survey

The City of South Lake Tahoe's second workshop on vacation home rentals (VHRs) drew about 45 people in person Wednesday, while several others participated from home via the internet. As is every discussion about VHRs in the community, passions ran high and differences were apparent.

Liberty Utilities is continuing their restoration efforts throughout the north, west and south shores of Lake Tahoe. On Friday, helicopters helped Liberty Utilities take a look at previously inaccessible areas to survey damage to downed power poles and lines.

A helicopter is coming in from Southern California on Saturday and will drop crews and equipment into remote areas to begin restoration that is expected to take several days. Snow cats and snowmobiles will be used to get crews and equipment into Tahoe Pines tomorrow, and this is also expected to take several days.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is looking for new Pipe Keepers, their citizen science program that addresses the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe.

They will be holding a "fun and interactive" Pipe Keeper Intro training on February 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the League's Education Center located at 2608 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.

Location

South Lake Tahoe is on top of a list that perhaps isn't the best list to be on as the area it is now the most expensive destination in California to spend New Year's Eve 2016.

The region is a very popular one with skiing, concerts, and bars and restaurants where can ring in the new year from.

According to a recent survey by LosAngelesHotels.org, the average overnight stay in SLT is $345 for the most affordable room. They took the rate for the cheapest available double room at a 3-star hotel (or above) at 20 popular destinations for the holiday in the state.

Now that the Tahoe Valley Area Plan has been approved for the Y area of South Lake Tahoe, plans are moving forward to create a greenbelt area that would improve connectivity, create more biking, walking and play space, as well as implementing stormwater improvements to keep Tahoe blue, and the community green.

The City of South Lake Tahoe promised to hire a company to provide a socio-economic study on the impacts of vacation home rentals (VHRs) on the city. Michael Baker Incorporated, a company that has studied the same impacts at Big Bear Lake, Morro Bay, Monterey and Avalon on Catalina Island, was hired to do the job.

Wednesday night, representatives from Michael Baker had stations around a room at the Senior Center to determine what the almost 100 people who were at the meeting thought was important, and not important, of several aspects of both the study and VHRs.

The Tahoe Resource Conservation District's Landscape Conservation Program is seeking input from past participants of the program in order to continue to serve the community with high quality services into the future.

If you have received services through the the Landscape Conservation Program in the past, we please ask that you take 5 minutes of your time to fill out the online survey at the link below.

https://www.esurveycreator.com/s/6609af1

Pipe Keepers is a citizen science program to address the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe. Runoff from rain 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. More info at keeptahoeblue.org/events.

Location

EMERGENCY CLOSURE

State Route 89 (El Dorado County) from Fallen Leaf Lake Road to Vikingsholm Vista Point is closed in both directions indefinitely due to fire damage.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

In the 2004 California election, voters passed Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), mandating a one percent increase in income taxes for individuals with incomes over $1 million to expand mental health services. The MHSA funds mental health services that are "recovery and resiliency" focused to children and their families, transitional age youth, adults and older adults. MHSA programs must provide integrated service experiences that are client and family driven, wellness, recovery and resilience focused, culturally competent, and include community collaboration.

Unknown to many, including those in the ice cream business, today is National Ice Cream Day! Celebrated on the third Sunday in July, the holiday was declared by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 as a way to promote the economic well-being of the U.S. dairy industry.

While most don't need a reason to enjoy ice cream, Reagan's move called for the people of the United States to use ceremonies and activities to pay tribute to ice cream.

Why argue with this proclamation? It sounds reasonable!

The Tahoe Transportation District will assume daily operations of the bus transit system in South Lake Tahoe beginning July 1, and along with that change is a new name. Blue Go is out, and TTD is in.

42 buses make up the local system which have more than 800,000 trips annually on their routes which cover both sides of the state line including commuter bus service from the lake to Carson City and the Carson Valley.

The number of dead trees in the Sierra Nevada are now at historic levels and have fueled the risk of catastrohpic wildfires according to the U.S. Forest Service.

They announced Wednesday that they have identified an additional 26 million dead trees in California since October 2015, bringing the total to at least 66 million dead trees in the state. The most recent additions are located in six counties across 760,000 acres in the Southern Nevada region.

Help the League to Save Lake Tahoe assess the success of last year’s Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day. They will survey the plants that volunteers planted last September, water any plants that need a little care, stabilize streambanks and survey for aquatic invasive plants. By pitching in, the community can make a direct impact in restoring the habitat of the Upper Truckee River.

Ride your bike as part of the Tahoe Bike Challenge and receive a special prize. Refreshments will be provided. Lunch vouchers will be given to all volunteers.

When: Saturday, June 4 from 9:15 am to noon

NOTE: Most traffic-interfering work will be limited from 6 a.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Monday, May 30 for the Memorial Day weekend.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City that is upgrading storm water drainage and treatment systems, adding curb and gutter, resurfacing and realigning the road, adding new left-turn pockets and widening shoulders on an 8-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected by summer 2017.

With the computer science field many dominated by men as well as all careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) field, Whittell High School senior Kelsey Kjer is looking to change that.

Caltrans long-term and short-term roadwork projects around the Lake Tahoe Basin:

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

The City of South Lake Tahoe clears Class 1 Bike/Multiuse paths after major snowstorms, and they are asking for the public's opinion about how they spend snow removal funds in their newest citizen survey.

At the April 5 Council Meeting, Mayor Wendy David declared that comments by the citizens during the non-agenda portion of the Council Meeting will no longer be televised. It has been suggested that this was done to “prevent staff and others from begin slandered.” Except for Councilmember Conner’s request that this matter be placed on the agenda, the rest of the Council was silent. No motion, no vote, no agenda item, just a bare statement by the Mayor that the policy was changed.

A "Miracle March" never materialized in the Sierra Nevada in 2016 and current snowpack shows that it would have been necessary to get totals above average, something needed to combat the drought in California.

In the last official snow survey of the year at Phillips Station near Sierra-at-Tahoe, the snow was 58.4 inches deep with a water content of 26 inches, just 97 percent of the long-term average in that location.

“While for many parts of the state there will be both significant gains in both reservoir storage and stream flow, the effects of previous dry years will

Last week, March 15th and 16th, an estimated 75 volunteers participated in the South Shore Business Walk coordinated by the Tahoe Chamber, Tahoe Prosperity Center, El Dorado County, and the Lake Tahoe Adult Education Consortium to collect workforce data from local businesses.

“Mother Nature is not living up to predictions by some that a ‘Godzilla’ El Niño would produce much more precipitation than usual this winter,” said California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Director Mark Cowin. “We need conservation as much as ever.”

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.

Do you want South Lake Tahoe to look like a ski resort? A modern mecca? A mountain hideaway? Give your input on what future buildings in the city limit should look like at the next City of South Lake Tahoe Design Review Guidelines Public Workshop at Council Chambers on Wednesday, February 17 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This is the second workshop held for the public on design. During the first one last month, participants were able to rate photos of signs, buildings and overall look of a community. Those not attending also participated by completing an online survey.