All right.

Let's call the order of Sparks City Council meeting for August 25th with a roll call.

Mayor Leson.

Here.

Council members Abbott.

Here.

Vanderwell.

Here.

Anderson.

Here.

Baby.

Here.

Rodriguez is absent.

City Attorney Duncan.

City Manager Louthin.

Here.

We have a quorum.

Thank you.

Okay.

And then we'll uh go right to our invitation with President Brent Roloffs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Our dear Father in heaven, we're grateful to thee, Father, for this opportunity this afternoon to meet together and to have our city leaders govern our city and to make good decisions.

We pray to thank thee for the freedoms we have.

We enjoy in this in this city and this state in this country for the choices that we we can make in our lives.

We pray for thy blessing that we continue to hold freedom as a primary importance in our lives that we can that thou will bless our uh service members that are serving so diligently to protect and serve us.

We pray now for thy blessing to be upon this community leaders, they can have thy spirit to be upon them, that they can remember uh thee, that they can make good choices to help retain our freedoms and retain our our choices.

We ask thee to help them in their lives to find ways to expand the joy that we experience here in Sparks.

We pray for a special blessing on those who are suffering at this time, that they can have thy help in their lives and they can remember thy son Jesus Christ and be blessed for that.

We pray now for these things and invoke thy spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Okay.

All right.

We'll start with uh Pam Dark.

Good afternoon.

Is it working?

Okay.

Hello.

I'm in District 6411 or precinct 6411.

It's been a while since I've said that.

I don't know why I'm nervous when you do this.

It's really um I'm here because I thought it was well, I know it's important.

I showed up to work out at a studio near Safeway Thursday morning, 4 30 in the morning.

I've always gotten up before the birds.

I've always been an early worker, early riser.

And it's quiet and I enjoy it.

There's a homeless situation going on there.

You guys have banned camping.

The memo hasn't gotten out to them.

I parked my car, gentlemen walked by with a trash bag.

First, I'm like, is he a maintenance guy?

You know, I mean, I didn't want to judge.

Next thing I know, he's yelling, verbally attacking the employees from my favorite muffin.

My heart skipped a beat.

It's kind of like it's 4 30 in the morning.

I'm looking up the phone number for City of Sparks that's now on my contact list for the police station.

So I got that fixed.

And I called them.

And he walked away.

I'm like, okay, situation.

He's a little out there.

He came back.

And when he came back, it even got more violent when he was yelling at them.

I got nervous he was gonna hurt them.

I've taken steps for myself to protect myself.

I don't want to have to use it.

More needs to be done.

More uh we haven't, from what I understand, had a meeting between the commissioners and both city councils.

I think it's necessary.

I've had where I wonder if something's gonna happen where it's not gonna turn out good.

So it's still out there, but thank you for banning the no camping.

It's helping.

And we have somewhere to call.

In Reno, I understand, unless someone's gonna get hurt, they're not gonna pick up.

And I've had where I've had to sit in my car and wait before I can try to go into an office and work.

That's not right.

I don't want to hurt somebody, but I will if I have to.

Okay.

Um that being said, thank you for all your efforts.

Another thing I want to address, because we need resources even more, obviously.

But a lot of resources, infrastructure, and needs of our community are because we have a lot of undocumented in the state.

I understand the governor is stepping up, and we're gonna address this issue.

We really cannot take much more.

I saw a car on this is Reno Facebook page where all she put on her car was I just want to get home safe and alive.

That says a lot.

And it's a whole state.

But there's thousands and thousands and thousands of undocumented here, and we need to know who they are.

I also understand they're gonna be looking into the visas.

I almost got ran over by an SUV in a parking lot.

Because she thought it was okay to throw it in reverse and go backwards.

Thank God I work out because I was pushing and screaming against this SUV trying to run me over at Trader Joe's in Reno.

She gets out.

No, she rolls down her window and yells at me.

Why am I there?

Because I'm trying to get into Trader Joe's.

She had a Russian accent or Belarus.

I have friends from both Russia and Belarus, and they brought to my attention that in those countries there's regions where you have to watch out for the car.

The car doesn't watch out for you.

So I just wanted to share that with you.

But this is what we're dealing with out there.

Thank you.

Thanks, Pam.

All right, Mark Mark Hill.

Followed by Austin Daly.

A UKIPA man was in critical condition Friday at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he was taken for treatment of head injuries after a car crash Thursday, authorities said.

Mark Markel, 24, was thrown from a 1977 Dotson as it overturned on Live Oak Canyon Road at the eastbound Interstate 10 off ramp at 4:30 p.m.

said California Highway Patrol Officer Amber Drive Sdale.

The driver was driving south on live Oak Canyon Road when he lost control of the car, struck a curb, and skidded into the off-ramp.

The vehicle rolled over several times and landed on top of Mark Markel, Drysdale said, You of course.

But I don't talk very well, but I want I want Twitter to know if you if I drive with a drunk driver.

And I haven't I haven't had a vacation with my kids.

And that's important.

My my son who's a cop just home me.

I don't know why.

And my daughter who's uh uh dog walker acknowledges me, thank you.

And are with you all would I just I just don't want to see anybody and I did I have thank you.

Don't get in the car.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mark.

Especially good for uh with the weekend coming up.

Uh Austin Daly, followed by Amanda Rose.

Is it Chaska?

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Austin Daly.

I'm the manager of government affairs at the University of Nevada Reno.

And today is the start of our 2025-2026 academic year, and we just wanted to come by and provide an update on what's been happening at the university the last few months, what we're excited about in the new academic year and hoping to carry this forward at local governments over the next few months as well, and just keeping this kind of dialogue open.

But wanted to talk about over the summer.

The university was really happy to have held our town on the quad.

Um every Tuesday during the month of July, including jazz performances and and uh Northern Nevada International Expo with over 40 countries represented.

Uh we also held the hot August nights on campus for the first time in almost 40 years.

I hope some of you got a chance to check that out.

Um I know we're continuing to build our relationship with Hot August Nights organization for future years.

Um we're excited tomorrow.

The John Tollock Business Building is opening.

I know Councilmember Bible, you've RSVP'd to attend for tomorrow, and we're hoping any of you who are interested to come and attend, you've probably seen the construction off of I-80 and Virginia Street, but really excited to get that new building up and running for over 3,500 students.

Um Collegiate Academy, our dual credit enrollment program is starting up.

Turn one of those mics off.

Would you please push hard?

There you go.

Perfect.

Um our collegiate academy program, which helps to provide dual credit enrollment options for high schools across the state, is also started up again last week.

Um we're excited to be participating in Sparks Read and Spanish Springs High School here in Sparks and continuing to work with principals and in the school district to get uh to serve even more schools across the city.

Uh first men's wolfpack football game is upcoming on September 6th against Sacramento State.

Um hope some of you can come and attend.

I know we'll be trying to get as many elected officials as we can out there as well.

So yeah, thank you for having me.

Thank you.

Amanda Rose Chaska.

Reno, you can only speak.

Well, if you hadn't noticed, we're not Reno.

How many have a baby now?

Just press that one.

Press one of those buttons.

You gotta press it kind of hard.

There we go.

Okay.

Uh good afternoon, Sparks City Council.

My name is Rose Chaska or Amanda Rose Jaska.

And I'm a native to Northern Nevada, but I bought a house and have lived in Sparks for about five years now.

I live on I Street in downtown Sparks, and I'm here today to address a growing concern in my neighborhood with my neighbors over the noise levels produced by Interstate 80 and by connection the Pyramid Way Highway, which I know you are also concerned about.

And I want to thank our mayor for going so far as to talk to the Nevada legislature about the traffic issues we're also experiencing.

One of your members was kind enough to inform me that NDOT is in charge of the interstate management and construction, but I am begging you all to take interest in this noise problem and to help the citizens you represent to contact NDOT or even our Nevada Congress ourselves to address the lack of noise barriers, especially along the marina and Victorian Avenue.

Barriers that have been missing for decades.

But also to help us address the very minimal effort, NDOT seems to be planning, possibly as late as the 2040s, to address the increased noise levels in the majority of areas near the renovated interstate.

NDOT's own reports show that 150 out of the 342 noise receivers are already exceeding FHWA noise abatement levels.

And all receives or receivers are expected to have increased noise levels by 2040.

Their 2019 proposal also only evaluated citizens affected within 500 feet of the interstate.

But I'm here to tell you my own health has been affected by the increasing noise levels at all hours.

