Policies on Champions Plaza and funding non-profits created

Residents go to the City for a number of requests, and in order to make sure procedures are followed on those requests, new policies were created Tuesday during the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting.

A Champions Plaza Recognition Policy was created in order to know how to handle the expected requests for names to be placed at the new venue at the corner of Highway 50 and Lakeview Avenue. The sculpture was selected earlier this summer.

All athletes and teams that gain a state, national or international championship will be eligible if they also meet other criteria. An application form will have to be completed and names will be added to bricks if they meet two of the following criteria: Born in South Lake Tahoe, is a current resident or was a resident when the achievement was earned; is a resident for at least 10 years before or after winning; brought state, national or international recognition to Lake Tahoe; or has worked in the community or owned a business in town.

Once an application is completed it will go to a review panel which was determined to be the Parks & Recreation Commission. The City Council will have final approval.

Another policy created to make things clear to people doing business with the City was one that addresses donations to non-profits. This stems from a request for funding at a previous Council meeting by the Tahoe Prosperity Center, a non-profit. A subcommittee was formed after that meeting and came back to Council today with their recommendation.

Councilwoman and Mayor Pro-Tem Wendy David, a member of the subcommittee, said the had no intention to open the doors to a flood of non-profits asking for funding. She also said they didn't want to make a blanket statement that no non-profits get funding.

Going forward, the Council will hear from non-profits who's funding would directly benefit economic development for the community and/or provide political advocacy. Since the Council is spending the local's money with these requests, the Council asked that future funding requests also offer measurable performance outcomes.

The Council voted 3-1 to pass (Tom Davis was absent), with Councilwoman JoAnn Conner the lone dissent. She was concerned that money would possibly be spent on some non-profits and not those that address social issues such as Christmas Cheer.

The third policy change before the Council addressed a "Key to the City" as a way of acknowledging achievement. They decided to not create a policy since they currently offer proclamations such as the one awarded Tuesday to the man who saved a life at Ski Run Marina.