SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The next meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council is on Tuesday, October 22 starting at 5:30 p.m. The meeting can be attended remotely or in person in the Council Chambers at the Lake Tahoe Airport. Spanish interpretation is available.

On the agenda:

Sugar Pine Village Affordable Housing Project Phase 1B – Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act: Sugar Pine Housing Partners, L.P. has requested that the California Municipal Finance Authority serve as the municipal issuer of the Bonds in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $35,000,000 of tax-exempt revenue bonds. The City of South Lake Tahoe must conduct a public hearing for the bonds, allowing all members of the community to speak in favor of or against the use of tax-exempt bonds for the financing of the Project. The City will have no financial, legal, moral obligation, liability, or responsibility for repayment of the bonds for the financing of the Project.

The proceeds of the bonds will be used to (1) finance or refinance the acquisition, construction, improvement, and equipping of Sugar Pine Village Phase 1A, and (2) pay certain expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the Bonds. The facilities are to be owned by Sugar Pine Housing Partners, L.P., a California limited partnership or a partnership in which The Related Companies or a related person to the Developer is the general partner.

The Council is also scheduled to vote on an $11.4M energy retrofit of City facilities. The City of South Lake Tahoe has numerous old, outdated, and inefficient facilities with relatively high energy bills, as well as ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. City Staff identified 19 City facilities for consideration in an energy upgrade Project that will save the City money in the long term.

Willdan Energy Solutions was selected after a rigorous review of the four proposals that were submitted in response to the RFP and interviews,
with Willdan scoring the highest. They have extensive experience in cold, snowy climates.

Willdan closely inspected City facilities and parks and presented 22 different potential energy upgrade measures. The measures were then considered in four packages with their costs, utility savings, greenhouse gas reductions, and payback periods. Staff considered these aspects, as
well as various potential types of technology, financing terms, available grants, capital contributions, project implementation timelines, risk of critical infrastructure failures, staff skill and capacity, operations & maintenance costs, and overall value.

Staff shortlisted and now recommend the following upgrade measures as part of the Project:
– Building Automation Systems and Recommissioning;
– Pelican Thermostat Integrations;
– High-Efficiency Transformer Upgrades;
– Parking Canopy Solar at the Motor Pool;
– Parking Canopy Solar the Police Department;
– Ice Arena Roof Replacement;
– Ice Arena Chiller Replacement;
– Ice Arena Microturbine Refurbishment and Relocation
– Water Meter Downsizing

Also on the agenda are tourist accommodation units of use (TAU). Mayor Bass said he wanted to see if properties that obtain a vacation home rental permit could or should also be required to acquire and transfer a TAU on the property.

City Staff met with TRPA legal counsel to discuss this issue. TRPA counsel expressed some concerns about potential conflicts with the TRPA Regional Plan, Rules of Procedures, Code of Ordinances, and growth management system. Some of the issues of concern include:

– Assigning or allocating a TAU to a residential dwelling that operates as a vacation home rental likely conflicts with Chapter 50 of the TRPA Code, which requires a TAU to be used for a use to which it pertains, which are the tourist accommodation uses as defined above, which is not a residential use.
– Assigning a TAU to a property results in the property being defined as a tourist accommodation use and, in some instances, will result in the creation of an illegal use if tourist accommodation uses are not permissible in a given district.
– The assignment of TAUs will have to come from the transfer of existing banked TAUs or converted development rights. TRPA’s tourist accommodation bonus units are limited for use to special projects and for projects in area plans and community plans that include the upgrade of existing tourist accommodation units.

Pay increases for the city council members to $1,394.49 per month in 2025 are on the consent agenda. Also on consent is an extension a contract amendment for the new airport restaurant to allow them extra time for buildout and opening. The request will be for 180 days. Flight Deck Grill &
Golf Club, LLC. was awarded the lease on the space until 2029. They will provide a bar, restaurant and golf simulators.

For the full agenda and instructions on how to participate, visit https://www.cityofslt.us/84/Watch-City-CouncilCommission-Meetings.