Likely South Lake Tahoe voters to see two VHR ballot measures in November

Two South Lake Tahoe community groups have submitted petitions to get their vacation home rental (VHR) initiatives on the November, 2018 ballot. The first group, Tahoe Neighborhoods Group, submitted 1,651 signatures to the City Clerk on April 30, and the second group, Sustainable Community Alliance, turned in 1,827 signatures on May 21, less than 30 days after they started collecting them.

Both groups turned in well over the required number of signatures, now they will be checked and validated to see if they belong to registered voter signatures. Tahoe Neighborhoods Group needed 1,036 and Sustainable Community Alliance needed 1,004.

SLT City Clerk Susan Alessi is the local elections official and is responsible for doing the signature verification of the petitions. Once she is done, the El Dorado County Elections department will do the validation as they have the voter registration card signatures at their office. Then they go back to Alessi's office for presentation to City Council, according to Justin Canning of EDC Elections.

If all gets approved, voters will vote to ban VHRs and eliminate all current ones by 2020, or restrict keep them and keep a cap of 1,400 with stricter regulations.

“South Lake Tahoe residents want to protect our neighborhoods and our local economy,” said Jerry Williams, co-president of the Sustainable Community Alliance and one of the measure’s proponents. “Many of us have been working to find a compromise for a very long time. The Restrictions Measure addresses concerns about noise and occupancy, while preserving the economic benefit Vacation Home Rentals bring to our community.”

If the two conflicting VHR initiatives end up on the November ballot, and both pass with a simple majority vote, the initiative that receives more votes would be the one that is implemented, according to interim South Lake Tahoe City Attorney Nira Doherty.

Highlights of the Restrictions Initiative Include:
• Ensures the cap on Vacation Home Rental permits STAYS at 1400 and cannot be changed without a vote of the people.
• Ensures Vacation Home Rentals are only permitted in zones pursuant to the South Lake Tahoe City Code.
• Reduces the maximum bedroom occupancy.
• Prohibits the use of equipment generating amplified sound.
• Requires the City Council to convene an independent special commission to evaluate and provide recommendations regarding the feasibility of allocating a portion of existing transient occupancy tax (TOT) payments going to an attainable housing fund.
• Requires that the City provide all the owners with a pamphlet that summarizes the rules and any associated fines that must be distributed to guests during their stay.
• Establishes an independent Citizens Oversight Committee to provide recommendations to the City Council regarding its oversight and handling of violations of the City’s vacation home rental ordinances as well as developing best practices for managing occupancy issues regarding vacation home rentals that protect neighborhoods and promote economic development.
• Ensures anyone illegally operating a Vacation Home Rental is never eligible for a permit.