south lake tahoe city council

If anyone ever needed proof that every vote counts, they could look to the recent elections in South Lake Tahoe. In June, the County Supervisor District 5 primary election ended up with just 14 votes separating the second, third and fourth positions. The top two, Sue Novasel and Kenny Curtzwiler advanced into this week's election.

With just 13 votes separating two candidates and deciding who will be on the South Lake Tahoe City Council, thousands of uncounted absentee and provisional ballots could actually change the outcome.

El Dorado County election officials told South Tahoe Now today that an estimated 12,000 absentee ballots and 1,000 provisional ballots may take until Thanksgiving to count. By law they have 18 days to certify the election and all votes must be counted by then.

100% of the ballots from polling locations have now been counted in the El Dorado County and City of South Lake Tahoe elections. The following is the result pending some absentee ballots that still need to be counted.

County Supervisor Area 5

Sue Novasel - 59.92% 3529 votes
Kenny Curtzwiler - 39.58% 2331 votes

City of South Lake Tahoe City Council
Top 3 win a seat

Wendy David 18.00% 1205 votes
Tom Davis 15.56% 1042 votes

South Lake Tahoe residents will have a chance to see the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors in action on Tuesday, October 28 as they have their meeting on the east slope.

Many topics pertaining to the South SHore will be on the agenda.

The South Lake Tahoe Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan will be presented by a consultant team. A vote will then be taken on whether to approve the plan and start the environmental review process. Those costs would be split with the City of South Lake Tahoe.

The El Dorado County Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing and workshop on the Meyers Area Plan at the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers on October 16 from 9 a.m. to noon.

The public has a chance to give input and share ideas on the plan which will be an update of the existing 1993 Meyers Community Plan.

The plan's goal is to:
1) Be a comprehensive land use plan for Meyers;
2) Realize Meyers’ Community Vision;
3) Provide consistent and simplified rules;
4) Assist in achieving Tahoe
Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Thresholds;

A special City Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 1st to adopt the 2014/215 budget. City Council meetings are always open to the public and the agenda is on line.

Running for elected office is one of the most humbling experiences a person can have. You’re allowing yourself to be scrutinized by your community, people can take shots at your positions, and you have to move forward with calm and ease the entire time. I knew I wanted to make a difference in our community after completing the TahoeChamber’s Leadership Lake Tahoe program, little did I know that I’d be taking action and running for City Council so soon.

TahoeChamber has endorsed seven candidates for the upcoming election that best portray the values and abilities necessary to serve the South Shore business community. As directed by the TahoeChamber Board of Directors, the TahoeChamber Candidate Endorsement Committee (TC-CEC) used the pillars of the Chamber’s adopted Tahoe Future A South Shore Community Vision 2020 as the foundational criteria for evaluating candidates. The pillars include Economic Vitality, Quality of Life, Sustainability, Infrastructure and Intellectual Capital.

Lake Tahoe Community College gained the support of the South Lake Tahoe City Council today in their pursuit of $55,000,000 in bond funds through Measure F. The Council voted unanimously to adopt the support resolution.

Dr. Kindred Murillo, Superintendent/President of the Lake Tahoe Community College District, was on hand at Tuesday's City Council meeting to provide an explanation of what the bond would mean to the South Shore community and answer any questions the five council members had.

Seven candidates are vying for the three open seats on the South Lake Tahoe City Council in November. Incumbents Angela Swanson, Brooke Laine and Tom Davis are going up against Wendy David, Matt Palacio, Bruce Grego and Austin Sass.

With so many candidates to choose from it will be important come election day to vote for the three you feel can lead the City for the next four years.

8/24/14 Update - this event has been canceled according to MontBleu Resort.

Almost once an hour a military veteran commits suicide in the United States according the the Department of Veterans Affairs and among those on active duty the number is still sobering, one a day.

In an effort to bring the plight of American military members suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) to the forefront, a Broadway like show and wellness festival are coming to South Lake Tahoe.

