projects

Restoring and conserving our environment at Lake Tahoe means setting our aspirations at the right scale. That’s what TRPA and many partners are working to do through strategic initiatives to ensure the health of our basin’s forests, streams, and lake, and to improve our communities and transportation infrastructure.

Rarely do I use this space to comment upon political issues within our community. That said, with the “politicization” of the US Hwy 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project I felt the need to share some background and perspectives for consideration.

The South Shore of Lake Tahoe is divided by lines. These state, county, and city lines work well on a map, but they do not define the day-to-day reality of the people who live and work in this community. In the last decade we have seen definitive projects reshape South Shore – Heavenly Village, Lakeview Commons, Harrison Avenue Streetscape. We have seen new bike trails and the opening of a bi-state park.

The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC) on Thursday, March 10, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the USFS offices in South Lake Tahoe.

On the agenda are issues related to federal activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin including an update to the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, review of the environmental improvement plan and discussion on the comittee's future implementation strategy.

Mountain Resort Television reporter Meghan Burk highlights developments and ongoing projects in the "Biggest Little City." Virginia Street Bridge Rebuild with Britton Griffith-Douglass, The Basement with Adam Sayre, and the announcement of Reno's newest professional soccer team.

The Knights Inn could be purchased by the City of South Lake Tahoe for $6 million should a grant be awarded them by the California Tahoe Conservancy. If that happens, the City would purchase, and then demolish, the motel located on Highway 50 near Ski Run Boulevard to make way for a new environmental and retail project.

There is grant money available through the CTC which the City will apply for. The funds come from the state's Proposition 1 Water Bond which was approved by voters in 2014 to authorize $7.545 billion in general obligation bonds for water projects.

State Route 49 (El Dorado County) from the Coloma School House to Mt. Murphy Road: Motorists can expect one-way traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for utility work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from Upper Truckee Road to Transit Way in South Lake Tahoe: Eastbound and westbound motorists can expect alternating lane closures from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday for survey work.

South Lake Tahoe, CA— With the support of South Lake Tahoe’s voters, Lake Tahoe Community College successfully passed a $55 million bond measure in November 2014. Called Measure F, the bond will make it possible for the college to upgrade and modernize its technology, make necessary repairs to aging facilities and systems, and improve educational programs and students’ learning environment. The first set of bonds was sold¬ in July 2015 for $19 million, or 35% of the $55 million voters approved.

El Dorado County and its Board of Supervisors have been in full stride throughout the last year solving critical issues, making important changes to protect tax dollars and providing expanded services to the public.

Community groups can now apply for grants from the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra club.

They are accepting applications that support programs and projects that align with their Mission to “Strengthen the lives of women and youth in our community and the world."

The deadline to submit an application is January 31, 2016.

The application packet is available on our website www.sitahoesierra.org.
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The latest round of funding through the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) includes more than $3 million for projects to help reduce wildfire risk in Lake Tahoe communities.

The funding award for Lake Tahoe is part of nearly $40 million going to projects around Nevada to reduce wildfire risk, conserve landscapes, restore wildlife habitat, and improve public recreation. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the funding awards this January.

Improving transportation options for bicyclists and pedestrians is one of the most effective strategies to conserve and restore Lake Tahoe’s environment, revitalize the economy, enhance recreation opportunities, and improve public health, according to Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) officials.

If you live in Nevada, chances are you felt an earthquake in 2015. The University of Nevada, Reno's Seismological Laboratory said there were 17,500 earthquakes in the state during the year, 231 of those recently in south Reno.

South Tahoe High graduate Graham Kent in the director of the Nevada Seismological Lab. "While the Reno shaking is fresh in our minds, what's really bumping the number up from the background rates is the energetic sequence in far northwestern Nevada, the Sheldon sequence," he said.

Galt City Council members on Dec. 15 were expected to name an experienced administrator in smaller jurisdictions as Galt’s next city manager.

Eugene Palazzo, who started his career in 1989 as a planning technician in Nevada County, has served as Crescent City’s city manager since 2011.

The council vote was not known at press time.

Galt city staff wrote in the council report that Palazzo has more than 27 years of experience in local government.

Brooke Hernandez of Chase International’s Zephyr Cove office was recently honored as Realtor of the Year by the South Tahoe Association of Realtors. The award is based on a member’s community and industry involvement.

Hernandez, a South Shore native, has more than ten years experience in real estate and has been with Chase International for six years. She currently serves as the president of the association, in which she has been actively involved for several years.

Todd Moss has been promoted to Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Battalion Chief. The South Tahoe High graduate has been with the department since 1998 when he started at a firefighter/paramedic.

In his new capacity, Moss will be responsible for the day to day operations for A Shift. Moss will also serve as the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Chief and Custodian of Records. Chief Moss will be the NV PERS Chief Officer Representative, a member of the Employee Benefits Committee and he will oversee the GASB 45 and 68 compliance requirements.

A workshop will be held in South Lake Tahoe on Tuesday that will help develop ideas for the design of a new recreation center for the city.

The first Recreation Complex Renovation planning meeting will be held at the Recreation Center, located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd., on Tuesday, December 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The community has been invited to participate in the future of several local projects, and this gives citizens another opportunity to have their voice heard.

Work on all Lake Tahoe basin projects is either suspended for the season or completed. Here is an update on all projects. There is still road work being done on a stretch of Highway 50 in El Dorado Hills:

This year more than 500 students in grades K-12 throughout South Lake Tahoe received a brand new, warm winter coat of their very own though the efforts of the Kiwanis Community Organization, Inc. The project ensures that every child in our community who needs one receives a coat at no charge. The Kiwanis Community Organization, Inc., a 501 c3 non-profit, was established as a collaboration in our community for numerous service organizations to work together on projects such as Coats For Kids, that align with their common missions of supporting the youth and families of our community.

This past summer was Lake Tahoe’s busiest tourist season in recent memory. With the economy rebounding and major population growth projected for nearby metropolitan areas, this summer is also a harbinger of change. We must be prepared to meet the challenges of increased visitation in the future.

Much like the lake side of El Dorado County and the west slope don’t always see eye to eye, the Douglas County portion at the lake, and the valley residents are in the same situation.

The topic currently at the forefront is Buckeye Creek Reservoir, located in the eastern portion of Douglas County. BLM has most of the land in this undeveloped area, and the Douglas County Sewer Improvement District (DCSID) owns 1,001 of those acres.

In a community with many needs, the Barton Foundation today donated $35,500 to ten different agencies that provide services to the residents of South Lake Tahoe during their annual Philanthropy Day. For the seventh year, the Barton Foundation gave away money raised through their annual fundraising efforts which include the annual Festival of Lights.

With predictions for one of the biggest winters in over a decade, now is the time to buy a Lake Tahoe license plate so you can ski for free in Tahoe. The popular “Plates for Powder” program is back, and once again offers individuals who purchase a new Lake Tahoe license plate in either California or Nevada two free lift tickets to one of 12 Tahoe resorts participating in the program.

Potholes in our streets are a popular discussion item in Tahoe. Some potholes are simply holes in the asphalt paving, while others are actually low spots located over a utility pipeline. This summer, several articles have addressed potholes at various lengths. The South Tahoe Public Utility District (District) would like to provide some information concerning the “utility” potholes. There are multiple types of “utility” potholes:

1. Manhole structure on sanitary sewers (stamped STPUD)
2. Manhole structure on storm drain sewers (usually slotted)