City Council approves new South Lake Tahoe Strategic Plan

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - City Council approved the strategic plan that lays out the direction the City of South Lake Tahoe will go over the next five years during their meeting Tuesday.

The new plan includes 101 action items and Council and staff plan to tackle 21 of them in the next year and have already started on "six or seven" of them.

“It’s an exciting time for South Lake Tahoe. We are looking toward the future of the City,” said City Manager Joe Irvin, “This plan sets us up for better multi-modal transportation options, stronger public safety services, a cleaner environment and an engaged and inclusive community.”

Council and City staff met in February and August 2020 to start the planning process. They held a Vision and Strategic Planning Workshop with the public where Council members and City Staff completed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis (SWOT).

The City now had five strategic priorities, each of which have corresponding goals and action plans: Built Environment, Recreation and Equitable Access, Community for All, Economic Development, and Continuous Improvement.

Some of the goals and action plans:

Broadband For All
Evaluate and explore the feasibility of working with local, regional, state, and private partners to extend the Digital 395 broadband infrastructure to South Lake Tahoe.

Mid-Town Revitalization
Leverage the 56-acre master planning process and existing infrastructure at
Lakeview Commons and Harrison Avenue to further transform mid-town into a
recreation, arts, and community hub

Waste Management and Stewardship
Develop a “Tahoe Way” marketing and awareness campaign of protecting the
environment that highlights personal action, business stewardship, and environmental justice.

Housing
Develop a robust set of housing programs to address the spectrum of housing needs.
Ensure housing is available for people in all economic, physical, social, and employment circumstances and contributes to a balanced and equitable community

Equitable Access
Promote equitable access to recreation for underserved and under resourced
populations by implementing recreation programs for inclusion. Support active and healthy lifestyles and strive to develop parks in every neighborhood.

Arts and Culture Program
Create and designate an arts district in the Bijou/Al Tahoe Area, Sierra Blvd.
and the Y.

View Strategic plan HERE.

“This Council made a decision to continue to prioritize affordable housing efforts, to focus on our environment, arts, culture and mental health services.” Said Mayor Tamara Wallace, “We are committed to moving South Lake Tahoe forward and that’s exactly what this strategic plan will do.”

The goal of this strategic plan is to improve city government capacity, customer service delivery, and efficiency through continuous improvement goals. Also, to deliver high quality services to the community including public safety, fiscal sustainability, well maintained public infrastructure, and excellent parks and recreation services.

“The goal here is to stay relevant and to do more with less while providing the community with quality cost-effective services,” said Irvin, “We also want to create a culture of leadership at all levels and empathy while empowering employees to have a yes first attitude."

Council also removed the previously approved motto from the report, "We will reflect the national treasure in which we live." They are considering a new one to replace it.