Brief Digest: March 2, 2024
Postponement of the Bell Street abandonment request, upcoming City meetings, the filing period for City Council candidates opens & more
Well, winter has truly descended upon us in earnest this weekend. Please, everyone, be safe out there and look out for each other.
Today’s Brief Digest features an update from the February 28 City Council meeting plus a few previews of what’s on tap for next week. Be sure to visit the City’s “Current and Upcoming Meetings” page for all of next week’s City agendas and meeting materials. They include the Ward 3 NAB on March 5, Reno Planning Commission on March 6, and the monthly meeting of the Reno City Charter Committee on Monday, March 4. More on that last one below.
Also, Monday, March 4 is the first day of the two-week filing period for candidates interested in running for City Council. I have a few words below on that, too—but first, an update on the Bell Street Abandonment request by Jacobs Entertainment.
Bell Street Abandonment request postponed
Thanks so much to all who shared my February 24 Brief, “Bell Street and the Bethel AME Church,” about Jacobs Entertainment’s request for the City to abandon (i.e. give them) parts of Bell Street and alleys near the Bethel AME Church. Thanks also to those who sent in your public comment in advance of last Wednesday’s City Council meeting and/or who planned to comment that day.
Because you spread the word, because of our successful efforts to inform the congregation what was happening, and because Bethel AME Rev. Dr. Debra Whitlock-Lax was able to publicly express her opposition to the request in advance, Jacobs Entertainment requested a “continuance” of the item to a future date, TBD.
On Wednesday, City Council agreed to the postponement, but did hear some public comments on the item at the beginning of the meeting, including a statement from Jacobs Entertainment’s Jeff Jacobs read by his attorney Garrett Gordon as well as comments from Rev. Dr. Whitlock-Lax, myself, and others.
In their comments, both Jacobs and Pastor Whitlock-Lax spoke of their appreciation for the in-person conversation (their first) that they had held the day before. And because most people don’t watch these meetings and they get little detailed coverage, I want to share a bit more of what each of them said.
In his statement read by Garrett Gordon, Jeff Jacobs said,
“Pastor Whitlock has reminded me that I have a responsibility to listen to all voices as I continue my redevelopment efforts in downtown Reno.” He also suggested that “as a starting point, Pastor Whitlock and her congregation identify three west coast African American land use planners for us to interview. I will pay to bring one on board to listen to and respond to the thoughts of Pastor Whitlock and her congregation. I will also assist the congregation in the effort to raise federal money and donations in order to bring to fruition their vision and interest in seeing the revitalization of downtown Reno being completed in an inclusionary manner.”
In her public comment, Rev. Dr. Whitlock-Lax said,
“Certainly my concern is always making sure that our property and its access is stable as well as making sure that African Americanism is not just pushed aside….” She continued, “We are interested in making sure that the legacy of the Bethel AME Church continues in this community with a cultural center, with a Black museum, because it is a Nationally Registered church.”
The prospect of a new cultural center and museum dedicated to African American history is something that I know many of us will be interested in helping the congregation to pursue, and I was excited to hear it. Both Mr. Gordon and Rev. Dr. Whitlock-Lax reported that they would be sitting down together in the near future to discuss the future of the neighborhood.
I’m very happy to see these conversations underway (albeit belatedly), but I remain alarmed that City staff was recommending these right-of-way abandonments for approval without having made personal contact with anyone in the Bethel AME congregation first, to make sure they were aware of the request and public hearing.
To me, this once again points to the need for abandonments of any City-owned right-of-way to be reviewed not just by City Council but by the Planning Commission, which would allow for a great deal more awareness and analysis of such requests and their potential repercussions. Even City staff seemed confused about the process. At one point, City Manager Doug Thornley stated that this abandonment request had already been reviewed by the Planning Commission until Councilmember Brekhus questioned him about that and he said that he “may have made a mistake there.”
For News4’s coverage of the meeting, which includes a short interview with Rev. Dr. Debra Whitlock-Lax of Bethel AME Church, click on the video here.
