neighborhoods

There are four people running for El Dorado County Supervisor for the 5th District on June 5: Incumbent Sue Novasel and challengers Kenny Curtzwiler, Norma Santiago and Jeffrey Spencer. The 5th District covers Pollock Pines to South Lake Tahoe and Tahoma.

South Tahoe Now asked each candidate the same questions, and here are all of their answers, exactly as they were presented to us.

Sue Novasel
Occupation: El Dorado County Supervisor – District V
Past political history:
2015 – Present: County Supervisor, District V

The El Dorado County Vacation Home Rental Ordinance was first created in 1997 and updated in 2004. At this time there are 900 permitted vacation home rentals (VHRs) in the County, 800 of which are in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

What started out with a “Good Neighbor Policy” has morphed into neighbors versus neighbors in El Dorado County and an ongoing VHR discussion as Supervisors work to create a new ordinance.

We can always count on either Supervisors Novasel or Ranalli starting off each VHR public meeting discussing VHR’s with the reminder that VHR’s are an allowed use for single family dwellings under TRPA’s land use Ordinances. They have attempted to make us believe the word of God (TRPA) has set this in stone, and that we should all now work together to allow these nuisance businesses to coexist in our neighborhoods.

We recently received talking points from a local public relation firm relating to how we could handle the adverse publicity which occurred due to the CBS morning show about the draconian VHR ordinance and subsequent $1000 fine enforcements. We, as property managers and owners, have been requesting support from the Chamber of Commerce, LTVA, and the Lodging Association in helping us fight the selfish attitudes of some locals regarding their entitlement to Lake Tahoe without visitors to their neighborhoods.

One thing is certain, something has to change or there will not be enough money to operate buses around the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. What isn't certain is how those changes will look, where extra funding can come from, or if services will have to be cut.

During Friday's Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) board meeting, options to keep a sustainable transit system in place for Lake Tahoe were discussed. Buses continue to operate at a loss and that cannot continue, according to the TTD staff.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is another chance to become part of the South Tahoe Action Team (STAT), a team that provides valuable assistance to the community during a disaster.

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) is now accepting applications for the next four-week long STAT Class starting April 18, and continuing on April 25, May 2 and May 16. The Wednesday classes run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and participants must be able to commit to all four classes.

Editor,

We are a community divided. Even among the varying factions involved in the Vacation House Rental (VHR) issue [in El Dorado County], there is division and contention. There are those who want total bans, and those who want to buy up groups of houses to create VHR clusters. Some want to enjoy the financial benefits of renting their homes out to visitors, and others want the reassurance of a peaceful neighborhood again. We need to come together and find a solution to the problem that now plagues our neighborhoods and dominates the conversations over coffee.

South Lake Tahoe voters went to the polls on November 8, 2016 and approved Measure P, a Tourist Accommodation Tax (TOT) increase of two percent to fund a new $25 million recreation complex in the city.

Now that new center is at jeopardy.

UPDATE 5:15PM: Pioneer Trail is back open after multiple agencies responded to the sounds of gunshots near Temple Bat Yam.

At 11:09 a.m. March 18, South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) dispatch received two simultaneous calls for the same general area, one for the shots fired and another for the activation of a burglar alarm. Since they were so close in proximity, police officers responded as they could be related calls according SLTPD Officer Matt Morrison.

If you drive through Meyers on a Sunday you've most likely come across gridlock traffic through the neighborhoods as vehicles trying to head west after their South Lake Tahoe weekend look for the quickest route, courtesy of smart phone apps.

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel held a Town Hall meeting on February 28, providing a forum for residents, law enforcement and staff to discuss solutions. One suggestion that came out of that meeting was put into place on Sunday, March 4 and was fairly successful.

The entire Sierra Nevada are under a high avalanche warning in the back country at all elevations, but now there is a warning in the Crystal Bay area of Lake Tahoe in neighborhoods.

Per the Washoe County Emergency Management avalanche expert, due to weather conditions and forecasted incoming weather conditions, a Stage 1 Avalanche Warning has been issued for the residents of Crystal Bay/Third Creek subdivisions.

