Mayor Ed Lawson was Wowed !!!

TMRPA = Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency Governing Board meeting was on August 10, 2024, and it was the usual boring group, they have so much apathy from their own board they barely had a quorum.

If you ask 100 Washoe County, City of Reno, City of Sparks residents what the TMRPA is almost none will know, it could be a Jimmy Kimmel skit, but this is a powerful board that residents should indeed watch, closely.

Picon was surprised it has been a year since Reno City Councilmember Jenny Brekhus questioned if  “Reno Mayor Wannabe” Devon Reese was qualified to be chair of the body in 2023. As usual no one listened to her, as Reese ascended to the Mount TMRPA chairperson over her fairly valid objections, but the fix was in, which was clear by the vote. 

Seems the same gamebook was being followed this year; you know the TMRPA board all call each other to discuss in advance of the meeting who will be anointed, the odd “men” out are always Jenny Brekhus along with Commissioners Mike Clark and Jeanne Herman. Hence, why none bothered to show up to the August 10th meeting, the decisions had already been made who would be the chair and vice-chair.

Appointed Reno Councilmember Kathleen Taylor was missing from the meeting too, but we hear she’s got issues getting voters to actually elect her to a seat she was appointed to. Taylor might want to inquire of her fellow Appointed Reno City Councilmember Miguel Martinez why he isn’t breaking a sweat in his Ward 3 race. Oh, right, Martinez is just a whole lot nicer than Taylor.

Speaking of appointments, it has been a topic of discussion over in the City of Reno due to the Reno City Charter Committee that recommend holding special elections instead of allowing appointments de jour, as has been the case during the last twelve years to Reno council seats. Reese is fighting the suggestion of special elections like a predator, stating he doesn’t want a big donor to write themselves or a possible candidate a check to give themselves a better chance. Buy the race. You mean like Reese has now with his war chest from some rich contributors for the Ward 5 race.

Picon would rather have 1,000 Renoite’s vote to elect a councilmember than six city councilmembers and the mayor. Who then use those appointments to contribution gather for their elections.

However, City of Reno aren’t the only folks who appoint. Mayor Ed Lawson from the City of Sparks had to find himself a councilperson to fill his Ward 2 seat when Lawson assumed the role of mayor to complete Ron Smith’s existing term through 2022.

Lawson found Dian Vanderwell a long time Planning Commissioner not only at the City of Sparks, but also Washoe County.

Lawson had to find a woman, and Vanderwell fit the bill, middle of the road, got along with Ed (not an easy feat), and wouldn’t rock the boat in Sparks. Vanderwell seemed to be “Team Ed” all the way until the spring of 2023 when Vanderwell didn’t agree with Lawson that the former Sparks City Manager was just having a “bad year” and lead the charge to oust Ed’s buddy Neil Krutz. Vanderwell, with aid from Councilmembers Donald Abbott and Charlene Bybee, was successful in September 2023 with Krutz leaving the City of Sparks.

Picon can only guess the bitter pill that was for Lawson to swallow. But, wait there’s more. Vanderwell is now hosting a fundraiser for Washoe County School Board Trustee Joe Rodriguez at her home. Rodriguez is running against Sparks City Councilmember Kristopher Dahir for the Ward 5 seat. You know, one of Ed’s “good old boys” – Abbott, Anderson, and Dahir, the “Sparks Boys.”

This caused Picon to ponder would Lawson appoint Vanderwell today if he’d had a crystal ball to see the future. From the one word Lawson uttered on a post from Devon Reese promoting Rodriguez’s fundraiser, “WOW” our guess would be a “hard no.”

Wait the plot gets even better at this TMRPA meeting, when Chair Devon Reese, after droning on about the privilege it was to serve, turned it over to his “friend” Councilmember Dian Vanderwell, who then nominated the “Anointed/Appointed Commissioner Clara Andriola to be the next chair of the TMRPA, that was seconded by Naomi Duerr, and with those pesky commenters Clark, Herman, and Brekhus missing from the meeting the motion was unanimously approved.

The gavel then passed to Andriola who, while trying unsuccessfully to be clever, immediately called for the election of the vice-chair, and in plopped Reese commenting he wanted to nominate his “friend and colleague” Councilmember Vanderwell.

The highlight from this set-up vote was when Sparks City Councilmember Charlene Bybee, just couldn’t help herself, and had to comment that Reese stole her thunder, that she wanted to nominate Vanderwell because they’re both from the City of Sparks. Do they braid each other’s hair too?

But, hey, Bybee isn’t having a good run of late, remember Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill booted her out as the chairperson of the RSCVA in July 2024.

Let’s spend time connecting the dots; Vanderwell, Reese, and Rodriguez have all used or are using Changing Dynamics as their campaign management, and they have all used the same fundraising team Tissot Solutions. Anyone find that just a little too close for comfort?

Plus, let’s remember that first direct mail hit piece targeting former-fired Sparks Fire Chief Mark Lawson, who was running against Andriola, was from a PAC the owner of Changing Dynamics was, is, or has been, associated with – which was a whole lot of help to Andriola, along with the additional three attack mailers. Lawson lost. How close are these people? Is the Open Meeting Law being violated. Now we’d like a crystal ball.

There was no surprise on the TMRPA dais last week regarding the chair and vice chair, all was orchestrated. Not a good look for the attendees.

The only people not in on the fix – residents of Washoe County and Mayor Ed Lawson. Now all we can say is, WOW!!!