El Dorado County Supervisor Candidate Q & A: Jeffrey Spencer
Submitted by paula on Thu, 05/05/2022 - 11:10am
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Each of the four candidates for El Dorado County supervisor for District V were asked the same set of 13 questions, and they are being published once per day this week in the order received. Here is the third candidate Jeffrey Spencer.
1. Why are you qualified to be the supervisor for District V? How long have you lived full-time in Lake Tahoe/El Dorado County?
Part 1:
Running for an elected office requires a serious commitment by an individual not only to be knowledgeable about the issues that are present in the region and have direct applicable experience to resolve these issues. El Dorado County residents need an individual with experience in planning, traffic and roads, public safety, natural resources, and managing multi-million dollar budgets. The County Supervisor position includes representing the entire County, not just South Lake Tahoe. This election you need to elect a candidate that meets the qualifications just stated. A person that has documented experience providing solutions to problems that affect the masses.
I am that candidate. I have documented experience leading local and regional agencies and nonprofits, including planning boards and environmental groups. I held positions with federal, state and regional transportation agencies studying transportation technologies to improve travel and reduce congestion. I was appointed to the National Incident Management System to monitor and respond to State emergencies and natural disasters. This experience in particular came in handy during the Caldor Fire. I understand the command and communication channels and can confidently respond to emergencies that impact the region.
Having a candidate with urban and regional planning experience is so important to our quality of life. I have a successful track record as a local planning commissioner who prioritized the needs of the residents while mitigating increases to the local tax structure. Developers want concessions to build, but increased infrastructure costs are often passed on to the taxpayers. One of the concerns I share with the West slope residents is the increase in the amount of land being acquired for urbanization and development. Managing the growth and urbanization on the West Slope and the impacts of increased tourism in the region greatly affects the residents’ quality of life.
As President of an environmental non-profit, and the experience I recently gained as a planning consultant for a local Tahoe basin consulting firm working closely with the TRPA, I am knowledgeable about environmental laws and preservation. These experiences uniquely qualify me to tackle the issues, policies and regulations that affect our environmental quality.
I will be ready to tackle the issues affecting us and have the tenacity to resolve our growing economic, transportation, and housing issues. If elected, my personal commitment will be to balance our residents' quality of life and economy. We need to diversify our economy and not rely only on recreational tourism with minimum-wage pay. We also need to preserve and protect our environment for future generations to enjoy.
I have served in public service my entire career. I have brought many good things that benefit the public over my career. My contributions helped bring innovation and progress to communities and industries. Here is a list of past accomplishments.
US Army - served 8 years, with 6 years in the Experimentation Command supporting the development of the Abrams tank, Bradley Infantry Vehicle, Humvee, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, joint weapons tactics and many others.
CA Dept. of Fish & Game - helped publish the first anadromous fisheries (Salmon, Steelhead, Sturgeon, etc.) habitat typing manual in the US.
CA Dept. of Transportation - research project manager that resulted in Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategic Plans covering half of the state, the shared-vehicle economy (i.e., shared cars, bikes, scooters, etc.), and the first mobile internet connections on commuter trains in the US. I was awarded the best research project for Smart Parking in 2005, published the first Air Cargo Plan for California, helped develop the first Marine Highways Corridor in California, and was honored for an intermodal strategic plan to coordinate planning efforts across transportation modes.
National Academies of Science, Transportation Research Board - published a manual for development of transit villages, published a study of mode choice near transit-oriented development. Served on Highway, Transit, Freight, Aviation, and New Technologies committees. Listed in the Library of Congress.
Town of Antelope - helped form and served 6 years on the Planning Council, serving two terms as Chairman, designed development standards, assisted in the East Antelope Specific Plan for future development, assisted in design of the first 6 parks in the area, named Citizen of the Year in 1993, helped design a first-time buyer home development and awarded a BIA best project in 1994, helped establish a new zip code and the name for the town of Antelope in 1994.
City of Yuba City - served as Planning Commissioner, helped develop the city’s first design standards for development, assisted in the Sutter County General Plan, helped direct the downtown redevelopment.
