City Council - Regular Meeting

all. It's all Paul's fault. All right, let's call to order the Spark City Council meeting for Monday, May 11th with a roll call. Mayor Lawson here. Council members Abbott here. Vanderell here. Anderson here. Byby here, Rodriguez, city attorney Duncan, city manager Len. We do have a quorum. Thank you. Okay. Uh, move on to the invocation. Uh, city attorney Duncan, are you going to do that for us? Thank you.

Um, Lord God, we are just thankful uh to be here today. Lord, thank you for so much for the weather and just the uh the refreshing nature that spring gives to us. Lord, your word says that you're compassionate, you're merciful, you're slow to get angry, and you're filled with unfailing love. And God, I just pray that we would be reminded of who you are in creation. Pray you give wisdom to this council today as they're making decisions that impact the community. And Lord, you're ultimately in control. And uh we love you and we just say these things in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Miss Bender, will you lead us in the pledge? Sure.

Please join me in the pledge. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. All right. We're going to move on to uh public comment. And I know that we've got a bunch of leaders from the chamber up here. So, I'm going to call you up in two groups. We got Becky Hall, Arley Dukan, RC. I'm I'm screwing it all up. Christina York, and Nicole Plankus. All right. So, you've got uh three minutes.

May make it green. There we go. Uh well, thank you for having us today. Um my name is Becky Hall. I'm the community engagement manager at the Nevada Mining Association, and we are in the best class ever of the 2026 Reno Sparks Chamber. Um, and we just want to be say thank you for all you do for the community. Hi, I'm RC. I work for the Arena Sparks Convention Visitors Authority. I work in finance. I'm Christina York. I work for Charles River Laboratories. So, we're a pharmaceutical research. We employ almost 800 people now in the city of Reno. Wow.

And hi everyone. My name is Nicole Fingis. I work at Tom Clark Solutions as a lobbyist. Um, I have the honor of being in the leadership program as well as representing the Reno Sparks Chamber. Um, so we get to deal with all of the fun policy coming through for your constituents as well. And I recently just joined the WO County Parks Board and got to work with some of the wonderful people part of Sparks as well as we talk about consolidating the parks in the parks district. So very fun getting a little glimpse of what you do every day. So thank you. Thank you.

Thank you guys. All right, next group from the chamber. Kate Katie Joe Collier Mary Joe Smart Pinocchio Samantha help me out with the last name Samantha I didn't forget

okay Erica Beachch and Caroline Anchorman who's gonna speak for that group I will start us off. So, my name is Katie Joe Collier. I work with NB Energy, also a part of the Reno Sparks uh chamber, class of 2026. Um, and I will hand it over to Mary Joe. Hi, my name is Mary Joe Smart Pinocchio. I'm a six-year associate at Fenomore Craig. I do commercial litigation, which encompasses business disputes, intellectual property, all that good stuff.

And I'm Samantha Igen. I work for PBS Reno and I'm the community partnership director and I connect corporate leaders and community organizations with all of our education and um event opportunities. Erica. All right. My name is Erikica Beach. I'm the vice president of human resources at Elorado Circus Circus and Silver Legacy. Uh we employ about 2400 employees in Reno. Um I'll go ahead and pass it off. Hi, my name is Caroline Acriman. I'm the manager of communications and public affairs at Renown Health. Um I've been there for a little over six years now and I've been a lifelong proud resident of Reno Sparks. Thank you for having us today.

Hi everyone. My name is Dan Lu. I'm the Nevada State Bank branch manager at West Liberty uh new to the area uh from Colorado, not one of those others. And uh and look uh first time into a situation like this. So, uh, also at the leadership chamber. So, thank you guys for being here. As I, uh, and I don't know if I mentioned it to your class when I spoke, but these people, you're going to, you're the future of, of Reno and Sparks. You're the business leaders that are going to lead us into the future. So, enjoy your time together because you are going to run into each other again and again. Thank you. Thank you.

All right, we'll move into our regular. And if you guys don't want to stay, you're more than welcome to bail out now. Or if you want to you want to stay, you're more than welcome to stay, too. All right, let's start with uh Michael Nolan, followed by Gerald Werner. Good afternoon, Mayor Lawson, City Council. Uh thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Michael Nolan and I've been a resident of Winkfield Springs for over 20 years. Uh I uh am here to respectfully but firmly oppose the proposed zoning prezoning that would allow building over 700 new homes in our community. When my neighbors and I chose to move to Wingsfield Springs, it was presented as a planned community defined by open space uh lakes and numerous uh natural surroundings. This is not incidental. It was the foundation of the community identity that was the key reason for our decision to buy homes and live there. Quoting from the original Wingfield Springs handbook, the developer is the entity planning the general plan and scheme for the property as well as providing the preservation and enhancement of the property values, annuities, and imputments. I'll get back to that later. Um, community features include uh extensive network of over 350 acres of open space, parks, pedestrian trails, and uh wildlife and historic features. I looked up a putrid because I couldn't, you know, what's that mean? And in context, it means the overall package that gives the community value. It also means including features, benefits, and

rights that come with owning property there. So what they sold us was what we expect. U the proposal that uh before you is a fundamental shift away from that vision. It is not a small adjustment. It's a major increase in density that will permanently change the character of the area. Once that change is made, it can't be can't be it can't be undone. Beyond character of the community, there are also other uh practical concerns, especially traffic and infrastructure. As a real estate broker, I see firsthand how community uh consistency in planning directly impacts property values and buyer confidence. Approving this resoning would be a terrible precedent. land communities benefit particularly uh on on trust and residents made long-term decisions that are with a clear understanding of how the properties and land was going to be used. Um if these expect if these expectations can be changed after the fact, what planning uh commitments can be relied upon in the future? Finally, if any development were to move forward, which I strongly oppose, it is essential that the developer, not the residents, be fully responsible for all infrastructure improvements required to support it.

Done. Thank you. Thank you. Three minutes goes quick, doesn't it? Yep. Uh Gerald Warner followed by Steve McCirk. Yes. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and Council. You can have a seat if you'd like. It's all right. Sometimes it's easier for the microphone to hear you when you're sitting. Right. I'm speaking on the same issue as Mr. Nolan.

There's probably an end an endless supply of people from the west of us who would love to move here. This is a great community. But if we keep building and they keep coming, what is the ultimate impact? Growth is great until it isn't. rush hour delays already on I80, Pyramid Highway are now routine. Add to that what's already underway in terms of construction on Wingfield Road, Pyramid Highway. It's only going to get worse. News on the radio just a few days ago says there's going to be a commission commission is under consideration to study this matter of I80 and pyramid congestion. Really though, the horse is out of the barn. growth is exceeding our infrastructure. Closer to home, Vista Boulevard is becoming more like Pyramid Highway. Rush hour delays owing to continued growth on this corridor. What else is impacted by this rapid growth? We don't know. But there's water considerations, gas, electric, ecology, wildlife, and the Vatin's way of life. So, where are we going? Is there a plan? Red Hawk Land Company, mostly a builder, owns the lakes and golf courses. Now, builders, they see open spaces like fairways as golden opportunities to well, you know, make money, lots of money. Lakes course now, hills course later. Forget about golf, forget about open spaces and the ecology. And what's the builder's track record? Just have to Google the company and the owners, and you'll see it's not a pretty picture. The proposed plan will destroy the essence what makes Wingfield special. Openness, harmony with nature, and and recreation, all gone in the blink of a bad decision.

