Meet the Candidate: Wendy David seeks second term on South Lake Tahoe City Council

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Each of the nine candidates for City Council answered the same ten questions that were given to them by South Tahoe Now. For each of the next nine days the candidate's responses will be shared in the order received.

First up is Wendy David, the current mayor of South Lake Tahoe. She is seeking a second term on the Council.

1. With recent changes in Senior Management at the City, is there anything you would have done differently, knowing what you know now? Yes, there is one thing that I would have done differently during the process of these changes. I now know our contract with an organizational consultant should have been approved during open session. The Council relies on legal advice from our City Attorney, and I relied on a former City Attorney who gave advice that it was not necessary. This CA then left, a new City Attorney helped us through the process of whether it should come before the Council in open session and we “cured and corrected” as the Brown Act allows, and brought this contract forward for approval. I should have questioned more and asked for additional legal research.

2. Do you feel there is some mistrust in local government? Yes, and I am saddened by that. Why do you feel this way? I am saddened by the lack of trust for many reasons. Local government is not trusted because we cannot be transparent or answer all of the public’s questions when we are bound by closed session law and/or by legal agreements that are made regarding personnel, real property, anticipated legislation and the employee negotiation issues, which prohibits us from speaking. This leaves our community without information and decision details that are needed to build the trust that your leaders are making the best decisions they can with all of the information provided and that the deliberations are thoughtful, thorough, deliberative and without prejudice. California’s Open meeting law, the Brown Act ensures transparency and that decisions are made in public Even with that, some still believe that deals and back room conversations may build a majority opinion before the item is discussed in open session. This is not true with our Council, and the Council is very, very aware that we are prohibited from speaking to more that one other Council member on any action item before the Council. I believe that the very fact that this law exists, leads some to believe that it is also broken. Does this need to be changed and how do you suggest that change is made? The law is important and vital to good government. What can change... higher voting numbers and greater voter involvement in government. I believe the voter needs to very carefully elect leaders with integrity, honesty, without a personal agenda, and that have a strong understanding of the Oath of Office they will be taking to uphold the laws. Elect the leaders that you can trust. Vote for the most qualified candidate and hold your elected officials accountable. Your elected officials need to be available, out in the public, listening, learning and engaging with their community.

3. Many people say there is money hidden in the City budget that can be spent on roads. What is your budget experience and where will you find money for roads? I was an elected official to the Lake Tahoe Unified School District for 17 years, overseeing a $32 Million Budget and am currently completing my first term as a Council member for the City. Our General fund budget is $41 million plus and our entire City budget is in excess of $86 million. In both cases, these are the funds of the public and elected officials are given the fiscal responsibility of adopting a balanced budget, keeping our governmental entities functioning, growing, retaining a reserve for emergencies, planning strategically for the future, and doing what is in the very best interests of the governmental agency to which they have been elected. It costs $3 or $4 Million a year to keep our 129 miles of road in good shape. Our City budget has never had this amount annually to repair and replace roads as needed. In 2017 our Council approved, and I co-chaired the sales tax initiative to find an ongoing source of funding that would repair, replace and retain our roads. It would have cost the average resident about $25 to $50 a year. In addition, about 70% would have been sales tax brought in by our visitors and tourists. It needed a 66.7% to pass, as it was designated for roads, and we failed with about a 56% yes vote. The Council just recently directed our staff to set aside some undesignated funds from our 2017-18 budget and to look at possible funding sources to be able to fund $9 Million of road work in the next three years. We do not know if this feasible or doable. This would possibly mean looking at bonding opportunities, cuts to other priorities or looking at our reserves which are currently 25%. Both LTUSD and LTCC had successful bond measures for their facility improvement. Other ideas to explore may be to look at a visitor tax or fee as our tourists have a huge impact (quite literally!) on our roads each year. Finding money for roads has traditionally been difficult but we will continue looking for solutions.

4. Do you think you must trust your fellow councilmembers? How can it be a “must”? It is earned, not automatically assumed. We do not choose our fellow Council members, yet we do need to build trust when we can. If yes, what will you do to keep trust levels in tact? If no, please explain why. It is always preferable to have trust among the elected body, your City Council. Trust brings open dialogue, honest reflections, knowing that if a topic is confidential it will stay confidential. Trust is the belief that there is not a Council member acting to undermine another or the entire Council. I believe and act on this belief that regardless of differences, each Council member deserves the professional respect that comes with the elected profession. I cannot demand or even expect this in return, but believe a culture of respect and trust begins with one and then inherently brings a higher level of honesty, understanding of differences and expectation of professional respect in return from others. Trust can be eroded; it is not given, but earned. Trust is integral to successful and effective organizations. I pledge to continue my professional respect for those elected to serve this next term, if I am fortunate to serve with them.

5. Tell us why you should be elected. I ask that you look at my record of public service, numerous and extensive leadership roles in this community and my elected office record, and please look carefully at my last 4 years as a Council member. I care deeply about South Lake Tahoe, this environment which is also our home, the people that live here, work here, raise their families here and want it to continue to be their home too. I also recognize the National Treasure in which we live and that Lake Tahoe and our beautiful mountains and trails do not just belong to us as residents. They truly belong to the world. Respecting our visitors, providing a strong economy, funding our public safety, both fire and law, providing for snow removal, road repairs for our residents, protecting and encouraging a living wage for our workers, each of these is imperative. Providing adequate housing, eliminating blight, recognizing the role of Art, recreation, public transit and getting cars off our roads are each critical to the future of not just our City but our lake, our trees, our mountains and ourselves! Elect me because you know that I will always make thoughtful decisions, with all of the above in my heart and mind. I am progressive in honoring the past and looking to the future for South Lake Tahoe. I am ready after a first term of learning and leading to take a stronger leadership role in creating and implementing a long term vision plan for our City for the next 10,15 and 20 years. I honestly believe that we are on the precipice of having an engaged community that is ready to do this too! It will take us all to accomplish this but with public and private partnerships it can be done.