Dry Creek Conservancy - served as President for 6 years, defended the environmental quality of the system, helped obtain more than $6 million in restoration grants, assisted in developing a Coordinated Resource Management Plan and Council, worked on habitat conservation and restoration that brought back native salmon and steelhead runs, halted a Sacramento developer from building a dam in the watershed, and the Conservancy was awarded watershed of the Year in 2001 under my leadership.
US Dept. of Transportation - served as Program Manager for transit research for 6 years, my team brought the first applications for busses to be tested in the national pilot for automated vehicles, assisted in the development of payment standards for transit fares (fare cards), assisted in the development of communication standards for automated vehicles, helped defeat patent assertions that had cost transit agencies across the US millions of tax dollars, honored by the Secretary of Transportation for Excellence in Partnerships in 2015, received Associate Administrator's award for leadership and building morale in 2016.
Sacramento Transportation Authority - served as Executive Director, reduced an inherited budget deficit of $650,000 by 70% in one year and improved bond ratings, and helped program funding for current efforts expanding carpool lanes on US-50 and I-5.
South Lake Tahoe - designed and helped to bring a solution to the vexing traffic congestion and gridlock in the neighborhoods of Meyers to the County Department of Transportation and the Board of Supervisors, commented and lobbied on the redistricting plan to have Pollock Pines as one community under one Supervisor instead of three, fought against the California State Parks effort to redevelop Washoe Meadows to preserve sensitive and critical habitat and historic value. Wrote a ‘friend of the court’ opinion to defend the litigation against Measure T.
Find out more at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ElectJeffreySpencer/permalink/955930795036220/
Part 2:
This is a stupid question as it is completely irrelevant to the qualifications of the executive role as County Supervisor. It should not be a popularity contest or a contest about who has lived in the area the longest. Neither prepares an individual to resolve the issues that exist in the community. This topic promotes more of the same, prioritizing local relationships over resolving our problems.
The history of Tahoe elections has been to vote for a native or long-time resident, yet the problems continually persist and even get worse. It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. While Tahoe claims itself as a world-class destination, this pervasive and exclusionary attitude continues from our local politicians. It is completely dysfunctional. A potential candidate that might come from the communities of Rubicon, Pollock Pines, Kyburz, Tahoma or others would be immediately unqualified if measured by how long they lived here in Tahoe. The combined population of those communities equates to over 50% of South Lake Tahoe’s population. By the same token, how are the long-time Tahoe residents qualified to represent these other communities?
Over 2,000 new residents have moved to the District since the last election. They chose to move here, buy a house, send the children to local schools, work and participate in the local economy. The many new residents and those communities outside the basin would most likely be alienated by this question.
Let me provide an example of how irrelevant this is. Both Hillary Clinton (NY) and Mitt Romney (UT) were elected as Senators shortly after moving to their states. Did their voters care about the length of time they lived in the state or more about their qualifications?
This election you have the opportunity to elect a candidate that has not lived here as long, but brings a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge to the position to find solutions and lead us into a better position.
I have owned something (a timeshare, condo, or house) here since 1985. My wife's parents have been coming here since 1961 and have owned a duplex since 1971. I bought our house in 2008 and moved permanently in 2013. Our sons went through middle school, graduated from South Tahoe High School, and are now part of the LTCC system. We are a part of Tahoe.
However, I have lived in the greater region since 1985 and have understood the many issues, not just locally but regionally as well. Some of our issues are created outside the local area. My experience and contacts from around the region will help to bring attention and resolution to our issues. That is something valuable that no other candidate can offer. When living in one area for so long, a view of the issues can be myopic without exposure to different approaches.
2. Since the Meyers, Pollock Pines, Tahoma, and South Lake Tahoe regions will be looking to you to represent them, how will you make sure your onevote on the board counts? You also need to understand the West Slope. What are their issues, such as the General Plan process, what do you agree/not agree with?
