commission

"It was so frustrating and only so much we could do," recalled Kit Bailey of the U.S. Forest Service during Saturday's Angora Fire First Responder Remembrance Ceremony. "Its miraculous nobody got hurt."

On the 10th anniversary of the devastating fire that destroyed 254 homes as it burned quickly through 3,100 acres in the Meyers area of the South Shore, fire responders gathered at the Lake Valley Fire Department to honor those who served that day, and to honor the resilient community that supported them.

LAKE TAHOE, Nevada - With the water level rising in Lake Tahoe, new issues have surfaced with the placement of fences at three parcels on the Nevada side that have extended into the lake. During recent drought years, the fences didn't touch water.

One fence was located at the new Tahoe Beach Club in Stateline, another at a private home just north of Cave Rock, and the third at a home in the Elks Point Country Club in Zephyr Cove.

Liberty Utilities-CA serves nearly 50,000 electric customers in one of the most pristine areas of the country—the Lake Tahoe and surrounding region of Northern California. While it’s no surprise that our customers rank environmental responsibility as very important, it’s been a welcome surprise that they rank Liberty’s environmental stewardship higher each year. In 2016, 75% said we were environmentally responsible—up from 68% the year before!

Liberty Utilities has taken several steps in recent years that contribute to our customers recognizing our environmental commitment.

Igniting on June 24, 2007, the Angora Fire rapidly spread to over 3,100 acres, destroying 254 homes, 75 commercial structures and resulting in more than $141 million in damages. In response to this disaster, an Emergency California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission was formed to conduct a comprehensive review of the laws, policies and practices that affect the vulnerability of the Tahoe Basin to wildfires.

Demolition began Wednesday on the 40-year-old McDonald's building at the Y, making way for a new building that will not only be home to a smaller and more efficient fast food restaurant, but one that is also full of environmental improvements as well as an new alpine-look consistent with the new City design standards.

Portions of the land where Knight's Inn currently sits and the corner lot at Ski Run Boulevard and Highway 50 were sold today to the Halferty Development Corporation for $3,100,000.

During a special meeting of the City Council two agreements were approved. The first was a Commercial and Disposition and Development Agreement (CDDA) and the second was a Purchase and Sale Agreement by and between the City of South Lake Tahoe and Halferty.

The public is invited to an Electric Vehicle Summit sponsored by Liberty Utilities at the North Lake Tahoe Events Center on Monday, April 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The summit will include displays of two Tesla vehicles, a Proterra 40-foot electric bus and a ChargePoint EV charging station.

The summit agenda:
8:30 a.m.: check-in
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Presentations
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Interaction w/vendors and test drives

The winter of 2017 has been full of surprises with record amounts of rain and snow, but one surprise came in the mail by wait of an electric bill.

Many Liberty Utilities customers have noticed their January and February bills were higher than expected. Due to extreme weather, the utility company had to bill based on estimated billing as actual meter reads were impossible. For some customers, actual reads may not have occurred until March if a customer’s scheduled meter read was during the February winter storms.

A 3.86 mile shared used bike trail from Van Sickle Bi-State Park to Sierra Boulevard is getting closer to becoming reality after a Memo of Understanding (MOU) has been developed between its three partners.

The first phase of the South Tahoe Greenway Shared Use Trail was completed through the Bijou neighborhood in Summer, 2015, but the next phase needed a partnership between the City of South Lake Tahoe (City), Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) and California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) to be completed.

Stateline, Nevada – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Wednesday released its Draft 2017 Regional Transportation Plan. TRPA updates the long-term plan every four years as a blueprint to prioritize and guide investments that will improve Lake Tahoe’s transportation system over the next 20-plus years.

The City of South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission recently approved a transmission and receiving facility replacement project which will bring a taller cell tower for Sprint to the South Shore.

A 150-foot monopole will be erected adjacent to the current 110-foot lattice tower. Once the taller pole is built on an elevated concrete pad surrounded by new fencing, the old tower will be dismantled.

Do you know an outstanding older adult or a married couple 60-years or older who have performed exemplary work in El Dorado County as a volunteer? Consider nominating them for the Senior of the Year Award.

