The City of Reno paid local law firm Fennemore Craig $62,500 to draft changes to the city’s business licensing codes based on community feedback and a review of other cities’ codes. What was provided—a redline document that’s at least 90% red—raised so much concern among local business owners and council members, and even a Virginia-based non-profit civil rights law firm, that it’s being scrapped and city staff is starting over.
“Based on community feedback over the draft business license code, staff will be stepping back and reevaluating a more effective strategy to get public input,” the city’s Director of Business Licensing Lance Ferrato wrote in a memo to Reno City Council members on Friday. “The current draft will be discarded and we will be expanding the community outreach process to bring forward a new version for review and approval.”
The city began revising its business licensing codes in March 2023 by gathering community feedback and hiring Fennemore Craig to work on a draft. Assistant City Manager Ashley Turney said the updates were needed because the existing code was antiquated.
The draft of the proposed code updates produced this summer expanded Reno Municipal Code Titles 4 and 5 from 24 chapters to 43, reorganizing some of the code and adding dozens of new rules. The draft language, published on the city’s website, caused consternation among a number of local business owners who said the proposed codes were overly restrictive.
In an opinion article submitted to This Is Reno, experts at the non-profit Institute for Justice called the proposed code revisions “a policy disaster” placing Nevada among the worst states in the nation for offering ex-offenders occupational opportunities.
They also said some of the changes could be illegal, if passed. “All crimes would come with a life sentence in Reno,” wrote the authors, Erica Smith Ewing and Daryl James. “No expiration. No redemption. No fresh start. Ex-offenders would feel the effects on two fronts. They would lose opportunities to work for themselves. And they would lose opportunities to work for others.”
Ferrato, in an email sent to local business owners, said he appreciated the trust they showed to city staff by sharing their concerns. He added that their feedback is vital to developing business licensing codes that work for business owners and help to create a “thriving business community.”
“We will continue to gather your perspectives on what works and what doesn’t in the current business license code,” Ferrato continued. “We will also share the City’s challenges in ensuring a safe and vibrant business landscape. Throughout this process, we will maintain clear and transparent communication, keeping you informed every step of the way.”
No workshops or meetings on the code revisions have been set; however, Ferrato said more information is forthcoming. Updates will be posted on the city’s website at Reno.gov/BusinessLicense.
