 2012-2013, the Reno City Council outlined Economic Development as one of their priorities. Annual priorities are established as short-term goals and are intended to enable the City to attain long-term goals and achieve the Council’s vision for the City.