SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Lake Tahoe City Council is holding a special meeting on Tuesday, July 14, at 12 p.m. Since there are no regular meetings scheduled this month, a special meeting was needed to vote on extending the urgency ordinance previously passed, putting a moratorium on new tobacco retailers.
Also on the agenda are two consent items:
- An agreement between Placer County and the City of South Lake Tahoe to help enhance public safety communications coverage on the West Shore. They want to install microwave radio equipment on the tower at the South Lake Tahoe Police Department to eliminate a radio shadow in the area. They would pay the police department $6000 a year for the service.
- A resolution ratifying the application to the California Transportation Commission for planning, design and construction of the Dennis T. Machida Memorial Greenway Trail Phase 1c project that extends the trail from Herbert Avenue to Ski Run Boulevard. The $8 million grant was already applied for, but was lacking prior approval by the City Council.
There will be a Public Hearing on “Extending the Urgency Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Approval of New Tobacco Retailer Applications for All Purposes Pending the Study and Development of Reasonable Regulations.”
On May 5, 2026, Council requested an agenda item to consider an ordinance to regulate tobacco retail businesses, including buffer zones from sensitive uses such as schools, and enforcement of underage purchases. To preserve the status quo while staff study this issue and develop reasonable regulations, on June 2, 2026, City Council passed an urgency ordinance to establish a temporary moratorium on approval of new tobacco retailer applications. Initial emergency ordinances are
applicable for 45 days. The ordinance may be extended by 10 months and 15 days and subsequently for one year. Alternatively, the City Council may choose to extend the ordinance by 22 months and 15 days. No extensions beyond those stated are allowed and all extensions must be approved by a 4/5th vote.
There are currently two tobacco retailers within 500 feet of South Tahoe Middle School (STMS), five between 501-1000 feet from STMS and Jubilee Kids Academy, and three between 1001-1500 feet from STMS and Lake Tahoe Preschool. There are currently two new retailers planned, but one did not yet have a building permit, and the other did not have a business license.
New business is “LA28 Olympic Torch Relay Invitation Letter and Agreement.” If approved, the mayor pro tem would be the point of contact to apply to be one of the cities through which the LA28 Olympic Flame will travel as it goes across the country before arriving in Los Angeles for the Opening Ceremony on July 14, 2028. The 1984 Olympic Torch traveled through South Lake Tahoe on its way to Los Angeles, and again for the Winter Games as it headed to Salt Lake City in 2002.
After the new business, there will be a closed session meeting. The topic is labor negotiations for a City Manager.
For the agenda, visit HERE.
The meeting will be held at City Hall at the airport. If you would like to participate remotely, please join the ZOOM meeting by using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85957107938. If you would like to make a comment, wait for the agenda item to begin, then press the “raise hand” button. Meetings are also live-streamed (for viewing only) on Channel 21, the City website at www.cityofslt.us, and YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3LYne8Ih-kTPLnnuyJW9SQ/live