SLT City Council meeting to include construction allocations, camping regulations

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Tuesday's evening meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council will have a full agenda that includes replacement of aging snow removal equipment, a Lime License Agreement, and temporary suspension of the City's Residential Allocation Procedures.

The public meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. and follows a closed session that will cover labor negotiations between the City and several unions: Stationary Engineers Local 39 (General and Public Works), Stationary Engineers Local 39 (Administrative & Confidential Association). South Lake Tahoe Fireman’s Association. South Lake Tahoe Police Association (Police Employees Unit), South Lake Tahoe Police Officers Association, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Supervisors Association.

The regular meeting will start with proclamations recognizing National Boating Safety Week, the Lake Tahoe Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters

Council will be asked to provide direction on a proposed temporary suspension of the current building allocation policy for 2019 only. They anticipate getting 66 new allocations from TRPA in the coming weeks and Council may want to offer the new and existing allocations to 94 individuals currently on the City's wait-list
for single-family residential allocations.

Current policy states 44 of the 66 from TRPA would be allocated for single-family residential construction and 22 would be allocated for multi-family residential construction.

The City's existing inventory of allocations includes 16 allocations designated for multi-family projects, 55 designated for "Town Center" development, and 3 designated for single-family residential. There are currently no formal requests for the multi-family and "Town Center" allocations, but there are a total of 94 requests on the wait-list for single-family residential.

The suggested strategy would eliminate the entire wait-list for single-family residential and thus promote new housing construction, economic activity, property tax base growth, and sales tax growth in the City sooner rather than later. The City's thinking on the change would provide additional construction of new housing units will impact the housing market, and should at least indirectly promote additional resident/affordable housing opportunities.

Also on the agenda is the replacement of four pieces of aging snow removal equipment at a price tag of $2,501,000.

City Council will also consider amendments to the City’s camping regulations that are intended to address changes in the law that says that cities cannot criminalize sleeping on public property where there is no alternative shelter
space available. The South Lake Tahoe City Code currently prohibits camping on all public property, except in areas specifically designated for camping. This prohibition is not enforceable because there is no qualifying shelter in the South Lake Tahoe vicinity, especially in the summer months when the Warm Room is not open. The amendments to the City Code are intended to prohibit camping in the most
sensitive areas to ensure compliance with federal law and enforceability of our regulations.

The proposed amendments are intended to establish enforceable regulations to prohibit camping on public property in the most sensitive areas, which include:

Parks. This prohibition will maintain park areas in a clean, sanitary, and accessible condition so that the parks are available to residents and the public at large for their intended recreational and open space uses.

Public streets and sidewalks within any residential plan area and the Tourist Core Area. This prohibition will maintain these areas in a clean, sanitary, and accessible condition to adequately protect the public welfare of residents of and visitors to South Lake Tahoe.

Within 100 feet of any public transportation stop. This prohibition will maintain accessibility and visibility of transit stops and avoid adverse impacts on traffic and public safety.

Within 100 feet of any permanent campground. Staff has reported past issues of people setting up tents immediately outside the City campground and using the campground facilities to avoid paying the fees. This prohibition will address that issue at the City campground and the private Tahoe Valley Campground, and will also prohibit camping within the buffer zone in other facilities on El Dorado County’s 56-acre property including the Senior Center and Library parking lots. See the attached maps showing the 100-foot buffer zone. Staff has coordinated with El Dorado County and the owner of the Tahoe Valley Campground on this buffer zone.

Within or below 100 feet above the ordinary high water mark of any lake, waterway, river, stream, pond, or reservoir. Staff has reported past issues of encampments in sensitive environmental areas near waterways. In August 2018, City staff cleaned up a series of abandoned encampments consisting of trash and other debris in the Truckee River Meadow area behind Motel 6. In October 2018, Caltrans removed an encampment under the Trout Creek Bridge at Lake Tahoe Boulevard, which included approximately 30 cubic yards of debris. Encampments near waterways have major water quality and public safety impacts, including risks to the people in the encampment during flood events and the risk of human waste and trash being washed into Lake Tahoe. This proposed prohibition is consistent with El Dorado County’s regulations regarding camping near waterways.

Staff is bringing these proposed regulations to City Council for a first reading of the Ordinance at this time so that the City will have enforceable regulations in place for this summer.

For a full agenda, visit https://www.cityofslt.us/84/Watch-City-CouncilPlanning-Commission-Me.