Parking rates for Heavenly Village retailers wishing to validate customer's tickets were lowered from $1.50 per hour to $1 per hour in Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting. The movie theater validations were lowered from four hours to three hours as well.

A unanimous vote by the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday paved the way for the formation of a Community Facilities District (CFD) in the Bijou area which will have a major impact on Lake Tahoe's water quality.

The $18M water project improvements include replacement of the failing Bijou Creek storm drainage culvert and construction of a regional storm water treatment system for the 42-acre Bijou commercial core project area. It will provide a third of the pollutant load reduction in the City's municipal stormwater system.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department used Peace Officer Memorial Week to honor a few of their own along with some local citizens on Thursday.

In a ceremony in front of the police station, Police Chief Brian Uhler bestowed the following awards:

- Officer Andy Eissinger received an award for Distinguished Service
- Dispatcher Jillian Broadfoot awarded for Meritorius Service
- Todd and Zetta Friedel and Cory Escobar received the Citizen Award of Merit
- Explorer Daniel Loyola received the Distinguished Explorer award

With record drought conditions in the West, preparing your home for
wildfire is more important than ever. May has been designated “Wildfire Awareness Month” in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This year’s theme is “Prepare Your Home For Wildfire” with a focus on creating and sustaining Fire Adapted Communities.

A Fire Adapted Community (FAC) is a community located in a fire-prone area that requires little assistance from firefighters during a wildfire. Residents of these communities accept responsibility for living in a high fire-hazard area. They possess the knowledge and skills to:

The result of months of work and public input on the Tahoe Valley Area Plan will be unveiled at the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 15. There are three concepts that were discussed during previous workshops and presented to the Planning Commission on March 13: A Greenbelt Concept, A Town Center District and a Healthcare Campus District.

Mayor Hal Cole summed it up as "the biggest facelift this city has seen in quite some time." In Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council action, the final steps of the Harrison Avenue Project were unanimously approved after 20 years of planning, discussing and talking by the City, business owners, property owners and residents.

The project will start this spring with substantial completion by October 15, 2014. The wrap up of the project will be complete by December 1, 2014.

The Council took five different votes concerning the project:

A public workshop on the vision for the South "Y" area will be held on Thursday, February 27 in the South Lake Tahoe City Council chambers at 6 p.m.

Future planning and land use guidance for what is known as the Tahoe Valley Area Plan will be discussed as the City's project leaders seek input from the community as to what the area should be.

The Tahoe Valley Plan reflects the City’s effort to rekindle the economic vitality and spirit of the Tahoe Valley Community and to enhance the area's unique characteristics.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council is holding their normal 9 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, as well as a second session at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the airport.

The morning meeting will contain several agenda items, including the Harrison Project bid approval.

Paid parking remains a hot topic in the city which was proven by the packed house at Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting. On the agenda was discussion and possible action on an initiative to prohibit paid parking on city streets.

Tahoe 4 Tahoe (T4T), a local group organized to fight paid parking, gathered more than the required signatures to get the initiative put on the ballot, but legal precedence and unforeseen consequences of the proposed initiative led the city council to vote unanimously to have a Fiscal Impact Report completed in the next 30 days.

A full agenda awaits the South Lake Tahoe city council on Tuesday, November 5 and contains key topics from a presentation on the parking meter situation to Mayor Tom Davis's State of the City Address.

Here are a few of the key agenda items:

State of the City Address
Public comment on items NOT on the agenda (3 minute maximum)
Presentation and update on the City's parking meter program
Citizen's Academy Graduates acknowledged
Authorize purchase of 1740 D Street for Public Works Street Division use

Work could resume as soon as next month on the much-maligned “hole in the ground” at the state line following approvals Tuesday by the South Lake Tahoe City Council.
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The City of South Lake Tahoe is seeking proposals from qualified professionals interested in developing, managing, and producing signature summer events held weekly at the City's Lakeview Commons facility.

Will a loop road beyond what exists today ever be built is a question to be answered on another day. What the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday night decided is that the environmental process needs to move forward.