The following are highlights from the August 14, 2023, Sparks City Council Meeting.
Announcements/ Presentations
- The City announced five vacancies on the Sparks Polie Advisory Committee, each for two-year terms ending September 30, 2025. The vacancies include three members-at-large, one business representative, and one multicultural representative. Members must either be residents or business owners in Sparks. If selected, members must participate in a Sparks Police Department Citizens Academy and undergo a background check. Applications will be accepted until Friday, August 25, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Visit cityofsparks.us/getinvolved to apply.
- Ben McDonald, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) provided an annual presentation on the promotion of convention and tourism in the region.
Council approved:
- Mayor Lawson’s appointment of Karl Nieberlein to serve on the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission for a term effective immediately and ending June 30, 2026.
- Ratification of the City Manager’s decision to approve a $116,203.00 change order construction contract with F.W. Carson Company for the Glen Meadow Drive Storm Drain Improvement Project. The change order is due to unforeseen field conditions and additional work required to relocate NV Energy utilities.
- A grant contract with Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Inc., to provide up to $300,000 toward the purchase of property located at 2244 Oddie Boulevard to establish a multi-faceted community resource center referred to as The Oddie Project.
- A resolution governing Deputy Police Chief employees for the period August 14, 2023, through June 30, 2025, with estimated general fund increases of $31,826 in FY24 and between $42,145 and $42,596 in FY25.
- A $50,000 grant program contract between the City of Sparks, City of Reno, and Silver State Fair Housing Council to provide fair housing outreach, community education, and increase public awareness of fair housing rights in the amount of $50,000, with the City of Sparks share being $25,000.
- A $75,909.00 grant program contract with the Eddy House to provide Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support Eddy House’s provision of shelter and services to youth experiencing homelessness in Washoe County.
- Direction to the City Manager to accept the appropriation of $1,500,000 for FY23-24 and $1,500,000 for FY24-25, through Assembly Bill 396 from the State of Nevada General Fund, for the purpose of rental assistance and to take appropriate action to support the administration of the funds.
Council held public hearings and approved:
- A resolution authorizing the transfer of $4,986,751.66 from the City’s 2023 Private Activity Bond Capacity allocation to the Nevada Housing Division for its affordable housing programs.
- A resolution authorizing the transfer of $1,662,250.56 from the City’s 2023 Private Activity Bond Capacity allocation to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority for its affordable housing programs.
- Adopting new ordinances and amending existing ordinances to help address issues related to public safety and health that the Sparks Police Department H.O.P.E. team encounters on a daily basis including prohibiting:
- Parking oversized vehicles and trailers on residential streets.
- Human habitation of vehicles on roadways.
- Blocking public sidewalks, right-of-way, and public streets.
- Obstructing traffic to solicit drivers on the roadway.
- Open fires on public property without a permit or within designated areas.
- Camping within 1,000 feet of the shore of the Truckee River
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