meetings

A collaborative planning process to enhance and protect the 72 miles of Lake Tahoe shoreline has begun, and they would like public input to complete the plan.

There will be two workshops this fall to help guide creation of a Shoreline Plan that not only protects the scenic shoreline, but enhances recreational access to the lake.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is seeking community input during the workshops which will be held on the North Shore on Wednesday, Sept. 21 and at the south end on Thursday, Nov. 3.

Its not every day that a community is able to welcome the President of the United States, and South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding communities are preparing for his August 31 visit.

Helicopters could be seen over the South Shore Monday, and on the ground, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue worked with the Nevada National Air Guard Fire Department at the Lake Tahoe airport.

Local law enforcement and the Secret Service held meetings to go over procedures and protocol.

It's been months of lawsuits, open arguments, censure of a councilperson, a community taking sides and a mounting legal tab. City Councilwoman JoAnn Conner, the City of South Lake Tahoe and City Manager Nancy Kerry have come to a compromise and have signed a settlement agreement.

In October of 2015, the City Council voted to censure Conner over what they said was "abusive, bullying and intolerant behavior."

In operation in South Lake Tahoe since 1964, Tahoe Asphalt Inc. will replace their aging equipment this fall, some as old 63-years-old.

The batch plant, the only one of its kind in the Lake Tahoe Basin, was recently granted approval for their renovations by the South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission after a series of public meetings. Located on Industrial Avenue, it predates most buildings west of the "Y", but a few neighbors were concerned about the plant and what it does to the environment.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is still trying to work out a deal with the Halferty Development Company, a $4 million sale of the developable portions of the lots known as the "Knights Inn Properties."

During Tuesday's City Council meeting a purchase agreement was scheduled to be voted on, but SLT City Manager Nancy Kerry had to pull it off the agenda.

"We are still working on it," Kerry told South Tahoe Now. "We are still negotiating and have some issues to work out."

A home being built on Overlook Court near Heavenly Mountain Resort is the first one to be denied a Vacation Home Rental permit under the Planning Commission's interpretation of the new VHR guidelines created by the City of South Lake Tahoe.

During their monthly meeting at the airport on Thursday, the commission voted 2-2 to uphold the denial of the permit made by the zoning administrator, John Hitchcock. The fifth member of the commission, Shannon Eckmeyer, was not at the meeting due to another engagement.

During Tuesday's El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting they quietly voted to change the ordinances regulating vacation homes in the Lake Tahoe portion of the county (Meyers and all unincorporated areas on the South Shore). Missing was the heated public comments from the Vacation Home Rental owners as seen at South Lake Tahoe City Council meetings.

The changes for VHRs in the Tahoe side of the County (the Board of Supervisors at a duly noticed meeting shall have the authority to impose additional standard conditions applicable to vacation home rentals as necessary):

8:30 p.m. update 7/4/16: Firefighters working on the Trailhead Fire in El Dorado County gained a lot of ground Monday, getting a containment line around 50 percent of the fire. So far, 5,444 acres have burned.

In November, two seats on South Tahoe Public Utility Board of Directors will be filled by voters, the ones currently held by Randy Vogelgesang and Kelly Sheehan.

It is unknown if either of them will seek reelection, but they have until August 12 to file.

To be eligible to run, candidates must reside withust in the boundaries of the District.

Transportation planners will hold a series of open houses for the Meyers community and anyone else interested in seeing three sets of plans created for the proposed Highway 50 corridor.

They are once again asking for public input on the project that is intended to provide attractive and safe travel options for the community.

Most people don't like taxes, or having any new ones, but South Lake Tahoe voters will have the choice in November to vote on two ballot measure that would bring about two tax rate hikes, one that only tourists will pay, and another that will be paid for by both locals and tourists.

If passed, the ballot measures will accomplish two things: replace the recreation complex and repair the City's roads and/or replace the aging fleet.

