SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – South Tahoe Now emailed all 13 South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates the same questions so voters could get to know them before deciding on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Responses will be published in the order received, along with photos they provided. South Tahoe Now also emailed the two candidates for City Clerk with their own set of questions. Not all candidates replied, so the public will be unable to read their responses.
Name: Dina Ramaha-Pino
How long have you lived full-time in South Lake Tahoe?
What is your occupation? Clinical Social worker / Founder of Conscious Mind Therapy Institute / Owner of Three Pines Coffee Company
What makes you qualified to be on City Council? We have a lot of really great qualified city council candidates this year. It was something that I predicted would happen, because so many people are passionate about the well-being of South Lake Tahoe and its future
The people of our city will have a really tough decision to make when voting on the 13 candidates.
What sets me apart is not only the responsibility that I know that I can have as a city council member, but also the relationship I want to develop with the people of our city. Anyone could take a look at my website and read about my education, my experience, my background, my responsibilities as the founder a counseling center, the owner of a coffee shop, and as a mother. A person could definitely make a decision based off of these things.
However, if you have ever had a conversation with me or spent some time with me, you would know that I do things with my whole heart and being on city council would give me an opportunity to help unite our city and lift it’s spirits despite the challenges we have had to endure over the last few years. I truly look forward to it.
What is your level of understanding of the Brown Act and other council procedures? Do you feel agenda item deliberations could be streamlined? The Brown Act is a California state law that guarantees the public’s right to attend, listen to, and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies.
Enacted in 1953, the law was created to combat “secret government” and ensure that local public agencies deliberate and make decisions openly.Residents of South Lake Tahoe are given four minutes during public speaking and four minutes at the beginning of agenda items to express their concerns and opinions. I have spoken at city Council meetings and understand the stress that comes with making things concise and simplifying some very difficult topics to fit within that four minutes.
I believe we need more community meetings and town halls in order to have open dialogue with residents. Having more time to speak without being so constrained would help people to truly feel heard and more importantly understood.
I believe more people would attend city council meetings if two things could happen. First, if they could be more efficient and concise, which means minimizing unnecessary comments and staying on topic.
Second, listening to city Council conversations is often like listening to a foreign language. There are so many acronyms used in terms of that many people in our community do not understand. These acronyms and terms should be defined at least one time during a city council agenda item. I also recommend a “cheat sheet” Of acronyms and terms explained, explained for people both online and in the meeting. People of all ages and all educational backgrounds should be able to attend a meeting in their city and understand what is being discussed otherwise people check out and don’t pay attention. What is the point of the brown act if people don’t understand what is happening in the room?
Have you ever served on a commission or committee for the City of South Lake Tahoe? I have focused the last few years on opening a counseling center here in South Lake Tahoe, that accepts insurance, including Medicare. There are a few and fewer mental health programs accepting insurance, which is making mental health accessibility extremely hard for our residents. This is something I’m very passionate about which is why I put all my effort into this project. The year before that I was opening up our Three Pines coffee shop with my husband, Dimas Pino. We are very proud to offer a space for local residents to gather together and connect.
These two big projects have kept me very busy over the last few years, but I am looking forward to serving on one of the boards once elected to City Council.
If you served in previous leadership roles, please name them. Is there anything you wish you’d done differently, and how would you use those lessons on council?I play leadership roles in my life every day. Whether it’s running my household as a mom, supervising my clinical team at my counseling center, or supporting my team at 3 Pines Coffee Company.
I’m constantly learning ways to improve my leadership skills and communication. I learned from the people around me as much as they hopefully learn from me. These are definitely skills. I would use during my role as a city council member..
If elected, how do you plan on representing the community? If they don’t attend meetings in person, how will you know what they want? How would you get more citizens engaged? I don’t think we have enough opportunity for the people in our community to stand up and have their voices heard. The four minutes allotted at the beginning of the city council meeting during public hearing doesn’t give an opportunity for people to be truly understood or have a dialogue about their concerns. I would like to incorporate consistent town hall meetings to improve communication and understanding between our city council and the people we serve. This would allow people more time to be heard and understood. Hearing directly from SLT residents would greatly impact my decision making during city council meetings, because I am in service to the people first and foremost.
How important is an ethics policy and decorum policy for City Council, and why? What should these policies include? City council members are representatives of our cities leadership and contribute to the foundation of our community’s pride. Having emotional intelligence, effective communication skills, and a decorum that sets a positive precedent for our entire city is crucial for the success of SLT as well as the foundation of its future.
There should be policies that are specific to the length of time city council members spend talking on each agenda item ( the same way we limit public speakers to keep things timely), setting boundaries when city council members are simply repeating themselves over and over with different words, and city council members should be immediately stopped if they begin yelling at city staff or other meeting attendees.
Is there anything in your past that could come to the surface if elected? If so, what is it? No
Do you think a council-member represents the City at all times, and why or why not? City council members represent the city at all times. Whether it’s sitting at the desk during a city council meeting, attending a public city event, or standing in line at the grocery store. People who serve in public office are always exposed to the public eye and therefore should carry themselves with the upmost kindness, self-control, and dignity. The people of South Lake Tahoe should be proud of their representatives and our youth should have positive role models to look up to so they do the same in the future.
When council divides up the list of assignments for council members, what boards would you want to sit on and why? I would like to be on the El Dorado county oversight board because our city depends heavily on funding from the county as well as from the State. It is important that we have someone on the board with the county that will hold them accountable to following through with grants and offering realistic funding for our local programs.
I’m also very interested in the TRPA governing board because Environmental protection and conservation is very important to me.
What are the top concerns the council should be focusing on? There are two main things I would like to focus on at the start of my role on city council (just to begin with)
First, the city is responsible for applying for grants that require quick and early action to ensure funding, which is why it’s important to be efficient and effective in city council meetings. Every city service department from housing and development, transportation, environmental protections, police and fire dept, etc cannot put their expertise into action if city council continues to put items on the agenda that pile up with no organization of priority. I would like to organize the over 40 items that are currently on the agenda “wait list” and process through them as thoroughly and quickly as possible, so we can allow city staff to do their jobs of improving our city and therefore the lives of those who live here. Second, one of the biggest challenges that South like Tahoe is currently facing is the divide among the people of our community. We have recently had a few measures like measure N and measure T which created a lot of controversy and divide throughout the city. We have also had a lot of moral challenges with our values as a city due to choices of the federal government. It’s time we put all of our differences aside and focus on working together as a community for the sake of the future of our city and the families who live here. I plan to develop and vote on policies that unite us and make the people who live here a top priority. Our community needs a boost of hope and healing after all the challenges over the past few years as well as strong leadership that will get us through future challenges.
What is the role of a city council on economic development? Do you think we should be attracting new types of businesses, and if so, what are they? I would like to focus on supporting the businesses that we have in place and helping them to succeed year-round. Having this focus would not only support local businesses, but it would also create consistency with local jobs. I also have a passion for helping new entrepreneurs to fulfill their dream and passion for starting their own business, which is definitely important for the growth of our community.
What are your favorite things to do in Tahoe? My absolute favorite thing to do in Tahoe is connecting with the people of our community. Whether it’s volunteering my time at one of our local schools or organizations, having a conversation with somebody in my coffee shop, or participating in a local event I always walk away feeling 10 times taller. These are the things that sustain my well-being and remind me of what’s most important.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?