I’ll keep you posted on this issue as I hear any new developments.
Eyes on the Reno City Charter Committee
The City Charter Committee meets on Monday, March 4 at 5:30 pm, and I’d just like to highlight this committee for a moment for those who may be less familiar with it. According to the City, this committee “was established to review the Reno City Charter in its entirety to identify any changes that would provide for a more modern, effective and efficient City government.” It is made up entirely of political appointees: seven appointed by Reno City Council and six by members of the state legislature.
The committee reviews the City Charter each year and, if desired, votes on recommendations for amendments to it. Their recommendations are then voted on by City Council, and if passed, move on for consideration by the Nevada State Legislature, which convenes again in early 2025.
For some recent actions by the City Charter Committee, please read the section “Longstanding plans to create Ward 6 in jeopardy” in my February 2023 Brief, “Private visions, public decisions.” Briefly, back in 2022, a handful of Charter Committee members initiated an effort to retain the position of an At-Large City Council seat, even though the City had decided years earlier to eliminate that seat in favor of creating a new Ward 6. City Council moved the committee’s recommendation forward, but the state legislature did not approve that bill (they didn’t even move it out of committee). So the City went on with its longstanding plan to eliminate the At-Large Council seat and create a new sixth City ward, to be represented by a new Ward 6 Councilmember. More on that and the upcoming City elections below.
The Charter Committee meets monthly, and if you want to catch up with their actions so far this year, I recommend looking back at their information packets for January and February. The staff presentations there provide context about the components of the City Charter as well as info on the committee’s past actions and their outcomes. To find those materials, visit this page, scroll down to Archived Meetings, make sure 2024 is selected along the top, and then click on the box by Reno City Charter Committee on the left side menu.
The committee’s Monday, March 4 agenda (available with the info packet here) includes discussion of topics including the Role and Authority of the Mayor, whether the City Attorney should be elected or appointed, the process to fill vacancies on the City Council, and more. It is a hybrid meeting, so you can attend in person or via Zoom (by registering here). If you’re interested in issues of representation and how our government works, this is definitely a committee to watch.
Calling All Candidates
The filing period for anyone hoping to run for Reno City Council this year runs from March 4 – March 15. You can find more information on the required qualifications for candidates and how to file here.
A critical piece of information is that last September, Reno City Council formally accepted the new Reno ward maps, which created a new Ward 6 and reconfigured the remaining five wards to redistribute the population as equally as possible. If you haven’t seen it yet, the City has an amazing interactive online tool that allows you to compare the old and new ward boundaries, enter an address (perhaps your own!), and zoom in as close as you like. You can access it here and I highly recommend viewing it on a full computer screen rather than a phone if you can.
Because the redistricting process shifted the ward boundaries for each City ward (and because of the elimination of the At-Large Council seat), some current Councilmembers are seeking election to a different seat than the one they now hold.
As indicated below and on the City’s website, Reno residents will be voting this year for councilmembers to represent Wards 1, 3, 5, and 6. Current Ward 1 Councilmember Jenny Brekhus will have termed out, and Wards 3 and 5 are currently represented by Miguel Martinez and Kathleen Taylor, respectively, who were both appointed by City Council to their current seats after the resignations of their predecessors, Oscar Delgado (Ward 3) and Neoma Jardon (Ward 5). However, due to redistricting, Kathleen Taylor can’t run in Ward 5 this time, and due to the elimination of the At-Large seat, Devon Reese can’t run for that again. There is of course no Ward 6 incumbent.
It can all be more than a little confusing. To help us out, The Nevada Independent has been keeping track of who has announced their candidacy for the four City Council seats (and other local races) so far on a webpage that they plan to keep updated.
I have no doubt that filing to run for City Council can be an intimidating prospect, particularly when facing someone who is already holding local office. Incumbents, of course, generally have advantages of name recognition, council experience, and fundraising. But they also have a track record of actions and statements to which they must be held accountable. And no political office is more accessible to newcomers than those at the local level, where it’s all about representing your neighbors. If you feel called to public service, then perhaps now’s the time to take a look at the filing instructions and ward boundaries, and consider throwing your own hat into the ring!