6. What qualifications do you have to win a seat on City Council? I became a part of this community decades ago when our young family moved here and joined Tahoe Parents Nursery School. Education was and still is important to our family. My leadership roles began at the school level, school site councils, district committees, co-director of TPNS. I went on the chair the El Dorado County Child Abuse Prevention Network, the Lake Tahoe Collaborative, the First Five Commission for El Dorado County, worked as the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) South Lake Tahoe Site Manager for a decade, helped found Bread &Broth and Tahoe Magic and have been a part of the South Lake Tahoe cabinet of the El Dorado Community Fund and also serve on their board. I am a founding member of the Tahoe Women’s Community Fund, also a fund of the El Dorado Community Foundation. I have held elected office five terms beginning in 1997, four terms, 17 years on the LTUSD Board of Education, 13 as the President and one term on the City Council, two years as the Mayor Pro Tem and two as the Mayor. I served on the Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation for almost two decades and have been a member of Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra for that long as well. Lots of service, but how does that equate to qualifications to win a seat on the Council? I serve with 100% dedication in my roles of leadership, recognizing the trust that others have put in me to lead. Through my leadership roles, I have also said yes to co-chairing Measure G, which brought $100 million to rebuilding our schools and LTCC’s Measure F which brought almost $60 million for our college facilities. This is your choice and your vote this November. Please look at the abilities of each candidate carefully, how they have lead and how they will lead. Our future depends upon it.

7. If elected, what would you like to see in the City over the next four years? What exciting times for South Lake Tahoe. We have had great economic expansion and there is more to come if we work hard. In the next four years I would like to see us have dedicated road funding that will rebuild, repair and sustain our roads. I would like to see a 2020 to 2040 vision plan adopted during the next four years, working with all of our partners that would include workforce/ local housing and low income housing as well, with a sustainable, supportable and convenient public transit to accompany it. I would like for our City to adopt a public Art vision plan. We are a beautiful City that can give more effort and investment into reflecting our natural beauty. I want to see a wonderful addition of a new recreational center, attracting more tournaments for our visitors during the fall and spring and giving our residents a great place to recreate as well. I’d like to see our Fire Station # 2 open, giving greater coverage in our fragile environment. I’d like to see our gateway, Highway 50, continue to be redeveloped, providing transit options, adequate living options for workers to walk or bike or ski to work.

8. Does the City need an economic and/or housing development department? Why? I do not have enough information to declare that we need a department for housing or economic development. However, there are many groups and entities looking at solutions, projects, changing policies, incentives and funding. There is not a governmental municipality that has a dedicated housing employee or consultant to bring the data, ideas, the funding opportunities, and all the partners together. Cities have an obligation to look at housing and our city has the opportunity and obligation, I believe to take this leadership/ support role to determine the level of need and possible direction and solution for affordable, local and workforce housing. Our businesses need employees, our employees need housing, our community needs a strong economy. Our community of residents and families who work here, also need to be able to live here, have their children go to school here. Our LTCC students and our seasonal workers, as well, should have affordable and appropriate housing.

9. What should be done with VHRs? I would support a VHR policy which would incentivize more VHRs in our tourist core with a “one built, two residential retired” formula to descend our VHRs in our residential areas. I would also support expanding the tourist area further along Highway 50. If they stay, do you support a cap and occupancy cap? Yes, I do support the cap and would support a descending cap in the future that would balance our TOT income with more in the tourist core and less in the residential areas. I also believe that our long range vision should encourage parking once, and being able to walk or use public transportation, achieved with a higher concentration of short term rentals in our tourist core area. Do you think VHRs fit residential zoning? Yes, with consistent enforcement and oversight, I believe that residential zoning for VHRs does fit. I believe we will as a community, continue to look at zoning and what areas are best suited for allowing VHRs. We are a tourist economy and community, have always been and always will be. Our local economy depends on our tourists. People will not stop staying in VHRs, they will only stop having a license, paying TOT and abiding by a strict City ordinance if banned. I support having legal, licensed, enforced and taxed VHRs, and implementing the above ideas. Should some rules of VHRs go to full-time residents too, including bear box and no parking on dirt requirements? Yes, if we stand by our rules that are there to protect our environment and our wildlife, these are rules that our residents should also abide by. I now have a bear box and feel so much better about not attracting and feeding wildlife unintentionally but frequently!

10. Do you favor a strong mayor city? No Why? For South Lake Tahoe, I support our City Manager form of government where a City Council may hire the most professional and well-suited executive to meet the needs and lead the City in contrast to an elected Mayor that may or may not have the experience, professionalism and talents that meet our needs. A city manager form of government may also let that person go by a majority vote of the City Council if that manager no longer fit the needs of the City. With an elected mayor, that is not possible until election. In the larger, metropolitan cities, there are greater numbers of residents with which to elect one as a mayor with the required credentials. In a city of 23,000, like ours, there are not as many qualified candidates to ensure and support a strong mayor form of government.