You can expect probably another 8 to 900 cars will accompany the 600 homes and apartments planned to be built on this property. Add that to the foothills expansion and it becomes a severe problem. Traffic forecast for Waynefield Streets and Vista Boulevard is a nightmare in the making. The city's denial of this project should be a slam dunk, consistent with its past traffic rulings right here in Winkfield, Winkfield Parkway and Sierra Del Rey. something about license about traffic lights being too close together and of course the the added congestion on Vista Boulevard. Seems to me it's time to tap the brakes, develop a master plan, a master plan that provides infrastructure to accommodate growth where feasible and protect those already here.

Thank you McQuir followed by Larry Dribble Nibble. Hello, mayor, council members, and city staff. My name is Steve Mccor, and I am the district manager of collections at Waste Management. In short, if it goes into a green container or one of our WM trucks, that's my responsibility. Today, I'm excited to share some key updates that reflect our ongoing partnership with the city of Sparks. I'm proud to first highlight our collaboration with the city's sparks parks department, specifically with Mark Reynolds and Nancy Okconor. Our teams have been working closely together to improve services throughout in the parks throughout the city. Thanks to strong communication between our teams, we've been able to exchange outdated containers and make real-time routing decisions to ensure the city's parks are clean and safe. WM also partners with Sparks Fire to support the green waste removal efforts throughout the city. This program is critical to component a critical component of the fire fuel mitigation efforts. Sparks is a city that thrives on events. From hot nights to Rip Cookoff to concerts at the Nugget Event Center, our crews are always working behind the scenes uh to make sure that waste is managed seamlessly. We coordinate bin delivery and removal around the clock, navigating street closures and even the occasional creative parking situation that can block our access. Our goal is to keep Sparks clean and welcoming no matter the occasion. Starting this week, residential customers will receive their quarterly billing statements, which also contains hazardous household waste voucher for the disposal up to 50 pound pounds of material at no cost to them. This is possible through WM's partnership with Greyar Environmental and instructions are provided within that voucher. The insert also includes information notifying residents who are 70 years or older that they may qualify for a discounted senior rate. Another new program under the agreement with the city of Sparks and WM allows residents who cannot afford trash service a year of no charge trash removal. Eligibility is income based and applicants must qualify at 150% of the federal p poverty

level. Applications for both programs are accepted our customer service office which is at 100 Ver Street in Reno. Additional disposal options include extra waste stickers, four free transfer station visits per year, and temporary dumpsters for larger projects to support affordability, environmental protection, and responsible waste management in our community. Finally, I'd like to add on a personal note that I am attending the Rio Sparks Chamber Leadership Class of 2026. I didn't join my group because I didn't want to take away from their introductions. Um, but it is the best class ever which they talked about and uh Ann Silver and her team put on a great program and I'm really honored to be a part of it. Thank you for your time and continued partnership. Thank you. Thank you.

All right, Larry Dibble followed by Walt Rosenberg.

Good afternoon and thank you for allowing me to speak. Um, I'm here in uh with a uh I'm a resident of Winkfield Springs. Um, I'm a technical uh risk management professional with 30 years of experience. Um, and I have several documents on file already with the city and the planning commission uh regarding this issue. So, I'm here to address a critical a critical operational failure in the proposed redevelopment of the Red Hawk Golf Course. Um, as currently presented, these amendments represent a significant institutional risk to the city of Sparks. Um the project record is technically incomplete and the fiscal impacts are dangerously deferred. We are not discussing mere details that can be sorted out later. We are discussing unmititigated liabilities to our infrastructure and public safety. So I've identified four primary strategic constraint constraints that must be addressed before the body takes any action. First, there's a fragmented analysis. Developer has submitted four separate amendments reviewing these isolation in isolation in a tactical error. Um and it's more of a ace card on their part, but it's more of an error for the city. The city must mandate a unified impact analysis to evaluate the aggregate strain on our community. Number two, the fiscal opacity. There's no clear disclosure regarding the long-term impact on the city road fund. Without a viable binding fund plan, the city is effectively shifting future infrastructure costs from the developer onto the existing taxpayer base. This is fiscal liability. We cannot accept. Public safety constraints. We lack written enforceable confirmation of capacity from fire EMS and the Wii Wo County School District. Approval today con uh con constitutes or in the future constitutes a premature commitment of public resources without basic due diligence. And lastly, traffic and safety risk. The current traffic data lacks independent peer-reviewed validation. A comprehensive unified study subject to a third party audit is a prerequisite for maintaining public safety and operational viability in Wfield Springs. Um, a requested action

from you is I formally request the council continue or deny these items. Approval at this stage is a move toward a failed state for our infrastructure. The city must halt advancement until a verifiable datadriven record exist. They require binding mitigation measures that are enforceable and not aspirational and then also to prioritize the safety and fiscal health of current residents over the speculative goals of the developer. The burden of proof rests with the developer to show that this project is sustainable. To date, they have failed to meet that burden. I'd like to include these remarks in the official record for case numbers MPA26-001, NPA2626-002, PD26-001, and PD26-002. Um, this is uh it it creates a major major infrastructure deficiency. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. All right, Walt Rosenberg, followed by Tracy Thomas. Mayor Lawson, city council members, our esteemed clerks, and our city manager and our attorney. My name's Walt Rosenberg. I've been here a couple times and uh I'm a proud disabled Vietnam veteran. And I'd like to com praise our council member with a red paintbrush because when you go down Belmar Drive, there's a crosswalk and before the crosswalk was an empty space and then beyond there's a park on a right and beyond is a traffic circle. And many times when I drove down Belmore, um there'd be a truck or a camper or some large vehicle, not like a Volkswagen that you where you couldn't see anyone trying to cross the walk across the crosswalk. And so it was very dangerous for pedestrians. One time a mother had a child was holding the child by the hand and I saw a child stick their head out. So I complained to our esteemed council member at Henderson, showed him pictures, and the next thing I knew, I don't know, it was while later because it was in the middle of the winter rain, but he had uh the curb painted red from the fire was a fire hydrant all the way down to the crosswalk so no one could block the view of that crosswalk. And it's great because now people are safe crossing Belmar Drive. I'd like to thank our red brushed council member Anderson for the work that he did in securing that to be painted. Thank you very much, Council Member Anderson. Thank you.

All right, Tracy Thomas, followed by Ginger Sagio. Do I do I need to push anything? Okay.

