board of supervisors

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting held in South Lake Tahoe had to come to an early end Thursday after a City fire official deemed the over 150 people crammed into the airport council chambers too many over the maximum occupancy of 112 to be safe.

Approximately 300 people filled the airport, all wanting a chance to participate in the County's discussion of amending their vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance. Those not in the council chambers filled the airport lobby.

On Tuesday both the South Lake Tahoe City Council and the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted to extend their ban on commercial sales of cannabis as they work out the rules and regulations for their jurisdictions.

The ban on sales in South Lake Tahoe was set to expire on January 25, 2018, and without an extension or ordinance in place, anyone could have applied for a license to sell with the State of California.

Friends of Snowshoe Thompson are holding their annual event to celebrate the life of the legend, who, between 1856 and 1876, delivered mail between Placerville, California and Genoa, Nevada on long skis. From 1868 to 1872, Thompson also served on the Board of Supervisors of Alpine County.

The 18th annual Snowshoe Thompson Ski and Snowshoe Celebration is moving to Lake Tahoe this year and will be held on February 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Golf Course.

There will be a special meeting of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors to discuss vacation home rentals (VHRs) in South Lake Tahoe at 6:00 p.m. on February 1 at the City Council chambers.

Supervisor Sue Novasel said she believes a meeting about the South Shore should be held on the South Shore so more of the citizens could attend and participate.

The hot topic of VHRs has divided many neighbors with opinions on both side of the issue.

Residents in South Lake Tahoe will soon be paying more for garbage pick-up after the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted 4-1 to approve South Tahoe Refuse's request to raise rates for residential customers by 8.81 percent, the biggest one-time increase ever added to the service.

The rate increase will go into effect January 1, 2018.

The monthly rate for SLT customers will go from $26.55 to #28.89 for unlimited service, and increase of $2.34. Qualified seniors (65 and over and part of Liberty Utilities Care program) will pay an extra $1.95, taking their monthly rate to $24.15.

Vehicles without the proper traction control device on their cars while on El Dorado County roads this winter may be fined and/or towed.

Massive traffic jams on Sundays in Meyers throughout last winter led drivers onto side streets without chains or snow tires on their vehicles, creating a parking lot of disabled cars that were stuck in the snow. Those drivers attempting to circumvent traffic ended up using Manda, North Upper Truckee and other local roads but a new ordinance will try and alleviate those issues.

Meyers, the commercial, public services, and recreation hub of unincorporated El Dorado County at the South Shore may soon have a new area plan.

The Meyers Area Plan is the comprehensive long-term plan for the Meyers Community and, if approved, will replace the original Meyers Community Plan (MCP) adopted in 1993. The MCP currently serves as the comprehensive land use and zoning plan for the community of Meyers, consistent with the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan and the El Dorado County General Plan. It was originally meant to last a decade, not the almost 25 years its been in place.

Every year the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors venture to South Lake Tahoe to hold one of their meetings in the eastern portion of the county. This year's meeting will be Tuesday, October 17 at the Lahontan Water Board Annex at 971 Silver Dollar Avenue.

They usually hold their meeting when the South Lake Tahoe City Council does not have a meeting, but with the Council voting to change their October meeting dates recently, that is not true this year. It was too late for El Dorado County to change the date and they had to find a new venue.

El Dorado County Chief Administrator, Don Ashton, today released the County’s
Final Budget for fiscal year 2017/18. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to review and approve the $569 million operating budget during their meeting on Tuesday, September 19.

The Final Draft of the Meyers Area Plan was released today along with the associated joint environmental document. This draft updates 20-year old policies to streamline permitting for small projects, improves consistency between El Dorado County and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) policies and standards, promotes recreation and bicycle/pedestrian improvements, establishes zoning to better reflect current conditions, conserves land around the Upper Truckee River, formalizes a local citizens advisory council, and integrates design standards and guidelines.

After an agreement today, a 16-mile trail to commemorate the original wagon route west over Donner Summit will be created from Kingvale through the Donner State Memorial Park in Truckee. Users will follow the original Overland Emigrant Trail but stay away from its remnants to protect the historical artifacts.

