policies

I have read a number of candidate statements and articles about their hopes and aspirations for our community. I applaud each candidate that is running for local office; the challenge is getting their messages to voters.

I must say, however, despite all of the objectives that the candidates seek to achieve while in office, they are missing an important point. It is not only what you want to accomplish, but how to do so.

My history of involvement has spanned decades in our community and the positions that I have taken are of public record.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Board recently asked the nine City Council candidates ten questions they felt were of most importance to its members. The questions focused mainly on topics relating to things that will or may affect both the local small businesses and the community in general.

Their board made the decision to not endorse a specific candidate this election, but instead rank them based on how much they align with the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce goals based on their answers to the questions below.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are three open seats on the South Tahoe Public Utility Board of Directors this election season, two for a four-year term and one for a two-year term.

South Tahoe Now reached out to the candidates and below are their answers to a set of questions. For the two four-year terms, incumbent Kelly Sheehan is running for reelection, Duane Wallace is running after being appointed to fill Jim Jones's spot on the board until this election, and they are joined by David Peterson.

Douglas County has released the results of a community survey on the Master Plan Text Amendment conducted in September of 2020. More than 1,500 people took the survey, which asked about Agriculture and Conservation, Economic Development, Growth Management, Land Use, Public Facilities, Services, Recreation, and Public Safety. The Master Plan text provides additional guidance on the long- term development of the County (over the next 10-20 years). The text defines current issues and needs in the community.

On April 18, 2017 the South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously passed a resolution to: 1) Power the South Lake Tahoe community with electricity provided from 100 percent renewable sources by 2032 and 2) Reduce community carbon emissions from baseline by at least 80 percent by 2040, and reduce municipal emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

South Tahoe Now reached out to all nine candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council and provided the same list of questions to each one of them. Once a day their answers will be published in the order received.

Today's candidate is Leonard Carter.

Occupation: Retired

How many years in SLT: 32 years

1. Explain why you are running for City Council and what your qualifications are. I believe I can help the council focus on real issues, such as: roads, law enforcement, trash, public safety, fire suppression, and not burn out on spurious popular topics.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be two new members of the South Lake Tahoe City Council after the November 3 election. In the coming weeks the pubic will have chances to hear from the candidates both via zoom, in print and possibly in person. Below are eight of the ten candidates responses to questions asked by the local #IRunWithMaud group.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has completed 10,135 inspections and opened 156 regulatory cases since gaming properties were able to reopen on June 4 after they were closed for over two months. All have been related to non-compliance with the Board’s Health and Safety Policies issued on May 28. To date, they have alleged findings against four licensees

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There will be some very big shoes to fill when finding a replacement for retiring El Dorado County Undersheriff Randy Peshon. On Tuesday, June 30, Peshon will be putting his badge on for the very last time. For 43 years he's been in some level of law enforcement, the last 33 years in El Dorado County.

During his career in El Dorado County, Peshon has been at the forefront of change from implementing a change in culture at the jail in South Lake Tahoe to getting the new Public Safety Facility built under budget and ahead of schedule.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - In response to Governor Sisolak’s announcement of the State entering Phase 2 of COVID-19 recovery, Douglas County Community Services has announced the reopening of child care programming, Lake Day Camp, at Kahle Community Center starting on Tuesday June 23, 2020.

Procedures will be implemented at the Kahle Community Center as outlined below based on Directive 21 – Roadmap to Recovery for Nevada for Phase 2.

Safety Guidelines for entering the Kahle Community Center building include:

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - The second virtual Town Hall meeting focusing on vacation home rentals (VHRs) in the El Dorado County portion of Lake Tahoe will be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom.

Led by District 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel, she and staff will provide some background on VHRs regulations to date, review options for meeting the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency neighborhood compatibility Performance Review Standards, and review input received from the public, addressing questions and comments received.

Register in advance for the meeting here:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barbershops and hair salons in El Dorado County and the rest of the state may now open as long as they have a safety plan in place. During California Governor Gavin Newsom's press conference Monday, he gave the green light to these two businesses as long as they follow the guidelines he and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) have published.

Following Newsom's announcement, El Dorado County Public Health Officer Dr. Nancy Williams issued a statement.

All passengers on Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) buses will be required to wear a face covering while on transit buses and in transit facilities starting Monday, May 18.

This new requirement is to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain and in line with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

STATELINE, Nev. - Three candidates for the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners have been endorsed by the Tahoe Chamber Board of Directors: Larry Walsh, Nathan Tolbert, and Danny Tarkanian.

Walsh is seeking reelection for District 3, Tolbert is a candidate for the open District 5 seat, and Tarkanian is running for election against incumbent Commissioner Dave Nelson in District 1.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - During their special meeting on Tuesday, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved sending a letter to Governor Newsom to allow a phased opening of some businesses and loosening restrictions on the public in El Dorado County.

Residents have responded to the closures by abiding by stay-in-place orders enacted to stop the spread of COVID-19.

STATELINE, Nev. - The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) is rolling out zero-fare bus service on the South Shore starting Sunday, April 12.

While they already had plans in place for a free system to help eliminate traffic, the rollout is sooner than expected in order to make travel safer in response to COVID-19 by eliminating fare exchanges between drivers and riders.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Interim Police Chief Shannon Laney sent out a letter to vacation homeowners and lodging properties on Monday, telling them to cease renting to non-exempt short-term visitors. California Governor Newsom issued a state-wide Stay at Home Order on March 19, 2020, which bans all non-essential travel, including staying in accommodations in Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is on a delayed start of 10:00 a.m. this morning to allow time for snow removal operations to catch up around town.

LTCC plans on being open this coming week with staff on hand to assist students. They have moved face-to-face Winter quarter final exams to March 16-20 and have put social distancing measures into place on campus to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - El Dorado County today declared a public health emergency to ensure appropriate resources and funding are available to the County in its response to novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Auditor-Controller Joe Harn has updated the list of the County’s 100 highest compensated employees for the calendar year 2019.

Members of the Climate Crew, an environmental club at South Tahoe High School, attended the 2020 Citizens Climate Lobby Conference in Oakland last weekend.

Led by Lindsay Richardson, a teacher at STHS and advisor of the Climate Crew, eight seniors from the club took the four-hour drive to Oakland to hear new ideas on how to encourage the community and their peers to be environmentally friendly.

First up was the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) executive director, Mark Reynolds, with a passionate speech about the late founder and president of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Marshall Saunders.

New laws will be going into effect in California in the new year, putting into place California legislature action during 2019. There are many changes including road safety and distracted driving penalties, roadkill rules, minimum wage, independent workers and rent caps.

Except where noted, these laws are effective January 1, 2020:

Traffic Safety

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is highlighting several new laws passed this year:

We participated in the recent climate strike and were moved and inspired by the large crew of South Tahoe High students that hiked the four miles from the High School to Lake View Commons with a clear and unified demand for climate action. It is also encouraging to live in a City that has resolved to transition the City’s entire electrical grid to clean energy by 2032, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below baseline by 2040.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 23 years political leaders from the White House to state capitols have professed their commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe.

At the first Lake Tahoe Summit on July 27, 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore told of their commitment to keeping Tahoe blue after decades of erosion from roads, increased emissions from automobiles and boats, removal of wetlands and overgrown and dying forests were threatening its clarity.