Agenda Item C.1
Council Member Neoma Jardon presented a proclamation declaring the month of March 2014 as American Red Cross Month. Clara Andriola, CEO, American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter, accepted the proclamation. A group of American Red Cross volunteers were also present. Andriola announced that the Red Cross will host its 11th annual Real Heroes Awards at a luncheon on March 26 at Reno’s Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa.
Agenda Item C.2
Council Member Sharon Zadra presented a proclamation declaring the month of March 2014 as Brain Injury Awareness Month. Teresa M. Morros, President, Head Injury Association of Northern Nevada (HIANN), accepted the proclamation. Teresa’s son, Josh Morros, spoke about how he suffered a severe brain injury in 2008. Teresa announced that HIANN will host a Push, Pull or Drag 5K event on March 29 at Reno’s Double Diamond Athletic Club.
Agenda Item D.1
Reno Police Department Chief Steve Pitts and Reno Fire Division Chief Dave Cochran presented the Medal of Meritorious Service and a Certificate of Commendation to Officers Ira Coffey and Michael Hicks. Coffey and Hicks were rewarded for their bravery resulting from an incident in which they rescued a resident from a burning apartment on Aitken Street on Jan. 5.
Agenda Item D.2
Ashley Jennings, co-founder of GirlMade Accelerator Program, gave an Economic Development Update. Launched in September 2013, GirlMade is a startup accelerator program with the sole mission to “help women play big.” Startup businesses that are accepted into the 12-week Girlmade program are provided with co-working space, seed money, training and hurdle-based mentorship. Currently, there are 10 teams participating in the program.
Agenda Item F.2
City Council approved the petition to expand the downtown Police Special Assessment District (SAD). As part of this process, Council conducted a public hearing to determine the sufficiency of the petition. At the conclusion of the hearing, Council directed that an ordinance be drafted to set the standards for the level of police protection to be provided in the expanded SAD. The draft ordinance will define the proposed boundaries of the expanded SAD. The next public hearing will be held by Council on March 26 at noon in Council Chambers.
Agenda Item J.1
City Council unanimously approved that staff negotiate with The First Tee of Northern Nevada (TFT) to develop an agreement regarding Rosewood Lakes Golf Course and return to Council for its final review and approval. The City has received a letter of interest from TFT expressing the organization’s desire to enter into a contract agreement with the City of Reno to provide public golf services at Rosewood Lakes Golf Course. TFT advances youth by teaching life skills such as self-management, interpersonal communication, goal setting, mentoring and resiliency. The number of youth engaged in the local chapter was 7,500 in 2013.
Due to the City’s financial condition and the results of the local, regional and national golf market analysis by James Keegan of Golf Convergence, Inc., earlier findings were that the long-term operation of the course by the City does not meet the City Council Priority to “Provide Efficient and Responsive City Services.” However, a public-private partnership such as the one contemplated with TFT could address some of the issues raised in the earlier analysis and prove to be more efficient.
Agenda Item J.3
City Council unanimously approved two motions. The first was to accept the Financial Grade Audit Agreement entered into by Ameresco, Inc., City of Reno and City of Sparks on August 22, 2012. The audit includes all buildings and treatment process systems at the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (TMWRF) plant. The second was to approve the Performance Contract for Energy Cost Savings with Ameresco, Inc. as the Energy Services Company (ESCo) for the TMWRF owned by the City of Reno and City of Sparks; approve the Ongoing Services agreement with Ameresco, Inc. and approve the Byproduct Removal agreement with Ostara USA, LLC.
Council authorized recommendations from the audit to enter into a TMWRF renovation project for an amount not to exceed $24,911,589, with the City of Reno’s share in the amount of $17,096,823.53. In order to maintain efficient and effective operation, TMWRF needs to be retrofitted and upgraded. The City will “pay as you go” through the two-year construction period and will start realizing savings after individual measures are completed.
Agenda Item J.5
In a 6-to-1 vote, City Council approved the proposed Catalyst Fund Reimbursement Agreement between the City of Reno, the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada and Garlock Printing. The City agrees to reimburse Garlock Printing up to $577,500 ($3,300 per primary job up to a minimum of 105 jobs) based on the number of employees hired by Garlock Printing within four (4) fiscal years following the effective Date of the Agreement. The Catalyst Fund Proceeds shall be used to reimburse Garlock Printing for a portion of its costs to relocate and expand its West Coast headquarters from Gardner, Massachusetts to Reno. This program, Nevada Catalyst Funds, is administered by the State of Nevada’s Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). The Catalyst Funds do not come from the City of Reno’s General Fund.
Agenda Item K.1
City Council unanimously approved three appointments, as follows:
RECREATION AND PARKS COMMISSION
There is currently one vacancy on the Recreation and Parks Commission (RPC). The term of appointment for this vacancy is for the period March 12, 2014 to June 25, 2014 (to fill an unexpired term). To date, the City has received applications from Deborah Enos and Adam Czajkowski. It is recommended that the Mayor and Council make the necessary appointment.
DOWNTOWN POLICE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT COMMITTEE
There are currently three vacancies on the Downtown Police Special Assessment District (SAD) Committee. The term of appointment for one of these vacancies is for the period March 12, 2014 to June 21, 2014 (to fill the unexpired term of Mike Thomas, who was a member of the Downtown Security Directors’ Association). To date, the City has received one new application from Randy Riley. The Mayor and Council appointed Randy Riley to the unexpired term.
WESTERN REGIONAL WATER COMMISSION
Reno City Council Member Jenny Brekhus currently serves as the Reno City Council Member appointed to serve as a Trustee of the Western Regional Water Commission (WRWC). Her current term serving on the WRWC expires March 31, 2014.
Additionally, City of Sparks Mayor Geno Martini currently serves as the WRWC Trustee who is jointly appointed by the cities of Reno and Sparks as the elected official to represent the owners of the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (TMWRF). Mayor Martini’s term on the WRWC also expires on March 31, 2014.
The Reno City Council:
(1) Reappointed Brekhus to the Board of Trustees for a two-year term (April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2016); and
(2) Reappointed Martini, as the joint appointee with the City of Sparks, as the elected official to represent the owners of the TMWRF on the Board of Trustees of the WRWC for a two-year term (April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2016).