And I live a mile away from the freeway.

This is only worsened by the wall-to-wall traffic that Pyramid Way receives as well from about 7 a.m.

to 10 p.m.

I don't have a solution yet for this, but I'm hoping to open this conversation more and more and with your help to get more citizens involved in our uh town.

That's it.

Thank you.

Okay.

I don't have any more cards.

Anyone in the public wish to speak at this time?

None.

We'll bring it back to the dais.

Move on to approval of the agenda.

Mr.

Abbott.

I move to approve the agenda submitted.

Mr.

Anderson.

Second.

Got a motion and a second.

Any further comments?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries with those present.

Approval of the minutes.

Any additional subtraction to the minutes?

Not.

I'm looking for a motion.

Ms.

Vanderwell.

I move to approve the minutes of the Spark City Council meeting for August 11th, 2025.

Ms.

Bibby.

I will second that motion.

We've got a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries unanimously.

All right.

Moving on to proclamation.

Ms.

Vanderbilt, you have hunger action month.

Is somebody here for this?

Come on down.

We'll have you speak afterwards.

But go ahead and read the proclamation.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Whereas hunger and poverty remain issues of serious concern in the United States, the state of Nevada, and the City of Sparks, and whereas raising awareness about the ongoing need to combat hunger in every part of our community is a crucial first step toward providing vital resources to Sparks residents in need.

And whereas the City of Sparks remains committed to working with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to educate the public about the essential role of food banks in addressing hunger and advocating for increased resources and community engagement.

And whereas in 2024, more than 29,201 individuals in the City of Sparks relied on food provided by the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

And whereas the Food Bank of Northern Nevada distributed more than 2,501,444 pounds of food through its network, a partner agencies, direct service programs, school pantries, and other community organizations serving Sparks residents.

And whereas throughout September, food banks across the nation, including the Food Bank of Northern Nevada will host events to raise awareness, inspire action, and encourage community involvement in the fight to end hunger.

Now, therefore, I, Ed Lawson, Mayor of the City of Sparks, Nevada, do hereby proclaim September 2025 as Hunger Action Month.

Give us your name for the record.

I know Nicole couldn't make it today, but you guys are one of my favorite charities personally.

Thank you for that.

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Shane Piccinini, S H A N E P I C C nevermind.

This is a legislature, sorry.

Anyway, PICC.

I and I and I.

Anyway, I manage government affairs for the for the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

As the resolution, the proclamation said that we're distributed over two million pounds.

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is seeing consistently since really 2021, a staggering increase in participation.

And the demand is not going down.

So currently, just service-wide, like all, you know of the counties that we serve, we're at 160,000 that we're serving in a month.

I want to personally, I know Nicole, if she were here, we she would want to personally thank all of you for the support that you have continued to give the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and proclamations like this one are very important for us to get our message out and for other people to get connected with us and the mission that we have to end Hornger in Northern Nevada.

Yeah, I I just this is really an interesting time.

And the challenges are not going away.

Okay.

Any questions from the council, comments?

Okay.

Can we uh have you guys take a picture right over here?

Or our millions of YouTube viewers?

One more thing before I forget, I'm sorry, is that um we do have direct service programs in every one of your districts just about?

And we would encourage you to come out, schedule time so that you can see what we're doing in your district in your wards and have an opportunity to speak to the neighbors that we serve because every story is different.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for all that you guys do.

We'll just take a picture here for uh, okay.

We'll move on to 7.2 is payroll week.

Anyone here for that?

Anybody got payroll?

The most important person at the city.

Okay.

Go ahead, Charlie.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

We can get everybody up here.

Come on, if you're all with payroll, come on up.

Perfect.

Whereas payroll org and its more than 20,000 members, have launched a nationwide public awareness campaign to recognize the nearly 150 million people who work in the United States and the payroll professionals who support the American system by paying wages, reporting workers' earnings, and withholding federal employment taxes.

And whereas payroll professionals in the City of Sparks play a critical role in maintaining the city's payroll operations, including paying into the public employee retirement system PERS, responding to employee inquiries, and ensuring accurate tax withholding, reporting and deposits, and whereas payroll professionals are responsible for the efficient, accurate, and confidential processing of all payroll functions, as well as administering and maintaining payroll information systems, manuals, and essential documents that ensure employees are compensated appropriately and in compliance with regulations.

And whereas payroll professionals in the City of Sparks are increasingly proactive in educating employees about payroll laws, regulations, and tax withholding systems, helping to build understanding and compliance, and whereas payroll professionals regularly meet to stay current on city policies, labor contracts, and applicable state and federal laws with a focus on improving efficiency, compliance, and service delivery.

Therefore, on behalf of Ed Lawson, mayor of the City of Sparks, we hereby proclaim the week of September 1st through the 5th, 2025 as payroll week.

Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council members for the record.

My name is Kayla Neff, your operations accounting manager.

And I just wanted to thank you guys for taking the time to acknowledge the payroll team.

And they are doing a really great job at processing the payroll.

It is not as simple as pressing a button.

They work really hard at uh what they do in order to give you get you guys paid on a bi-weekly basis.

And uh for that I'm eternally grateful for them.

They uh really do a great job at communicating with the employees and even outside vendors and um they're just really wonderful employees, and so thank you for acknowledging what they do for you guys.

Um and on behalf of the city as well.

Uh I encourage you guys and all of city staff to come down to payroll during payroll week and introduce yourselves.

They are old staff but in a new area, and um just talk to them about what what we're doing over in operations.

Um and without further ado, on behalf of the entire City of Sparks employees, I want to thank Tracy, Monica, and Jasmine for bringing a smile to our faces every other Wednesday.

Because if it wasn't for you guys, we would not be here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks, Kayla.

Take a picture.

I think I have a great question.

Yeah.

Hi.

I know.

So you mentioned payroll week.

So I know a day we get paid.

What day would be the best time to come down and see some Wednesday, come down for a payday on payday.

Okay, the actual day itself.

Yes.

Hey, and you get a candy bar.

Yes.

What?

Yeah.

I just learned this nine years candy on Wednesdays.

Thank you.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Okay.

That was with a low flying aircraft.

That was a hot air balloon.

Thank you very much.

Thank you guys.

You guys are going to be able to do that.

Nothing gets passed out.

Mine like a steel trap.

All right, 7.3 is presentation.

Hexagon United Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Suite Software Replacement Project Update.

Tell us some good news.

Like you're going to come online tomorrow.

Uh good afternoon.

Mayor members council Russ Elder, your IT development manager.

Um not to put you on the spot, Mayor.

You owe me lunch from last time I was here.

Well just throwing it out there.

Um call my office and we'll take care of that.

Seriously.

Um you like the water bar?

Yeah, I think too.

All right.

Um so I'm actually here to introduce uh Cody Shadow, who will be giving you the presentation on Hexagon.

Uh Cody is Reno's dispatch director uh for public safety as well as uh executive chair for the governance board and project coordinator for Reno.

Uh I've taken over as project coordinator for for us here at Sparks.

Uh I've been doing it for the past six months or so.

Um so I'm still kind of getting a feel for the overall project.

Uh Cody has been involved with it from day one.

So he'll be a good resource to give you uh kind of a status of where the project started, where it is now, and then kind of everything in between.

If there are any questions for me, I'm gonna step aside and give them a thank you.

Serious, call my office.

Honestly, I think uh Russ underserves himself there, he's doing a great job.

As you mentioned, my name is Cody Shittle, I'm the director for Reno Public Safety Dispatch.

Um trying to pull it up on the board now.

I think I just want to get rid of that.

There we go.

As you mentioned, we've been on this project for a while.

I think actually I sat in front of this board over a year ago giving you some information.

At that time, I was telling you September 9th, 2025, we're ready to go.

Unfortunately, we're not.

Um, we do have a scheduling delay, and we're gonna get to that here in just a little bit, but I'm here to kind of give you some backstory for those who don't remember how we got here.

Uh, we'll share some brief successes of what we already accomplished.

Um, I'll tell you what we have left to do on the project, and I'll tell you why this is important, and hopefully we'll we'll be really excited at the end of it.

I am excited to be here because I did hear a couple of public safety comments from some of the public comment, and we know that this is an important topic, not just for this body, but for our citizens and our community.

And so I think it's really important that we do show up and we do we do talk about um what is going on with public safety.

Today I am joined by Russ, as you as he mentioned, he was your agency coordinator for Sparks.