Good afternoon. My name is Tracy Thomas and I am running for uh council ward 4. I am also a board director for the Stone Brook Community Association which abuts the wingfield on the west. Um, while I have several concerns regarding their proposed changes, um, I'm also one of the residents that received one of their notices regarding their meeting on Wednesday. So, our, um, our street is impacted by these changes as well. Um, so there are several concerns regarding their proposed changes in Redhawk. Oh, I should I'm just representing myself. I'm not representing the the board at this time. um uh but their their changes are also impacting um surrounding communities. So my concerns today have to do with the online request submitted by several residents over Red Hawk's refusal to address the public nuisance along the or ditch, more specifically parcel number 5221085. If they can't be responsible uh responsive to the hazards their public sidewalk presents in community residents and have for years, I'm sure there's can't be much confidence in the response to future hazards. More troubling was the response from city staff. Our requests were summarily closed with the response that the property belonged to Red Hawk. This is not something we don't know. And our request was not for the city to repair or mitigate the hazards. Our requests were for the city to hold Red Hawk accountable for the nuisance according to article two of the city's chapter charter and title 7 of the its code of ordinances more specifically described in section 16 subsection 5 of subsection 16 describes the process for notice of violations. So we are confused as to why the city is permitting a public nuisance to exist. So, this is

the sidewalk that it's um a problem with. And this is just one example of about a half a dozen places in this sidewalk. And these panels of concrete wobble when you walk on them. Um it's not good. Neighbors have submitted pictures of their bruised faces from falling on these loose layers of sidewalk. It is a location that attracts and endangers the safety of not only minors, but also seniors. This is also the ditch that the city left behind dead vegetation and trees along with a manhole cover right up in here um when they came through with the equipment to build the sewer access road along the Baldwin farm. Baldwin farm is right up here on the north. It is now a fire hazard waiting to happen with the homeless encampments increasing. Please check with your police department regarding our reports last week. Regency homeowners would greatly appreciate be greatly appreciative if your prompt attention to these matters. Thank you.

All right, Ginger Svagio, and then followed by Gillian Bartlett.

Good afternoon, Mayor Lawson, Spark City Council members, and our city clerks. Thank you for taking your time and having your presence today to listen uh to the voices of our community. I live in Wingfield Springs and you've heard a few of my neighbors today speak on um our original handbook as well as the infrastructure and financial impact. So I just want to speak a little bit to experience a community member. Um, I moved to to Wingfield back in 2002 and some of the things that drove us to um look at that neighborhood as opposed to a different city in our county um was the planned community. Um the open place that allowed for conservancy. Um wildlife flourishes out there. It allowed for walking spaces and it's just a visually stunning oasis. Um, when you drive into our current currently planned community, you experience a sense of calm and well-being and because of that's because of the open spaces that's currently there. The proposed plan would replace much of this with highdensity housing um putting stress on the infrastructure and forever changing the landscape. Our family had a difficult choice to make um when work took us out of the state for a few years. Do we sell our house or keep it and return here? So, we've recently returned back and um we believe, you know, yeah, we believe in what was built out in Wingfield Springs. We believe what we were sold. We believe that and what the city has continued to um support during that time. And so, we decided to keep the house and we moved back. that we have questioned our decision to continue pouring into the community even while we were away. Um, this change is highly opposed not only by myself but by neighbors who are not able to make it during the workday to come speak here. So, I implore you to consider not only the impact that this has on current

residents, but on Sparks as a whole should this jewel be traded for urban sprawl. Thank you, Gileian Bartlett, followed by Ron Morland.

Good afternoon. Thank you for having us here today to uh express our views. Um I am also here to speak against the Wingfield uh planned community uh and the houses they want to build for two reasons. First of all, it changes the area significantly and I don't feel like our infrastructure can handle it. I was spent all of my life in Reno, but Sparks did a great job of wooing me out here as a new homeowner with my family because we had land and we were able to buy a bigger house. And in 2002, I moved to the Simmeron housing development and it was exactly what you'd expect. It's a housing development, but I didn't stay there. After 5 years, when I was ready for my house that I love, which we're in right now, we moved to Wingfield because it was a planned golf community. And that community has walking paths. It had the school that my kids could go to right there in the neighborhood. It has wetlands. It has wildlife. I took my dog for a walk the other day, and as I was walking the dog on one of the walking paths, this bald eagle comes and lands on a tree right there. This will not happen if we turn all of that wetland and golf course into houses. We're going to lose that calm community that I stayed for. Friends and family live in Reno. They think I'm crazy to live all the way out in Wingfield. Which leads me to my second point, which is our infrastructure. And I'm sure if you live out there or anywhere, you're noticing that our roads are really impacted. We have two main ways out that I take. Vista and Sparks Boulevard. Sparks Boulevard is currently chewed up. And Vista is USA Parkway. I caught an airplane the other day at 4:30 in the morning and people were already lined up on Vista to go out to work. It's we can't handle more traffic. I also understand the sewer in our area is almost at capacity. I happen to live not

so far from the bridge that they would have to rip up. So then I would be taking Pyramid all the way around all to stay in what was sold to me as a beautiful golf planned community. And I feel like if we take the shortterm development bucks, we're going to be changing something in Sparks that we don't have in other places. And instead of having this community, we're going to end up with that urban sprawl. And finally, I did work as a teacher out there and I did work before they did some resoning. And I was there when it was multi-track and I had to move my classroom every 3 months and my students moved and we were 800 plus students. Our schools can't handle it out there. It's it it would just change everything. So, thank you for your time. You

Ron Morlin followed by Marie Rodriguez. Good afternoon. My name is uh Ron Morland and uh want to thank the mayor and the council for giving me a little time here. Um I'm here to speak against the Red Hawk um development. Um, basically what I'm going to talk about is the open space that was provided to the community. Um, especially in the 94 master plan community uh documents. Um, I realize that housing is important u and we need more, but I question whether the Redhawk Golf Course is a place to do that. Um and um if you approve the lakes course being used, you know, they're going to be right back again when they want to do the uh hills course. So, um it's going to have a huge impact on the community and I hope you realize that as you're considering this in the future. Um, I guess the last thing I want to point out is that if development is so important, why not start selling city parks uh to put houses on is that's kind of what you're doing here if you approve it because this is open space we thought we'd have. Thanks for your time.

Thank you, Marie Rodriguez, followed by David Hendris. Good afternoon, mayor and city council members. Um, I'm actually here with an invitation. Um, next month on Saturday, June 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. the Sierra Arts Foundation has a literary community, the Sierra Arts Literary Community, and it will be our second annual Bookfest. Last year we had our first bookfest and I want to say thank you to um council member Abbott and Rodriguez for supporting it and for um you guys for awarding us a proclamation that day. It was well attended and we hope that this one is attended with even um more of you perhaps um coming by and supporting it. If the community isn't aware, the Sierra Arts Literary Community actually has a light um a bookstore inside the depot in Victorian Square. It's a bookstore that has books from local authors um from the Reno Sparks and actually all of Northern Nevada area. And so basically, that's all I wanted to do was invite you to this bookfest. It's a family event. It is free. There's going to be a lot of activities for the family. a lot of local authors will be there and other nonprofit um literary supporting organizations will be there. So, hope to see you. Thank you.

