To the Community,

If doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result, is the definition of insanity, then three of our current council members are making us believe they are insane. Past councils made repeated attempts to manage the runaway train of vacation rentals in residentially zoned neighborhoods. Their efforts failed to satisfy the people living in neighborhoods, so residents took this issue to the voters in 2018. Measure T passed, and after a three-year phase-out period, the neighborhoods returned to their intended use as places for people to live or own a second home. It was a reminder of what neighborhoods should be like. There were those who refused to obey the law and continued to rent. For some, cheating is just part of the game.

Since Measure T was overturned last March, the majority of the council voted to not appeal the decision and instead passed an ordinance to bring back vacation rentals to our neighborhoods. In June 2025, the Tahoe Neighborhoods Group (TNG) filed an appeal to represent the 3,517 voters who passed Measure T. On December 31, 2025, the pro-VHR investor group that sued the city over Measure T filed a ‘Motion to Dismiss’ the TNG’s appeal. On February 11, the court formally denied that request. To add to the drama, on January 13 (in closed session and never reported out to the public), three members of the city council (David Jinkens, Keith Roberts and newly appointed Heather Horgan) directed the city attorney to prepare an opposition against the appeal by the TNG. The City’s opposition was filed in the ‘Court of Appeal’ on February 6, and is how the TNG learned of the closed session decision to secretly go against the majority of the voters.

Over the last ten months, council meetings have seen countless hours spent saying the same things about VHRs that were said a decade ago. It is like watching reruns of the council meetings from 2015. The voters have already decided this issue, and having three council members working behind the scenes to undermine that vote is the definition of insanity.

Jerry Goodman

Member Tahoe Neighborhoods Group