Reno Mayor Schieve no 'lame duck,' wants to fight crime, improve neighborhoods & reviltalize downtown in final 2 years

By Ray Hagar, Nevada Newsmakers

Hillary Schieve has just two years remaining in her final term as Reno's mayor.

Yet she said on Nevada Newsmakers recently that she is no "lame duck."

"There's still so much work to do," Schieve told host Sam Shad. "It's never ending."

Fighting crime, improving neighborhoods and revitalizing downtown Reno are among Schieve's priorities for the rest of her term. She was first elected mayor in 2014 and is a former president of the United States Conference of Mayors.

"I'll just say this because I've been, you know, very vocal about it. There's a lot of red tape in government. It can be very challenging," she said.

"And so there are still a lot of things that I want to get done," Schieve said. "You know, I want to get downtown cleaned up. You probably saw what happened with the Lakemill Lodge, right?

Lakemilll Lodge, a 123-room dilapidated motel on Mill Street, was closed recently after human waste and used syringes were discovered in stairwells. The Lakemill Lodge has long been considered an eyesore for downtown and a home to those with mental health and drug addiction issues.

"You know, we're really staying on top of situations," Schieve said. "So really revitalizing downtown is super critical. (We need) more events to raise tourism. (We need) safe neighborhoods and I want to make sure that we are on top of crime every which way."

Fighting crime is a main reason why Schieve supports the City Council's recent approval of Reno Police Department's expanded use of automatic license-plate readers.

The license plate readers and associated software are part of an ongoing RPD program aimed at reducing gun violence, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The license-plate readers (LPRs) are currently installed in some police vehicles, in downtown locations and along major roads, according to various news reports.

"We want safety in our neighborhoods now more than ever," Schieve said. "And I know that some people are like, 'You know, we don't want people to be watching over us.'"

Opponents of the license-plate reading technology point out that the mass surveillance will also be watching citizens who have no connection to those committing crimes. Some see it as an invasion of privacy.

Yet Schieve feels the new technology is needed to fight crime.

"We are in a time where those things are necessary," she said. "Especially with new technology coming out, we can really utilize it and catch criminals faster. And that's what I want to do -- be a very forward-thinking city when it comes to crime. I think if there are tools out there, we need to utilize every single one of them."

"For me, it's about catching criminals faster," Reno's mayor continued. "I want safe neighborhoods. We want to hold people accountable. It's really, really critical that we're addressing crime on every single level. I just think we're at a point in time where people are feeling nervous and anxious, and they want a safe city, and I want a safe city."

Another new technology Schieve is embracing for her final years as mayor is Shotspotter, a system intended to detect gunfire and cut police response times.

"Sparks actually has had it (Shotspotter) implemented for a while. And, some of that area actually goes into Reno. So we have found that it's been very helpful, even with their technology, over on the Reno side," she said.

LIFE AFTER BEING THE MAYOR: When Schieve's final term as mayor has expired, she says it is doubtful that she will seek another elected office.

"Everyone's asking me what's next," she said. "It's funny because, as you know, I'm a nonpartisan, and it's very hard to run for another office if you're not in a party.

"To be honest with you, I love working in mental health and public service," Schieve said. "I don't think you need to be elected to make a difference. So I'm just going to keep focusing on what we can accomplish at home right here in the city, and then we'll see what that (future) looks like."

SOMETHING BIG ON HORIZON: Schieve hinted about "some really big projects" for downtown Reno without giving the details.

"I think you're going to see -- and I can't talk about it -- but I'm just going to tease it here for you. But I think you're going to see some really big projects in downtown Reno. You know, I can't talk about them yet, but we're going to make some really big announcements that I'm excited about."

The election year made investors and bankers a bit nervous and big things may be happening soon, now that the election is over, Schieve said.

"We really did see a lot of things sort of halt because lending wasn't happening," she said. "And that typically happens in an election year. Everyone's very nervous about what that is going to look like. There really isn't stability in the market. But now we're finally starting to see it (stability) and that's great news for downtown Reno."

The re-emergence of the Reno Redevelopment Agency, dormant for more than a decade, will oversee many improvements in downtown Reno over the next five years, Schieve said.

"I don't know if you know, but the Redevelopment Agency is kicking back up. So we're going to have about $22 million over the next five years to invest in downtown Reno," Schieve said.

Living in downtown Reno has become more popular and safer over time, Schieve added.

"The other thing that a lot of people don't know is that we have had three times the amount of housing units (built) in downtown Reno than we've had in over a decade, and we're getting ready to bring on 2,500 more," Schieve said. "People are wanting to live in downtown environments of walk-able cities.

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