I'm the agency coordinator for Reno.

We're also joined by Kenny Kitts, our agency coordinator for RemSA, and we actually have our federal um our vendor project manager, David Benini, in the back, who's with Hexagon and here today representing us as well.

So we have a really good team.

I also saw some support in the back from our chief uh from Sparks Fire as well as our chief from Sparks Police.

So I'm excited to see everyone's support in the room today.

As I mentioned, how we got here.

If you may recall, we started this conversation or started hearing rumblings about this back in 2019 is when we decided that our CAD system needed to be replaced.

As you recall, we probably went through a process to develop an RFP, bring on a consultant.

I won't believe beleaguer you with the details of that.

Uh, but we did successfully finish that process, and then that took us to about 2022 when members of this body, as well as Washoe County Board of Commissioners and the city of Reno all got together on a regionalization workshop.

You might have recalled that.

It was the first one of the first times we talked about fire regionalization as well as medical response and 911 service delivery.

And we heard you loud and clear.

We said the 911 system needs to be improved.

And one of the obstacles that always comes up is our CAD system.

CAD, CAD, CAD, you've probably heard it a million times.

I know I have, but I live that life.

Um so we heard it loud and clear.

We need to make the user experience for the citizen better.

And we think that this is one of the first obstacles that consistently comes up.

So one of the first things we need to do after we decided how we're gonna do it, is we decided we need to do governance.

We need to say, how are we gonna administer a program?

Sparks has needs, Reno has needs, Washo has needs, Remsa has needs.

How do we make sure everybody has equal voice?

How do we make sure everybody has equal representation?

In our community, we're really good at at verbally agreeing to things, but we're not the best at creating agreements.

Well, I'm really proud of this agreement.

We actually came to the table and built on really nice structure that allows everybody to have that seat and have their voice heard and make sure that our citizens or our communities are heard as well.

So where we're at now, we're in the configuration implementation process.

Um, just jump ahead here.

Talking about those governance boards, we do have the managers board, which oversees just the general oversight of the project.

We also have an executive board who's responsible for our operations and kind of overseeing how do we administrating this project both with personnel as well as financially.

Uh that board's made up of many of our stakeholders, including our chiefs and some of our directors.

And we have a change advisory board, which is kind of new to us.

How are we going to actually implement change when we're dealing with four different entities' major needs?

How do we make sure that the needs of the Sparks Police Department versus Reno Fire Department are met and shared equally, and that's kind of what that board is charged with.

So your change advisory board has a lot of subject matter experts, a lot of IT representation, and they're making sure that our system is not only healthy, but that it remains sorry, that it remains healthy over the long stance and is safe and secure from many of the threats that are out there.

Right.

That's the boring stuff.

Let me move on to the to the better stuff.

So what we're talking about is on call dispatch on-call records.

That's what we're putting in our system.

This is the backbone of our public safety system.

Every time someone calls 911, this information has to go into our CAD system.

It goes into our dispatch system.

As your police department initiates reports and investigations, that's all going to the record system.

This is the entry point into the criminal justice system.

And of course, on the backside of dispatch, you also have your fire and medical response.

So we're talking about all sorts of emergencies, all sorts of sins, and how we're really just ensuring public safety is delivered in our community.

So what have we done so far?

Early in the process, we finished our hardware and software implementation or installation.

That's been done.

We've actually finished 95% of our building configuration, which is pretty close.

We've completed about 80% of our third-party integrations.

And while that doesn't sound significant, it really is.

We started with 57 independent interfaces, if that's what you want to call them.

But any time we're saying we want our CAD or record system to talk to this outside system, and we wanted to in the original project, we had 57 of them.

We've paired it down to about 34 that we think are our priority.

And those are the ones we're pursuing, and of those we've got about 80% done.

That's huge.

Getting third-party vendors to talk to another vendor about how they're going to talk is can be difficult.

And then the last thing is amazing.

Our disaster recovery site is not local.

It's actually in a different location entirely.

It's in a different state.

But this ensures that if something happens locally, we lose service, we lose something as simple as internet connectivity to our public safety centers.

We can automatically spill over to the stat disaster recovery site.

We don't lose service.

911 stays up, police stay up, fire stays up, medical stays up.

We can still provide service delivery in the case of a disaster.

All right.

And we want to know why is this important.

We heard, as I mentioned before, we heard that regionalization.

We heard the priorities built in that remote regionalization workshop.

We heard that we need to talk the same language.

We need to make sure that when we say auto aid at Reno, that it means the same thing at Sparks.

When we say heart attack in Reno, it means the same thing at Remsa.

So as we've gone into this project, we've said, let's look at all of the language we use.

Let's come to a simple same language.

That way, when someone like me, or maybe the police chief comes up and says, hey, these are our stats, and this is what we've done, it means the same thing, or really showing the same information at the city of Reno or Washoe County.

We also talk about integrated responses.

This is my favorite.

When we talk about that regionalization workshop and we talk about fire department, we talk about auto aid.

This is how we can achieve those things with more precision.

Right now, if you call the city of Sparks and we need auto aid from Truckee Meadows coming to the City of Sparks, generally that's a phone call.

Um, or it's some assumed response.

In a system where everybody's using the same platform, those things can be pre-programmed.

The system can look and actually see an engine from Trucky Meadows and see an engine from Sparks, and it can integrate those together and say, I'll take one from here, I'll take one from here, and we'll put them all into one string and go.

And no one needs to make a phone call, all the information is shared.

That is gonna be a huge achievement for our region.

One of the other things we're bringing in the system is some AI, artificial intelligence is the big thing right now.

So we want to make sure that we're doing it safely and securely.

Uh, one of the benefits of our project being delayed is we've actually been able to incorporate some of these tools that are coming in from our vendors.

So Hexagon's provided us with some tools using AI where we can help our dispatchers, our officers, our sergeants in the field go out and actually find commonalities in calls.

Uh there's a lot of things that the A can do, but one of my favorite features is that right now, if you have a call or a theft in Sparks, and it shares similar similar um characteristics as a theft in Reno.

It's really hard for dispatchers to look at both systems because we're not watching both systems to find those things.

Oftentimes those things aren't found until much later when investigators on the back end are sharing information and they say, hey, your crime sounds a lot like my crime.

We might have a we might have something similar here.

With AI tools, you can actually have it go out and go on a mission to look for commonalities and say, I think these calls are related, even though they might be miles apart, jurisdictions apart.

So this is a really exciting tool.

We're hoping to see some success in it.

Um it is new, so uh we're gonna watch it very keenly and hopefully be able to report back some some positive encounters.

Regional processes, we've we've gone at this system as a region.

We've sat in the rooms together.

We have employees right now who are testing the system over at the regional training center from our records teams, which are representative of Reno Sparks and Washo.

And same thing with our dispatch teams, Reno Sparks, Washo, and Remsa, they're sitting together, they're working through these processes together.

Why I highlight this and why it's important is because we're not just looking at what's best for the city of Sparks or what's best for the city of Reno.

We know that our citizens really don't care whose fire engine shows up on scene or whose police car shows up on scene.

All that they care is that they show up and they show up quickly.

By by approaching this regionally, we can kind of keep that perspective and ensure that those citizens are the are the first thing that we're worried about.

And the last thing is just information access.

Being in the same system, having access across the board allows us to share safety information quickly, protect our first responders, and make sure that we're getting response out there very, very quickly.

So this is what we're accomplishing.

These are the big celebrations.

All right, I told you we're not hitting September 9th, 2025.

I'll apologize for that right now.

Um, there's a variety of reasons.

Most of them is that it's a complex project.

It really is.

We're we have 17 end user agencies we're trying to get together and work on this.

Um, so what we're looking at now is a March 26, or I'm sorry, a February 26th go live.

So in that time frame, we're gonna complete our testing, which is done in the next two and a half months.

It's quite a process of going back and forth with the vendor telling what's broken, what needs to be fixed.

We'll switch to training mode in November.

Um, and with everything goes well, then we're looking at a go live of February 23rd, 2026.

Following that, you'll see a reliability period where we we sit on the system, we watch it, we make sure it's stable.

The vendor still has resources assigned, and they ensure that it's stable as well before they leave us on our own.

We'll never truly be on our loan, but they'll back off some resources and let us kind of go about our business.

So if I were to summarize everything I mentioned here today, I'll say right at the top that we do have a delayed schedule.

We are looking about four months, but it's not unusual for this project.

