stpud

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In 2014, the South Tahoe Public Utility District’s Board of Directors approved a series of annual rate increases to fund more than $50 million in critical improvements to South Tahoe’s water, wastewater, and recycled water systems. These upgrades lower long-term costs, improve fire flow, protect the environment and ensure longterm, quality service. On Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 6 p.m. the District will host a public meeting on the upgrades to the water, sewer and recycled water systems, and the ongoing improvements still needed.

A 26-year veteran at the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) has been hired as the next general manager. John Thiel, P.E., will be taking over for Richard Solbrig who will be retiring in January after almost 15 years at the helm.

The STPUD Board of Directors voted to hire Thiel during a closed session meeting last week.

I’m Lou Pierini and I am running for the South Tahoe Utility District Board of Directors. I would like to be part of the process that makes decisions regarding our sewer and water service. I have the experience, the knowledge and the ambition to positively contribute to the direction South Tahoe Public Utility District takes now and in the future.

The following is a Letter to the Editor from South Tahoe Public Utility District Board Member Jim Jones, a candidate for re-election:

To the Community:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Eight of the nine City Council candidates responded to a series of questions given to them by the 100% Renewable Energy Committee. On Sunday we printed their first responses - http://southtahoenow.com/story/10/08/2018/slt-city-council-candidates-respond-100-renewable-committe... - and here are the remaining questions and answers:

Mayor Wendy David has stated that it is okay to have Vacation Home Rentals in residential neighborhoods as long as there is 'consistent' enforcement. Sorry Wendy but planning and zoning are not determined by enforcement. What has been ‘consistent' is the city's failure to deliver effective enforcement. When a neighbor calls in to complain about a problem with a VHR, a warning call goes out to the agent or owner of that VHR to warn them of the complaint. By the time the Enforcement Officer arrives the lights are out and the report reads: "Quiet on Arrival".

In classic Tahoe style, when there is a problem we study it. In the past five years, the housing issue has been studied on several fronts. In that time, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Placer County and the North Tahoe-Truckee area have all conducted Housing Studies and the City of South Lake Tahoe updated its Housing Element. What has been the result of all these studies? This column highlights the key recommendations from those studies and where we are now in terms of implementation.

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was found in drinking water wells in South Lake Tahoe near the "Y" in 1989, and it remains in the groundwater today, forming a containment plume from the intersection of Highway 50 and State Route 89 and heading toward Lake Tahoe through the Tahoe Keys.

Everyone knows what goes downhill, but the South Tahoe Public Utility District knows how to recycle it into 381,000 kilowatts of electricity per year. A recent feature article by the Association of California Water Agencies pointed out that STPUD is one of only a handful of utility districts in the entire world that can claim 100% reuse of wastewater and bio solids. Here’s how. We use centrifuges instead of the usual pollution causing burners. That allows us to make fertilizer for ranch land.

There are still a few days left for those interested in running for public office this November, but several candidates have completed the process to qualify for the ballot. The following number of seats will be open: El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (1), LTUSD School Board (2) , City Council (3), City Clerk (1), City Treasurer (1), South Tahoe Public Utility District (3), Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District, and Lake Tahoe Community College Board of Trustees (3).

The deadline to complete the candidate process is August 10, 2018.

Besides openings on the Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Community College Board, South Lake Tahoe City Council, Tahoe Paradise Park Board, El Dorado County Board of Supervisors this November, there will also be three openings on the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) five-member board.

From July 16 to August 10, those interested in being on the STPUD board must file for candidacy. That deadline is extended to August 15 if an incumbent fails to file for their term prior by the earlier deadline. The incumbent is not allowed to file after August 10.

The South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) Board of Directors will be holding a public budget Board meeting on Thursday, May 3, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the District Board Room located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe, California. The purpose of the meeting is to review the proposed 2018-19 budget and ten-year financial and capital improvement plan for the District.

South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) has been awarded the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence through California Special District’s Association. The certificate is good for two years and is the second consecutive time STPUD has been issued one.

Update 1/26: Due to a scheduling conflict the meeting has been moved from Tahoe Valley Elementary School to the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers.

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A 400 acre plume of contaminated groundwater will be the focus of a public meeting on February 7 in the SLT Council Chambers at the Lake Tahoe Airport from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

10:35 AM update: Service has been restored to affected areas. There may be a brown tint to water, so if concerned run faucets for awhile to clear out the line.

Call the STPUD with any other questions at 530.544.6474.

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Crews are on the scene of a water main break near the corner of Friday and Cedar Avenues in South Lake Tahoe.

Work had recently resumed on the new rehabilitation facility for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) on Al Tahoe Blvd. Thieves stopped by last week and helped themselves to several hundred feed of copper line from the South Lake Tahoe project.

A contractor was connecting the sewer line to the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) connection at Pioneer Village 900 fee away. In order to locate water, electrical and sewer lines in the future, contractors now bury a copper wire just above the line making the task easier should it be needed.

South Tahoe Public Utility District's (STPUD) new hydro-power generating unit at their Diamond Valley Ranch facility in Alpine County is expected to start commercial operations on October 1, 2017. When it goes on line they will start selling power generated from the recycled water flowing down from the top of Luther Pass towards their storage reservoir to Liberty Utilities.

Water conservation efforts in California have saved 2.51 million acre-feet of water since June of 2105. This is enough water to provide 6.24 million homes with water for a year, or almost one-third of the state's population.

Since state-mandated water restrictions have been in place, the cumulative statewide savings has been 22.5 percent, when compared with the previous 18-month period.

Since June 2015, the 817.9 billion gallons saved is enough water to supply more than 12.5 million people with water for a year has been saved at the state level.

Rain and snow flows during the atmospheric river storm that hit South Lake Tahoe in January created more than double the normal flow through the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD).

On a normal 4th of July, when most beds are filled in local homes and motels, STPUD sees about five million gallons go through the sewer plant, but with the large amounts of snow and rain on roads and in yards, 12.57 million gallons flowed through the plant on January 8, 2017.

I would like to congratulate Randy and Kelly on retaining their seats on the South Tahoe Public Utility Board. I am certain that their future decisions will be in the best interest of our community. I also commend Kirk David for running in this campaign.

My family and I put many hours into this campaign and I hope that at least I was able to spread some awareness about the STPUD Board and the decisions they and our community face.

I am very thankful to my family, friends and everyone who supported, encouraged and voted for me during this campaign.

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.

Tamara Wallace, 46, Retired Businesswoman/Chamber Exec

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

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.

Ted Long, 77, attorney and lecturer, 21 years full time skiing here since 1965.

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

Dear South Lake Tahoe Community,

I first met Nick Exline at an event where we had the opportunity to meet Democratic congressional candidate Dr. Bob Derlet. Nick asked about carbon markets and the related benefits to our Sierra Nevada economy. As a watershed scientist, I was impressed by Nick’s informed and thoughtful question. I enjoyed meeting a South Lake Tahoe resident who possessed a strong background in environmental science, as well as a thoughtful man who had ideas about how we could turn our largest obstacles in this region into economic successes for our residents.

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I am endorsing Randy Vogelgesang for reelection to the STPUD Board. Randy is a long time local, having lived in the South Lake Tahoe community for 30 years raising a family with his wife, Cathy, and running a successful engineering firm as a small business owner. During the twenty years that I have known Randy and his family, I appreciate the honesty and integrity he has always displayed both personally and professionally.