April 22, 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.

C.1 - Potential Code Update for Data Centers

Council heard a presentation and initiated a text amendment to Title 18 Annexation and Land Development Code to review and modify the requirements for Data Center uses. This follows a January 2025 ordinance that formally adopted data centers as a land use, requiring conditional use permits (CUP) and establishing initial development standards. Interest in data center development has grown in northern Nevada due to regional activity, land availability, climate, and tax incentives. To date, the City has reviewed four data center projects, each with different utility needs but similar land use characteristics.

With this Council decision, City staff will work with regional partners including the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency (TMRPA), Washoe County, and the City of Sparks to develop a consistent set of standards. Next steps will involve a coordinated regional approach including a public review process, stakeholder outreach, NABs, Planning Commission and City Council review and final approval. Additionally, the City Manager has directed staff to coordinate a special meeting to discuss next steps related to data centers.

C.3 - Potential Live Entertainment Text Amendment and Code Update

Council heard a presentation and initiated a text amendment to the Title 18 Annexation and Land Development Code to provide a temporary exception to conditional use permit (CUP) regulations for indoor live entertainment within the entertainment core.

At the March 25, 2026, Reno City Council meeting, Council directed staff to prepare a draft amendment establishing the temporary exception. The update will eliminate the CUP requirement for businesses while still requiring a security plan and a cabaret license. Business owners have expressed frustration with the CUP process, citing the cost of $5,000, the time required for approval and uncertainty of additional standards. The previous live entertainment rules required conditional use permits for late-night entertainment, which many business owners view as restrictive, while residents have raised concerns about excessive noise impacts.

The temporary removal of the CUP requirement is part of a pilot program scheduled to run through Dec. 31, 2027. City staff will monitor impacts, enforce compliance and report findings to Council to help determine whether permanent zoning changes are needed.

C.5 - City of Reno April Budget Update

Council received this month's financial update, which included a review of the current fiscal year and highlighted a balanced proposed FY27 General Fund budget. The four major revenue sources in the General Fund are consolidated taxes, property taxes, franchise fees, and business licenses. Current estimates for FY26 show property taxes are on track. Consolidated taxes are projected at 4.7% above budget ($4.6 million), and business licenses at 6.3% above budget ($1.9 million). Franchise fees are projected at 7.8% below budget ($2.9 million), however, higher revenues in other areas are expected to make up the difference.

Spending is also coming in lower than expected. Salaries and benefits are about 1.7% under budget, saving roughly $4.5 million. Operating costs are about 4.5% under budget, saving another $2.8 million. In total, the City expects to save about $7.3 million this fiscal year. The proposed FY27 budget includes $335 million in resources and $335 million in proposed expenditures. The budget is balanced thanks to reduced spending, increasing some revenues, such as the sanitation franchise fee, and using one-time savings of $4 million from FY26. The General Fund balance is estimated at 16.8% for FY26 and 14.9% for FY27, consisting of about two months of operating costs. A full budget overview is scheduled for May 6, 2026, where Council will review priorities before the final budget is adopted on May 20.

D.1 - Trego Grid Annexation

Council referred an ordinance for second reading and adoption regarding the Trego Grid Annexation. The ordinance would annex a 53.49-acre parcel located approximately 0.23 miles northeast of the intersection of Rio Wrangler Parkway and Antler Ridge Road, north of the NV Energy Mira Loma substation, into the city of Reno. The property abuts the City's jurisdictional boundary, is within the city's Sphere of Influence and is designated in the master plan as Single-Family Neighborhood and Unincorporated Transition. Upon annexation, the site would be zoned Single-Family, three units per acre (SF-3), and Unincorporated Transition, 10 acres (UT-10).

D.3, D.4, & D.5 - Clear Acre Commons Master Plan and Zoning Map Amendments

Council referred an ordinance for second reading and adoption for master plan and zoning map amendments pertaining to the Clear Acre Commons project located on the south side of Scottsdale Road, south of Reno Vista Drive, west of Clear Acre Lane, and north and east of U.S. 395 in Ward 4. Council approved the following:

• Master Plan Amendment from Single-Family Neighborhood (SF) and Public/Quasi-Public (PQP) to Suburban Mixed-Use (SMU)
• Zoning Map Amendment from a mix of Single-Family Residential - 3 units per acre (SF-3) and Mixed-Use Suburban (MS) to MS

The Reno Planning Commission recently recommended that Council move forward with an ordinance adoption. After a second reading and approval, this item will be subject to a Truckee Meadows Regional Plan conformance review by the Regional Planning Commission for the Master Plan amendment request and Regional Governing Board approval of the Regional Tier amendment.

Board, Commission, or Committee Appointments

Other Headlines

Redevelopment Agency Board

B.8, RDA B.1 & RDA B.2 - Amtrak ADA Restroom Improvement Project

Council and the Reno Redevelopment Agency (RDA) approved a construction contract and an interlocal agreement (ILA) between the City and the RDA for the Amtrak ADA Restroom Improvement Project. The construction contract was awarded to K7 Construction Inc. in an amount not to exceed $270,000 (Redevelopment Agency #1 Fund). The ILA establishes the obligations between the City and the RDA. The RDA will fund and construct the improvements, and the City will accept, operate, and maintain the completed asset for its full useful life.

The Amtrak Station, located within Redevelopment Area 1 in downtown Reno, serves as a key transportation hub and gateway to the community. This project consists of constructing new ADA-compliant restrooms on the Amtrak operations side of the building. The addition will improve accessibility for rail passengers. Construction is expected to begin in late May 2026.

RDA C.4 - FY 2026/27 Budget Development

The Redevelopment Agency (RDA) budget includes two areas: RDA1, established in 1983 and set to expire in 2043, and RDA2, a collection of seven areas established in 2005 and expiring in 2035. Both areas have experienced significant growth in recent years, resulting in a strong increase in tax increment revenue. For FY 2026/27, the Agency proposes 8.8 staff positions and a combined operating budget of $3 million. The Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (RAAB) has recommended $4.4 million in programs and $12 million in capital improvement projects.

Estimated tax increment revenue for FY27 is $5.5 million for RDA1 and $11.4 million for RDA2. Proposed program funding totals $2.1 million for RDA1 and $2.3 million for RDA2, supporting efforts such as retail attraction, blight reduction, activation pilots, studies, and tax increment financing (TIF) consulting. The final outstanding bonds in RDA1 are expected to mature in FY27, and staff is proposing to pay off the remaining bonds in RDA2, which would make the entire Redevelopment Agency debt-free.

Projected ending fund balances are $3.8 million for RDA1 and $19.5 million for RDA2. Council will consider policy direction on minimum fund balances and the allocation of resources for programs and projects. A detailed discussion of RAAB-recommended capital projects is scheduled for the May 6, 2026, Council meeting.

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