Thank you, David Hendris. Thank you, Mayor, and the city council members and the rest of the team for allowing us to speak today. My name is David Hendris. My wife and I have lived in Wingfield Springs since 2000 and then we recently built our forever home on the golf course in 2024. We've raised our three children in the area and have actively participated in the community through the schools, sports leagues, our church, and then we actually owned a small business in uh the Reno area here for about uh eight years back in the 2000s. were huge proponents of the Wingfield Springs lifestyle and are vehemently opposed to the additional homes that are being proposed. Uh the 2015 amended Wingfield Springs development agreement handbook clearly documents a firm overall density cap and specific land designations. On page I 12. It clearly states residential non-residential density may also be transferred between development parcels providing the transfer does not conflict with the general intent or specific conditions described in the uh development handbook and does not exceed the approved project unit count. So uh that's to me a pretty cut and dried kind of piece that's there. So that's certainly a concern with mine in additions to my concerns about uh not following the handbook. Um, I've spent uh the other 30 years of my career in mining and have developed a lot of projects um in Nevada and throughout the world. I don't believe that the let me put it this way. I have grave concerns that the detailed review necessary to measure and mitigate the impacts of the water table and the flood plane have not been completed and reviewed. My understanding is that those Wingfield Springs wetlands would be considered navigable, having dealt with that a number of times in the state of Nevada

on different projects and therefore any impact change in the associated waterway and flood control would need an approval of the US Army Corps of Engineers, which I don't believe has been part of the work that's been done at this point in time. And I think that's something that would need to be done to make sure that the flood control in the area is is taken care of with those changes. I thank you for your consideration and appreciate all your time today. Thank you. All right, that's the last comment cart I have. Does anyone in the audience wish to speak under public comment? All right, not I'm going to bring it back to the dis. Move on to approval of the agenda. We want to move anything around. If not, I'm looking for a motion. Mr. Anderson,

move to approve the agenda as submitted. Mr. Rodriguez, second. We got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. Move on to approval of the minutes. Anybody have any uh changes? If not, um looking for a motion. Mr. Abbott. I move to approve the minutes of the Spark City Council meeting for April 27th, 2026. Miss Bbey, I'll second that motion. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously.

All right. 7.1 boards and commissions vacancy announcement. Mr. Manager. It's going to be Madam Clerk today. Madam one of you, one of you guys over there. We roam vote. I lost. Okay. All right. We have three vacancies on the Sparks Recreation Commission, each for a three-year term. Members must be a resident of Sparks or have a valid Sparks business license and applications will be accepted until May 15th, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. 7.2.

Sparks Civil Service Commission has two vacancies each for a three-year term. Members must be Sparks residents. Members cannot be a city employee, a member of the city council, or appointed to another board or commission of the city or related to one within the third degree of consu. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm. Persons interested in serving on these committees should complete a community services application online at the city's website, www.c cityofsparks. us/getinvolved. Simply complete the volunteer application form and hit submit. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. All right. 7.3 National Public Works Week. Do we have anyone from public works here? Thought I saw a couple of you guys. Come on down. Come on, Mark. They're just being shy. Bring one of them at least. They are shy, mayor. They're used to hiding in the shadows, not working up front.

All right. Who has that proclamation? I do, Mr. Mayor. Thank you.

Thank you. Whereas public works professionals are essential to building and maintaining the infrastructure, facilities, and services that support the health, safety, and quality of life for the people of Sparks. And whereas engineers, managers, and skilled workers across both public and private sectors work every day to improve our roads, water systems, public buildings, and more, contributing to a strong and resilient community. And whereas public works maintenance plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation and safety of our community by providing essential services including road maintenance, facility upkeep, and infrastructure repair, demonstrating unwavering dedication to the well-being of all residents. And whereas the dedicated professionals at the Truckucky Meadows Water Reclamation Facility play a critical role in protecting public health and the environment through the safe and efficient treatment of waste water for the city of Sparks and the region. And whereas greater awareness and understanding of public works programs benefit residents of all ages and help foster appreciation for the important work done behind the scenes. And whereas the American Public Works Association has designated the theme for 2026 as rooted in service powered by community, highlighting the dedication of public works professionals whose essential services strengthen neighborhoods, support daily life, and help communities thrive. Now therefore, I, Ed Lawson, mayor of the city of Sparks, Nevada, do hereby proclaim the week of May 17th through the 23rd, 2026, National Public Works Week, and encourage all residents to recognize the dedication of our public works team and celebrate their vital role in keeping the city of Sparks running strong. Um before before I introduce uh these gentlemen,

you got to give us your name. Mark Anderson, public works manager. I was getting there, mayor. All right.

I was going to say uh my responsibility is not all of public works within the city of Sparks, but it is maintenance within the city of Sparks. And so, if I could, I'd like to give a couple highle um units of of what these gentlemen I don't think we have any ladies here right now. Um actually, we have one sitting over here. She's hiding, but um what they're responsible for in their daily tasks. And so, uh just just some high level numbers. Uh, in our fleet system, our mechanics maintain 629 pieces of equipment, trucks, ambulance, fire trucks, police cars, loaders, all the above. Um, our streets crew maintain 370 center lane miles of curb, gutter, sidewalk, and roadway. 370 mi is enough to get you all the way to San Francisco. So, it's it's a big undertaking for these guys. Um in our sewer department, 405 miles of sewer lines, uh 10,000 manholes and 10 sewer lift stations. Our effluent team maintains 59 miles of effluent utility pipe. Uh storm drains is 250 mi of storm drain, 43 mi of open ditches, and nine sewer or storm drain lift stations. Uh in facilities, they maintain 50 structures. So um we have one person assigned a graffiti uh in traffic signals 115 traffic signals we have three office uh support staff and that is all maintained by 65 people.

So all done. Thank you. I just wanted to give you that high level and I'll let these guys introduce themselves and give us a little bit of what you do. I'm Daniel Deal. I work in the streets department for the last 10 years here. I grew up in Spark, so it's pretty cool for me to be able to work where I grew up and all my family. I mean, of course, they're always telling me wherever they see a pothole or but it's pretty cool. You and me both.

We've got millions of people watching us on YouTube, so Oh, yeah. Don't be shy.

We can't be shy, right? Uh, well, I'm Le Gutierrez. I'm I believe I'm going to start my second year working for the city next month. But um I just work with the sewers department. So mainly we just maintain making sure that all the sewer pipes are in good shape. If not, then we immediately report it. But I just want to say that I grew up here since I was I want to say four or five. I came here from originally Mexico, lived in Reno for a year or two, then came to Sparks. I do want to say that the community I've grew up with is incredible. I'm really happy to see that there has been a lot of work being done and being a lot of voices heard overall and that um I'm genuinely appreciative of being able to be a part of this community to be able to help improve and contribute to the community that I've grew up with a lot. But I appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Michael Nolles. I've been a member of the street department for four years last January. Soon here, I'll be two years a full-timer employee with City of Sparks. I was contracted for a while. It's been a privilege to work amongst the crew. It's been a pretty small crew for the time I've been a part of it, but we've managed a lot of streets, a lot of potholes, a lot of sidewalks, and it's just a privilege to be able to maintain all these structures that we know people travel on, walk on, ride bicycles on every day. So, a lot of people come out and support us and thank us for the work we're doing and makes the day go by a lot easier. Thank you.

Hello, I'm Jim Bass. I've been in the city for 25 years. I've done storm drain lead, sewer lead. I've worked all through the city, every probably almost every department except a couple. So just doing what I do. But it's it's one of those it's a passion and you have to love it. You have to be helpful. You have to be grateful. You have to be this. You have to be that just to control with the public trying to deal with the public doing everything that we need to do. So I've been having fun for 25 years. Thank you. My name is Juan Rios. I

I started with the city as a manpower employee as a temp agency. Been four years I've been with uh parks, streets, and And then I've been with those and then four years now I've been with uh sewers department and I've been with Dr's department as well and I'm happy and I'm grateful that I got this job working for city parks. Thank you. You brought a speech with you

later. I'm not going to spoil it. It's coming later. Don't worry. Good afternoon, Mayor, council members. Uh, I mean, I got to just really hand it to every single person that you just heard right now, plus the other 60 or so that weren't able to show up. Uh, I could vouch for them when I say they are true rock stars. And as the safety coordinator for the community services department, I'm I'm honored. Um, they make my job enjoyable. And you see their passion out there on the streets. You see it out there cleaning up the parks. Um, they're not they're not faking it. They mean it. So, to be uh have a proclamation like this, it's it's an honor to be here today. So, thank you for that.

