January 14, 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 Meeting of the Reno City Council. Staff Reports with more information are linked below.

B.8 - Agreement for the Grand Canyon Boulevard Area Sidewalk Connectivity Project
Council approved a Cooperative Local Public Agency (LPA) Agreement for the Grand Canyon Boulevard Area Sidewalk Connectivity Project between the City and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). The project is estimated to cost $251,580, with 95% ($239,001) funded through Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside funds and a 5% City match of $12,579 from the Street Fund. The project will install new sidewalks where none exist and rehabilitate worn sidewalks to improve safety, mobility, and access to public transit. Approximately 1,100 linear feet of sidewalk will be constructed along Grand Canyon Boulevard from Kirman Avenue to Yori Avenue and along Liston Avenue from Colorado River Boulevard to Grand Canyon Boulevard. Following agreement approval, staff will complete design and bid the project, with construction expected to be completed by summer 2026.

B.9 - Children's Cabinet to Provide Scholarship Reimbursement for City Youth Programs
Council approved an agreement that allows the city to receive $414,375 in reimbursement from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services for scholarship recipients enrolled in its youth recreation programs. The funds will be administered and paid through the Children's Cabinet, which manages the state provided funding. The funding will be paid to the City in increments throughout the year. The reimbursement is for programming provided between Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026. The funding supports the city's Sierra Kids program, which provides before and after school programs and full-day recreational camps for children ages 5-12. The agreement provides access for low-income and underserved families to safe, supervised recreation activities, camps, fitness programs and field trips, allowing parents to work or pursue education or employment training.

C.1 - Sewer Main Installation for Rivermount Neighborhood Street Rehabilitation Project
Council approved to incorporate sewer main installation into the Rivermount Neighborhood Street Rehabilitation Project (Ward 2) and authorized drafting an ordinance for an area-specific sewer connection fee for properties within the project area. The total sewer main installation is estimated to cost $4.4 million, with Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) grant funding covering $3.095 million. The remaining $1.3 million will be initially paid from the City's Sewer Fund, with those funds recovered over time back to the City through an area-specific sewer connection fee. That sewer connection fee ordinance will come back to Council in the next few months. The Rivermount neighborhood is currently served by individual septic systems and lacks access to public sewer infrastructure. Multiple systems within the area have failed or are nearing failure, creating ongoing public health, environmental, and maintenance concerns. This project is scheduled for construction in two phases, the first in spring/summer 2026 and the second in spring/summer 2027.

D.1 - River Bend Regional Plan Amendment Sponsorship
Council approved moving forward with sponsorship of a regional plan amendment following the Reno Planning Commission's December 2025 approval of the River Bend Tentative Map and Conditional Use Permit to relocate a 120kV transmission line from the center to the perimeter of a ±14.98-acre site in Ward 5 (Verdi). The relocation supports development of an 82-lot single-family subdivision and consolidates the 120kV and existing 25kV lines into a shared 50-foot easement along Highway 40, primarily using single-pole designs to reduce visual impacts. Because transmission lines are regionally significant and must be located in designated utility corridors, a Truckee Meadows Regional Plan utility map amendment is required. Final consideration will be by the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Governing Board.

F.1 - Childcare Text Amendment Ordinance Adoption
Council adopted a text amendment to the City's zoning code (Title 18) to remove barriers and streamline the process for establishing childcare facilities. Currently, Nevada is the eighth least affordable state for infant care, with 72% of Nevadans living in a childcare desert. The draft ordinance was presented and approved at the Dec. 3, 2025 Council meeting. The City's current zoning code includes three types of childcare uses: childcare centers, in-home childcare, and workplace childcare.
This ordinance now includes the following updates:
- In-home Childcare: Removed the MUP requirement, added development standards
- Workplace Childcare: Removed the MUP requirement, added development standards
- Childcare Centers: Reduced the CUP and MUP requirements, added development standards
Added development standards included:
- Pickup/drop-off plans required
- Outdoor lighting limited when adjacent to residential
- 6ft tall fence when adjacent to residential
- Outdoor play hour restrictions when adjacent to residential (7 a.m.-7 p.m.)
With this ordinance adoption, the zoning code will now be changed.

Board Appointments

• Addison Guinan and Colin Pilcher were appointed to the Youth City Council
• John Zanoni was appointed to the Financial Advisory Board

Other Headlines

• Acceptance of $6,602 subgrant award from Move United to support hosting a Disabled Hockey Coaching and Officials Clinic for military veterans
• Waste Management donates $53,141 to the City's Clean and Safe program for maintenance services
• Councilmember Anderson ($1,000) and Councilmember Reese ($250) donate discretionary funds to The Generator to support its creative community and shared learning space

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.