Pipe Keepers is a citizen science program to address the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe. Runoff from storms and snowmelt is the largest source of pollution that degrades Lake clarity. League staff will train you to survey local neighborhoods and collect stormwater samples during rain and snowmelt events.

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We are a diverse group of local South Lake Tahoe residents who are organizing to eliminate or relocate SnowGlobe. This event has unfairly displaced local residents, invaded our homes with noise, closed access to whole neighborhoods, exposed our forests to unnecessary and dangerous potential for fire and attracted visitors who do not reflect the family friendly Lake Tahoe we want to be. We want to bring the experiences of our local community into the light.

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.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - A violation of a restraining order in South Lake Tahoe Monday afternoon led to an hours-long standoff, closed off neighborhoods and subsequent arrest of a man with a long history of violence.

On Monday, January 22, at about 4:30 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) received a call that Brandon Bannowski, 25, had violated a Restraining Order and allegedly entered the home of his ex-girlfriend, threatened her with a baseball bat and choked her.

The public's help is being sought in locating a person of interest in a vehicle break-in on January 1 in the parking area of a trail head off Mt. Rose Highway.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office detectives say their suspect broke through the window of the vehicle and stole a number of credit cards along with identification and keys. Subsequent investigation discovered that the credit cards had been used at multiple locations in Kings Beach, a gas station in San Ramon, California and at several locations in Reno, including Walmarts.

Tuesday's El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting was just as all other meetings about vacation home rentals have been: A full house and a large contingent passionately representing both sides of the issue.

Supervisor Shiva Frentzen sought conceptual approval of an urgency ordinance to place a moratorium on the issuance of new vacation home rental (VHR) permits in the unincorporated portions of the County located in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

To the City, Snowglobe, and Community – As many of you know I am vocal critic of Snowglobe. Well after another year I feel like it’s kind of tradition for me to write my letter and vent about the event.

I will preface this letter with a reminder that I am not against events in the area. I just want events to be at a proper venue and I want them to not shake the walls of my house.

Over the first weekend of enforcement of the new South Lake Tahoe Vacation Rental Ordinance, eight violations were issued at a price tag of $8,000.

Parking was the biggest offense with renters having more cars than allowed, something that caught many by surprise as they thought noise would bring in the most violations for vacation home rentals (VHR). Four citations were issued for parking, two for exceeding occupancy, one for parking and noise combination and one for being an unpermitted VHR.

The SLT City Council voted in the new ordinance to take effect December 22, 2017.

The City of South Lake Tahoe put the finishing touches to the new Vacation Home Rental (VHR) ordinance Tuesday, paving the way for what community members have asked for: More enforcement, better monitoring and rules to bring reasonable calm to their neighborhoods.

"This is a code with real teeth," said SLT Police Chief Brian Uhler. "It's a clear and simple message that we're not fooling around. There are strong laws for staff to carry out."

Nearly 200 conservation professionals from around the country gathered back east this November to have a strategic dialogue about the state of landscape-scale conservation. Lake Tahoe was featured at the forum for the region’s cooperative restoration initiatives, and it was an honor to share the stage with such high-caliber conservation thought leaders.

The national forum showcased how people of all backgrounds are collaborating and working to conserve some of America’s most iconic natural areas.

Dear Editor;

In writing this letter, I am only expressing my own opinion and not that of
any organization or entity.

Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs) in the County are out of control. As is
evidenced by the number of residents complaining about noise, parking, trash,
over-occupancy, etc, it is time for our government representatives to act and
change the current ordinance to respect our rights to live in peaceful
neighborhoods.

There are many issues surrounding VHRs that need to be addressed, but I

As with meetings concerning vacation rentals (VHRs) in the City of South Lake Tahoe, many residents from the county turned out to voice concerns with the El Dorado County's Tax Collector C.L. Cherie Raffety Wednesday.

What was different than the City's meetings, Raffety limited how the public could speak about noise, parking, occupancy, hot tubs, zoning and other issues they have in their neighborhoods. She broke up the issues and heard concerns, one subject at a time.

The heartbreaking fires in Northern California’s wine country this month have upended hundreds of thousands of people’s lives. In just over one week, the fires across Northern California burned more than 220,000 acres, destroyed 6,000 buildings, and killed more than 40 people. Our hearts go out to our neighbors in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties.