south lake tahoe city council

The South Lake Tahoe City Council announced today that City Manager Nancy Kerry is on indefinite leave. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Jeff Meston has been appointed as the acting City Manager.

Kerry has been with the City since 2008, working in various departments and moving into the City Manager position August 21, 2012

"City Council will not be making any additional comments to respect Ms. Kerry’s privacy," according to a press release issued Wednesday.

The Cannabis Community Committee gave a presentation to the South Lake Tahoe City Council Tuesday, outlining the work they've done and recommendations for the City's ordinance for cannabis sales.

Fifteen members of the community came together as the committee and met with Mayor Pro Tem Tom Davis, Councilwoman Brooke Laine, Police Chief Brian Uhler, City Attorney Nira Doherty and City Staff member Lisa Watson to discuss and research issues facing legal sales of cannabis in the city limits.

Update 1/26: Due to a scheduling conflict the meeting has been moved from Tahoe Valley Elementary School to the South Lake Tahoe City Council Chambers.

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A 400 acre plume of contaminated groundwater will be the focus of a public meeting on February 7 in the SLT Council Chambers at the Lake Tahoe Airport from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

With the Cannabis urgency moratorium expiring on January 25, the South Lake Tahoe City Council will has two items on their Tuesday agenda to address the sales of adult-use marijuana.

Since the moratorium was approved by the Council on December 12, 2018 there have been five meetings of the ad-hoc subcommittee and other studies to help create a South Lake Tahoe ordinance on cannabis sales. The committee is made up of 15 community members and two councilmembers.

Residents in South Lake Tahoe will soon be paying more for garbage pick-up after the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted 4-1 to approve South Tahoe Refuse's request to raise rates for residential customers by 8.81 percent, the biggest one-time increase ever added to the service.

The rate increase will go into effect January 1, 2018.

The monthly rate for SLT customers will go from $26.55 to #28.89 for unlimited service, and increase of $2.34. Qualified seniors (65 and over and part of Liberty Utilities Care program) will pay an extra $1.95, taking their monthly rate to $24.15.

In their annual reorganization, the South Lake Tahoe City Council has voted in a new mayor and mayor pro tem for the year 2018.

Wendy David returns as mayor, a position she held in 2016. She was mayor pro tem during 2017.

Tom Davis returns as vice mayor for the fifth time.

"I want to thank the Council for your support," said Mayor David. "I want to look at how we want to move forward and focus on community conversation. It's what brings us together. Community conversation is the most important thing we'll do next year."

"We need the community to get together and collaborate," said SLT Councilman Jason Collin during Tuesday's Council meeting. "Its polarized the community."

Collin was discussing the South Lake Tahoe Vacation Home Rental Ordinance after another full day of a City Council meeting focused on the subject of vacation homes in the community.

If anyone thought they knew how the South Lake Tahoe City Council was going to vote on the proposed Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Ordinance on Tuesday they were most likely surprised with the turn of events after hours of public comment and Council discussion.

City staff had two weeks to create a new Vacation Home Rental Ordinance based on input and bring it to the Council to vote on a first reading October 17.

The City Council has sought to create an ordinance that both recognizes and protects the City's vibrant VHR industry while also improving the quality of life of the citizens.

Have you heard, or seen, military helicopters around South Lake Tahoe the last few days? The U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is conducting training using the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft at the Lake Tahoe Airport from October 11 until at least October 18.

At first, their plans were to station 12 aircraft at the airport until October 30, so final training plans may have changed. They will also be using a meeting room and hangar at the airport for training purposes.

They were builders, doctors, lawyers and teachers
Our Dad, he ran the B of A
They were leaders, doers, big picture seers
The biggest picture of all they saw it every day

Mt. Tallac stood vigil
Tahoe lies blue and clear
In meadows the streams ran swift and clean
The way they had for millions of years
They knew they had to protect it
They fought for it those women and men
I'm proud our Dad Tom Regan he was one of them

But there were clear-cutters, dealers, dice-rollers
Passing through try'na turn a quick buck

Renting a home while on vacation is the trend in many tourist destinations, not only in Lake Tahoe, but across the globe. This new way of vacationing has not come without issues so many towns are creating ordinances or, like in Anaheim and other cities, banning them.

Now that elected officials are allowed back on the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC), the South Lake Tahoe City Council and El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (BOS) both appointed their representatives today.

Governor Brown signed AB1191 on July 24, 2017, defining who could serve on the CTC after the use of elected officials was questioned earlier this year.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What does a win-win-win vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance look like?

It may not yet be known after today's workshop held during the South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting in front of a full house, but all sides appear to be committed to creating something that works for everyone in the community.

Cities across the country are grappling with their own ordinances for VHRs as the new trend towards vacationing centers around renting a home instead of staying in a motel or hotel.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Since the passage of Proposition 64 by voters in California in September, the state, cities and counties are figuring out how to move forward in allowing, or not allowing, storefront sales in their communities.

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, the City will look at their City Code 6.55 Article X which is for marijuana cultivation and medical marijuana dispensaries.

When the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted on a new Vacation Rental Ordinance in 2015 they also promised to hire a consultant to prepare a socioeconomic study on the impact vacation home rentals (VHRs) have on the community.

The results of the study were presented to the City Council and the public during a special meeting on Tuesday.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With the Lake Tahoe Airport not having scheduled passenger service since 2001, and with a master plan last updated in 1992, it was time to create a new plan based on the needs of the area today, and in the future.

This week, June 4-10, is Community Health Improvement Week. It is a national celebration to recognize the work and efforts of health professionals to improve their community’s health.

One thing you will hear from Barton Health professionals is that improving the health and wellness in our community takes collaboration and commitment. This can be seen in the actions taken in the last two years to address South Lake Tahoe’s most pressing health concerns.

Every two years a new business plan is presented to the South Lake Tahoe City Council, outlining goals, the vision and strategic priorities. This is done after each election.

In February, City staff, Council and community members got together for a two-day strategic planning session, and the results that came out of that were put into the 2017/18 South Lake Tahoe Business Plan.

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, the City's financial forecast over the next five years will be presented. Included in that will be a review of how the City prepared to meet anticipated increases for South Lake Tahoe programs and services by budgeting conservatively. What could not be budgeted for though was a 100% increase by the California Public Employee Retirement Systems (CalPERS).

People marched to the White House. People marched in New York. People marched in London, and people marched in South Lake Tahoe.

According to organizers, an estimated 400-500 people marched from Lakeview Commons to Earth Day festivities at Bijou community Party Saturday morning. South Lake Tahoe marchers were young, old, two-legged and four-legged, with many carrying signs to promote the protection of the environment.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - Residents of South Lake Tahoe take pride in their city, its beauty, charm and recreational opportunities, and action during Tuesday's City Council gave people another reason to appreciate their community.

In honor of Earth Day, the City of South Lake Tahoe joined at least 26 other municipalities in the United States, and the latest in a growing coalition of mountain communities, to commit to 100 percent clean and renewable electricity by the year 2032.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council will vote Tuesday on adopting a resolution to use 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2030.

"This could be a historic moment for the community, as we would join a growing movement of communities taking control of their energy future to tackle climate change," said Devin Middlebrook, TRPA Sustainability Program Coordinator. "We expect a big crowd of supporters wearing white shirts and 100 percent stickers in solidarity."

Lake Tahoe must improve its internal transportation systems before they can expect visitors to the region to get out of their cars and use different, and better, ways of getting around. That was the message during last week's Tahoe Talks presentation by Lake Tahoe transportation partners, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) and El Dorado County.

What is officially known as the Bijou Park Creek Watershed Restoration Project, or unofficially the Knight's Inn Project, will be brought before the South Lake Tahoe City Council to be approved during a special meeting on Tuesday, March 14 at 4:00 p.m.

The three phase, 850-acre project will be both an environmental and economic development project, something the City has been working on for several years.