The city of Reno invited entertainment business owners and concerned residents to City Hall on Tuesday to discuss updating live entertainment standards, with the primary focus being noise limits.
Some existing bars in certain areas of Reno enjoy unrestricted live entertainment without noise limits, while newer establishments face different regulations requiring a conditional use permit specific to their location.
“What we’re trying to do is create an even playing field for people and businesses, and some predictability and consistency in our code,” said Reno city councilwoman Kathleen Taylor.
City staff proposed introducing new c-scale noise limits to cap noise levels at 80 decibels beyond 11 p.m., which is an idea that frustrates local resident and bar manager Kristin Inman.
“As the (Reno) Brewery District, what we’re trying to do is bring back live entertainment and get local bands going… We’re spending all this time, money. And energy putting in a new patio. And if we’re going to be constrained. That’s just one more thing that we have to contend with,” Inman said.
The proposed restriction across the board was music to the ears of downtown resident Art Rangell, who has been frustrated with the late-night police presence that he says is happening weekend after weekend.
“There are some really good bars downtown, but there’s some that are really bad actors creating a tremendous amount of excessive noise, then ends up in rowdiness and eventually crime,” said Rangell.
Other topics at the meeting included updating establishment hours of operation and a security plan checklist for cabaret licenses.
The city said it would take the feedback from Tuesday’s meeting and use it to potentially make changes to its proposal. They plan to hold another meeting on the topic at a later date