Mayor and council members, my name is Casey Bond. I'm the assistant public works manager. Been with the city for over 22 years. Uh, started as a maintenance worker one and worked my way through the maintenance department. And I can say, was Kyle said, this group works is the hardest group working group I've been around. Um they I'd put that team up against anybody else for the amount of work that they get done with this small group that we have is a pretty amazing feat and they do it safely and respectfully to the public. And I know from my from myself um seeing the public enjoy and get to uh use the services that we provide is one of the best things about working for the city. So thank you very much. Thank you.

And mine comes later. Have anything else to add, Mark? No sir, thank you for giving us the time. So I I just want to say this is the group of people that touches every citizen's life every single day. As soon as you go out in public, there's something that they've worked on that's made your life better. And you can see the passion and that's cool to see me all uh choked up here. Thank you guys.

You just I just want to thank you all. Um it really is you're the unsung heroes and and especially we're we're reminded about that uh when we have a big snowstorm or we have um you know tons of weeds and I'm only always complaining about because I'm getting people complaining to me but when there are um you know major events that we know you guys are out as well as people don't think about every day all the things that you're doing uh whether it's our parks, the sewer, lines, water, I mean all the things, the maintenance that you on our on our equipment. Uh people forget about that and that really is the heart of what this city is. And I think that you are truly uh the hardest working department in the city. I might have other departments that beg to differ, but really I think you guys are and just know how much you are appreciated every single day. And even more so with our recent budget issues and challenges is we are running lean and mean and you know that every day because you don't have the staffing that we really would like to give you as well as all of our departments because our budget's so tight and I appreciate the fact that you guys still great attitudes and you continue to do the hard work uh of probably one and a half people now instead of you know instead of just one person. We've added to that. So thank you for everything you do. Much appreciated.

Anyone else? Donald. Yeah. Um, I just want to thank you all for your for your time for the many of times that I've came down and done done a cool ride along and checked out something new and different that we all take for granted of some some of the work that you all do of, you know, fixing the potholes of uh plowing the streets. I know I know you're Mr. Sparks Boulevard is what I call you up and down every every time it snows, but uh just thank you all for doing what you do and everyone that else that's not here today. Um, it takes a big team and thank you Mark for your leadership of um helping make it all come together. Mr. Anderson,

Mark, thanks for bringing some of the the team in and letting us meet them. Wish we could have met all 65. Um, but thank you guys for being here. You heard at the beginning, I got credit for painting a curb and I just want to make it clear. I thank you for uh giving me the kudos, but it's folks like this that are actually the ones out there getting the work done. And you guys are amazing day in and day out.

You anything? I know you guys are probably awkward or feeling awkward standing up. So, I just want to say ditto, let you get your photo and um just thank you guys for everything that you guys do. Thank you. Okay, let's get a picture so we can post it for our millions of viewers on YouTube. Come over here, you guys. And Julie's going to take your picture. Yeah.

You wish you would have brought your comb with you now. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Let's move on to educator appreciation month. Do we have anyone here for that? Anyone? Anyone? Anybody around here for educator?

Hi, Adam. How are you? Good. Good to see you. We're going to read you a proclamation and then we're uh we'll let you speak. Okay.

Awesome. Um so whereas educators play a fundamental role in shaping the future by inspiring students to achieve their highest potential and whereas educators dedicate their time, energy, and expertise to fostering a love of learning, critical thinking, and personal growth among students of all backgrounds and abilities. And whereas educators often go beyond their professional duties, serving as mentors, counselors, and role models who provide guidance and encouragement inside and outside the classroom. And whereas the impact of a dedicated educator extends far beyond a single school year, influencing students for a lifetime and strengthening the entire community. And whereas the educators have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and adaptability in their the face of techn technological change, evolving educational standards and unprec unpre un unprecedented challenges. And whereas it is fitting to recognize and express deep gratitude for the contributions of educators in our community and beyond. And whereas the Spark City Council honors and expressed profound appreciation for educators in our schools and educational institutions. And whereas the Spark City Council acknowledges the invaluable contributions of educators in shaping the future of our community and supports efforts that promote educational excellence. And whereas the Spark City Council encourages residents to express uh gratitude to educators and support their ongoing efforts to foster knowledgeable creativity and leadership among students. Now therefore, on behalf of Ed Lawson, the mayor of city of Sparks, Nevada, do hereby proclaim the month of May 2026 as educator appreciation month.

Give us your name for the record and what your position is.

Yes. Uh good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, members of the city council, Mr. Attorney, Mr. Manager. Uh my name is Adam Mayberry. I wear a few hats, but today I am a proud trustee for uh the county school board representing District F. District F is one of our atlarge uh districts and includes all of the city of Spark. So very grateful that uh you're recognizing our teachers and we want to say to all of you, thank you for your support of public education in in in Wo County. Uh many of you all of you uh attend many of our events. uh ribbon cutings. Uh you're in our classrooms reading to our students, you're celebrating our LTC students, uh in many cases sometimes when board members aren't present. So that does not go unnoticed and we we we appreciate that very much. It truly takes a village uh to educate 60,000 students uh and serve uh about 8,000 employees. And as far as our teachers, you know, they're the uh only individuals I know that that get up at the crack of dawn and uh have to manage countless students uh navigate curriculum uh evolve with the changing technology and so on and so forth and yet end the day as kinder uh as kind as they were at uh when they started the day. So, thank you for recognizing uh all of them and uh we appreciate your partnership and all that you do. And I would be remissed if I did not recognize Katie Simon Holland uh to my left who is with strengthen strengthen your community our strengthening our community rather uh as former county manager has been a strong champion of public education Wo County and just a tremendous community leader. So, thank you very much sir. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Congratulations to our teachers. Thank you. anything. Joe, you got anything? You got anything?

Yeah. Um, you know, read reading this, one of the things that uh kind of struck me was mentioning how it goes beyond just a school beyond a classroom and I think about uh, you know, think about what I currently this current role think about some of the people I influenced myself. I think of um a previous city councilman and schoolboard trustee, Mr. John Mayer who was one of our educators and you know one of those people where you know 31 years ago I sat out there my very first council meeting while John Mayer was my principal he had worked his way up from being an educator uh that had he had one of those one of those individuals that had a large impact on our community. I just want to kind of give a shout out of you know just one of the people that influenced me in this in this area that uh helped us get to where we're at as a whole community from being on city council to being on the school board later in life. So, just shout out to John.

Thank you. Anyone else? All right, Adam, let's get your uh picture taken for our millions millions of YouTubers. Thank you. Thanks, Adam. Thank you.

All right. Uh, Salvation Army Week. I know we got someone here for that. The man in uniform. Yes, indeed. Paul is going to read this for you and then we'll have you uh give us your name and say a few words. All right. Whereas the Salvation Army's only business in Nevada since 1864 is still human business undertaken with joy for the family of humankind. Come around behind here and take a picture if you want.

