Reese Rants at Karl Hall Too
Picon is publishing this legal decision from Judge David Hardy Washoe County District Court Department 15, due to a number of comments City of Reno No-Longer-At-Large Councilmember Devon Reese made on April 10, 2024. Reese, as usual, pummeled Councilmember Jenny Brekhus calling her a liar and pointing out the lawsuit she brought against the City of Reno had been denied by Judge David Hardy. We get that Reese gleefully pounced on Jenny’s loss, but to call a fellow councilmember a liar at a Reno City Council meeting, that might be going just a bit far. Plus, Reese might remember this lawsuit was funded by taxpayer dollars so his ‘celebration’ against Brekhus was at our expense. This issue could have been addressed better and not fueled by personalities and dislike.
It would seem Reno City Attorney Karl Hall was feeling the same way, because after Reese had ranted for about two-and-a-half minutes Hall jumped in to get Reese back on topic. Reese was unwilling to stop and called Hall out. Basically telling him he was going to say what he wanted to on the topic, because he’s a lawyer too.
The exchange:
Hilary Schieve: Go right ahead.
Devon Reese: Thank you, Madam Mayor
Before we get into a presentation, I do think it is important to point out two things. One is that this question of political theatre, one of the public commenters had asked about it earlier, and I do think that when a member claims that there are back door deals going on, when a member says we are violating our rules because they could not get an item on the agenda that is the type of political theatre I’m talking about. I’m not talking about people who come to speak at public comment, the public commenters today have been awesome.
But the problem is we have a member who continually says things that are not true that same member has sued us and today we found out from Judge Hardy that they had lost in court.
And that member continues to spread disinformation. And it is unfortunate because we do have to have substantive conversations about the site. It is an important piece of property; it is something that we own. It is something that has been talked about for many years. I have had conversations with people sometimes just in passing other times people are very much more specific about that site, there are challenges with easements, there are challenges with the power pole that is in the middle of it, there are challenges about how it was funded and what the funding has to go to. But is not made easier when people are simply lying, and that really is the theatre that I think that we should divest ourselves from. We all have differences of opinions, but one member continues to lie about things and that’s what is not acceptable and so, that is the kind of theatre that I think our public becomes discouraged by, it is the kind of theater that becomes click bait for pseudo journalists …
Karl Hall: Could we stay on this agenda item please.
Devon Reese: Yes, Mr. Hall, but I will use the time that I have to speak about the issues as I see them without regard to your comment. You seem to get involved in comments when you want to but not when they’re needed. And so, I’m a lawyer, just like you, and I think I know what is on the topic. One of the members claimed that this was improperly in front of us because of some email that they sent years ago. That is not what our rules say. Have you corrected the member about what our rules say Mr. Hall?
Karl Hall: You know, we can have that conversation offline. If we can just stick on this agenda item, I’d appreciate it.
Devon Reese: This is what was started by the membership, so the body asked about this item, and I want to talk about the CAC …
Karl Hall: And I’m asking you to please talk about the item.
Devon Reese: The CAC is the item in front of us and the question was whether or not this had been properly agenized because a member had sent an email that is not what our rules say. And so I just want to make sure that the public is aware of what our rules are so that we can situate things. Similarly, when we were on the setting of the agenda for the meeting that was the same kind of theater that was being engaged in.
Thank you, Madam Mayor.
We agreed with Councilmember Meghan Ebert who said at the end of the exchange, “This is wild.”