Housing, art, lower speed limits, and parking part of next South Lake Tahoe City Council agenda

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The next South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting is on Tuesday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at the airport. The agenda is a full one.

Two of the items are public hearings - The possible amendment to adopt a new demolition permit fee of $480 to the master fee schedule, and an employee housing ordinance.

There are currently five active and three inactive employer housing sites in South Lake Tahoe. There are sites where employers own a property or sign a master lease for their staff. The City wants to make sure those employees know of their rights since there is normally no direct contact with landlords as there is with traditional landlord-tenant situations.

Four of the active sites are operated by Heavenly Valley Limited Partnership and one is operated by Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services. There is one unpermitted site owned and operated by Edgewood Tahoe. The City reached out to all of them to inform them of the California Employee Housing Act, but only received communication back from Edgewood.

Council is scheduled to vote on the new ordinance which includes signature on site for tenants so they know their rights.

Also on the agenda is a contract with Terrie Bennett in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for a public art installation at Lakeview Commons. The funds are coming from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Bennet describes the piece as, "Footsteps of the Past: Suspended in Time," an interactive sculptural experience that brings together four free-standing steel sculptures, each representing a significant aspect of the Lake Tahoe Basin's rich history. These sculptures will be placed along the waterfront walk at Lake View Commons, creating a cohesive narrative that celebrates the
region's cultural and environmental heritage. The installation will be visually connected by life-size bronze footprints, which will link each
sculpture in a meaningful way. These footprints will be cast from molds made from the feet of elders from the local Washoe tribe, honoring their contributions and incorporating an element of local cultural heritage into the artwork.

Council will also discuss the Lease to Locals program that expires in January. They can vote to extend it or focus elsewhere. The intent of the Lease to Locals program and ongoing efforts is to unlock existing housing for local workers. Since the program started almost three years ago, the program has unlocked 52 households and housed 127 residents (105 adults and 22 children). Given the current program budget and the Program Guidelines, the City Council needs to discuss the continuance and/or modifications of the program. Lease to Locals has four options to present to the council to move forward on this program.

The Lakeside Park Association reached out to the City to evaluate and implement a Residential Parking Permit Program. The neighborhood experiences impacts during the summer months, specifically between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and especially during Celebrity Golf and with casino parking. The Council will consider implementing seasonal no-parking and permit parking areas (see map above).

Council will also consider an ordinance to amend South Lake Tahoe City Code to lower speed limits on sections of Pioneer Trail, Ski Run Boulevard, and Lake Tahoe Boulevard. California law requires cities to conduct a speed survey every 10 years for a speed limit to be enforceable, even if no changes have been made to the roadway. The City hired a traffic engineer to conduct speed studies and there are now recommendations to consider in reducing the speed limits on:

Ski Run Blvd. from US50 to Pioneer Trail - From 35 mph to 30 mph
Pioneer Trail from US50 to Keller Road - From 30 mph to 25 mph
Lake Tahoe Blvd from SR 89 D St - From 35 mph to 30 mph

The section of roadway studied with the highest number of collisions is Pioneer Trail from Ski Run to Al Tahoe boulevards. In 24 months there were 27 collisions with the posted speed limit of 35 mph. During the study, 85 percent of the drivers were going 42 mph.

For the full agenda and instructions on participation in English and Spanish, visit https://cityofslt.us/84/Watch-City-CouncilCommission-Meetings.