We are on budget.

We feel like we have enough resources, we're fully supported locally with our own resources.

Our vendors supplied us more resources when we totally need them, and we feel but we are prepared for go live the 23rd of February.

And I'm here to answer any questions you guys may have.

Questions from the council.

Anyone?

Yes, Paul.

Thank you for the presentation.

Yes, we wish it was being implemented next month, but hey, we'll we'll be patient here.

You guys are getting it right.

So that's a good thing.

Um, I did have a question.

So I was thinking Reno Sparks, Washoe County, but I thought I heard you said 17 different agencies.

What are some of the others that we might not be thinking about?

Yeah, and it that's a great question.

Thank you so much for it.

So we have subcontracting agencies that work within our within our local 901 centers and with our police departments.

Um, some of those agencies would be University of Navada Police or joining this project, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, Pyramid Lake Pyu Tribe, Pyramid Lake Fire Department, uh Washoe County, Washoe County Township 22 Fire Department.

Um there's a lot of smaller independent departments like that, as well as Department of Alternative Sentencing, the municipal court marshals, all of those kind of make up the 17 agencies.

Um there's more.

I'm not gonna list them all for you.

If you'd like them, I'd be happy to prepare or share them for you.

The one thing I will highlight too is this is just what we're going live with.

Uh we have had interested parties who've reached out and said, hey, we'd like to join your system when you go live.

We think that we could expand this regional approach and make sure we're touching all public safety entities.

And so we started to work with those entities and uh kind of I figure out a plan for how do we bring them on board.

And I think governance is going to be the way that we do that.

Um, and it's it's exciting.

I would love to see us all be in the same page.

We know if we have an incident in this community, we know we're all responding.

It just makes sense.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Anyone else?

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, guys.

All right, let's move on to eight consent items.

Anyone wish to pull a consent item?

If not, I am looking for a motion.

Mr.

Anderson.

Move to approve consent items 8.1 through 8.3.

Mr.

Abbott.

Second.

Got a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries unanimously.

Okay.

10.1.

It's a public hearing consideration, discussion, and possible approval of a memorandum of understanding AC 6087 between the City of Sparks and the International Association of Firefighters Local 731 regarding reinstatement of laid-off firefighters.

Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council members.

For your consideration today is a memorandum of understanding an MOU between the City of Sparks and the International Association of Firefighters Local 731, also known as IAFF.

The proposed MOU revises Section 1, Article O of the CBA to provide for a process to rehire probationary firefighters during times of personnel reduction.

Due to their probationary status, the layoff process in the civil service rules do not apply.

If approved, this MOU would allow qualified probationary firefighters to remain on a rehire list for up to three years.

This MOU is effective as of June 26, 2025, therefore allowing the recently laid-off firefighters to be placed on the rehire list.

I'd like to thank the executive board and members of the IAFF for their assistance and coordination in drafting this mutually beneficial MOU.

And I'm open to any questions, and it is a public hearing.

Question from the council.

Mr.

Anderson just to add one.

I want to make sure an MOU like this, will it have any impact on future bargaining negotiations or anything with any other either this unit or any other bargaining unit?

Other bargaining units could ask for something similar.

Um I I think that this is a little unique for the fire service because of the fact that they were in the fire academy during the time of the layoff.

But um, we had a mutual understanding and a mutual need for this to happen and for the change to occur in the in the CBA.

So I I don't see uh IAFF coming back asking for anything more in the near future.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, that answered it.

Anyone else?

So to be clear, this is based on the three firefighters that uh were in the academy that we did not hire.

They finished the academy.

They finished the academy and then were released.

Yes.

Yeah.

That's what the impetus of this was.

Perfect.

All right, any other discussion from the council?

All right, this is a public hearing.

Anyone in the public wishes to speak on this item?

See none, we'll bring it back to the dias.

And I am looking for a motion.

Ms.

Vanderwell.

I move to approve the memorandum of understanding AC-6087 between the City of Sparks and the International Association of Firefighters, Local 731, detailing the rehire of laid-off firefighters with no direct financial impact.

Ms.

Bybe.

I'll second that motion.

Got a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries unanimously.

Thanks, Shauna.

10.2 public hearing consideration discussion and possible adoption of resolution number 3475, adopting the revised land use assumption, proposed capital improvements plan and imposition of impact fees or impact fee service area one and providing for other matters related properly there too.

Amber.

Thank you, Mayor Members Council.

This is for uh possible adoption through the resolution 3475 of the capital improvement plan for the impact fee service area number one 2024 updates.

So what is the purpose?

The purpose of this is to look at updating the fee schedule of the uh impact fees within impact fee service area number one.

Uh this area is located in Northern Sparks.

It comprises of approximately 9,186 acres.

And this does conform to NRS Chapter 278B, uh, which outlines the process for local governments to impose fees on new development to help pay for capital infrastructure and facilities that are needed for that development.

Uh basically the idea that development pays for itself.

Uh with this map, that is that 9,186 acres that you see outlined in green.

Um, as you can see, the impact fee service area one is in Northern Sparks.

A little background on this program.

Uh, the program originally began in 1992 through the adoption of the Northern Sparks Sphere of Influence Plan, the NSSOI.

Uh at that time, it apprised of approximately 7200 acres and has been adjusted through updates since uh that plan did include a mix of uses that you see there, such as residential, commercial, industrial, and such.

Um, and the plan specifically uh did require prior prior to implementation of the overall plan, a detailed financing and mechanism for fee collection by the city of Spark shall be established.

Uh that was adopted in 1994.

Uh, later in 1997, it was updated.

Interestingly enough, the original program had a roads component in 1997 with the Regional Transportation Commission doing their regional road impact fee.

Uh, the roads component was moved from this and moved to a more regional plan.

Uh, it was in 2002 that this officially became the IFSA number one uh with the introduction of that NRS 278B.

And interestingly enough, with that update, uh it finally allowed the inclusion of fire and parks and rec.

So again, through that stated NRS, it prescribes uh review of the program every three years, which is why we're here today.

Um, after adoption in 2002, it was later updated in 2005, 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2021.

Uh, today we're introducing to you what we're calling the 2024 update, as this incorporates any development that has occurred through December 31st of 2024.

So, what do we do with these updates?

We look to uh revise, analyze, and update any of our land use assumptions, understanding what has been built, what still can be built in the area.

We look at project identification again, projects that have been built and others that still need to be uh project costs.

With this program, we have four infrastructure types.

There's four impact fees.

They cover sanitary sewer, flood control, parks and recreation, and fire station projects.

And the baseline information from all this is really our city's master plan again, looking at that full build-out scenario and any undeveloped costs of remaining development.

The program is divided into two primary categories with seven types.

You'll see two under residential, single, multifamily, and then the seven uh types that are listed under non-residential, the seven land use types.

So, as defined through that NRS 278B, uh the service area is the area within the boundaries of the local government, which is served and benefited by the capital improvement and facilities expansions at set forth in the CIP.

So, how do we do this?

So, with the land use assumptions, we had to dive down into uh the question we're looking at is how many units are there left to share the remaining costs?

Uh so this screen uh gives you a very simple look at a lot of complicated work that our planning team uh did to put this together.

Uh what we're looking at in the first in the first column is what we expect the full build out in each one of these land uses to be.

From there, we subtract out things that are already built.

These are our developed service units, and we come up with these magic numbers, not magic, as they're logistical, as you subtract one of undeveloped service units.

So these are the units that we still have available to place these impact fees on.

The non-residential is calculated to be compared to residential to do an equivalent to make them apples to apples.

So what exactly is this impact fee?

This is money that is charged by the city.

It's a one-time fee on new development.

It is a charge at the time of building permits and it recoupes or offsets a proportionate share of the public capital facility costs.

This is not a tax.

These fees are very stringent as they cannot be used for operation, maintenance, repair, alteration, or replacement.

They are the initial construction of the capital improvement plan for IFSA 1.

This is its own fund.

It is not available, nor is it a part of the general fund.

With that, we'll dive into those four fees.

The first fee we're going to discuss is the sanitary sewer facility fee.

What you see on this map is some of our main trunks and infrastructure that have been completed with this plan.

Sewer is kind of unique in that it's often constructed before the fees are collected.

So you're usually in a situation where you're recouping the cost to pay for those bonds.

That is currently the status of our program.

We have no undeveloped sewer facilities at this time.

With each fee, we'll show you a comparison on the bottom of the screen is what the current fee is.

