South Lake Tahoe City Council does not approve eviction protection action for businesses

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - During their special meeting Wednesday, the South Lake Tahoe City Council discussed three topics related to the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

One of their action items was to vote on an urgency ordinance that would establish a moratorium on commercial evictions due to COVID-19. During their emergency meeting on March 20, 2020, the Council unanimously supported a provision to put a temporary moratorium on residential evictions.

A few business owners who are tenants wrote to the council (since it was a virtual meeting) and asked they protect them during these challenging times in wake of their businesses having to close during the state and local stay at home orders.

A temporary moratorium would not have excused their paying rent once businesses are reopened, it would just stop an eviction proceeding should they not be able to pay rent due to no business. It would not have affected landlords currently in the eviction process for other reasons.

If approved it would have excused rent payments, not waived them, until May 31, or two months.

"This would the only way small businesses can hope to survive at this time," said Angela Cabrera, owners of Emanate Gallery in the Crossing at Tahoe Valley.

Since Councilmember Cody Bass had to recuse himself from the vote as a business owner, all four remaining councilmembers would have to agree to pass.

Mayor Jason Collin and Councilmembers Devin Middlebrook and Brooke Laine voted "yes" to a moratorium, but Mayor Pro Tem Tami Wallace did not.

Wallace said property owners are businesses, and they too have employees and bills to pay.

"We have to look out for property owners too," said Wallace. "Many of them are small businesses."

The passage of the temporary ordinance failed due to the "nay" vote.

Should Governor Newsom enact a statewide commercial eviction moratorium that would apply in South Lake Tahoe as well, irrespective of Wednesday’s vote.

The Council has been having special weekly meetings to address issues and concerns created by the ever-changing circumstances surrounding the pandemic.