SLT City Council candidate Dan McLaughlin

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Dan McLaughlin, 66, Sales Manager for Lake Tahoe Television, has lived in Lake Tahoe for 43 years.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

I was the chairman of the City of South Lake Tahoe’s Parks and Recreation Commission when Measure S was passed. I am a past president of the Optimist Club and have always been very active in the community as a volunteer or as a coach in working to make South Lake Tahoe a better place to live.

Concerning the proposed Hwy 50 Revitalization Project, what is your stance and why?

Traffic congestion and affordable housing are serious issues we need to face. The Tahoe Transportation District who is charge of the Hwy 50 Revitalization Project has just released 5 plans regarding a way to ease traffic congestion near Stateline and provide areas that may be used for affordable housing projects. It is time to discuss all these plans objectively and decide which, if any, will benefit the community the most. It is important to note that one of the plans is to do nothing, and that also needs to be discussed as well.

Do you believe there is a low income and affordable housing issue in SLT, and why? If you believe there is, what do you see your role as a council member to address it?

Affordable housing may be the main issue the residents of South Lake Tahoe face. It is a perfect storm brought on by the fewer number of rental units available, the cost of the rentals units that are available and fact the income of the residents of the City of South Lake Tahoe is below the average for the State of California in income averages, per capital, median household and median family incomes. Sue Novasel’s proposal of a task force made up of government, agencies and business leaders is a step in the right direction. Only through a public/private partnership can we effective come up with solutions to this issue. We need to be a part of that task force and one of the driving agencies behind searching for answers to this serious problem.

Do you believe the Council should work as a team and collaborate to come to a solution as to what is best for the community? Explain your answer.

I think of the City government as like a sports team. The City residents are like the team owner, they want certain things from their government, The City Council is like 5 person coaching staff, they are charged with coming up with a plan that satisfies the owner(s) needs and the City staff is like the players, they are charged with making that game plan work. Everyone involved must work together as one to accomplish the goals the voters are asking for. I will call on my experience as a coach to do just that.

A hot topic in the town are Vacation Home Rentals. The current Council and staff held public meetings on the subject and have come up with a new set of codes trying to address concerns. Do you think VHRs are a vital need to tourism in the community? What do you propose the next step should be since both sides of the issue are still concerned about the current direction?

VHR’s are an important part of our economy and it is the City’s responsibility to protect that economy. It is also the City’s responsibility to protect our citizen’s way of life as well and these two responsibilities intersect on this issue. I would like to set up a task force made up of City Council members, members of the VHR industry and homeowners that live next to VHR’s to discuss this issue in a productive manner. The VHR industry has to realize that they cannot continue to allow their tenants to impact neighborhoods negatively and residents have to realize that the VHR industry is here to stay. Both sides need to compromise so we can find a way the VHR industry can co-exist with our residents.

What 3 achievable goals would you champion in the next 4 years?

I don’t know if finding answers to affordable housing is achievable in 4 years, All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.ut I would certainly like to try and make that happen. I also want to make sure we invest more in recreation. We are in the business of recreation and we need to upgrade and better maintain our existing facilities and create more recreation opportunities. Finally, I would like to rebuild the trust in our community for the City Council. I would like this community to believe that the Council is a team that is working together to do what is best for all of residents of the City of South Lake Tahoe.

What areas of South Lake Tahoe do you think present an opportunity for revitalization? What do you view as your role?

Now is the time to look at revitalizing the rest of the City’s Hwy 50 corridor since the Caltrans project to put in curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be completed by 2017. As a council we need to entertain any and all ideas on how we can accomplish that goal so the entire Hwy corridor looks like the area between Al Tahoe and Takela. Especially in the area between Trout Creek and the Y where the most attention is needed.

In 300 words or less, why should voters vote for you?

Although I have been living in South Lake Tahoe for over 40 years, I am not caught up in the past and I certainly am not a business as usual kind of person. I am an independent thinker and will look at issues from both sides when involved in decision making. I will call on my experience as the Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Committee when we formed a coalition of government, business and environmental agencies to pass Measure S. I have coached high school sports for over 35 years and many of my former players live here and I talk to them all the time on what they believe is needed to improve the quality of life here. I know what the City of South Lake Tahoe wanted to be when it was formed, the mistakes that have been made and will bring all my knowledge and experience that into my role as a City Council person. I am very proud of being a part of what Measure S accomplished, now I want to be proud of being a part of what the City can accomplish as well.