It's called the 2020 impact fee, is the last time it was updated.

To the top is what we're proposing the fee go to again for those nine different land uses.

Just to highlight one here, for example, in sewer for the residential single family, we're looking at the fee going from 231 dollars to 280 dollars.

This slight increase, what you're seeing here is simply there's less units to divide the remaining costs over.

As the program matures, there's less units to divide them over.

For the floor control facilities, here is a map of the projects that are included in the program.

Everything in black are things that have been completed.

The large blue squares are our detention basins, and the two red are two projects that are remaining.

So you see that this portion is very mature.

We're getting there.

We have a tiny portion near Pyramid that you see towards the middle of your screen and towards the bottom or the south is a portion near the irratable area, should and when they decide to develop.

So again, looking at the comparison of what is versus what this update is proposing.

Again, just using single family residential.

We're proposing a fee currently of $510 to be reduced down to 287 dollars.

Everybody likes this screen.

Without going project by project, line by line, what we're really seeing is that the cost to recoup is being paid off.

It's going down.

And with projects, when you start to get to the end of them, they start to get more refined, we start to know what the actual cost is.

So we're seeing lower costs expected.

This max represents the fee component for parks and recreation.

Within this program, this is our regional trails program.

What you're seeing on this map in the black is portions of the trail that have already been completed.

The red still needs to be completed, and then just one additional the black with the yellow on it is what has been completed since the last update.

So since the 2020 update till now, and really this is a large part of the program.

As you can see, the highlighted areas.

Now, this fee is a slight bit different.

It's only assessed over the two land uses in the residential component, simply because those will be who will benefit most from this type of facility.

And you'll see that we're proposing going from an impact fee of 1,067 up to 1,167.

Again, what you're seeing here is that we're getting refined costs, we're getting refined linear feet of the trail that needs to be built and really narrowing in to make it all connected and complete.

And the final impact fee included in our program is for our fire stations.

So here you'll see a map of IFSA with fire six there in the middle.

As you guys will know, it's under construction, still again to be completed later this year.

With this impact fee, there is a pretty significant increase.

Again, using that single family, we're looking at an impact fee currently of $387, being increased to $1,164.

Some reasons we'll jump into that here in a second.

So while this program is very detailed, has been a very great way to recoup some of these costs.

One of the weaknesses of this type of program is that it is largely based off estimates that can change as the project becomes reality.

This is definitely something we saw with FIRE six.

For example, the proposed cost for fire six was estimated at 6,250,000 with the last update.

Since then, purchase land build the building, uh, the price tag for that was 13.162 million.

So that right there speaks uh large volumes to why that particular impact fee increased so much.

Another issue is that as the program matures and there's less units to spread the cost over, the later units in the program also get harder when they're or get hit harder when there's significant changes, such as this.

Um not to be the dead horse, but everybody understands inflation and how hard our area has been hit.

Um, land costs, construction costs is another significant reason uh that we saw that particular in the fire impact fee.

We have done pretty significant outreach with this program.

Uh, we went to the Builders Association of Northern Nevada for a luncheon in May.

We went to the Associated General Contractors for a luncheon to present this in June.

And we did do an enterprise fund uh advisory committee meeting in June as well to show them the exact presentation, the logic of how we got to our proposed update and answer any questions.

By far the biggest questions we got were the fire and showing them the difference of the estimates.

Um, while nobody's happy that fees go up, it definitely seemed to make logical sense to them.

Uh this presentation was also presented to the Sparks Capital Improvement Advisory Committee, which is our planning commission.

This was done July 17th, and they voted to unanimously unanimously support recommendation of approval to you guys here today.

Should you choose to adopt this, we are anticipating effective date of September 1st, 2025 for these fees.

Um, and mayor, if I may, this is a public meeting, but I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Questions from the council.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

All right, this is a public hearing when the public wishes to speak on this item.

Do not bring it back to Diaz.

I'm looking for a motion.

Mr.

Rabbit.

I move to adopt a resolution number 3475, adopting the revised land use assumptions, proposed capital improvement projects, and imposition of impact fees for impact fee service area number one and providing for other matters properly related there too.

Second the motion.

I've got a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries unanimously.

Thank you, Amber.

Or 3,727,680 and 75 cents of the city's 2025 private activity bond capacity allocation of 7,455,361 dollars and 51 cents to the Nevada Housing Division to be used towards affordable housing programs.

Amy.

Good afternoon, Mayor Lawson, members of council.

My name is Amy Jones, housing specialist.

Mayor, I would like to request to present items 10.3 and 10.4 together.

Please.

I am before you today to recommend the transfer of the city's 2025 annual allocation of private activity bond cap.

The city's annual allocation of private activity bond cap for 2025 is 7,455,361.51 cents in bond cap.

Private activity bonds are tax exempt bonds issued by the state to provide financing benefits for qualified programs and projects.

If the city chooses not to transfer the 2025 allocation of private activity bond cap by August 31st, the bonds will revert back to the state of Nevada, and the state will determine how the bonds will be distributed.

In past years, the city has received requests from the Nevada Housing Division and the Nevada Rural Housing Authority for their respective homeownership programs and affordable multifamily housing projects.

This year, Nevada Rural Housing Authorities submitted a letter requesting 50% or 3,727,680 and 76 cents of the city's private activity bond cap for their homeownership programs.

The Nevada Housing Division submitted a letter requesting any unused private activity bond cap be transferred to the division for their homeownership programs and the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Washoe County.

Based on Nevada Rural Housing's request, the remaining bond cap available to transfer to the Nevada Housing Division is 3,727,680 and 75 cents in bond cap.

The Nevada Housing Division's Home as Possible Home Buyer Programs target low and moderate income households.

The Home is Possible for Heroes, assist veterans and military families by offering below market interest rates to reduce monthly mortgage payments.

The home is possible for teachers, helps support recruit and retain teachers by offering below market interest rates and the 7500 down payment assistance.

And the Home is Possible Homeownership Program assists low and moderate income first-time home buyers in purchasing a home by providing down payment assistance and closing costs.

In the past nine years, through the Nevada Housing Division's homeless possible program, 826 City of Sparks residents have had the opportunity to purchase a home.

Additionally, the Nevada Housing Division uses private activity bonds to support the development of affordable multifamily rental housing throughout Washoe County.

And in the past seven years, 5,162 affordable housing units have been built utilizing private activity bonds.

Nevada Rural Housing Authority provides housing programs throughout the rural communities in the state of Nevada.

Their programs include rental assistance, weatherization, home repair, homeownership programs, and the development and management of affordable housing.

Nevada Rural Housing Authority uses private activity bonds to support their homeownership programs.

These programs assist home buyers with 30-year fixed mortgages, provide below market interest rates, and down payment assistance.

Eligible households include first-time home buyers, veterans, and households that meet the income qualification.

Over the past 18 years, the partnership between the City of Sparks and Nevada Rural Housing Authority has resulted in the transfer of 36.2 million in private activity bonds.

Nevada Rural Housing's homeownership programs have provided 547 million in mortgages to 2,349 City of Sparks residents, 11.3 million in estimated federal tax savings, and 15.4 million in down payment assistance.

In 2024, Nevada Rural Housing's homeownership programs supported four 40 City of Sparks residents with purchasing a home.

Both agencies provide needed affordable housing resources to the residents of the City of Sparks and Washoe County.

Staff is recommending the two separate motions listed on the screen to transfer the city's 2025 allocation of private activity bond cap to each of the agencies as requested.

This concludes my presentation.

The Nevada Rural Housing Authority, Executive Director Bill Brewer is also in the audience should you have questions for him.

Questions from the council.

Ms.

Bible.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

So Amy, um the 3.7 million we're looking at.

Do we have an estimate of how many people that will serve?

You've given us some numbers, you know.

27 homebuyers, rental assistance, because there's a lot of different functions.

It's not just buying a house or rental assistance.

An idea, and I guess it would be we can just talk about the first one.

What number of people are we able to provide some type of assistance historically?

Um, so that is a very hard question to answer based on the two different types of programs where the bond cap is issued.

Um, just for example, um just looking at last year, and this is not solely the City of Sparks's allocation of private activity bond cap, but um Nevada Rural Housing Authority was able to um assist, I believe it was 79 households.

That was 15.6 million dollars in mortgages.

Um, just I know this isn't necessarily your question, but just to help maybe in context, uh, the average loan was 384,992.