To the greater glory of God. And whereas through sound and innovative professional services, the Salvation Army serves the people of the city of Sparks with unshakable faith in the humanity no matter how desperate the situation and views all people as and views all people as people with possibilities. And whereas the Salvation Army acts on behalf of all residents of Sparks with neither religious affiliation nor any other condition prerequisite nor expecting any thanks yet nonetheless welcoming the community support. Now therefore, Ed Lawson, mayor of city of Sparks, do hereby proclaim May 11th through the 17th as Salvation Army week in the city of Sparks and urge all citizens to join us in saluting the steadfast people who bind us the uh bind bind up the brokenhearted and renew the hearts of the community by their quiet service and compassion. Thank you. Thank you so much. give us your name.

Thank you. Major Randy Hart. I'm the Northern Nevada coordinator for the Salvation Army. And we truly love this community and we love our history here. Uh National Salvation Army Week was declared in 1954 by Dwight D. Eisenhower after the immense body of work not only in World War II but World War One but specifically in World War II as well, not only with the work of our officers and donor girls behind enemy lines helping but beds uh bedside letters with soldiers uh being with them both when they're dying and also helping in and supporting medical groups and teams. Also back home, we're direct link from the battlefield to home for so many families, helping those who lost soldiers in those conflicts as well with social services and humanitarian efforts, spiritual Christian counseling for those who were who had lost soldiers and family members in those conflicts. And we continue to do so in every aspect we possibly can. We look to support and to help uh our communities here in Northern Nevada in any way we can with disaster service help with uh helping social services and of course those who are struggling in addiction. I'm very proud to say that in this last year also we have uh from 2025 and 2026 have graduated 11 chronically homeless individuals who are now not only working in the community but are staying clean and sober and have found family home and community at the Salvation Army in conjunction with everything else that happens our work with veterans and on and on and on. But we couldn't do it without the support of our our government of our government agencies and our community. You all walk alongside us as well and you help us. So

we are extremely honored that you have come to recognize this Salvation Army week. Thank you so much mayor. Thank you city council members attorney as well as city manager. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you Paul. Let's get a picture. All right. There, sir. What's that? Am I in the way? Wes is in the way.

Right here, please. Thank you. Fantastic. Okay, let's move on to 7.6. Thank you, major. Uh, proclamation for skin cancer awareness month. Do we have anyone here for that? Come on down. Have a seat. We'll read the proclamation and then we'll have you say a few words.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Whereas skin cancer impacts Neadans across the state and increasing prevention, screening and awareness of the risk factors can help reduce the number of cases and improve outcomes for those diagnosed. And whereas in Nevada in 2023, the latest year available for available data, there were 915 cases of melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers, and residents in Wo County had a melanoma rate more than twice that of the state as a whole. Whereas a Wo County melanoma rates have nearly tripled over the last decade. Whereas Nevada is one of the most at risk states environmentally for skin cancers based on the number of sunny days year round as well as our high elevation. And whereas skin cancer impacts all Neadans regardless of skin pigmentation or color and disparities exist in the stage of diagnosis among persons with skin color with with persons with skin of color due to the lack of awareness. And whereas when melanoma is found in the earliest stages, it has a survival rate of 99%. And whereas agencies and individuals across Nevada are working together to increase awareness, provide education, encourage prevention, and promote accessible health care to reduce the prevalence of skin cancer throughout the state. Therefore, on behalf of Ed Lawson, mayor of the city of Sparks, we hereby proclaim the month of May as skin cancer awareness month. And that's it. I thought we had a closing sentence on that.

So, uh, give us your name for the record.

Hi, everyone. My name is Sarah Groki. I'm with Nevada Cancer Coalition and I'm the community engagement manager. We're a statewide nonprofit and we do all things cancer related. I just want to thank all of you, Mayor Lawson, city council members. Thank you so much for um this the proclamation and for declaring it skin cancer awareness month. It's so important to recognize that and to spread awareness of skin cancer. Um I do want to do a quick plug. We do have an event this Thursday at the Reno Public Market from 3:30 to 7. We are hosting our third annual biggest little skin check clinic. It's 100% free, no cost. So, we do encourage all uh community members, whether Sparks or Reno, to please attend. We are um partnering with local dermatologists to perform skin checks. So, we're really excited and thank you all so much for the skin check uh proclamation.

Any questions?

Just one comment. Um thank you so much for being here. Those are shocking statistics. I mean, I knew our elevation and the number of sunny days that we are higher, but to look at how high and to look at Wo County uh is really shocking and and I know that I have been more diligent coming from my Irish fair skin and hair um background uh and having some skin cancers. My mom had some, my dad. Uh, not serious, but catching it early, how important it is and and doing those checkups to just stay ahead of it. Um, it it is just so important. So, anything we can do to help increase that awareness that everybody needs to get checked. And I love that you're doing an event. So, hopefully we get more people checked because it is so preventable if you catch it early. But, thank you for being here.

Thank you. Anyone else? Okay. Thank you. Let's get a picture with Julie. Hey, it's time for your exercise, boys.

How do you think I maintain this physique? Yeah, I go to the gym. That's I don't know.

Okay, let's move on to consent item. And I just said item. Anyone wish to pull a consent item? If not, I'm looking for a motion. Mr. Anderson, I move to approve consent item 8.1 as submitted. Mr. Rodriguez, second.

Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. General Business 9.1 Consideration discussion of possible confirmation of the mayor's appointment of one planning commissioner to serve on the Truckucky Meadows Regional Planning Commission for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2029 from the following pool of applicants listed in alphabetical order: Carl Neberling, Evan Pritzos, Mike Rosson, Ricky Rodriguez Elkins, and Steven Sperber. my choice and and also the planning commission's choice was Steven Sperber. So, we are looking for a comment or a motion. Mr. Rabbit,

I move to confirm the mayor's appointment of Steven Sperber to the Truckucky Meadows Regional Planning Commission for a three-year term beginning July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2029. Miss Vanderill second. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. 9.2, consideration, discussion of possible approval of resolution number 3486, establishing the city of Spark safety task force. Now you get to use your speech.

Maybe no stage professional. Of course I have a purple full screen. I'm sorry. Do you need help getting that open full screen? Yeah. Okay. Like up on the I'll get it up there.

Oh, yeah. I think I'm good then. Just Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. All right. Okay. All right. Good afternoon, mayor, council members. I'm Kyle Ellis, the safety coordinator for community services department. I'm in front of you today today to discuss a resolution and for your approval for the city of Sparks safety task force. Again, safety guy, got to have quizzes. So, here we go. Pop quiz for all of you. About how many Americans are treated in emergency departments each year for injuries related to holiday decorating?

15,000.

