El Dorado County supervisors meeting in South Lake Tahoe Tuesday

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will have their May 14 meeting in the City of South Lake Tahoe council chambers at the airport at 10 a.m. On their agenda is the discussion of changes to the VHR rental program, the Tahoe Area Plan, and moving Meeks Bay Fire to North Tahoe Fire.

There is a 10 a.m. certain item concerning the County's Vacation Home Rental ordination and updates recommended by Supervisor Brooke Laine and her 13-member community advisory committee.

Committee recommendations:

Effective Enforcement is Essential
There currently is no effective compliance notification, tracking, and enforcement system so the committee asks they invest in a dedicated VHR enforcement unit, develop a central complaint tracking and response system, enhance illegal rental enforcement, and modify “local contact” requirements.

Reduce the cap for VHR Permits
In 2021, the County adopted a 500-foot buffer rule to reduce the number and impacts of dense clusters of VHRs in residential neighborhoods. If this buffer were applied today, the cap of 900 VHR permits would be inconsistent with the current permit limit and could not be implemented. The committee suggests 600 maximum permits in the Tahoe Basin.

Develop regulations for accountability of hosted rentals
The committee recommends closing loopholes and abuses of the current system.

Strengthen compliance standards in the VHR ordinance
The committee recommends the elimination of the "+2" when calculating the maximum capacity of 2 persons per bedroom. Children under 5 years of age do not count toward maximum occupancy. Occupancy greater than 14 people is prohibited unless approved through an "Occupancy Exemption Request" based on showing of special circumstances of the home. Occupancy is in effect 24/7. They recommend a camera being required on driveways with remote abilities, and all vehicles must be parked off street on pavement according to the approved parking diagram within the boundaries of the rental property. A noise monitoring system is required for VHRs with 4 or more bedrooms, an
outdoor operative hot tub, or any VHR with one or more verified noise
complaints.

Fines and penalties for violations be strengthened to achieve the goals of the VHR ordinance
For non-health and safety violations, fines should be raised to $1,000, $2,000, and $3,000 for the first, second, and third violations in a one-year period, respectively. Illegal rentals shall incur a criminal misdemeanor
charge and property owners will not be eligible to apply for a VHR permit. Charges would be $1,000 per day of the illegal rentals.

Request for establishment of a VHR Commission
The Committee recommends and requests that the County establish a County chartered VHR commission with formal authority, comprised of community members, business owners, and rental property owners to monitor enforcement and provide input and recommendations on future changes to the VHR ordinance.

Time certain at 11:30 a.m., the supervisors and Planning and Building Department, Tahoe Planning, Stormwater, and Vacation Home Rental Division, will be hosting a Board public workshop to solicit input and encourage public comments on the Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan.

The Board will also consider the dissolution of the Meeks Bay Fire Protection District dissolution and the annexation of the District Area to the North Tahoe Fire Protection District. They must hold a public hearing and discuss the change of tax base, and providing a one-time payment of
$992,000 to North Tahoe Fire Protection District to facilitate the
reorganization of the Meeks Bay and North Tahoe Fire Protection Districts
to stabilize and enhance the sustainability of fire protection services to
residents and visitors in the Lake Tahoe West Shore area of the County.

For a full agenda, visit https://eldorado.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

The public should call into 530-621-7603 or 530-621-7610. The Meeting ID is
831 6575 2277. Please note you will be able to join the live-stream 15 minutes prior to the posted meeting start time. To observe the live stream of the Board of Supervisors meeting go to https://edcgov-us.zoom.us/j/83165752277. To observe the Board of Supervisors meetings via YouTube, click https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUMjDk3NUltZJrpw2CL7Zkg.