Um, they also provided $15,555,000 on average for down payment assistance.

So it is kind of hard to tell, and I don't know if Mr.

Brewer has any additional um, maybe able to define it a little more based on his program.

You're on your own.

Okay.

Of course he did.

Um, I don't have a good answer for that.

I could I could look and do some research research to see if I could get some more definitive answers.

Well, that way that kind of gives me an idea on the you know what type of mortgage assistance and individual I know every individual who comes in has different needs, but trying to spread those dollars uh as far as we can, you know, with not limited number of people receiving either that if you can provide a little less and you're helping more people, bottom line.

Thank you.

Okay, any other questions?

All right, this is a public hearing.

Anyone in the public wishing to speak, come on down.

We'll have you fill out a card afterwards.

Come on down and speak in come on.

Oh, you can ask her afterwards if you don't mind.

Okay.

Thanks, Amy.

All right, so no one else in the public.

I won't must fall.

Well, let me close the public hearing.

Yes, Mr.

Anderson.

Yeah, just add a question.

Why is it that we historically choose those two organizations?

If you could just give us a reminder of that.

Uh historically, those are the two agencies that have reached out to us year after year to transfer our private activity bond cap.

Um, we have had discussions and are working on more of a competitive application.

Um, should there be other agencies or developers that would like to request our bond cap?

Um, we are working on that now to make it more aware to those that might be interested in it.

Thank you very much, okay.

All right.

Well, with that, I am looking for a motion.

Ms.

Vanderwell.

I move to adopt resolution number 3473 authorizing the transfer of 3,727,680 and 75 cents from the city's 2025 private activity bond capacity allocation to the Nevada Housing Division to be used towards affordable housing programs.

Mr.

Abbott.

Second.

Got a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries unanimously.

Uh 10.4 public hearing consideration discussion possible adoption of resolution number 3474 authorizing the transfer of 50 percent or 3,727,680 and 70 cents, 76 cents of the city's 2025 private activity bond capacity capacity allocation of 7,455,361.51 cents to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority to be used towards single family homeownership programs in the city of Sparks.

Any questions from the council?

Okay, this is a public hearing.

Anyone in the public wishing to speak on this item?

Seeing none will bring it back to the dias, and I am looking for a motion, Mr.

Anderson.

Move to adopt resolution number 3474 authorizing the transfer of three million seven hundred and twenty-seven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars and seventy-six cents from the city's 2025 private activity bond capacity allocation to the Nevada Rural Housing Authority to be used toward single family home ownership programs in the city of Sparks.

Uh Ms.

Bibe.

I'll second that motion.

We've got a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, please vote.

Motion carries unanimously.

All right.

We have no planning of going public hearings.

Uh brings us back to comments from the public.

Madam Clerk, do you got any public comment?

We do not, Mr.

Mayor.

Okay.

We'll move over to uh announcement for the mayor, city council, city manager, Mr.

Manager.

You have anything?

Just a big thank you to our payroll team.

They do a fantastic job as was ill illustrated earlier, but uh small but mighty group and always deliver.

So thank you for all your efforts.

You anyone on the council have anything?

Okay, and uh nothing from the mayor, so we are adjourned to meeting start conference time, isn't real.

Oh we'll call uh today's Sparks Development Agency meeting uh Monday, August 25th.

Uh with a call to order with a roll call.

Chair President Abbott.

Here.

Agency members Lawson.

Bye B.

Here.

Vanderwell.

Here.

Anderson.

Here.

Rodriguez is absent.

Chief Legal Officer Duncan.

Chief Administrative Officer Lao Then.

Here.

We do have a quorum.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Do we have any public comment on this meeting?

Okay, thank you very much.

Anyone in the audience?

I don't see anybody.

We've got a four point one.

Um approval of the agenda.

Looking for a motion.

Uh agency member Vanderwell.

I move to approve the agenda as submitted.

Agency member Lawson.

You can vote after.

Um we have a motion and a second, please vote.

Passes unanimously.

Item five point one consideration and discussion and possible approval of the minutes of the Sparks Redevelopment Agency meeting for July twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-five.

Looking for a motion.

Uh agency member Bible.

I move to approve the minutes of the Sparks redevelopment agency meeting for July twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-five.

Thank you.

Agency member Anderson.

Second.

We have a motion and a second, please vote.

Thank you all.

Passes unanimously.

Item six point one.

Consent items, consideration and possible exceptions of the report of the claims and bills.

Approved for payment and appropriation transfers for the period of July 16th, 2025 through August twelfth, 2025.

Looking for a motion.

I move to accept the reports of claims and bills and appropriation transfers for the period of July 16th, 2025 through August twelfth, 2025.

Thank you.

Agency member member Vanderwell.

Second.

We have a motion and a second, please vote.

Passes unanimously.

Item 7.1 consideration discussion and possible approval of a purchase and sale agreement.

SRA dash AC dash three three four with Oakmont Properties Azure LLC to acquire six five zero Marina Gateway Drive in Sparks, Nevada, eight PM zero three seven-two zero-73, a parcel approximately seven point eight acres in size located within redevelopment area two for ten million dollars and authorized the chief administrative officer to execute all S escrow and other documents necessary to effectuate the purchase.

Mr.

Rundle.

Thank you, Chair Abbott.

Jim Rundle, Community Services Director.

I asked some of you what historic event occurred on July twentieth, nineteen sixty-nine.

No, that's not all step.

One small step for man, one giant leap for Sparks.

Maybe that's not how it went.

Uh Spark City Hall opened.

Oh, that's the end of the slideshow.

It doesn't have thank you.

Staff supports this.

Can we take a few minute recess again absolutely five minutes, ten?

What what do you want?

Ten.

Five should probably be good.

Take a little five minute recess.

Thank you.

All right.

We are we'll get back to it, Mr.

Rundle.

The Far City Hole opened on July twentieth, nineteen sixty-nine to a population of just over twenty-four thousand residents.

Uh one I was pretty excited we were pretty excited to find such a picture.

As well as Art Prior.

This is also a picture of the groundbreaking.

You can see in the foreground is the middle school that is still there today.

That's Dillworth and the post office has yet to be constructed.

But this is Fourth Street.

This is Prater.

Like you want to say my address too here.

Jeez.

That we are in.

So how did we how did the city council get to where they were considering creating a redevelopment area for the area we know of today?

Picture on your on the screens here are the Helms Pit.

You can see the nugget here, Western Village here, and then an older picture as with I Interstate 80 going east through the Vista Neros area.

The areas of floodway over here, and then the Helms Gravel Pit.

So in the late 1990s, more specifically in 1997, the Helms Pit flooded with the historic flood of 1997.

You can see here the water eroded the banks and essentially took out the westbound lanes of traffic from Interstate 80.

Some of us that have been here for quite a while remember the historic flood of the late 90s.

That flood prompted city leaders after they uh took care of the Interstate 80 traffic and other impacts of the flood.

Uh prompted city leaders to identify best approaches to moving forward.

What should they do with the abandoned helms gravel pit?

There's a Greek proverb: a society grows great when people plant trees in whose shade they'll they shall never sit.

Late 90s, our city council, our redevelopment agency.

Our citizens had the foresight to create a redevelopment area, redevelopment area number two.

They also adopted a redevelopment plan, which included the consideration for a future city hall.

Ultimately, the area and a plan were established in 1999 to support revitalization, eliminate blight, and encourage economic development in targeted areas, including the Sparks Marina.

The plan specifically contemplated the potential development or acquisition of a new city hall within the marina district.

The agency, the electeds, the mayor knew that this would create opportunities for future Sparks governing bodies, that it would provide funding to do something special, something remarkable that may not be able to do with general government expenditures, general budget, but again, something remarkable.

They were planning for the ultimate uh functional obsolescence of the building that they were in that we are continuing uh are currently in the opportunity for a governing body to consider a future city hall to provide this opportunity to provide the direction to today.

We are here for the opportunity to provide direction to enter into a purchase and sale agreement for buying approximately eight acres for 10 million dollars everything.

Time I think of 10 million, I think of Austin Powers and the 10 million.

Uh I also want to thank uh Julie for catching that.

I did not as I originally had 10 billion in the in the offer.

So thank you for catching that.

Ultimately, this item should the count should this redevelopment agency approve it.

Uh it would go to the city council for consideration of a city hall, the redevelopment agency does not have uh the authority to to provide the direction for the construction of a city hall, rather the purchase of land.

