Heat, Turf and Tensions: This week in local Reno news

In the latest Reno news podcast, Kristen and Bob walk through a packed week: Washoe County got a new manager among four finalists for county manager, while the county commissioners put the little-known Verdi Television District on the hot seat.

Jacobs Entertainment dangles a downtown youth sports complex that was met with some environmental concerns. The Truckee Meadows Water Authority says our long-term water picture is better than people often think. Sparks faces a lawsuit over a teen suicide response, and Reno city staff offer candid criticism of their own city leadership.

Recorded Friday, Oct. 24, 2025

Washoe County’s next manager

• Washoe County launched a nationwide search after former county manager Eric Brown left in June after nearly five years. They received about 900 applications and narrowed it to four finalists.

Verdi Television District grilled by the county

The Verdi TV District is a small government subdivision — like other GIDs — that collects taxpayer money but no public-facing information. 

A legislative amendment, prompted by KOLO-TV’s reporting on the district, now basically requires these TV districts to post the basics: agendas, minutes, members, financials. Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch said even her office struggled to find any info on the district. Right now, a difficult-to-find website has only a couple of 2025 agendas. 

Jacobs Entertainment’s new play: a downtown youth sports complex

In its regular update to the Reno City Council, Jacobs Entertainment brought a new shiny proposal: a 12-field youth sports complex downtown, to be built over six years, with four fields open by next June. Council members loved the tourism angle and the potential hotel demand. 

Council members Naomi Duerr and Megan Ebert raised concerns that plastic turf will worsen the urban heat island downtown — some turf can get well over 120°F — and kids could literally burn sliding across it. There were also flags about PFAS or “forever chemicals.”  

Water outlook: surprisingly solid

Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) released its latest water resource plan. It’s long, but the headline is positive: The region has adequate water supplies for the next 20 years and, likely through the end of the century

Sparks lawsuit after teen suicide response

Newly released 911 recordings in a November 2024 incident show Sparks responders were told to stand down because the call didn’t yet meet a “medical emergency” threshold. REMSA arrived 28 minutes after a mother’s first call expressing concerns about her song’s wellbeing; by then a firefighter neighbor had already forced entry and started CPR. The teen later died. The parents, Sarah Toliver and Christopher Schatz, filed suit Oct. 7 alleging wrongful death and negligent training/supervision against the city of Sparks. 

Reno city staff’s blunt internal comments

The city released a batch of staff comments about how Reno is being run — and they sound a lot more like what residents say than what city PR says. Complaints included:

• “Reckless spending” and approving raises without revenue to cover them
• Top-heavy management: “too many managers and analysts and not enough worker bees”
• Manual, broken payroll system for a city this size
• Short city-manager tenures leading to inconsistency
• Hiring based on relationships versus qualifications
• Departments operating like “island countries” instead of one organization 

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This summary was generated with the assistance of AI and edited by us.