It is difficult to indicate the most pressing issue as we face many difficult, and sometimes competing issues. I believe our infrastructure is one of the most important as it supports our commerce and quality of life in the County. It is our lifeline in any emergency. Our roads are heavily impacted by the tourism economy we have relied on, and our aging infrastructure has not kept up with the demand. We need to look closely at how many demands are on the County budget and prioritize the funds we receive to fund the essential services the government is to provide. Where there are shortfalls, we need to find additional funding or stop trying to do everything for everyone.
The first priority is to listen to my constituents, the residents of D5. But all 5 Supervisors must agree or compromise to represent the whole County. Being elected means to represent those that elected me, to do what is needed to represent their interests.
In the west part of the County there is development pressure from Sacramento. Development is creeping up the hill. With that growth comes demand on our limited resources and housing prices are affected by the larger regional economy. El Dorado County should not become a bedroom community to Sacramento. The unfettered growth of homes has strained our infrastructure and resources while the tax base is in Sacramento. The West Slope went from an agriculture and forestry economy to a mostly agri-tourism economy. The preservation and protection of the historical points of El Dorado County are important to residents. The County voted on various measures years ago to remain rural in nature and finally passed Measure E, yet that has not been the practice. The historic points are part of the charm and tourism attraction and supports the current economy.
The environment is suffering from too many people impacting the area. Traffic is destroying our roads faster than we can repair them. Our economy is too narrow; based solely on tourism. We need to diversify to provide better paying jobs to afford housing. While we bemoan the rising cost of housing, the cost is rising everywhere. The costs are similar if you go to either side of Tahoe. What is the difference? There are more and better-paying jobs to help afford the cost of that housing. We do not have that diversity available here in the basin.
3. Do you plan to attend meetings in Placerville?
Yes. In order to see eye to eye you have to meet face to face. The distance is not an issue as I have commuted to Sacramento for many years. Before that I commuted to Washington, DC. (Yes, your Congress members, Senators, and staff do it all the time.) Technology will enable me to attend meetings during storm events or road closures.
4. Are you a good collaborator? Share some examples of how you've collaborated with others from different points of view. How important is this skill on the Board of Supervisors?
The ability to listen, analyze and compromise are critical. District 5 is but one of five voices. The ability to collaborate will help District 5 in negotiations. My accomplishments listed above show how I have been able to find solutions through negotiation, collaboration and compromise.
I was given the second-highest award from the US Secretary of Transportation for my ability to form partnerships. I was also given an Administrator’s Award for my leadership. Much of my experience centers on developing strategic plans involving diverse and disparate interests. One of the plans was for Southern California and involved 288 agencies which was like herding cats. I completed six such plans in California. I now bring these skills to the position as Supervisor.
5. What do you think are the biggest issues currently facing District V and El Dorado County? What are your solutions for them?
For El Dorado County it is the development pressure from Sacramento. There is great demand on our resources and traffic. These are not fully funded by a residential tax base. There needs to be commerce to fulfill all the needs. The only proposals seen are to develop more housing. In D5 it is the pressures from overtourism. That sole driver of the economy is too risky and hurts the many service workers at the bottom of the pay scales. We need to diversify to provide better paying jobs that can afford housing and allow people to live where they work. It is counter-productive to our environmental goals to induce commuting and increase traffic congestion and emissions because of the local economy.
Many things are needing attention. For one is how the residents are being represented. Their voices have not been heard and their quality of life has been diminished. Residents no longer have the right to quiet enjoyment of their property due to these pressures. The lodging in neighborhoods, traffic, economy, environmental damage, degraded resources, and public safety have affected our residents. We need to know our budget is being used to pay for essential services such as road repair, snow removal, police and fire protection. I will also look for a nexus, a direct link between taxes collected and the purpose for which they are collected. The shell game of fund transfers is confusing and not transparent to the taxpayer.
Our economy is not supporting the many demands for services. Low wages and a lack of tax revenue from diverse sources is bankrupting the County. Many supposed proponents for local business claim we need more; more tourism to make money. We need better, not more.
