City Council votes to start termination process of its contract with SnowGlobe

Submitted by paula on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 5:04pm
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Since the first SnowGlobe Music Festival in South Lake Tahoe in 2011, local controversy has followed with noise and neighborhood safety complaints of the outdoor concert held annually Dec. 29-31. SnowGlobe operators met with a local grassroots, the No Globe Alliance, to address their concerns. As a result sound mitigation and attempts to lessen the affects on those living nearby were initiated, but sound travels in winter, especially when there is no snow on the ground.

It wasn't enough and the City of South Lake Tahoe gave SnowGlobe until June 22, 2021 to identify a new location, something that was part of their Special Event Agreement from 2019. SnowGlobe emailed the South Lake Tahoe City Attorney a list of six potential alternative sites prior to the Council's August 3 meeting, indicating that “each of the sites we explored fails to meet our needs to produce the event” without further explanation. The sites they listed as being unsuitable are Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, Lake Tahoe Golf Course, George Whittell High School and surrounding area, multiple casino parking lots, and Camp Richardson and the surrounding area.

The Special Event Agreement from 2019 was for a five-year term with the option to extend for another five years upon mutual agreement of both parties. SnowGlobe was held in December 2019 under this Agreement but did not hold it in 2020 due to COVID-19. SnowGlobe indicated to the City that Viacom, its parent company, has not decided yet whether the Special Event will be held in December 2021. A look at their website shows no information about a 2021 event.

During the City Council meeting Tuesday, nobody from SnowGlobe or Viacom participated in conversation on the agenda item that examined their breach of contract.

Due to the lack of an identifiable new location as outlined in their contract, the City Council voted unanimously to initiate the SnowGlobe Special Event contract termination process.

In 2018, Viacom/MTV acquired the rights to the SnowGlobe Music Festival. At the time, SnowGlobe's creator and CEO Chad Donnelly said the company was going to expand its New Year's Eve celebration lineup and combine the South Lake Tahoe event to others around the world.