The annual “Senior of the Year” award will be presented by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on May 16, 2017, at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, hosted by the El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging and the Commission on Aging.

It’s been great seeing all of my friends and acquaintances who have lived here for less than 10 years posting photos and sharing how Snowmageddon 2017 has blown them away. I did the same when I first moved to Tahoe back in the 70’s and storms like this were not uncommon. Back then playing was more important than clearing the snow. I had a big Dodge Ram 4x4 pickup and I j drove over the snow in my driveway and packed it down. I did not own a snowblower and can’t remember shoveling much. One year the packed snow was so high I could not get the truck under the carport.

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners will meet in a workshop setting in early February to update the County's strategic plan, and before they do that they are reaching out to the community for their input.

Douglas County’s Strategic plan is the framework for which the Commission prioritizes fiscal needs and public services in Douglas County.

It looks like the SLT Parks & Recreation Commission is about to get bigger as the City has found that its too big of a job for just five people with the number of sub-committees and other tasks needed as the creation of a new recreation city is on the horizon.

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting they appointed five commissioners, then took the first steps to expand the commission by two members. In a resolution at the next Council meeting, that will be a done deal, if approved.

Interested in representing your city on the El Dorado County Commission on Aging? They are accepting application from those interested in serving until February 1.

The Commission on Aging (COA) is an advisory Committee to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors that works with the Director of the Area Agency on Aging on

The deadline is rapidly approaching for locals to apply for 19 open positions on City of South Lake Tahoe commissions and boards.

Two year appointments are now being accepted for Airport Land Use Commission, Building/ADA Board of Appeals, Parks & Recreation Commission and Planning Commission.

Completed applications must be returned to the City Clerk’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m., on Friday, December 30, 2016. The City Council will be making the appointments at a regularly scheduled meeting in January 2017 (to be announced).

AIRPORT LAND USE COMMISSION:

Caltrans is hosting a community meeting on Thursday, December 15 to present design alternatives for a U.S. Highway 50 safety project in the Camino area of El Dorado County, a project that will overlap major highway projects on the Lake Tahoe side of the mountain.

The meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Camino Elementary School, 3060 Snows Road, Camino. A project presentation will take place at 5:45 p.m.

Hal Cole, the longest serving City Councilmember in South Lake Tahoe, was honored in a ceremony during Tuesday's Council meeting, his last one after 20.5 years on the dais.

Cole chose not to run for a sixth term this November.

He started off his public service career in 1990 when he was named to the SLT Building Board of Appeals, was a part of the development of the Bijou Community Plan in 1993 as a Planning Commission. In 1994, Cole moved over to the City Council and was elected to a four-year term five times. During that tenure he was the City's Mayor an unprecedented six times.

Since the Tahoe Valley Area Plan was approved in 2015, several projects are being either already in the works or being planned, and land is being opening for development.

During Thursday's Planning Commission meeting, one of those projects was approved.

Noel Farmer, a South Lake Tahoe resident, has been a vocal opponent to Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs) in his Heavenly Valley neighborhood. Farmer is present at City Council and Planning Commission meetings, as well as Zoning Administrator meetings when the topic is VHRs.

During this Tuesday's meeting at the airport, the City Council members will discuss Farmer's petition to ban street parking on the dead-end street where he lives, Regina Road, in the 3600 and 3700 blocks.

Legal action against the approved Martis Valley West project was taken in court Thursday as three groups, Sierra Watch, Mountain Area Preservation and the League to Save Lake Tahoe, joined forces to stop the controversial development proposal they feel threatens Lake Tahoe's clarity.

I just want to thank everyone who supported me and my campaign. I really feel that I made a decent showing, considering I was out-spent 33 to 1. I plan to stay involved in the community as I have always done. Who knows what will happen in 2 years. I’m already considering another city council run in 2018. I feel so lucky having been able to personally talk to about 2,500 voters, answer their questions, discuss their concerns and rejoice with them about living in the most beautiful place on earth.

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Tamara Wallace, 46, Retired Businesswoman/Chamber Exec

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?