October 21, 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 - Booth Street Siphon Rehabilitation Project 

Council awarded a contract to Integrated Concepts, LLC, for the Booth Street Siphon Rehabilitation Project in an amount not to exceed $2,199,024.81. The project will be funded through the City’s Sewer Fund, along with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Grant. The Booth Street Siphon carries sewer flows under the Truckee River between Riverside Drive and Idlewild Drive through two parallel 10-inch cast iron pipes. Bends in the pipes keep crews from passing cleaning and inspection equipment through, and the downstream vault is too small for proper maintenance. Rocks and debris have built up over time, which increases the risk of blockages and sewer overflows near the river. The project will install 240 feet of new 24-inch sewer main, a new access vault on Riverside Drive, and a new manhole on Idlewild Drive, and will modify the existing siphon so crews can regularly clean and inspect the line. Construction is scheduled to begin in October 2026 and be completed by spring 2027.  

B.14 - 99-Year Lease Approval for Sky Tavern 

Council approved a 99-year lease with Sky Tavern for City-owned property located at 21130 Mount Rose Highway. This decision extends their current lease with the City through Oct. 31, 2118. Sky Tavern will continue to lease the property for $1 per year. The extension provides long-term stability to help Sky Tavern secure funding for capital improvements. Established in 1948, Sky Tavern operates the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit ski and snowboard program, providing recreational and educational opportunities for children. The City acquired the 143-acre property in 1968 and has leased it to Sky Tavern since 1991. With this extended lease agreement, Sky Tavern will continue to remain responsible for property operations, maintenance, and capital improvements and all other existing lease terms and responsibilities will be unchanged. 

C.1 - Reno Police Department Axon Enterprise Contract Discussion 

The City Council approved an eight-year contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc., from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2034, to provide public safety technology for the Reno Police Department (RPD). 

The contract was approved with the following conditions: 

• Data retention: Data must be automatically deleted within 15 days unless it must be kept longer to meet a legal requirement. 

• Data sharing: Data cannot be exported or shared outside the City of Reno/RPD. The city and police department retain full and exclusive control over the data, and all use must follow all laws and policies.  

• Quarterly audits: All data related to the technology must be audited every three months. 

• Public reporting: The police chief must provide a public report every three months on the use of the technology. 

• City Council oversight: Any actions or changes outside the terms of the contract require City Council approval. 

• Termination: The city can end the contract at any time, with or without cause, by providing 30 days’ written notice. 

The contract is contingent upon Axon Enterprise, Inc.’s acceptance of the revised terms and conditions. 

The total cost of the eight-year agreement will be $21,776,231.26, funded through the City’s General Fund. The agreement applies a transfer credit of $2,772,654.66 from existing Axon agreements and reflects a 51.23% discount from list price, a reduction of more than $22.9 million from the manufacturer's suggested retail price. The agreement consolidates body-worn cameras, TASER devices, in-car cameras, interview room recording systems, digital evidence management, and virtual reality training for 352 users under one contract. The agreement aligns Reno’s TASER 10 platform and replacement schedule with the Sparks Police Department and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, supporting standardized regional training. Integrated investigative tools, automated transcription, redaction, translation, and report-writing assistance aim to improve investigations, public records access, and officer efficiency. The City retains ownership of its data, restricts Axon’s access and use, prohibits AI model training on City data without written consent, and requires U.S.-based storage and documented data deletion upon termination. All technology remains subject to the Police Department’s technology and technology-assisted policing policy, which establishes lawful-use requirements, individual accountability, and auditing standards. 