El Dorado County reorganized what is now Community Development Services to include directors of three primary departments, and they recently announced the hiring of two of those new directors, one for Planning & Building and the other for Environmental Management. Both men were interim directors as the departments were being reorganized and the search for director was underway.

By proclamation of the County Board of Supervisors, El Dorado County celebrated Probation Services Week this week, July 17 – July 21, 2017. As the Chief Probation Officer in El Dorado County, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the critical work probation does in our criminal justice system and say thank you to all the men and women of my department who work tirelessly to protect our communities, reduce recidivism, restore victims, promote healthy families, and live the vision of our department: Safe Communities Through Changed Lives.

There will be three presentations at the next El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 20 that pertain to fiscal year 2017-18 budget. They are required to approve it by June 30 each year.

"Every year, the County’s Chief Administrator provides a Recommended Budget to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration," said Chief Administrative Officer, Don Ashton. "It is but one step along the path to having an Adopted Budget approved by the Board in September.”

Presentations are scheduled as follows:

9:00 a.m. – Senior Legal Services
10:00 a.m. – Road Work Plan

With an increase of $4.5 million to CalPers in 2018, changes to some social service programs, the impact of prison realignment, a "challenging" budget for El Dorado County is now available for public review. It is going to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) as well and they will have future meetings on the subject.

Representatives from several agencies met with the public Thursday night at El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel's second community meeting to discuss traffic issues and the "invasion of neighborhoods" by non-local drivers.

For the past 26 years, Judi McCallum has been keeping the El Dorado County Supervisors from Lake Tahoe organized, on schedule, and connected to those they serve.

"I have had such a great run as a Supervisor's Assistant at the County of El Dorado Board of Supervisors doing exactly what I love most, helping people," McCallum told South Tahoe Now during her first hour of retirement.

Since 1991 she has worked for four District V Supervisors, with 18 elected Supervisors down the hallway, more than 10 Chief Administrators or Interims, and 1,600 "amazing" county employees.

Do you know an outstanding older adult or a married couple 60-years or older who have performed exemplary work in El Dorado County as a volunteer? Consider nominating them for the Senior of the Year Award.

The annual “Senior of the Year” award will be presented by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on May 16, 2017, at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, hosted by the El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging and the Commission on Aging.

Interested in representing your city on the El Dorado County Commission on Aging? They are accepting application from those interested in serving until February 1.

The Commission on Aging (COA) is an advisory Committee to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors that works with the Director of the Area Agency on Aging on

A cold and unstable air mass heading to the Sierra may lead to widespread snow
showers with the heaviest snow currently expected to be on Tuesday, the day of the next El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting.

On Friday, county officials announced that the meeting may be postponed if the storm proves to be as big as forecasters are predicting. Total snowfall accumulation projections could change, but 1 to 2 feet in the Sierra are possible through Wednesday.

Even though the meeting is held in Placerville, hazardous road conditions are expected and safety is a concern.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a grant agreement at their meeting this week, paving the way for $1 million from Sutter Health to come into the community to help house the chronically homeless.

The county will use the money to purchase housing units for participants in Placer County’s Whole Person Care Pilot program which coordinates physical health, behavioral health and social services for the homeless and others with poor health outcomes. Those in the program will receive rental subsidies and supportive services through the grant funding.

Legal action against the approved Martis Valley West project was taken in court Thursday as three groups, Sierra Watch, Mountain Area Preservation and the League to Save Lake Tahoe, joined forces to stop the controversial development proposal they feel threatens Lake Tahoe's clarity.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors have unanimously voted in favor of a resolution opposing the passage of California Proposition 64 which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and over in the state.

In a cost-cutting move, the Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District (TPRID) Board of Directors is looking at the possibility of consolidating their elections.

William E. Schultz, the El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk-Registrar of Voters, has presented the board with information on how to accomplish this goal which cost the small park district $5,833 in 2015. With just 605 votes cast in that election, this amount works out to be almost $10 per vote.