April 13: Sparks City Council Meeting Highlights

The following are highlights from the April 11, 2022, Sparks City Council Meeting.

Announcements/ Presentations

Council proclaimed:

• April 10-16 as “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” to acknowledge and thank the Emergency Communications supervisors and dispatchers for being the first contact for a person in crisis. These highly trained employees work closely with police, fire and emergency medical personnel to gather vital information and dispatch public safety assistance, often making the difference between life and death.
• The month of April as “Donate Life Month,” encouraging all Nevadans to become organ donors by checking “YES” when apply for or renewing their driver’s license or identification card. Nearly 600 individuals in Nevada are currently on the national organ transplant waiting list and 22 patients die each day due to the shortage of donated organs. A single individual’s donation of the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small intestine can save up to eight lives, and a donation of tissue can save and heal the lives of up to 75 others.
• The month of April as “Financial Literacy Month” to help raise public awareness about the importance of financial education through organizations such as Opportunity Alliance Nevada and their Helping Nevada Build Financial Security program.
• The month of April as “Fair Housing Month.” April 2022 marks the 54th anniversary of the Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 that provides equal housing opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ensures fair practices in the sale, rental, or financing of real property.
• Council heard a presentation about the upcoming #SparksProud Community Event on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 11 am to 4 pm at Sparks High School. The event will have food trucks, department big rigs and equipment, games and activities, prizes, a live DJ, and city-wide job opportunities.

Council announced:

• Two vacancies on the Sparks Police Advisory Committee, one multicultural representative and one at-large member, both to fill partial terms. The multicultural member term ends September 29, 2024, and the at large member term ends September 29, 2023. Members are required to be residents or business owners in Sparks. If selected, members must participate in a Sparks Police Department Citizens Academy and undergo background check. Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 29, 2022, at 5 p.m.
• One vacancy on the Sparks Arts and Culture Advisory Committee to fill a partial term ending November 1, 2022. This vacancy is for a Visual Arts representative. Applicants must be a Washoe County resident, have a full understanding and five years or more experience of being an arts advocate, be forward thinking in programming of the arts and have prior experience on a non-profit or government board. Applications for this position will be accepted until Friday, April 15 at 5 p.m.

To apply to these committees, please go to cityofsparks.us/getinvolved.

General Business

• Sparks City Council approved the joint appointment of Donald Abbott to represent the owners of the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (TMWRF) on the Board of Trustees of the Western Regional Water Commission for a two-year term ending March 31, 2024.
• The Council rejected all nonresponsive bids for the Sidewalk Tractors-Federally Funded Project intended for the city to purchase two sidewalk tractor units for Public Works crews to maintain specialized infrastructure such as cycle tracks and multi-use paths. No bids met the “Buy America” certification requirements associated with the federal funding for the purchase.
• Council approved an expenditure of $64,000.00 to purchase SMG SportChamp artificial turf maintenance equipment for Golden Eagle Regional Park.
• The Council directed the city manager to initiate the possible sale of a 1.18-acre parcel located at the northwest corner of Disc Drive and Walden Way in Sparks to Murphy Land LLC. The City of Sparks does not currently utilize, nor is there any planned use for the parcel. Selling the City Parcel to Murphy Land LLC would facilitate commercial development. Staff will obtain an appraisal of the property and seek to negotiate a sale and purchase agreement with Murphy Land LLC for the appraised value of the parcel. If agreed upon, staff will bring the proposed agreement and the required resolution to city council for its consideration and possible approval at a later date.