South Lake Tahoe City Council to address COVID-19 related items Wednesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe City Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, April 1 at 9:00 a.m. to address the formation of a South Lake Tahoe COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force Subcommittee, a moratorium on commercial evictions, and citations and fines for violations of the State of California's Stay at Home order.

At the March 25, 2020, special meeting, the City Council directed staff to bring forward at the next special meeting an action item to establish a Council subcommittee focused on creating a joint public-private task force and action plan to assist in the recovery of the South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Basin economy as a result of the serious impacts caused to the business community by the COVID-19 crisis. During Wednesday's meeting, they will discuss the soon-to-be assembled task force which may include: Tahoe Prosperity Center - Heidi Hill Drum; Tahoe Chamber - Steve Teshara; South Tahoe Chamber - Duane Wallace (Executive Director) or Amanda Adams (President); Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority - Carol Chaplin; South Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District - Jerry Bindel; South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association - Rich Bodine. Other private/public partners may be asked to also participate.

Also on the agenda is Friday's action of the Director of Emergency Services (interim City Manager Brad Kilger) to issue an order giving the City the ability to issue administrative citations and fines for violations of the Governor’s Stay at Home Order. Any person or business violating the Stay at Home Order, including non-essential businesses that are still open to the public, vacation home

rental properties, hotels, motels, and campgrounds hosting guests not in one of the categories allowed by the March 24 El Dorado County Directive, and visitors not on one of those categories staying at lodging facilities. The order authorizes a fine of $1000 per violation. Each day a violation exists may constitute a separate offense. The Council will vote on confirmation of that order.

The third agenda item is an urgency ordinance establishing a moratorium on commercial evictions due to COVID-19. The Council previously voted to put a halt to residential evictions due to the pandemic and asked that commercial evictions come back at a later date as an announcement was expected at the state level. At that time the urgency to protect South Lake Tahoe's residential tenants was at the forefront. Governor Newsom's order gave local governments the power to address commercial evictions. On Wednesday the Council will be voting on an ordinance that includes:

- Moratorium extends to May 31, 2020, or termination of local emergency, whichever is earlier.
- A requirement that the tenant document the inability to pay rent is due to COVID-19 or a government response to COVID-19.
- A requirement that the tenant notifies the landlord before rent is due that the tenant is unable to pay rent, or a portion of rent, for these reasons.
- A statement that the moratorium does not relieve the tenant of liability for unpaid rent, which the landlord may seek within 60 days of the end of the moratorium.

There will be no in-person participation due to health restrictions of the current pandemic. Agendas are available on the City’s Website at www.cityofslt.us or by contacting the City Clerk’s Office, (530) 542-6005.

Remote public participation is allowed in the following ways:

- City Council meetings are live-streamed on Channel 21 and on the City’s website at www.cityofslt.us
- Public comment for this special meeting is limited to topics listed on the agenda only. Comments shall be limited to three minutes.

To submit public comment:

- Public comment may be submitted by telephone during the meeting, prior to the close of public comment on an item, by calling (530) 318-1461, only at the time indicated by the Mayor. Do not leave a message as you will not receive a return call. If the line is busy, please try your call again.

- Public comment may be submitted by email with the subject line PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM # (insert item number) to PublicComment@cityofslt.us during the meeting, prior to the close of public comment on an item, and read into the record during public comment. Emailed public comment received prior to the meeting will be distributed to City Council and become part of the administrative record.