More Political Theatre at the City of Reno

Mary Kay Ash said, “Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.”

The City of Reno City Council needs to take that quote to heart. Picon finds it odd the City of Reno Council Members enjoy praising staff, as Mayor Hillary Schieve says, “staff is amazing” but seem to be at odds with one another. Dysfunctional in their approach to working within the body. 

We’re used to No-Longer-At-Large City Councilmember Devon Reese going after Jenny Brekhus, or as he refers to her, “the Ward 1 Councilmember” – seemly not willing to use her name or perhaps trying to avoid another ethics complaint. Sort of like Whoopi Goldberg on The View who would not say Trump for the longest time, you know, “he who will not be named.”

Yesterday, we had a whole new treat, when Appointed Councilmember Miguel Martinez decided to unleash on elected Councilmember Meghan Ebert.  Now remember, he was on the dais and Ebert was not at the meeting.

From yesterday’s City Council meeting”

Appointed Councilmember Miguel Martinez – “I just want to put on the record a couple of thoughts that I had. I waited until the end of the meeting to put these on the record because I didn’t want to affect the dynamics or to get my comments construed as theatre. And so I feel compelled to address a comment that the Council member from Ward Four made about me at our previous city council meeting as we were deliberating about what to do with a city owned property Ms. Ebert accused me of consulting with a former city councilmember regarding the property and implied that I was somehow taking direction from this former elected official. I found Ms. Ebert’s comments insulting for several reasons. First, what Ms. Ebert was actually dong was insinuating that I am little more than a proxy up here on the dais and while it may hard for my colleague from Ward 4 to fathom, I am well educated, a professional, and more than capable of making up my own mind about the issues before us. To suggest that I don’t think and act independently based on what is best for my constituents is both absurd and borderline slanderous.

The second reason I found Ms. Ebert’s comments insulting is because she sought to scandalize an allegation that I spoke with a former elected official. This is America, Ms. Ebert, and I will speak with whomever I choose. There is nothing nefarious about me speaking with other elected officials or former elected officials and I think it is ironic that Ms. Ebert of all people would suggest otherwise. My hope in making this comment is that my colleague will stop with the political theater and allow us to continue to do the people’s work.”

We enjoyed that Martinez had to read his statement, but we watch all the Reno City Council meetings, and it would seem Martinez is always scripted reading via something that is prepared. Big question, who’s preparing it? Martinez really went for Ebert’s jugular calling out that she finds him a “proxy on the dais.” And while Ebert didn’t say it, many others have. How did a guy who moved into Ward 3 in March of 2022 get appointed as a city councilmember in September of the same year. Assessor records don’t lie. Six months in a ward = appointment?

When Ebert returned to the council meeting at 6PM, she made a public comment at the end of the meeting, and played, “for the record – share the comment that he is referring to” – (her comments were made at the April 10th meeting). We thought Ebert’s use of the actual video of Martinez, and then her April 10th comments, very effective, and brutally uncomfortable, if Martinez had been at the meeting we could have all watched him squirm, but he was calling in at that point.

Councilmember Meghan Ebert – “This is wild. How hilarious it is to me to make comments about political theatre for three minutes, just the irony of that. Um, also I want to say that I did have a meeting with the applicants, I think they were from, what was it, Bash LLC and one of the first things they said to me during the meeting was concerning to me. Um, they mentioned that they had spoken to former Councilmember Delgado the week prior about the development and this is not the first time I have had a developer or an organization that is looking to do development tell me that they’ve spoken to former Councilmember Delgado prior to me. It raises a lot of concerns to me about the process that the city is following with regards to these developments, and what’s really going on, who’s really planning the city here. I know that Councilmember Martinez still consults with Councilmember Delgado but he’s no longer on the council. So, I just want to call out that I’m concerned about that. I’m concerned about the process that is being followed by organizations.”

Might Picon point out, at the marathon meeting on April 10, 2024 ‘that’ person who was referring to political theatre for a three-minute rant was Councilmember Reese, and we bet he didn’t have to have comments written out, as Martinez does. You have to give Reese credit he is quick on his feet. All those years of debate paid off.  We know because we transcribed Reese’s comments and wrote an article.

Why did Martinez choose to stretch the truth and indicate Ebert was involved in political theatre? We wonder what Martinez was after. To harm Ebert? Or did Ebert’s comments impact someone else and was that why Martinez went for Eberts jugular, retaliation? Whatever it was, good job to Ebert for upsetting some ‘power that be’ so much that they sacrificed Martinez to make a point. This is just sad government when an appointed councilmember calls out a duly elected councilmember.

Also, what did Martinez mean by, “There is nothing nefarious about me speaking with other elected officials or former elected officials and I think it is ironic that Ms. Ebert of all people would suggest otherwise” – “of all people” what point was Martinez trying to make.

The most fun from this day’s meeting came at the end after Ebert’s public comment, Mayor Schieve weighed in for her own public comment talking about how media is thriving on the councilmembers political divide, but then Schieve said, “even someone just recently, I had a conversation that now is being investigated.” Say what? Investigated? Tell us more.