IN THE NEWS
A few more items of interest have recently hit the news, and although I don’t have time to go into them deeply today, I did want to provide some info and links.
Reno City Center bankruptcy
The former Harrah’s Reno property, known today as Reno City Center, continues to face challenges in securing the financing required to resume construction. For more, read the February 20 Reno Gazette-Journal article “Reno City Center project files bankruptcy petition in court. Here’s what we know” and the follow-up “Reno City Center still ‘enthusiastic’ about project despite bankruptcy filing.” News4 posted a PDF of the bankruptcy filing in their story about it.
Jacobs Entertainment & RHA plan a land swap
On February 28, Downtown Makeover reported a deal between Jacobs and the Reno Housing Authority that will give Jacobs ownership of a parcel near its Glow Plaza while providing the RHA with new affordable housing nearby. That piece, “Downtown land swap, new 65-unit workforce housing project” also outlines some of the RHA’s other citywide projects. In his piece for the Reno Gazette-Journal, “Jacobs to build affordable housing downtown in Sarrazin Arms land swap deal,” Jason Hidalgo includes some helpful context, and This is Reno provided the following map (crediting the Reno Housing Authority) showing the two locations in their article, “Downtown land swap will net 5 new affordable housing units.”
Major takeaways from that coverage:
Jacobs will construct a 65-unit “$20 million affordable housing development” on West Second Street next to the Gibson Apartments (which they plan to renovate). Units in the new building will rent for no more than 80% of current market rate.
The RHA will transfer the 60-unit Sarrazin Arms apartment complex to Jacobs Entertainment, but the RHA will retain its ownership and management until Jacobs constructs the new building, which he has until 2028 to begin.
According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Jacobs has stated that Sarrazin Arms residents “in good standing” will be allowed to move into the new apartments.
News4’s story features an interview with Jeff Jacobs, who states that the Sarrazin Arms deal was “the last land deal as part of the Neon Line District” and that their future plans no longer include a zip line, but "I think what we're going to announce that replaces the zip line will become the postcard of downtown Reno."
I’m far more curious about their intentions for the rest of the large block housing the Gibson Apartments, this new project, and the apartments currently underway. There’s a lot of space left there. And even more, I’d like to know whether they still plan to build a large amphitheater, as stated frequently in the past, and if so, where?
It’s now been 108 days since Jacobs promised City Council that they’d reveal their full Master Plan in “60-90 days.” My advice to the RHA: Get everything in writing.
What I’m Watching
I was recently invited by the folks at Radical Cat to view and discuss the fantastic documentary Razing Liberty Square, which you can watch on YouTube thanks to PBS.
“Liberty City, Miami, is home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the U.S. Now with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold. Wealthy property owners push inland to higher ground, creating a speculators’ market in the historically Black neighborhood previously ignored by developers and policy-makers alike.”
Take care, all.
Be sure to check out my Citizen Guide for helpful resources and links for anyone hoping to become more informed and engaged in issues related to urban development (& more) in Reno.
As always, you can view this and prior newsletters on my Substack site, subscribe to receive each new edition in your email inbox, and follow the Brief (and contribute to the ongoing conversation) on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. If you feel inspired to contribute to my efforts, sign up for a paid subscription through my Substack site or contribute to my Venmo account at @Dr-Alicia-Barber or via check to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510. Thanks so much for reading, and have a great week.
Thank you for your updates and details. In regards to the street abandonment…I did send a public comment thanks to you. On Thursday, a summary of the city council meeting was released with no mention of C1 at all. So much for informing us of the current status. I even tried to get info through reno.gov to no avail. Seems
Like our city manager and team are not very thorough in their research and were ready for another rubber stamp. Riverside road issue should have been a huge red flag. So glad Jenny Brekhaus pointed out the inaccuracies.