SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – There will be a special meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday, October 13, starting at 10 a.m. in council chambers at the airport.

The meeting starts with a closed session discussion on “Public Employment Appointment” for a city attorney. That position has not been filled by a full-time employee since the previous city attorney, Heather Stroud, resigned July 1. Interim City Attorney Sergio Rudin has been filling in since then.

On the consent calendar is an item that would create a resolution in opposition to the El Dorado County Emergency Preparedness, Healthcare Access, and Wildfire Prevention Initiative (Measure S).

Also on consent is an amendment to the 2023-2026 Unrepresented Employees Compensation and Benefit Package. The City was informed that its Anthem HDHP/HSA plan is not compliant with applicable IRS requirements and that an adjustment is needed.

The only new business item is focused on glyphosate, and the City’s regulatory authority over the herbicide and crop desiccant used to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops as well as with the regrowth of forests in fire areas. The US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) said there will be no application of the herbicide on the Caldor Fire burn scar in the basin in 2026 or 2027. They also said that any glyphosate entering water systems would remain within federal safety standards for drinking water but many members of the public are concerned with any use of glyphosate.

Council will consider approving a resolution that will address the four points below that also recommends that TRPA study and adopt appropriate regulations regarding the use of glyphosate and other pesticides in the Tahoe Basin to protect water resources.

The California Attorney General issued an opinion recently that while local agencies are prohibited from regulating the use or sale of glyphosate directly, they may take legislative, regulatory, and other actions that discourage the use of glyphosate or address environmental impacts in sensitive zones. These include:

  • When approving land use permits, including site-specific restrictions on pesticide use;
  • Adopting policies or regulations that would reduce the need for pesticides in the first instance (i.e. sanitary rules, defensible space requirements, drought-tolerant landscaping requirements)
  • Publishing advisory policies or recommendations encouraging best practices or alternatives to pesticide use, or working to develop less harmful pest control methods
  • Restricting the use of pesticides by City employees or on City property, as applied to the City’s own operations

The Caldor Fire restoration plan from LTBMU and approved by TRPA did not include any land inside City limits.

For instructions on participating in the meeting and for the complete agenda, visit HERE.