A year ago, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors signed a resolution to participate in the Stepping Up initiative. The initiative, signed by two hundred fifty counties, has one lofty goal: reduce the number of adults with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

What has changed in the last year?

The Board of Directors from the South Tahoe Public Utility District are having a special evening meeting to present their proposed 2016-17 budget, and ten-year financial and capital improvement plan to the public.

The budget meeting will be held on Thursday, May 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the STPUD board room located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive in South Lake Tahoe.

Mountain Resort Television reporter Nicole Marsel gives this weeks Weekly Wag, Merlot! An adorable Labrador-Pitbull mix looking for a home. Amy Berry from Tahoe Fund gives a Lake Tahoe rim update and Tracy Franklin gives this weeks City in 60 about upcoming meetings to attend.

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, the Council gave direction to the City Attorney to create a policy on how non-agenda item public comments are televised.

While the public is always invited to speak during the public comment period, the Council will look at not televising the portions that aren't about agenda items. They will also look at continuing to televise those comments made by non-profits and other groups to publicize their activities and events.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) has selected Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows as the proposed site of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup in 2017. U.S. Ski Team officials are supporting the return of World Cup ski racing to the Olympic venue of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows for the first time since 1969.

Due to the unsafe intersection of Highway 50 and State Route 89, Caltrans is looking at safety improvements in the area to reduce collisions, and their severity. At this time, the preferred option for Caltrans is adding a roundabout at the intersection to improve conditions after a reported seven accidents at the intersection.

The estimated $3.1 million project is scheduled for construction in 2018-19. It is currently in the environmental phase, with the environmental document scheduled to be finalized in November 2016.

A different kind of presentation will be made on the US50/South Shore Revitalization Project this week, one that will include a question and answer period and not just the open house atmosphere of recent Tahoe Transportation District meetings on the project. For the past several years, TTD has been holding public meetings and talking with the community shareholders in order to formulate the best plan for the future of Highway 50 through the Stateline portion of South Lake Tahoe, a plan initiated in 1980.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will vote on a recreation master plan during their February 2, 2016 meeting, as well as adoption of a City Business Plan, and a study session on a Long-Term Financial Planning and Community Investment Program.

Thirty community members joined the City's Planning Commissioners and staff Thursday afternoon to get a pulse on what is desired for the future look of South Lake Tahoe.

The audience was handed an electronic voting device to give their opinions on 46 photos of what they found the most desirable, and the least, concerning signage and building design, as well as landscaping,

Those at the first of two meetings gave a wide range of opinions, just as is evident in the town as a whole. What some people find as attractive, others find as too resort-like.

The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority (JPA) is seeking applicants to fill the seven open positions on the Bicycle Advisory Committee, as required by Measure R.

Three of the open positions are for two-year terms, and the terms of the other four will expire in January, 2017 at which time four two-year terms will be open.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee expects to continue to have work until the year 2030. If a member of the committee one can expect monthly meetings during their term.

For those wishing to apply there are three way to get an application:

The public has been on a long journey with the Tahoe Transportation District over the US50/South Shore Community Revitalization project, one that has followed twisted roads and endured roadblocks and detours.

Now it appears the project, also known as the Loop Road, is on the back straightaway, approaching the final turn and homestretch.

Thousands of music fans will descend upon South Lake Tahoe this week for what has become the most popular outdoor winter music festivals in the country.

Thousands of people will be on hand December 27 through 31 to experience what is being billed as a fusion between music festival, winter expedition and New Year's Eve celebration.

Also promised is cold, with night time temperatures in the low teens. Appropriate clothing and outerwear is strongly encouraged.

For the list of artists each day, see the photos in this story.

Tuesday's show runs from 2:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

A 3-2 vote cast last Monday repealed a portion of the 2013 Ban on Single-Use Plastic Carryout Bags. I don’t intend this to be a discussion on whether plastic bags should be banned or not (although I openly support policies that bring about greater environmental stewardship in our community), but I am questioning whether there was due diligence in acquiring the data needed to accurately represent the desires of the community when making this decision.