Group ready to fight City on Single Room Occupancy ordinance

On June 2, 2015, the South Lake Tahoe City Council approved the first reading of a Single Room Occupancy ordinance to ensure motels and hotels being used as long term housing were kept decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable.

While the ordinance is set to be approved at the June 16 Council meeting, a small group of affected motel owners have made a plan to protest and ask for an extension so their complaints can be heard.

Led by local lawyer, and former City Councilman, Ted Long, the group met on Monday to discuss the fact that abiding by the new ordinance will put strains on the local motel owners. "We can't have an affordable place to live and go by what the ordinance is asking," Long said.

Members of the gathered group said there will be 3,000 people living on the streets of South Lake Tahoe if the ordinance goes through because they'll have to raise rates of weekly/monthly rentals to put in the required improvements.

Long said they have two options if the City Council goes ahead with approving the ordinance: 1) Sue, or, 2) start a recall.

"They don't care, the City is a bureaucracy that doesn't care about anybody," said Local Realtor Lloyd Aronoff, who was also in attendance.

"The City is trying to put us out of business," said James Thompson, Sr. a local rental property owner.

The new ordinance calls for units being used for long term occupancy to have the following:
1) A bathroom.
2) An efficiency kitchen if there is no access to a common kitchen. These will include a refrigerator with freezer, a bar sink, a cook top/two burner stove or microwave oven, a countertop that is at least 30" long, and sufficient electrical capacity to accommodate these facilities.
3) Habitable floor space of at least 120 square feet for one occupant, 170 sq ft for two, 220 sq ft for three and 270 sq feet for four occupants. There will be no rooms rented for more than four people.
4) Proof of permit posted in the lobby or other common area stating that the motel is used for SRO as well as an exterior placard on each unit that will include occupancy limits, permit number, and contact phone numbers.

The ordinance also calls for inspections at a cost to the property owner and they must abide by requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

"I want the City to give it more time to look at the unintended consequences," Long added.