What I want to outline today is what's wrong with the current city hall, two the vision of the electeds in the late 1990s, three, how the agency can pay for this, and what redevelopment funds can be used for.

Number one, the current city hall is beyond its useful life.

When it opened, it was serving a population of 24,000 people.

The critical issues include a failing heating and air conditioning system, failing plumbing systems, a failing roof, lift stations that are failing, electrical elevator and restrooms, space and function are providing for overcrowded areas, an efficient use of areas.

Delivery for our services become difficult for our citizens, outdated security.

There's no secure vehicle parking, deteriorating siding, parking lot, and legislative and the legislative building.

Two weeks ago, we attended the meeting.

The air conditioning system wasn't operating efficiently.

Today we are serving a community of over 115,000 people for a building again constructed for approximately 24,000 people.

This exhibit three that's in your packet.

This is within the adopted redevelopment area two plan.

This is number two, the vision of the electeds and the redevelopment agency in the late 1990s when they approved the redevelopment plan.

Some of you may remember that building was torn down when Legends was created and constructed.

That is approaching 35 years, or excuse me, 30 years old, over 25 years old.

What can redevelopment funds be used for?

Well, they're legally restricted, uh, Chair.

They're they're restricted uh to be used within the redevelopment area.

They're they're restricted to be used to carry out an adopted redevelopment plan, which the City of Sparks redevelopment agency has.

This is outlined in the battery vice statute, section 279.

With that section of 279, it provides that the redevelopment plan, the redevelopment area should eliminate light, work to encourage economic development, support revitalization or underutilized areas.

They cannot be used to supplement the general fund or be redirected to the general fund for unrelated expenses.

This is the site that we're discussing today on the northeast corner of Marina Gateway and Lincoln.

There's approximately 30.7 million dollars worth of funding that have been accrued in the redevelopment area.

Staff estimates between 25 and 30 million dollars of future increment could occur before this redevelopment area sunsets in June of 2029.

So what are some permissions permissible uses?

Purchase of land is one of the identified permissions permissible allocation of funds for a redevelopment area.

Using 10 million dollars of RDA2 funds to acquire land for the consideration of a city hall, is expressly permitted.

It's specifically identified in NRS 279.470 number one land acquisition within redevelopment areas.

This proposal aligns with the intent of the funds and does not require any debt.

It would not require any general fund subsidy.

As the agency considers expending this amount of funding, they may ask, the citizens may ask is this a good deal for the Sparks community.

Staff did conduct the team conducted a uh an analysis of market value that was allocated in the staff report submitted.

And it does uh demonstrate that it is a good deal for the for the redevelopment area.

It's in a strategic location where it could support civic infrastructure and the redevelopment area goals.

It protects key land, key land, it uh prevents private acquisition, which could allow for future price escalation.

In accordance with NRS, when a redevelopment agency considers funding or acquiring public facilities or improvements, it must assess whether their proposed investment will produce specific economic, social, or community belt benefits.

Same statute provides that cities under 500,000 do not necessarily have to make the same findings that cities over 500,000 have to make.

Sparks is under a hundred under 500,000.

However, for good measure, we included in the staff report an analysis of those findings for for good measure.

I'm gonna go through those findings, Chair, if that is okay with you.

Community and economic impact business growth.

A new civic facility at Sparks Marina will attract commercial investment and enhance district activity.

Job creation will generate short-term construction jobs and long-term public sector employment.

Revenue increase expected to grow property and sales tax through nearby development, public activity, a city hall will drive daily foot traffic, boostering nearby retail and services.

A unique civic anchor, a modern sustainable facility will elevate the area's design and function.

Skilled labor use project will rely on qualified prevailing wage labor support and support the local workforce.

Publicly funded ADA compliant infrastructure brings greater long-term value than private development alone.

Community input, while formal engagement on exact designs of city hall would be forthcoming.

Should this be approved?

The adopted redevelopment plan that we are considering today was done through public engagement, a significant amount by our predecessors.

Acquisition is uh below uh market rate based on the comps that were included in the staff report.

And again, this purchase could avoid future land cost escalation.

Additionally, it leaves sufficient redevelopment funds for construction.

Additional considerations that uh were included in the staff report were how would this support the comprehensive plan of the city of Sparks?

It's supporting strategic infill and redevelopment goals, uh, MG4, improving and maximizing city owned facilities, goal CF1, creates a city of choice for residents and businesses, uh goal C C1, ensures the public safety and emergency resilience, policy RC22, supports a long excuse me, supports a strong local economy through public services, goal EV6, encourages investment to improve quality of life, which is EV8.

Additional considerations for the redevelopment agency.

Staff, along with the support of Tom Pennell, who is here today, and Oakmont, who is the owner, have included uh thorough uh due diligence, uh comprehensive due diligence, including geotechnical environmental reviews, uh, title reviews, and found no conditions that would prohibit the development of the site for future civic uses based on these findings.

Staff recommending the redevelopment agency proceed with the direction as outlined.

We believe it could be future suitable for a future city hall, and that there would be additional funding through potential potential surplus uh parcels, the parcel we are on today could be considered for sale.

The parcel that is uh where municipal court is could be considered for sale.

I think that this is an opportunity to uh consolidate some of our other uh divisions, our other colleagues, uh, parks, again, MuniCourt, uh, environmental control, and of course, those of us here at City Hall, and and maybe others that I'm not uh that I'm not cons I haven't considered, but it would be an opportunity to vet those those uh those other departments.

Could the money from the redevelopment area be used for planning uh the design of City Hall?

It could it be used for furnishing, should the city council approve the construction of a city hall and approve a design?

It could could it be used for moving expenses?

But again, those would have to come through city council for consideration and that that direction.

As I've said earlier, the redevelopment agency cannot approve the construction of a city hall here today, rather the acquisition of the property.

Go back to slide three.

If there were additional funding, what else could uh the city council potentially direct at a different opportunity?

Just under the highlighted items of developer acquire a new city hall, they could facilitate development of other recreational facilities at the marina that could include a plethora of different concepts, ideas for the marina that could be vetted.

Staff has completed staff submits a thorough analysis.

We've done the due diligence.

We believe the site is structurally environmentally and legally suitable for a civic development.

The proposed 10 million acquisition of a 7.8 acre parcel aligns with the city's comprehensive plan, NRS, the redevelopment area plan, and offers a rare uh but strategic opportunity to secure property for consideration of a city hall.

This project, this purchase could address the city's aging infrastructure, it supports long-term growth and use a dedicated redevelopment funds without impacting the general fund or requiring new debt of the general fund.

I believe it demonstrates fiscal stewardship and proactive planning.

It's implementation of a plan that is nearly 26 years old.

Chair Abbott, um I've just gone through what I believe this uh recommendation from staff uh meets NRS, the redevelopment plan area number two, the comprehensive plan.

It would not impact the city's general fund, and it is below market value.

I want to thank Oakmont for what they perceived as helping with their civic civic duties.

And with that said, Chair, I've outlined the recommended motion on the screen above, and I'm available for any questions.

Gotcha.

Uh agency member Vanderwell has a question.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um Jim, thank you for the presentation.

My question is is on the properties that we dispose of and sell.

Where did the funds from the sale of those properties go?

The account had to show up.

Okay.

Jeff Cronk, the chief uh financial officer for the agency.

Um, all sales purchases have always been accounted for within the redevelopment agency uh revolving fund.

Okay.

Terrific.

And so they so the sale of those that funding goes back into the revolving fund.

Okay.

That's correct.

And then what can they be used for when they're in the revolving fund?

Any purpose, any legal purpose of the agency that Jim went over as part that that's uh that would support the plan that was that was developed back in uh 99.

Okay.

Thank you.

I have a couple Jeff.

So just make sure I understood.

So we sold City Hall, it would go into RDA too.

No, it would not.

Okay.

That was my question.

That's what I thought was that I was like, thank you.

I was like, I don't think that's okay.

Thank you.

So we sold city hall, where does that so let me clarify?

Yeah, the so what I would what I thought you were referencing is any previous, because we've had land uh right in RDA.

I and within the I apologize, I should have been more specific.

Yes, I'm trying to.

And we sell municipal court, where do those funds go?

Those are city um assets, city properties, and they would they would reside within the general fund.

Okay, and they could be used for general purposes.

General.

Okay, at that point, they'd be freed up for whatever purpose at that time.

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Gotcha.

I still I promise I'd have a couple others there.

