South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting Tuesday: Tax increase and Grand Jury on agenda

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The next meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council will be on Tuesday, July 14 starting at 9:00 a.m. It will be a virtual meeting and log on/comment instructions are at the end of the story.

On the agenda:

Council will vote on a measure, that if approved by voters on November 3, will add a local one-cent sales tax for general city purposes. There has been outreach done with local residents and finding out what their highest priorities are, and this proposed tax increase would meet those requests:

- Maintaining fire and police protection and emergency preparation
- Maintaining snow removal and street repair services
- Reducing wildfire threats
- Protecting Lake Tahoe water quality and treating stormwater runoff
- Retaining and attracting local jobs and businesses

In an effort to provide and preserve the services valued by South Lake Tahoe residents, the City Council will consider submitting a measure to the voters to decide whether to increase the Transaction and Use Tax (sales tax) by one cent in order to provide locally-controlled funding for essential City services.

The last two attempts to initiate a tax increase for roads have been defeated, they both required passing by a two-thirds vote.

The measure is being proposed to provide funding that cannot be taken by the State of California, with funding to be used only for local city services. The measure proposes a general tax and requires a majority (50 percent plus one) of votes cast by South Lake Tahoe’s qualified voters to approve the measure.

Also on the agenda:

Council will decide if they should direct staff to continue postponing or canceling City special events for another 60 days due to the pandemic, or until stage four conditions are present.

A status update on the most current and relevant information related to COVID-19 and the City's recovery efforts. This will be a content agenda item to ensure the City Council and the public have the opportunity to hear from City staff on the situation.

The City received two reports from the El Dorado County Civil Grand Jury, both
dated May 8, 2020: (1) South Lake Tahoe City Police Facility, Case 19-02; and (2) Policing Those With Behavioral Health Issues, Case 19-04.

The Grand Jury report found the South Lake Tahoe Police Department Facility is inadequate for modern police operations and requires funding for extensive renovation or replacement. There is some construction underway now, but that was previously authorized by the City Council and not the full scope of what was needed.

"The City should move expeditiously to renovate their current police facility," said the report's recommendations.

The other Grand Jury finding has to do with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), Placerville Police, and the County's Health and Human Service Agency as they pertain to mental illness.

The SLTPD has already implemented one recommendation, establishing a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). The Grand Jury recommends they explore with El Dorado County in getting a Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) implemented on the East Slope as they already have on the West Slope. The West Slope also has a recent innovation is the HOT trailer which has computers, heat and air conditioning, and
provides privacy for Health and Humans Services Agency clinicians conducting individual needs assessments and services for the homeless.

The report also recommends SLTPD add an internal standard for Continuing Professional Training for Crisis Intervention Training course hours and Refresher Training Crisis Intervention Training and have their officers attend such training.

Also, discussion and direction regarding possible changes to Emergency Order No. 2 authorizing a sixty-day deferral of business license fee payments for those
businesses deemed "non-essential" that suffered a partial or complete shut-down period during the COVID-19 emergency.

To join the meeting:

A public agenda packet is available for review on the City’s Website at www.cityofslt.us or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office, (530) 542-6005.
In accordance with Executive Order N-29-20, remote public participation is allowed in the following ways:
City Council meetings are live-streamed on Channel 21 and on the City’s website at www.cityofslt.us. To join the City Council meeting use this link

https://zoom.us/j/96109986486

If you are joining the meeting via zoom and would like to make a comment, press the “raise a hand” button. If you are joining the meeting via Channel 21 or live stream and would like to make a comment please call (530) 542-6500. The meeting ID is 961 0998 6486, press *9 to indicate a desire to make a comment. The Clerk will call you by the last three digits of your phone number when it is your turn to speak.

Public comment may be submitted by EMAIL with the subject line PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM # (insert item number) to PublicComment@cityofslt.us during the meeting, prior to the close of public comment on an item, and read into the record during public comment.

EMAIL public comment received prior to the meeting will be distributed to City Council and referenced during the meeting. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding an open session item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection within the Agenda posted on the City’s Website at www.cityofslt.us.

Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate any person needing special assistance to participate in this meeting. Contact the City Clerk at (530) 542-6005 in advance of the meeting for assistance