A concerned local is wondering about this very question as she says she was in her backyard on a recent early morning when “a city employee came to my door which I didn’t hear and everyone else was asleep in my home. I went inside my home and the employee then proceeded to just come through my side gate without permission,” she alleged in a message to Our Town Reno.
“When I saw him and confronted him, I asked him to leave because he was trespassing and I didn’t give him permission to come into my yard nor did I know for sure whether he actually worked for the city because he didn’t have anything identifying him other than his outfit. He didn’t leave until my husband woke from the commotion and came to the door. Other odd thing was when I check my camera the employee kept messing with his crotch while looking at my camera.”
After a few days, the City of Reno gave this lengthy response, with their own version of what happened in this particular instance: "While the City of Reno does have the legal authority to access utility easements located on private property, we also recognize that many residents may not be aware these easements exist or that City staff may need to access them to maintain critical sewer and utility infrastructure.
In many parts of Reno, critical infrastructure such as sewer and stormwater systems are located in residents’ backyards. To keep these systems functioning safely and reliably, City crews must occasionally enter these areas to perform inspections, maintenance, or emergency repairs.
As a standard practice, employees make every effort to notify and coordinate with property owners before accessing private property. For routine maintenance, the standard protocol is to alert the property owner of the upcoming work via knocking on the door.
For larger projects, written notice is provided. When a property owner cannot be reached or does not respond, the City has the legal right to enter the backyard to access City infrastructure.
In this instance, the individual seen in the picture is a City of Reno employee who attempted to notify the resident by knocking and ringing the doorbell. After receiving no response, the staff member proceeded through the side gate to access sewer infrastructure located within the City easement in the backyard. When approached by the resident, the employee explained that he rang the doorbell and knocked on the door and clarified the purpose of the visit. After hearing concerns from the homeowner, the employee offered to return at a more convenient time and then left the property.
Residents may not be aware that utility easements maintained by the City of Reno can be located in the backyards of private properties. To find out if your property includes a City easement, please contact the Washoe County Recorder’s Office . If you are a property owner with tenants, we encourage you to inform your renters about any City easements on the property."