Minimum wages are for minimum skills. People cannot live here on minimum wages due to the cost of living and have no opportunity to improve their skills. I know of staff at the ski resorts that have worked there for half a career but barely progressed beyond minimum wage. Restaurant staff at minimum wage cannot make more hours in a day to improve their ability to afford living here. So what good does it do when businesses close at 2pm because there is no staffing?? How is a business making money that way? Our throw away society has become used to disposable things. It has even gotten to the point of disposable employees or customers in favor of more.
We absolutely need to diversify our economy to improve skills and wages, and to provide the funding needed for the public services demanded.
6. During the pandemic, the supervisors faced backlash and verbal complaints as they tried to do what was best for the community based on the direction of the health officer. What would you have done differently, if anything, and how would you have handled the discourse?
Discourse stems from a lack of information. The discourse means people need more information and answers. With providing that information, discourse could be held to a minimum.
Giving information is paramount to building trust. People did not know who to trust. There was no way to know what this pandemic brought. There was no empirical evidence to base decisions on. We had to 'wing it' on many points.
The best that could be done would have been to have a leader out there communicating regularly with updates and information to help people cope with the many twists and turns we experienced and reduce the stress we felt. Discussion could have reflected on the country’s history in past pandemics and how we dealt with it was similar to how we reacted to this pandemic. This pandemic was not unique in our response with quarantines and mask mandates. It has happened twice before. Historically, the U.S. has reacted the same in the previous pandemics. Masks, isolation and medicine have been the modality response to these events.
7. As a supervisor you will be taking roles on boards at TRPA, TTD, and the Tahoe Conservancy, among others. Tells us about your experience with these three (and others if you want to mention them) and what will you bring to the boards?
I have been a third-party reviewer of planning applications for TRPA. I have testified about VHR regulations and transportation issues. I have attended board meetings to testify when a proposal would cause environmental damage or did not make sense to the surrounding community. I have also engaged TTD on transportation issues. I have not had much personal interaction with the Tahoe Conservancy, especially since I had applied for leadership roles as a state employee. I have been on the board for two other conservancies in California and know the role they play in environmental quality. However I have many years experience serving on the Board for two other conservancies in California and know the mission given these organizations.
In 2004 the TRPA voted to allow vacation rentals without making them obtain Tourist Accommodation Unit (TAU) permits that are required by all others in the lodging industry. TAUs do not apply to the VHR industry, thereby allowing many more accommodations. As thousands more beds have suddenly been made available without being subject to any kind of planning, zoning or – in some cases, being run illegally, and hosts can outcompete nearby hotels and hostels, the demand for these ‘residences’ means that home prices and rents are pushed up, and local people are pushed out. Thousands more people come to Tahoe beyond the artificial limiting threshold of TAUs. The impacts are evident. The recent anti-clustering rules and cap are barely effective since grandfathering was accepted and there is a lack of enforcement. Again, the residents suffer the consequences of disturbing their right to quiet enjoyment of their property and are conscripted into being the enforcement for their neighborhoods.
The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) has not delivered quality transportation solutions. The funding and focus has to be included in future discussions. The current model is not serving the people and has not reduced congestion. The hours of operation do not serve the local workers that have a variety of shifts and hours.
According to TTD, more than 50 million vehicle trips are made into, out of, and within the Basin annually. A campaign to encourage visitors and locals at and around Lake Tahoe to leave their cars behind to support the region's broader environmental and safety goals is destined to fail simply due to transit statistics. Transit comprises only 2% of mode share across the U.S. While that is significant in major cities, it does not affect rural areas. Running an empty 40-foot bus on a route once an hour does not meet most people’s needs. It is naïve to think tourists will pack their family and all their necessities and belongings onto a bus to visit a local attraction in the basin. Routes do not go where workers reside and are needing rides. It also does not serve the environment.
We need tenable solutions to tourist traffic and those dependent on transit for their work, school or shopping, with a sustainable system that meets our environmental goals.