I'm seeing a bunch of head nods. Seems staggering, right? It is staggering. Um, I only bring this up because we like to use analytics. We like to use data and that is a big driving force in how safety professionals make their decisions. It is also a very important reminder that safety just does not end in the workplace. We do take this stuff home. So the purpose of the safety task force is to strengthen the culture within the city of Sparks. We already do have established safety committees within the departments. Right now we are looking for the safety task force to improve coordination and communication between those safety committees. Um as mentioned before data tells a story. trainings and safety messages will be based on the data collected and to promote safety awareness on topics that are relatable to both our employees and the public. So, as far as membership representation goes, I'm not going to read all these squares for you, but as you can see, we do have a wide range of representation throughout the areas of the city. Uh, this does allow more insight to effective decision making that will enhance safety for the city of Sparts. So the vision of a strong safety culture uh we do anticipate employees being able to or being more comfortable to approach their supervisors uh if they have any safety issues or any hazards they discover. Uh as a result, we'd love to see the employees and the supervisors uh work collaboratively to develop a solution. uh instead of just holding meetings of as a formality, we would take that data that is shared among the safety task force to develop safety trainings that are unique to each representative department and enhancing the safety culture will ultimately lead to a safer work environment which does increase morale. So what would the typical operation of

the safety task force look like? uh well we would meet quarterly where the task force will review the data collected from the respective department safety committees. This data is then analyzed to determine the who, what, when, where, but most importantly the why these incidents and these accidents do occur. Uh the task force would also review workers compensation trends and vehicle data. And finally, based on the outcome of the meetings, the safety task force would recommend training specific to the discovered needs of each department. If the resolution were to pass today, we can anticipate other advant advantages such as drafting safety policies as deficiencies are discovered. Uh we proposing solutions to reduce injuries and incidents, creating and distributing quarterly uh safety newsletters. U this is kind of my favorite piece of it. This is when we get a get a little bit more fun with it, actually share what we're passionate about. So with the employees, we'll put information on the safety topic of the quarter. Uh trends on injuries, not just within the city, but as a nation as a whole. Kind of make it more eye opening so we can address it before it gets us. Uh employee recognition for safe acts, tips for staying safe at home. Speaking of staying safe at home, uh we deliver safety messages to the public. An example might be Christmas is coming up or the holidays are coming up. How can we stay safe on a ladder? So, a nice little public outreach there. Uh, and finally, the safety task force would also help our department stay consistent with safety policies and expectations. So, for resolution number 3486, the safety task force will allow the city of Sparks to enhance a safety culture that will improve consistency while increasing safety awareness and decreasing injuries and incidents. Um, with all that being said, uh, staff

recommends to approve the resolution for the city of Spark Safety Task Force. Um, happy to answer any questions that you may have. Questions from the council? I don't see any. Okay. That was a awesome presentation. You don't question. All right. Go ahead. Okay. Well, then I'm looking for a motion, Miss Vanderwel. I move to approve resolution 3486 establishing the city of Spark safety task force. Mr. Anderson, I'll second the motion. Okay. Uh, any further discussion? I have one quick question. How do you report near misses?

You know, I don't like that definition. A near miss, when you break down the definition, it's not a miss. It's just in the safety profession, that's what they have used as something that almost happened that was unwanted. And so I would like to see that word change in the safety profession, but that's just how they go about it. Okay. Because a near miss in an airplane, say I know an airplane near miss is a lot different than you were having a near miss in an automobile. I mean they consider an airplane an automobiles going opposite directions. Those are near misses by definition for airplanes. So I'm just curious as to how we define that. Yes. How do we report it?

No, that defin I' I've been asked that multiple times. Um, in layman's terms, it's more going to be just, "Oh, I almost got hurt." Or, "Oh, this almost happened." What are we going to do to address this so this doesn't occur again? All right. Thank you for the question. Well, so now you have questions. Now I have Yes. Yeah. You made me start thinking. I I was just curious. Forbid we do that. I was I was just curious. Do we currently have in place a stop work authority? um procedure or policy.

Thank you for that question. It's a very good question. In fact, I want to give some kudos to the treatment plant. They have been actually pushing something that I think is going to be something that's going to um be a program that the safety task force and the other departments should follow. Um I would be more than happy if anybody's willing to come down and talk about it, but uh we definitely they are working on something for sure and it's it's a great program from the looks of it. Yeah, the the company I work for uh implemented a couple years ago and it was it's awkward. I mean, I'll be honest, there are times when a supervisor manager calls someone to take on a role and for the employee to say, "I don't feel safe doing this. I think it's going to be an injury, an accident, whatever's going to happen here. The potential is too great that uh they actually have the authority. In fact,

it's not authority, but uh the responsibility of of ending the task." So yes, just something to consider. Oh, I know. Full support of that. Absolutely. At the end of the day, it's it's life first and the other things we can address later. So if we could stop it and get ahead of it, then absolutely. Yeah. Okay. Any more discussion? Please vote. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you. 9.3 Consideration discussion of possible acceptance of a grant from Travel Nevada in the amount of $25,785 to support the Celebrate Sparks event and mural project.

Good afternoon, Mayor Lassen and council members. I'm Raquel Monserat and uh your special events supervisor in parks and recreation. Today we're here to request your approval of a grant from Travel Nevada in the amount of $25,785 to support the Celebrate Sparks event and mural project. The City of Sparks Parks and Recreation Department continues to apply for opportunities for funding for art programs and special events in the city of Sparks, offering artists the opportunity to showcase their work to the public and to support working artists. This mural project and the Celebrate Sparks event is in conjunction with the America 250 campaign celebrating America's 250th birthday. The Celebrate Sparks event and the mural will honor Sparks's history and uh the city's contribution to building the American West. The event will take place on June 27th from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Tony Armstrong Amphitheater and will in include a mural unveiling, live music, food trucks, vendors, Sparks history tours in partnership with the Sparks Heritage Museum. Travel Travel Nevada has generously provided financial support of $25,785 for this project with a required one-to-one match. The city of Sparks' match can include cash or inind support for the program. staff recommends acceptance of the grant and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Questions from the council. I do have one. I I know you can't it'll be a surprise when the murals unveiled. Can you share who the artist is? How many you had apply and then who you chose for the artist for the mural? Yeah, so I believe we had around 16 or 17 applications for the mural. Um the artist chosen was Janie Vinc. She is uh an Elely resident and she'll actually be here on Sunday to get started on that mural. But yes, we're keeping it a a secret until the day of the event. Okay. Anyone else? All right. I'm looking for a motion. Mr. Rabbit.

I move to accept the grant from Travel Nevada in the amount of $25,785 to support the Celebrate Sparks event and mural project in 2026. Mr. Rodriguez.

I'll second. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. 9.4. Thanks, Raquel. Consideration discussion of possible approval of a consulting agreement AC 6194 for final design and engineering services during the construction with Stantech Consulting Services in the city of Reno for the Truckucky Meadows Water Reclamation Facility Gas Conditioning System Improvements Project in the amount of $655,138 with Spark Share being $25. $25,516.79.

Good afternoon, Mayor Council. My name is Amy Egan. I'm the assistant treatment plant manager. I'm here today seeking approval for a consulting agreement for the final design and engineering engineering services during construction with Stantech Consulting Services for our gas conditioning system. Tomor's gas conditioning system was built in 2013. This system treats bio gas generated from the incoming wastewater to to use in boilers, heating equipment and the co-generation system. Tomorf does not have natural a natural gas connection. So we relies so solely upon gas from the system for facility heating and hot water. Gas conditioning also sends gas to our co-generation engine which generates nearly one megawatt of energy and saves more than $400,000,000 per year on energy costs. Stantech previously completed the design of improvements to the system which includes redundant systems for cooling the gas to prevent system shuts down shutdowns bypass piping to keep the system operational during maintenance and improvements to increase maintenance and safety. However, based on recent observations and testing, it is recommended to add these to final design services to incorporate additional improvements not previously identified. This agreement will provide those needed additional design services design drawings, a cost estimate, assistance and support during the bidding process, as well as engineering services during the actual construction of the project. A recent risk ranking of infrastructure

projects placed on placed this project as number three. This is been approved in the fiscal 26 budget. Staff recommends approval of this agreement. I'm happy to answer any questions. Questions from the council. Well, okay. Great presentation. Thank you.

