strategic plan

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Tahoe Conservancy has awarded a $425,000 grant to the City of South Lake Tahoe to help plan the future of the 56-Acre site, a south shore hub of civic and recreation activity across Highway 50 from Lakeview Commons.

“The 56-Acre site is already a vibrant gathering place for community members and visitors alike, and it has the potential to be so much more,” said South Lake Tahoe City Councilmember and Conservancy Board member Tamara Wallace.

STATELINE, Nev. - In what has been a hotly debated topic for months between the five Douglas County Board of Commissioners and members of the public, the Tahoe South Events Center passed the final hurdle Thursday. In a 3-2 vote, the commissioners approved bond issuance, the final step in the approval process. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had previously unanimously approved it.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana’s Pantry, today announced they were donating more than $2.8M to further strengthen emotional wellness programs in more than ten mountain communities where Vail Resorts operates. This is the second consecutive year their Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust has distributed behavioral health grants.

STATELINE, Nev. - The Douglas County Redevelopment Area No. 2 (RDA#2) is gaining increased interest and is the focus of an upcoming commissioner meeting so the County has created a webpage to provide the public with history, materials, information and answers to frequently asked questions.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Fire Chief Jeff Meston is retiring from South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) on February 28, five years and five months after he came out of retirement to head up the department.

On Friday, February 1, Meston submitted his resignation to the City.

"When I was hired by CM (City Manager) Kerry I promised to spend between 3-5 years with the City Fire Department and bring them as far as I could to be a “world class” fire department," Meston said in his resignation letter.

He feels he's accomplished what he set out to do.

To the community: Although I have been on staff with Tahoe Youth & Family Services since January, I still use the word, “new” because we have spent this year rebuilding. We have faced many challenges over the last several years and I truly feel that I am part of this organizations revival, so much of our efforts feel very “new.”

An Affordable Housing Task Force has been formed to assist Douglas County in its efforts to develop quality affordable housing opportunities. This has been in the works since July when they entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nevada Rural Housing Authority “For Creating a Viable Path to Achieving Affordable Housing for Douglas County, Nevada.”

Part of the Board of County Commissioners Strategic Plan includes evaluating the potential of offering affordable housing development incentives through the update of the Housing Element of the Master Plan.

Douglas County is hosting one of two annual citizens’ roundtable discussions on September 19, 2017 at the TRE Community Center from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The discussions will include an overview of county projects and activities contained in the plan and give citizens an opportunity to learn more about specific projects in which they have an interest. County staff will engage citizens in an activity to help plan for next year’s budget priorities. Results of the session will be shared with the Board of Commissioners at a November meeting.

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.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) didn't give South Tahoe High and the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) the results expected after a WASC accreditation team visited South Lake Tahoe in the Spring of 2016.

Instead of an expected six-year term they received a two-year accreditation which goes through June of 2018. On March 19 and 20 of that year a team of educators will return to the campus and evaluate recommended changes.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council made it official Tuesday and unanimously approved the purchase of the Knight's Inn for $5,935,000, paving the way for the 850-acre Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project. The 110-unit Knight's Inn, a motel built in 1956 on Highway 50 near Ski Run Blvd., has been owned by the Patel family since 1994.

"This project has been in the works for 10-12 years," said Pradip Patel. "This is the best for me, my family, and the community."

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will meet in a workshop setting in early February to update the County's strategic plan, and before they do that they are reaching out to the community for their input.

Douglas County’s Strategic plan is the framework for which the Commission prioritizes fiscal needs and public services in Douglas County.

Supervisors have approved a balanced budget for El Dorado County for the fiscal year 2016-17, one totaling $548.92 million.

Investments will be made in infrastructure and public safety, two focuses identified in the County's strategic plan as well as providing for funds to be set aside in reserves for emergencies and deferred maintenance for aging county buildings.

The following are examples of strategic plan investments made in the fiscal year 2016-17 budget:

 $3.075 million for initial costs towards the Sheriff’s Department new Public Safety Facility

Pier 1 is out of their location in South Lake Tahoe, and Goodwill Industries is heading in now that escrow has closed on the building at 1069 Emerald Bay Road. Goodwill will be celebrating the opening their 27th Northern Nevada/Sacramento area location with a four-day grand opening starting July 21 at 8:00 a.m.

Karen McClaflin, the Chief Development Officer for Goodwill Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada, told South Tahoe Now that that the company has been actively engaged for the past seven years looking for a store and community training center in the Tahoe Basin.

The public is invited to the 4th annual Tahoe Chamber Community Breakfast hosted by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce on February 25, 2016 at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Guests will enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast and hear from Tahoe Chamber’s President/CEO “B” Gorman, Chamber Board Members, Ambassadors, and staff.

Annual Tahoe Chamber Community Breakfast at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel Thursday, Feb 25th from 8:30AM to 10:00AM. This is a FREE event and open to the public! RSVP is encouraged.

Enjoy a complimentary breakfast and learn what the Tahoe Chamber has in store for the future of the South Shore. There will also be a power point presentation covering the 2016 to 2018 Strategic Plan and a recap of 2015.

Location

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel recently laid out the County's focus on developing a three-year strategic plan, and how she and her fellow Supervisors want the public to weigh in.

Change.

It’s happening fast in Reno-Tahoe tourism, from millennials’ growing influence in the marketplace to changing preferences among visitors, according to a new industry analysis.

And the quicker the region embraces it, the better.

“Reno-Lake Tahoe Tourism Industry – Navigating Change,” is a white paper written by South Lake Tahoe-based SMG Consulting and its president, Carl Ribaudo.

The strategic plan crafted by the Reno City Council this week will include a measure to ensure that climate change is addressed in the city's policies on growth.

At the council's day-long retreat Tuesday, Councilman David Bobzien argued climate change and the drought are already affecting city resources and poses a threat to the council's goal of providing "sustainable services."

"There's straight up city stuff we've got to be doing on this," Bobzien said, rejecting a suggestion that it should be left to other governmental entities."

The Douglas County Economic Vitality team is working on Countywide Connectivity project and will present its work and vision at the February 5, 2015 Board of Commissioners meeting in Minden. This information will also be shared at the February 19, 2015 board meeting in Stateline.

Tahoe Chamber, in partnership with the City of South Lake Tahoe, is offering the Overcoming Your Business Roadblocks: Planning to Propel Your Business to New Heights workshop for business owners on December 10, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Many people have trouble managing their own money and balancing their checkbook, but Douglas County is giving all residents a chance the manage the county's money.

This unique opportunity gives locals $500 to spend on the county's six areas identified on their Strategic Plan. They'll distribute the funds on Safe Community, Economic Vitality, Well Maintained Infrastructure, Financial Stability, Preservation of Natural Environment, Resources and Cultural Heritage and Managed Growth and Development.

Editor's note: This is part of a series on all of the change going on in South Lake Tahoe. We'll be updating you with photos and news.

What was once a run down trailer park, and sometime homeless camp, will soon be a three story, 28 unit condominium complex named Tahoe Woods Condominiums. In an area at the southern end of Cedar and Manzanita Avenues, seven separate buildings are currently being constructed amidst the trees. The northern tip of the property is a pathway that runs adjacent to the Tahoe Meadows community.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is encouraging residents to be informed and engaged in the community and is offering several opportunities in the coming weeks to do just that.

"In an engaged community, every person has the information, the opportunities and the support needed to take action and lead change throughout their lives," according to the Knight Foundation. "When people become involved, and exercise their full democratic rights, they make their lives and those of others better."