Conservancy approves funding for ED raise and several projects

During this week's California Tahoe Conservancy board meeting, funds were not only approved for the Greenway shared use trail in South Lake Tahoe, but also for grants to be used on the lake, a forest health project and a 10 percent raise for Executive Director Patrick Wright.

Three grants totaling $335,360 were approved for aquatic invasive species plant removal at Meeks Bay Marina, public outreach and education for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Lake Tahoe Shoreline Plan, and Lake Tahoe Water Trail signage and mobile mapping software development.

$42,250 was authorized for a contract with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) for a forest health project in the Cold Creek neighborhood in South Lake Tahoe. This will enhance forest health and resiliency, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in the Cold Creek subdivision as well as the adjacent subdivisions of Montgomery Estates and Meadow Lakes and in the surrounding forest. The Project includes hand thinning of trees and brush, chipping of cut material, and removing biomass.

The Board also awarded funding from Caltrans in the amount of $359,756 for preparation of a climate adaptation action plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin in collaboration with several agencies.

Executive Director Patrick Wright was also given a 10 percent increase in wages, bringing his salary to $137,874. This is not a performance raise as his review will be in June. This increase comes after Wright gave the board a six-month check up on direction they gave him in 2017, according to Jane Freeman, Deputy Director of the California Tahoe Conservancy.

Wright was appointed in 2006 at a salary of $101,508 and he received some cost-of-living increases over the 11 years since then. At the time of his appointment, the Wright was paid more than all Conservancy employees except the most senior attorney. During the last decade several Conservancy staff and mid-level managers have received significant salary increases but none for the Executive Director. Wright was being paid much less than Freeman and Staff Counsel Michael Steeves. His 10 percent raise still puts him less than Freeman's $151,488 and Steeves's $149,508, but he is now closer.

This adjustment in compensation will come mostly from the California Environmental License Plate Fund.