All right. I'm uh looking for a motion then Mr. Anderson. I move to approve the consulting agreement AC 6194 for final design engineering services during construction with Stantech consulting services and the city of Reno for the Truckucky Meadows water reclamation facility gas conditioning system improvements project in the amount of $655,138 with Spark Share being $25,516.79. Miss B. I will second that motion.

We got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. Thanks, Amy. 9.5 Consideration discussion possible approval for the purchase of two Caterpillar 930 wheel loaders in the amount of 576,147 utilizing the OM NIA contract 99 SWC- NV24-20894.

Good afternoon, mayor and council members. My name is Casey Bond. I'm the assistant public works manager. Today's staff is requesting approval to purchase two Caterpillar 930 wheel loaders in the amount of $576,000 $147. The funding for these machines was approved as part of the FY26 CIP fleet replacement program. These machines are an integral part of the city maintenance fleet and are multifunctional. They are used for snow removal, street maintenance, drainage maintenance, emergency cleanups, and many other operations throughout the city. Approval of this item aligns with our goal to rightsize our fleet. These two machines would replace five units that are between 25 and 42 years old and are at the end of their service life. These purchases also will also be a step towards our fleet commonality goal, which helps maximize safety and efficiency while minimizing operating cost through shared training programs, machine characteristics, maintenance procedures, and parts inventory. Staff recommends the purchase of these two wheelers. Happy to answer any questions.

Questions from the council. Only 42 years old. Only 42. We can't get another 42 out of it. We try. I'd say it's about time. Okay. Uh then I'm looking for a motion. Anybody? Mr. Rabbit. I move to approve the purchase of two Caterpillar 930 wheel 930s wheel loaders utilizing OMA contract 99 SWC- NV24-20894 in the amount of 576,147 Anderson. Second the motion.

Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. Nine. Thank you, Casey. Uh, consideration discussion of possible approval of the purchase of 16 police patrol vehicles in the amount of 1,33,85949 utilizing state contract 99 SWCS 3135. Mark Anderson.

Sir, as you said, Mark Anderson, public works manager, uh, with how well Casey described our our fleet uh, corrections that we're trying to do right now. This will be short and sweet. Um, working with the police chief and his team, uh, Mike Flanner, the garage leazison, Casey, and, uh, our partner, Corwin Ford, we are working on sourcing and correcting our police fleet as far as how it's used, how it's replaced, and when it gets replaced. Um, so working with them, we are trying to source 16 police vehicles to make sure that they have the tools they need to perform their function. Uh the total bill is $1.3 million and this is scattered between FY26 and FY27. So um this is part of our plan as as making sure that we can provide the services that our citizens need. Um I I want to thank the police chief for his help, his team's help. They made sure that uh we got the spec we need. These vehicles will come from Corwin Ford complete. They will not have to go out for any other service. They will have not have to go out for any other upfitting. They will uh come to us. We will stick a number on the side and they will drive them out. Uh they are right now scheduled to be built in June, which means they'll make it to the vendor for upfitting hopefully early July and be on the road early next fiscal year. Um, we are recommending the approval of this purchase. And uh, with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

So, we're going to be all Ford Explorers. Well, this is a purchase of 12 police interceptors, which are Ford Explorers, and four F-150 responders. Okay, good. Mr. Rodriguez. Uh, thank you, Mayor. Um, no doubt I know our officers do need more vehicles, more vehicles on the road, 100%. Um uh but with the fire season coming up, can you kind of give like a snapshot into like how the with the money that we're looking at and putting into this, can you give us a snapshot of how our fire department brush trucks with the upcoming fire season might be I know you oversee that. So

yeah, just um right now uh I don't have it with me exactly, but I will tell you that our brush truck prop our brush truck proper, so all of them that are designated brush trucks are operational and in the fire department's hands. We do have patrol 21 in our shop right now for a tire uh issue. And also one of their uh rear compartment doors has a alarm that says it's open when it's not. So once that's adjusted, that one will be back to them. We should be back to them by the end of tomorrow um with six new tires put on it so it's ready to go. Thank you for that. Yeah.

So Mark, we're uh purchasing 16. Is that replacing uh the oldest in our fleet or adding to it? And I thought in my pre-briefing you talked about we have always estimated at what how many years a a police vehicle will last us and they don't last as long as we anticipate. So we're adjusting that. So is it an addition of 16 or is that replacement of ones we have?

Thank you for the question. Um right now it is it is not an additional it is replacement for a number of our vehicles but it is our oldest vehicles and this will put us on the track to put us on a six-year refresh rate. Uh for the past decade and a half we've been on a 10-year refresh rate. So replacing vehicles every 10 years. Um for us that's for our police department that's anywhere from 150 to 180,000 miles. Um that's a lot of miles on a cop car. They tend to wear them out pretty hard. So, this will put us hopefully into the 120,000 mi range to where they're having not suffering breakdowns. They're not suffering any catastrophic failures. Uh, one thing I did mention in the staff report is that all the police interceptors, so the Explorers, as the mayor called them, are hybrids. And this is a goal to help us mitigate the idle. So, right now with the emissions and and what's required for vehicles, oil is getting lighter and uh they don't idle. The vehicles don't idle as well. It wears the motor more. So these right here, they won't have to idle. They will shut down, but keep their MDCs and all their other electronic components running.

Clever. Good thinking, Chief. Oh, that was Mark. I figured I'm just kidding. This started during COVID when we put in our first order for hybrids and this is the first time. That makes a lot of sense. If you ever done a ride along, that car engine never shuts off.

So, all right. Um, also this is off the subject, but I want to commend you and your staff for the uh auction. I got a phone call, two phone calls from uh Steven Stremmel over at Strel Auctions, how wonderful it was to work with our people, how cooperative and accommodating, and he said he sees the passion in your people like we saw today and what they love about this city. So that starts at the top. So, thank you.

Thank you, sir. All right, with that then I'm looking for a motion. Miss Vanderwell move to approve the purchase of 16 police patrol vehicles utilizing state contract 99 SW CS3135 in the amount of 1,33,85949.

Miss Bbeby, I'll second that motion. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. Thanks, Mark. And oh, by the way, how much money did we raise, Mark, from that auction? 250. Right at 270. 27. 270,000 from old equipment we can't use anymore to make more spa space in the yard. That's good efficient government in my mind. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right. Number 10, public hearing and action items unrelated to planning and zoning. There is none. Planning and zoting public hearings action item. There is none. Comments from the public. Madame clerk. We have any public comment?

Uh announcements from the mayor, city council, city manager. Mr. Manager. Yeah, just a big thank you to our public works team. I think council did a great job of saying that, but they do yman's work uh behind the scenes with, as everyone indicated, limited staff, but really produce phenomenal results. So the community should be proud, council should be proud, and I know I am. So big thanks to that that team. I never get calls praising uh what we do at the city. So when we get those calls praising what our employees do because I know how hard you work, that makes me very very proud. So thank you for that. Uh anyone else what comments from the council? You got anything? No. Donald,

city attorney. He wasn't on the list, but we're going to make an exception. Hey, so uh just uh congratulations to Jessica Cobberly who had her baby early this morning. Uh almost a 10 pound baby boy. So congrats to uh Jessica and Ian. Yeah, that kid come out ready to play football. Yeah, he's ready. Well, congratulations to her. All right, with that then we are ajourned.