“No Gun Club” Club
Picon’s been reading articles about contributions to different political candidates here in Washoe County since the Nevada Secretary of State Contribution and Expense Reports dropped on July 15, 2024.
Our Town Reno wrote about the funds GSR Holding (Grand Sierra Resort) has contributed to Reno City Council candidates, not surprising, that the casino would donate to Reese, Taylor, and Martinez, but then there was the additional contributions from Sahara Las Vegas also owed by Alex Meruelo:
April to end of June contribution and expense reports are in and incumbents running to stay on the Reno City Council, all three of them initially selected to the body as replacements, are being showered with casino cash from Alex Meruelo, the Cuban-American businessman who owns both the Grand Sierra Resort and the Las Vegas-based Sahara, giving $15,000 to each of them.
Picon was amused Sahara Las Vegas also contributed to Reno Councilmember Naomi Duerr’s failed State Senate race. We pondered if Sahara Las Vegas contributed not so much to get Duerr elected to the Senate but instead to secure loyalty from Duerr on the council because all of these contributions trail back to an item that was before the Reno City Council on March 13, 2024.
Why all the additional contributions from an Alex Meruelo owned entity – that would be due to a City of Reno Master Plan Zoning Map amendment request from Illumined Arms Retail and Gunsmithing Shop who want (or the correct term now might be, past tense, wanted to) to build an “upscale indoor gun range” on Mill and Greg Streets, and the rumor on the street is the Grand Sierra Resort is against the project being built so they were trying to block the zoning map amendment.
This Is Reno had the scoop from Alicia Barber’s The Barber Brief (but Barber always has all the best intel) on March 11, 2024, when she wrote about City of Reno Council agenda items:
Items C.1, C.2, and C.3 will consider Master Plan and zoning map amendments associated with Planning Case LDC24-00020. The site is at the corner of Mill and Greg Streets, just south of the Grand Sierra Resort’s lake, and according to the project application, would enable the Illumined Arms Retail and Gunsmithing Shop located there to construct an “upscale indoor gun range” on the adjacent parcel. The Planning Commission is recommending denial of the applications.
At the Reno City Council meeting there was a kerfuffle over postponing the agenda item, as was requested by the applicant Illumined Arms Retail and Gunsmithing Shop. Many questions were asked by Councilmember Devon Reese, you know recipient of $10K from Sahara Las Vegas, trying to get the item not to be postponed. This was clearly requested by Anderw Diss, Senior Vice President for Meruelo Gaming who spoke at the city council meeting.
Appointed City Councilmember Miguel Martinez wanted to hear the item, hence it seems he was rewarded with a $10K contribution from Sahara Las Vegas. The problem the City of Reno had and why Councilmembers Duerr, Reese, and Martinez look so very questionable fighting for this items to be heard, is the applicant had made the 5PM deadline the day before pulling the item – so they met the requirements, why all the discussion.
Reese just kept hacking away at having the item heard on March 13th, why? Guess there was a $10K reward.
Duerr kept chiming in trying to help Reese out, but Martinez, Ward 3 councilmember, and the gun club would be located in his ward, had his one written statement and went mute, however he still got his $10K contribution.
You can watch Andrew Diss with the Grand Sierra Resort in the audience and at one point he is shaking his head as a city staffer is speaking. He took out his cell phone and we can only suppose he was reporting to his boss the item was being postponed. Sitting next to Diss in the audience is Mike Draper, from Argentum Partners, so a whole lot of big players are involved in a small local business trying to get a zoning change and open.
Right now, this area on Mill and Greg is filled with the homeless so wouldn’t it be the best for the residents of Reno to have a fully functioning business located there and not blight.
Silly Picon for asking that, when has the City of Reno councilmembers ever done what is right for the residents of Reno over the last eight years.
What is Picon missing? Someone fill us in. We’ve been reaching out to Illumined Arms Retail and Gunsmithing Shop since March 13, 2024, because we found the “fight” by Reese, Duerr, and Martinez to hear this item questionable. The Reno CIty Attorney keep assuring them the applicant had met the requirements to pull the item, why keep beating the “why can’t we hear it" drum.
Why would Grand Sierra Resort be against this high-end business.
You’ll note the Sahara contributions were all made after the March 13, 2024, Reno City Council meeting. We note Appointed Councilmember Kathleen Taylor got a $10K donation so guess she’s been brought into the “no gun club” club. Picon would like to know how we can become members.
