Reno · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Reno public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Pennington Foundation Fire Apparatus Grant
Reno Police would receive a $1.2 million federal technology grant, ammunition funding, and DNA services; Reno Fire would get helmets via a state grant.
BRAIN Nevada Disability Support Programs
The board will learn about programs and resources offered by BRAIN Nevada to support individuals with brain injuries, neurological conditions, and disabilities. The presentation connects residents with vital family and caregiver support services.
Axon Public Safety and Surveillance Contract
The City Council approved an 8-year, $21.7 million contract with Axon for police body-worn cameras, tasers, drones, and automated license plate readers, sparking intense debate over community privacy and public safety.
Wildfire Defense and Evacuation Preparedness
Homeowners report insurers telling them to remove trees for wildfire defensible space; the city has 2,400 acres of open space backing up to homes, making this a growing issue.
Regional Fire Service Integration
Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran discussed ongoing efforts to regionalize fire services between Reno, Sparks, and Truckee Meadows, including joint academies and a recent 1,200-page regional fire study.
Reno Fire Department Operations and Regional Readiness
Fire Chief Dave Cochran updated the board on emergency response capabilities, regional partnerships with Sparks, and wildfire defensible space guidelines. The discussion highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance staffing and manage community fire risks.
Hawk and Bug Fire Recovery
Multiple residents who lost homes in the Hawk and Bug fires demanded city leadership show up on the ground and provide direct assistance. The city manager announced a rental assistance program available to all Washoe County residents impacted by the fires.
Lithium Battery Fire Preparedness
Mayor Schieve pressed for a city plan for fighting lithium battery fires, noting the Trago battery facility sits near the proposed Codexa development, and asked that fire-hazard identifiers appear on maps shown to council.
Wildfire Evacuation and Emergency Preparedness
Residents and board members raised serious concerns about communication failures, evacuation route bottlenecks, and lack of emergency notifications during recent wildfires.
Reno Police Department Quarterly Operations and Staffing Briefing
RPD is holding five town halls citywide by police beat, with the first on February 12 at North Valleys High School. It's a chance for Ward 3 residents to raise public safety concerns directly with the department.
Fire Department Shared Leadership Model
Reno and Sparks partnered to share Fire Chief Dave Cochran, improving regional emergency response coordination while keeping departments independent.
Hidden Valley Flood Documentation and Recovery
Washoe County provided updates on ongoing cleanup and recovery work following recent storms and flooding in Hidden Valley. Officials discussed the performance of newly installed detention basins and the importance of private HOA stormwater maintenance.
Wildfire and Growth Management
Reno's booming growth is colliding with the reality of increasing wildfires, forcing city leaders to seriously rethink how much more development the area can safely handle. As flames threaten expanding neighborhoods, the city has to figure out how to balance its booming economy with the safety of its residents.
Wildfire Response
The fast-moving Hawk wildfire in Reno is currently sitting at 27% containment as local crews fight to get it under control. If you're in the area, keep a close eye on your phone for sudden evacuation alerts.
Wildfire Evacuations
Good news for some Reno folks as Hawk Fire evacuations start lifting, but thousands remain on edge while crews fight the blaze. If you're in the area, you'll want to keep an eye on local alerts since the danger isn't fully in the rear-view mirror yet.
Downtown Homelessness and Nuisance Crimes
City officials and board members are pushing to crack down on the worst code-offending and blighted properties downtown. They want to explore incentives, stricter enforcement, and possible legislative changes to get owners to clean up or sell neglected buildings.
RPD Policing Priorities and Traffic Enforcement
Police leadership discussed strategies to improve community trust, transparency, and enforcement of traffic safety and e-bike regulations across city wards.
Youth City Council Annual Report and Operations
The council is drafting its annual report of accomplishments and initiatives to send to the Reno City Council. Members shared ideas but haven't approved a final version.
Youth Smartphone Use and Mental Health
Dr. Brittany Avila presented the 'Wait Until 8th' initiative, highlighting research that links high screen time to increased depression rates among children.
HxGN OnCall Suite and Emergency Medical Dispatch Integration
The board scheduled a review of software licenses needed to support upgraded servers for the regional emergency dispatch system at the primary Washoe County site.
9-1-1 Call Processing Workflow Models
Members discussed various operational models for incorporating Emergency Medical Dispatch protocols into 9-1-1 call handling. These models determine how quickly and effectively medical instructions are delivered to callers.
Unlicensed food vendor enforcement
The county health officer explained how hard it is to police unpermitted food carts — 'danger dog' carts, fruit stands with no hand-washing, ice cream trucks. Nonprofits and churches are exempt. It's a public health and small-business tension with no easy fix.
Homelessness in Reno
Grant Denton of the Karma Box Project walked the board through the scale of encampments along the Truckee River and why one-time service offers fail without sustained relationships and mental health treatment capacity.
Reno Police Department Interim Leadership & Oversight
The city approved a $2 million agreement with Washoe County to bring in interim leadership for the Reno Police Department following administrative leave of command staff. Community members also called for enhanced civilian oversight.
Assistant Fire Chief as appointed position
The Charter currently only lets the city appoint the Fire Chief; adding the Assistant Fire Chief would match how assistant police chiefs are treated and align with the firefighters' bargaining agreement.
Police Misconduct Investigation
Reno leaders just dropped an update on an ongoing police misconduct investigation, keeping the spotlight on how local law enforcement is held accountable. If you care about transparency and oversight in our city's police department, you'll want to keep an eye on this developing story.
Municipal Court Warrant Collection Procedures
Court officials updated the board on how outstanding warrants, including failure to appear and pay, are managed and collected.
Domestic Violence Resource Center Expansion Update
The Domestic Violence Resource Center shared an update on its new 41,000-square-foot facility on Vassar Street, which is nearing its fundraising goal and will expand emergency shelter capacity from 25 to 100 beds.
Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) installation program
Reno is upgrading intersections with audible crossing signals for blind and low-vision pedestrians. 197 intersections have been done since 2016; 58 more are slated for fiscal year 2026, with 87 still remaining after that. The board endorsed the prioritization method and flagged button-height and voice-audibility concerns.
National Bowling Stadium UPS and HVAC chiller repairs
A critical power supply at the bowling stadium failed and was replaced on an emergency basis (about $20,000 reimbursement coming), and the committee approved up to $250,000 to replace an HVAC chiller compressor so the venue stays cool for tournaments.
Tire pile nuisance near drainage area
A resident reported ongoing tire piles near a drainage area causing mosquito and animal problems, with multiple code enforcement cases opened. Staff offered to connect him with the city's Council Relations Liaison for follow-up.