Um, so just make sure I'm understanding this right.

Right now, I think we are sitting around 30 million in RDA two, right?

Yeah, yeah, we have about 30.

Well, we're finishing fiscal 25 with about 30.7 million dollars in unrestricted funds.

Yes, yes, in RDA2.

So if we were to move forward with this 10 million dollar purchase, simple math, around 20 million, and then I think Mr.

Rundle mentioned looking at June 2029 is when the RDA two would go away, and we'd be predicting around 25 to 30 million.

So that would be 45 to 50 million bulb guesstimate in that account.

That's correct.

Okay.

So we should have that right.

Now less the 10 million should we approve the land purchase today?

Yeah.

Well, it would be the 20 million.

So we have 30 now.

If we went down to 20, so it'd be 20 plus 25 million.

Yeah, that's correct.

Yeah.

Okay.

Cool.

Um I'm gonna pray now.

Is any oh agency member Anderson?

Thank you on the presentation.

I appreciate it.

It was very thorough.

I had a list of questions and you answered them all.

So great job.

Um there was one left over, though, and actually might need your help on it.

Um, what I was wondering with the the RDA too, not that far out from expiring.

If if funds are being allocated towards this project and it's not done in time, are there any consequences as a result?

Uh thank you.

Thank you, uh, member Anderson for the question.

Uh Jeff and I have discussed this.

And if the funds are not expended by the time that uh redevelopment area sunsets, the plan essentially is still valid.

So the the funds that are there could be used to spend toward implementation of the redevelopment area plan, and that is within the spirit of the NRS that we've outlined today.

So if it weren't uh encumbered, uh our goal, the uh I can't remember the chief executive officer uh his direction would be we move on this quickly.

I guess the city manager probably should the council direct that would be to move on it quickly.

I anticipate we would expend the funds, but if we didn't, as long as the purchase complies with the redevelopment area plan, it would be okay.

All right, thank you very much.

And let me piggyback on that real quick because we we have history of that.

Um recall uh uh the um uh fiscal 23 was the termination of uh area one.

Um, and then it's very common, you know, that uh you you might have projects that that bleed over, they might be encumbered, and that's exactly what happened in in area one.

We didn't finish the projects exactly.

It took us another you know, several months within the next fiscal year.

We finished everything, and those funds were transferred over into area two in order to account for those those funds that were left over in area one but were earmarked for projects for area one.

So we have recent history of of that very thing happening.

Thank you.

Uh agency member by B.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, so in that same line of questioning, um this the money in RDA two uh is specific.

And Jim did a really good job explaining what it could be used for.

We can't use it for general fund, we can't hire people, we can't take care of our budget deficit on it for general fund, but uh specific on what we can use it for.

So if we don't if we don't allocate this or we don't spend the RDA money and we don't encumber it for any projects, what happens to that funding?

Uh thank you, uh member by B.

The and the and the area expires, I believe that's that's what you outlined.

We would still the the redevelopment agency is still an agency.

Well, while the uh the increment would stop, the tax increment would stop being collected, the money would still be there.

The redevelopment agency essentially lasts into perpetuity, and the redevelopment area plan uh still would be viable.

So the redevelopment agency would be tasked with identifying a mechanism to how they wanted to allocate funding to implement something else in the redevelopment plan.

So the essentially what expires is the receiving of additional tax increment, not necessarily the plan or agency.

Okay, thank you.

I appreciate that.

But I think um in looking at the decision today, it really the opportunity.

I think it gives us an incredible opportunity.

Um fiscally, uh, the responsibility of uh putting more money into an aging infrastructure is not a good use of our taxpayer dollars, bottom line.

Uh, and because we have this funding, the opportunity to build a new city hall, which has been in the in the plan um for so many years, makes sense.

And I think the benefit too is the ability to sell the land we're sitting on, City Hall, municipal court.

We've got two other parcels across the street here, and taking that land and um it would be a revenue resource revenue coming into the city that would go to the general fund that could benefit uh our deficit and the challenges we're having there.

So I really see it as a win-win on both sides, makes a lot of sense.

It's positive for the city for the services we offered, and for our residents.

I don't see anyone else.

Anyone have any thing?

Mr.

I um this to me is good planning by previous councils, and also some uh good planning by the current councils by not spending this money and taking on debt back in the past.

So uh we know with our current tax system in Nevada, uh we can't afford to take on any debt.

We're we're gonna see uh some bad things happen to us in in the coming years just because of our structure, and that's gotta get fixed.

But this is another band-aid to limp us down the road a little bit with uh sale of the land.

So I'm for me, I'm all in favor of it.

Just and just so people understand, I get asked this question why can't you just move the money over into the general fund and higher police environment?

It's it's by state statute.

We have some 30 plus checking accounts, so I'll call them our different uh funding uh mechanisms.

You can't transfer the money between those checking accounts.

It's just that simple.

The state has not allowed us to do that.

So this to me makes a lot of sense to uh, especially since taking on debt in this environment just does not make sense to me in whatsoever.

So and and locking up the land, whether we decide to build on it right away or not, is it there?

But at least locking up the land means we we have a today price.

You know, it wasn't that long ago.

We bought an acre of land through the state of Nevada for 2.7 million dollars, and we're gonna get eight acres for 10 million.

That's a bargain in my mind.

So good job, good work.

Thank you, thank you.

I got I got one uh Mr.

Rundle, I was trying to find it.

What was the appraised price?

I know you said it was undermarket.

But what was that?

Uh Jared's uh uh through you if I could bring up Tommy.

Of course, absolutely to that.

Uh hi, Tom Fennell with uh Dixon Commercial Group.

Um council member Amber, we uh there was no like formal MAI appraisal that was done.

Um we ultimately started negotiating with this specific landowner, and our main focus was to pay market or below.

And so as as Jim had mentioned, that we feel like we're below that number.

Um so the appro quote unquote appraisal would be a higher number when we looked at a really the big metric that we focused on was the price per unit of if you had to go out and acquire a similar site as it was entitled for today, which was a 447 unit uh class A apartment project.

The average price per door is really what um that private party would be looking at is about 35,000 per door in not only in Sparks, but in Reno Sparks area.

And so our current pricing where we're at on that is about 23,000 a door, which was below that kind of appraised or market value is really what we were focused on.

Um, and so that was that was our main focus was being at or below market, which we felt like we arrived at.

Does that answer the question?

Yeah, I think so.

Thank you.

And then I think agency member Vanderwell might have a I just have a follow-up.

Okay, so it's since you didn't do uh an MA MAI for it.

We we look at the it's basically basically the same steps that we approach it from.

It's just not a third, there's just not another third-party appraiser, us as a commercial real estate broker are running the valuation.

Okay, so you did it based on multifamily, not we looked at both commercial sales and multi-family sales and sparks.

Um the the most recent uh non-multi-sales and sparks were in that immediate area there, but there were there haven't been a lot.

There was um uh the Maverick FJ site, and then there was one other affordable housing site right there.

And and the two sales there were about $20 a square foot.

Okay, and but those were almost four years old as well.

So they were pretty dated.

So nothing, nothing within the last year.

There was one sale at about $20 a square foot.

Okay.

Um then really the most applicable comparable sales, we're looking at those and because this wasn't fully entitled multifamily site, and basically the developer is choosing to not develop on it, sell it.

So that was almost more applicable when we're looking at what that person is having to essentially give up the entitlement on.

Um, and so that we look at that comparable sale as well at the whole market.

Um, and that's where we were found on a per unit count.

We were quite a ways below what more recent, and and there has been thankfully some recent sales in that, which gave us of anywhere from 10 to 15 acres, so very similar sites.

Um, anywhere from 25 to 40,000 a unit.

And so when we were with an average of about 35,000, so with where we ended up at, we felt pretty good about the value being significantly below that average.

Great.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

If we can.

Agency member Vanderwell.

I move to approve the purchase and sale agreement.

SRA-AC-334 with Oakmont Properties.

Assure LLC to acquire 650 Marina Gateway Drive in Sparks, Nevada, APN 037-020-73, a parcel approximately 7.8 acres in size, located within redevelopment area two for 10 million dollars, and authorize the chief administrative officer to execute all escrow and other documents necessary to effectuate the purchase.

I will second that motion.

Any other questions or comments?

Motion passes unanimously for all members present.

Thank you.

Announcements from the agent agency and chief administrative officer.

No.

Close that.

We'll adjourn at 346.

Thank you all.