Noise, fees, roads and budget on SLT City Council meeting agenda

A possible change in the way the City of South Lake Tahoe addresses noise at the airport will be discussed during the City Council's April 4 meeting. The City's current noise monitoring program is strictly voluntary since South Lake Tahoe is not considered a "noise problem airport."

Since 1992, SLT has collected data and reported it to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) per a 20-year agreement that expired on September 30, 2012.

During the Council's March 7, 2017 meeting, new Airport Manager Mark Gibbs presented two options to the Council: Continue to voluntarily continue with the 1992 agreement or implement a voluntary modified non-binding version of a Noise Exposure Map in conformance with Title 21 of the California Division of Aeronautics-Noise Standards. Reporting would continue on a four-year cycle to complement TRPA Threshold Evaluation Report Cycle.

Gibbs said 72 percent of the noise complaints the SLT airport receives are the result of military rotorcraft operations and helicopter tour operators.

Military aircraft are exempt from noise complaints.

The main difference between continuing with the current noise monitoring system or moving to a voluntary non-binding one is thousands of dollars annually.

During the Council's April 4 meeting they will look at the two options Gibbs presented previously as well as a third one, to monitor noise on a case-by-case basis. For that option the City would remove all current equipment and investigate individually if needed.

Also on that agenda is final discussion on changes to the City's fee schedule, possible appropriation of an additional $300,000 for road repair, and a look at the current budget and make adjustments to the undesignated reserves of the General Fund in the amount of $1,411,582.

The Council meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. in Council Chambers at the airport.