My experience with TRPA and TTD as a citizen/resident has not been very positive. Even after giving convincing testimony on a topic, the TRPA board did not deliberate what was presented and voted as though the decision was predetermined. Although I am a transportation and planning professional with many years of experience, my experience with the TTD is much the same. I would expect any public agency in a public forum to give consideration to the testimony provided and come to logical decisions. Many residents have expressed that the testimony given at these boards is futile and a waste of time. That is not what public meetings are meant to be. I will bring critical analysis skills as needed to hear all sides of the issue and then make a decision.
While this question focused on Tahoe transportation, there are many issues with the transportation system and too much demand in the communities around Apple Hill. Pollock Pines was recently overrun by tourist traffic that depleted all their supplies. Residents need to be secure from such marauding events in their own communities.
8. If elected, how would you reach out to your constituents, why, and how often?
I will use a variety of tools available to reach our residents, but nothing beats just being available to talk. I hope to have regular meetings with my constituents and hear from them how their life is being affected, both good and bad. I hope to have regular newsletters to highlight the progress, but will also use social media and video to connect to the residents.
One of the key things I will be doing in my term is to appoint as many citizens to boards that I am not mandated to be on. Why? The voice of the community comes from pluralism, not one ruling voice. I will be looking for passionate and experienced people from the community to have input on how our community is being run. This is the part where ‘by the people’ is often overlooked. These people will communicate with their neighbors, coworkers, friends and family as we work on our issues together.
9. Transportation – do you understand and agree with TRPA and TTD’s Sustainable Transportation Funding Initiative and the Destination Stewardship approach?
I fully understand the goals and agree with the metrics used to determine the impacts. However, I do not fully agree with some of the strategies being planned. The TRPA has recently adopted a revised vehicle miles traveled (VMT) threshold. Achievement of that threshold requires a reduction in annual daily average VMT. However some TRPA regulations and the current focus on an economy supported mostly by service workers frustrates those goals of VMT reduction. Many people have to commute from outside the basin to afford housing. This alone accounts for the increase in localized traffic and makes the VMT reductions unachievable. VMT metrics are also a regressive burden on the poor. It discriminates against rural residents (especially Tahoe residents) as we have to drive long distances for many essential services that are not provided here.
The proposed budget includes over $200 million for transit. The best transit systems in the US carry only about 2 percent of the mode share and collect only about 30 percent of needed revenue from fares. The current system does not meet the needs of workers nor commuters due to the lengthy headways of the bus system and its reach does not go where workers live. The system is concentrated where tourism flourishes, but tourists are not a viable target market for local transit. The plan identifies that the capital cost of such systems are funded, but operations and maintenance lack sustainable funding. The expense of large buses running near empty on hourly headways is not a sustainable business nor transportation plan for Tahoe.
TRPA has reached agreements for transient occupancy tax (TOT) funds to transportation and have recently approved new transportation funding ($1.1M annually from North Lake Tahoe Tourism and Business Improvement District (TBID), and $2.1M annually from the City of South Lake Tahoe sales tax measure. I support using TOT to mitigate the impacts of tourism. However the cost of road repairs alone will certainly exceed the amount programmed due to rising oil prices (bitumen for pavement), the cost of transport of materials since no batch plants are located nearby, and the rising cost of labor to meet the inflation being realized. We need to use other methods and technologies that provide a better, sustainable road base that does not need repair after only 3-5 years and continued funds for those repairs.
Another point in the plan dedicates funding for the ‘heart of the south shore.’ This is further commitment to the Loop Road. While I accept and approve of a more walkable system in the tourist core, the current plans greatly affect local residents that are of minority or color and is not an equitable solution. Equity is as much a part of sustainability in transportation planning.
The plan identifies a basin entry fee which is something I proposed many years ago and was told it is a toll and is illegal. I debated that it is a user fee and not a toll but was summarily dismissed at the time. TRPA established the fee at $4 per vehicle. My proposed solution is based on demand and the fee would be a congestion mitigation strategy for the basin. The more congested the basin becomes, the more the fee. This would meet and perhaps exceed the funding goals for this strategy. Managing the extreme demands on the system also reduces the need for constant repairs, thus saving money that can be programmed for other needs. Many cities around the world employ this strategy to manage traffic demand on its system.