C.3 - Presentation and Discussion on Special Activity Permitting Process 

Council heard a presentation on the special activity permitting process per a request from Mayor Schieve. Special activity permits are generally required for temporary public activities on private property, such as concerts, farmers markets, and pop-up vendor markets, that generate revenue through activities different from a business’s usual operations. Applications must be submitted online at least 15 to 30 days before the event depending on the activity, with a standard permit fee of $163.60 and a temporary vendor permit fee of $20.60 for businesses without an active City business license. The Reno Fire Department reviews safety requirements and charges $105 to $410 for applicable plan reviews and inspections, while Northern Nevada Public Health reviews activities involving food or beverages. The City issued 298 permits in fiscal year 2024, 309 in fiscal year 2025, and 280 in fiscal year 2026. Total fees and related revenue were $166,818.20 in fiscal year 2024, $146,617.23 in fiscal year 2025, and $147,239.73 in fiscal year 2026. Recent improvements include blanket permits for recurring activities, updated cabaret licensing requirements for live music, and changes to fire inspection billing to reduce administrative burdens and unnecessary upfront costs.  

D.1 - Neon Line Pedestrian Skyway Hearing  

Council upheld the Planning Commission’s recommendation and approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for two enclosed, elevated pedestrian skyways connecting J Resort to future amenities across W. Fourth Street and a planned parking structure across Ralston Street. The skyways will be accessible to the general public. Approval is subject to conditions addressing public safety, security, easements, construction hours, and compliance with applicable design and building standards.  

D.2, D.3, & D.4 - Hillside Foursquare Church Master Plan and Zoning Map Amendment 

Council upheld the Reno Planning Commission’s recommendation and approved a Master Plan amendment and zoning change for two parcels associated with the Foursquare Church property north of Sutro Street and Selmi Drive, just south of U.S. 395. The changes redesignate the property from Single-Family Neighborhood to Suburban Mixed-Use and from Single-Family Residential to Mixed-Use Suburban. The site includes a 4.93-acre parcel with the existing church and a vacant 1.8-acre parcel, separated by right-of-way acquired by the Regional Transportation Commission during freeway reconstruction. The applicant envisions expanding the church, adding a school and potentially developing multifamily housing on the northern parcel. The changes also require a regional plan amendment to reclassify the site from Tier 2 to Tier 1, subject to regional approval. During the Planning Commission hearing, concerns were raised about traffic, emergency evacuation routes, wildfire safety and the types of development allowed under the proposed zoning. This item will now come back for a second reading and formal adoption at a future Council meeting.  

E.1, E.2, E.3, & E.4 - Talus Valley Special Assessment District 

Council approved the development and financing agreement and related ordinances establishing the 2026 Special Assessment District No.1 for Talus Valley. This project is a planned residential development in south Reno, north of South Meadows Parkway and west of Veterans Parkway. The project is developed by Talus Valley LLC and is a joint venture between Toll Brothers and Lennar. It will include 10 villages and approximately 774 homes within about 66.66 acres of land. The agreements and ordinances authorize financing for sewer, storm drain, and water infrastructure needed to support the development. The City plans to issue approximately $9.5 million in assessment bonds toward infrastructure improvements, with the developer covering additional costs. Future homeowners within the district will pay an estimated average assessment of $12,293, or about $1,001 annually over 30 years. The bonds will be repaid solely through property assessments and will not be a financial obligation of the City. The Talus Valley development is expected to include approximately 2,510 homes across three districts once completed.  

Board Appointments 

• Bill Buckley and Michael Rockwell were appointed to the Reno Urban Forestry Commission (RUFC)   

• Brett Banks was appointed to the Historical Resources Commission for a partial term 

• Danielle Dolan and Sierra Scott (Reappointment) were appointed to the Arts and Culture Advisory Board   

Other Headlines 

• Vice Mayor Martinez donated discretionary funds to the following organizations: Domestic Violence Resource Center ($1,000), Latino Arte and Culture ($2,000), Soulful Seeds ($1,000), and Women and Children’s Center ($1,000) 

• Ward 6 Councilmember Anderson donated discretionary funds to the following organizations: Galena High School Girls’ Softball Team ($2,500) and J Wood Raw Elementary School ($1,000) 

• Council approved to use additional Residential Construction Tax District 3 funds for the Teglia’s Paradise Park Bridge Replacement Project 

• Contract awarded to Titan Electrical Contracting Inc. for the Idlewild Park Field Lighting Replacements Project 

• Riley Mosaics LLC, with artists Robin Riley and Jason Butler, were selected for the Cyan Park Public Art Project 

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.