May 20, 2026 Reno City Council Meeting Highlights

In our ongoing commitment to keep residents and media informed we've summarized the outcomes of a few key agenda items from Wednesday's regular meetings of the Reno City Council and the Redevelopment Agency Board. Staff Reports with more information are linked below.

B.8 - Interlocal Agreement with Washoe County Sheriff's Office for Crime Lab Services
Council approved an interlocal agreement (ILA) with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) for crime lab services for fiscal year 2024-2025 and fiscal year 2025-2026 in an amount not to exceed $1.5 million, per year. This will be funded through the City's General Fund. The Reno Police Department (RPD) has used WCSO crime lab services since 1990, with toxicology testing added in 1999. In 2020, the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners terminated the longstanding agreement that exchanged crime lab services for dispatch and communication services. Since fiscal year 2021-2022, RPD has expanded its own forensic capabilities for evidence collection and analysis but continues to utilize the designated forensic laboratory. Under the agreement, WCSO will continue processing evidence for DNA analysis, latent fingerprint comparisons, toxicology, and other forensic testing.

C.1 - Ratification and Confirmation of Corey Solferino as the Chief of Police
Council ratified and confirmed the City Manager's appointment of Corey Solferino as Chief of Police for the City of Reno. Solferino has served as Acting Chief of Police since March 2026 under an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Reno and Washoe County. During that time, he provided leadership and operational stability for the Reno Police Department while continuing to support the department's mission of protecting and serving the Reno community. Solferino was officially sworn in as Chief of Police during today's Reno City Council Meeting. Prior to his appointment, Solferino served as Undersheriff for the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, where he helped oversee major operational and administrative functions within one of the region's largest public safety agencies. His experience across patrol, detention, special operations, administration, policy, budgeting, and interagency coordination provides a strong foundation for leading the Reno Police Department. As Chief of Police, Solferino will focus on supporting the men and women of the department, enhancing public trust, advancing professional standards, and ensuring the department remains aligned with its mission to serve and protect the Reno community.

C.2 - Presentation and Discussion of Advanced Purified Water Facility
Council approved the project cost for construction of the OneWater Nevada Advanced Purified Water Facility (APWF) project at American Flat, with construction costs estimated at $266.1 million and total project costs nearing $289.9 million. Council requested the addition of ensuring water to the Swan Lake wildlife area. The regional partnership between the City of Reno, Truckee Meadows Water Authority will create Nevada's first Category A+ purified water system for aquifer recharge and future potable reuse. The facility is located in the North Valleys, with the main treatment plant at Lear Boulevard and Military Road and the aquifer recharge site at American Flat in West Lemmon Valley. The project will produce up to two million gallons of advanced purified water a day increasing regional water supply reliability, drought resiliency and increasing wastewater treatment capacity through effluent management. Council also approved the operating agreement, easements and land transfers needed to construct and operate the facility. Reno will cover 70 percent of project costs and TMWA will cover 30 percent, while annual operation and maintenance costs will be shared equally. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with aquifer injection scheduled to begin in 2030.

D.2 - City of Reno's Tentative Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Council moved to adopt the City of Reno's balanced fiscal year 2026-2027 final budget and fee schedule. The total fiscal year 2027 budget is $989 million. This comes after Council directed staff at the May 6, 2026 meeting to move forward with the budget development. Staff previously presented the proposed budget, Capital Improvement Plan and fee schedule as part of the City's annual budget process, which began with departmental planning and included a spring Council workshop. A March 4, 2026 budget workshop provided an overview of all funds, capital projects and the fee schedule, with Council offering policy direction and funding priorities. By prioritizing fiscal responsibility and identifying expense reductions, the City presented a balanced budget that eliminated the previously anticipated deficit while addressing inflationary cost increases. The adopted budget includes fee adjustments, including a 2.9 percent consumer price index increase where appropriate. Council also approved reducing the land use appeal fee to $250 and eliminating the annual CPI increase to the sanitation franchise fee. The budget and fee schedule were finalized following review by the Financial Advisory Board.

