Commentary On This Past Legislative Session,
Focusing On Two Bills
June 20, 2007

Many citizens of the greater Truckee Meadows were adamantly opposed to AB 513 and SB 487, two bills that were vigorously supported by our local elected officials and special interests Alarmed citizens reacted by attending hearings, visiting legislators, making phone calls and emailing. One legislator claimed over 900 emails alone on AB 513.

Responding to AB 513, known as the Winnemucca Ranch bill, citizens opposed leapfrog sprawl 25 miles away from the urban core of Reno. While Assemblypeople groaned under the huge number of emails, they heard the message: inefficient sprawl, infrastructure costs, non-contiguous annexation and a General Improvement District (GID) that wouldn't pay for itself until the population was sufficient, leaving current tax and rate payers footing the bill. The same might be said for the East Truckee River Canyon GID. The Assembly held firm.

SB 487, the Amodei/developer bill that established a water authority also had widespread opposition from the citizens. The interim legislative committee studying water issues in Washoe County did not consider the fiscal impacts of its recommendations, and the citizens wanted to know how much the new authority would cost them. They and Assembly folks wouldn’t give carte blanche to the new commission.

Unfortunately, the new law destroyed the previous checks and balances on water planning. It blatantly concentrates the power with the Cities instead of water experts. The new law abolished the current Regional Water Planning Commission, but established a new one. The old commission politely told elected officials there was only water enough for 610,000 people instead of 1.2 million projected in the regional plan.

The new commission of elected officials will know little of the intricacies of water law, court cases, water management, real and paper water rights, and facility planning. Bets are on: they have not read the Regional Water Plan which includes conjunctive management and conservation, the purposes for which the bill was ostensibly written. Local elected officials may know about governing, but can’t squeeze blood/water from a turnip.

No one doubts the need for real regional water planning. Region implies more than just Washoe County and the Cities. "Region" certainly should include Storey and Churchill Counties and the Pyramid Lake Tribe, but this bill did not make that inclusion.

In the closing days of the Legislature, mayors and the chairman journeyed to Carson City for a mandatory Washoe caucus in the senior senator's office. Since it was a closed meeting, one can't really say what happened. But the result was the unleashing of seemingly every legal and public relations firm in the two cities to get both these bills passed. We citizens counted close to 40 well-paid lobbyists who were working on behalf of the cities, the county, TMWA, the GID's and developers. How much did this intense effort cost tax and rate payers? The cost will remain unknown.

No wonder the citizens took action. These activities, topped with star bond breaks, fee increases, and bonding requests to pay for new public safety staff, are why locally elected officials’ need to regain the public's trust. Citizens are asking for accountability and representation.

If something positive came out of this legislative session, it is that citizens of the greater Truckee Meadows are more aware of the actions taken by our local officials and the citizens are now focused on the next elections.

Locally elected officials DO need to re-earn the trust of local voters and residents.

Susan Lynn
Reno, NV

Activist and former Regional Water Planning Commission member and chairman

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