Food trucks, VHRs, new interim city manager all part of SLT City Council meeting

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will take a look at vacation home rental (VHR) fines at their meeting on Tuesday, May 15. In a story that has had national attention, the $1,000 fines for violations of parking, noise and other ordinances for each the renter and homeowner have become the spotlight.

Council will look at the fines and rules for parking and bear boxes, and the fact that both renter and homeowners are fined for each instance.

The hiring of Dirk Brazil as the interim City Manager will also be voted on Tuesday. The staff report on the agenda states they'll offer him a salary of $103.85 per hour starting June 4 and lasting until a permanent city manager is hired. Brazil retired as the Davis, Calif., city manager in January. While there his salary and benefits totaled $308,529.

When Brazil was hired in Davis, he reported inherited a City Hall that had low morale after the recession prompted a series of layoffs and salary cuts. He has many years in public service from the California State Legislature to Fish and Wildlife Deputy Director.

The future of the 4th of July parade through South Lake Tahoe will also be discussed. The tradition for the City started in 2015 when celebrating their 50th anniversary. If funds are approved for the parade they will also look at dates, and the possibility of moving the parade to June 30, July 1,7 or 8.

One very anticipated agenda item will be the possibility of allowing food trucks in the city limits. In September, 2017, two members of the public asked the City Council to look into allowing the mobile food establishments which are popular in many cities across the country, including Reno.

Restaurants were surveyed by the Tahoe Chamber and the City of South Lake Taho about the possible allowing of food trucks. The CHamber survey was sent to 80 food establishments, out of which 25 responded. 21 of them thought food trucks were okay. The City's survey was turned in by 22 current restaurant owners. Of those, 12 were for food trucks, 9 against and one "maybe."

Some of those opposed cited the high cost of staying in business in a brick-and-mortar location and already tough competition as reasons for their opposition.

Other items include the Mary Egan and the Municipal Resource Group (MRG) payment request for $11,500. Egan was alledgely hired by Interim City Attorney Nira Doherty to conduct City leadership evaluations.