D.4 - Fairfield Farmhouses Zoning Map Amendment
Council referred an ordinance for a second reading on June 3rd for a zoning map amendment for the Fairfield Farmhouses parcels. If adopted, the ±1.08-acre site, located at 1133 West Plumb Lane, would be rezoned from Single-Family Residential 3 Units Per Acre (SF-3) to Single-Family Residential 5 Units Per Acre (SF-5), allowing up to five single-family residential units.

D.5 - Ordinance Introduction for Temporary Exception to Conditional Use Permit Regulations for Live Entertainment
Council adopted and referred an ordinance for a second reading in regard to a text amendment to Title 18 "Annexation and Land Development" establishing a temporary pilot program that pauses conditional use permit (CUP) requirements for indoor live entertainment. This pilot program is intended to support local businesses and encourage additional indoor live entertainment activities within the Downtown, Midtown, and 4th Street corridors while maintaining public safety and neighborhood compatibility. The temporary pilot program will end on December 31, 2027. The program applies to indoor live entertainment, require participating businesses to obtain a cabaret license, and submit an approved security plan. Council previously directed staff to pursue the initiative following community outreach and prior updates to live entertainment regulations. Community feedback showed downtown residents expressing concerns regarding noise and enforcement, while business representatives generally supported the pilot program and its potential economic benefits.

Redevelopment Agency Board

RDA B.1 - Vacant Storefront Activation Program
The Reno Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board directed staff to research and implement Option 1 in regard to a Vacant Storefront Activation Program designed to address persistent storefront vacancies along the Virginia Street corridor in downtown Reno. Option 1 is a master lease/sublease pilot with curated tenants to quickly activate empty storefronts. On May 4, 2026, the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB) recommended advancing this option. Despite ongoing revitalization efforts, a number of ground-floor retail spaces remain vacant or underutilized. These vacancies limit pedestrian activity, reduce opportunities for local entrepreneurs, and affect the overall perception and economic vitality of the downtown core. In today's presentation, staff identified several potential strategies for activating vacant storefronts and attracting retail tenants specifically in Redevelopment Area 1. These approaches ranged from market-based incentives to more direct redevelopment interventions. These strategies presented were the following: a master lease/sublease pilot, enhanced broker engagement, pop-up activations, and strategic property acquisition. The RDA has allocated $150,000 in fiscal year 2026 to support this pilot program, with potential expansion in fiscal year 2027.

RDA C.1 & RDA C.2 - Redevelopment Agency Budget Adoption
The Reno Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board approved the fiscal year 2026-2027 final budget for the Redevelopment Agency for areas 1 and 2. Redevelopment Area (RDA) 1, established in 1983 and expiring in 2043, includes the downtown area and the Parking Gallery on Sierra Street, with tax increment revenues continuing to grow as additional downtown development occurs. RDA 1 has two outstanding bonds scheduled to be paid off in 2027 and includes proposed program funding of approximately $2.1 million and capital projects totaling $3.68 million, including the addition of the Lear Theater project. RDA 2, established in 2005 and expiring in 2035, includes seven separate areas such as the Cabela's and baseball districts, with property tax revenues increasing alongside significant recent development activity. The RDA 2 budget includes proposed program funding of approximately $2.37 million and capital projects totaling $13.27 million, including additional funding for the University Village Pedestrian Improvements project.

Board, Commission, or Committee Appointments

• Danielle Dolan and Patrick Higgins were appointed to the Ward 2 Neighborhood Advisory Board
• Dora Martinez, Kelly Orr, and Valerie Tilson were appointed to the Access Advisory Board
• John Beavers and Terry Snyder were appointed to the Senior Resident Advisory Board
• Sean McCoy was appointed to the Reno City Planning Commission

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Reno City Council meetings are streamed live at Reno.Gov/Meetings < /a>and televised live on Charter Spectrum - Channel 194. Past public meetings can be viewed on YouTube.