The plan proposes a Vacancy Tax that is typically adopted to incentivize use of vacant property to increase housing supply. Although some cities have adopted this, I oppose such taxes. Many of our homes are second homes that are regularly used by the owners and not a part of the housing inventory. I prefer to look at incentives for increasing housing inventory through rental programs such as Landing Locals. Investor-owned properties that are not second homes and remain vacant that should be part of the housing inventory may be subject to such disincentives. Even with such funding, I oppose their use for transportation as there is no nexus from the tax to the impact. Such funding should be directed to housing programs.
The Tahoe basin is called a national treasure and a world-class destination. Yet our attitudes toward solutions and funding from federal sources does not support the claim as a national treasure, nor do the strategies proposed equate to world-class levels. True world-class would be looking at completely walkable, concentrated villages and rail connectivity or other alternatives for tourism to reduce vehicle congestion and impacts to our environment.
The governmental agencies and business proponents in the Lake Tahoe basin seem to ignore the obvious impacts of traffic, overtourism and the inherent dangers of overcrowding, all in the name of the economy. Tourism’s potential benefits are clear. Our local economy has depended primarily on tourism for the past 10 years. However, the mistake is to think that it can only bring good. The local Chambers of Commerce, like many others, focuses almost exclusively on growth, with little or no concern for the impacts. A “successful” year in tourism is generally considered to be one in which numbers have increased substantially. Never mind whether these numbers are of day-users, resort guests, backpackers or high-end visitors; the number is all that counts. It has crossed a threshold: tourism now demonstrably creates more problems than benefits.
Destination Stewardship needs to consider that there is a finite capacity of the Tahoe basin. Measures include knowing that and keeping the capacity in limits, yet we regularly exceed that capacity. Tahoe is much like a cereal bowl. If you don’t stop pouring in more milk, you make a huge mess! We need to work with other agencies in the basin to determine what the true capacity is and limit that to improve the experience for both the visitor and our residents.
When the exodus of traffic can take eight hours to clear, it is a direct indicator our infrastructure, and thus the environment, are beyond capacity. The amount of traffic being experienced is a result of too many people in the area. Having thousands of vehicles idling in traffic is not meeting environmental thresholds set by local and regional agencies. The trash being left behind impacts our sensitive environment – the very thing that attracts the tourists. From cigarette butts to dirty diapers, all being tossed on our beaches and roadways, they eventually make their way to the beauty of the lake.
While the basin has so many visitors, our recent experience with the Caldor Fire should be a lesson. In an emergency, the many visitors will likely compete with residents in the surrounding area for the few safe evacuation routes. Many visitors had left the area due to the choking smoke and threat of the fires, yet the City still took six hours to evacuate all the residents when the mandatory evacuation order was given. We were lucky this was not a fast-moving fire with exploding fuel tanks and melting cars as was seen in the Camp Fire in Paradise. The addition of many visitors competing for the same limited routes can cause congestion and delay in evacuation, resulting in increased wildfire related deaths. It has become an important health and safety issue.
While the town is crowded with visitors, locals remain sequestered in their homes. They do not participate in the local economy as they cannot get around due to traffic, cannot make dinner plans for a night out, and are generally crowded out of any local venues. Locals are being shut out of participating in the local economy. What makes a tourism dollar more valuable than a local dollar? This lack of participation by locals creates an animosity or apathy toward the community and the visitors.
Transportation issues are not unique to the South Shore. Tahoma receives transit service from Tahoe City under the TART system. The community is split between placer and El Dorado counties and services often are lacking due to the remote nature of the community. Rubicon and Tahoma often lack timely plowing during snow events. They are even more abandoned than the South Shore.
The transportation problems are not limited to the Tahoe basin. We also see the experience by residents on the west slope during peak harvest season (overtourism) and when the highway to Tahoe is closed by geologic or weather events. Understanding the various transportation plans and myriad funding programs is critical to improving the infrastructure and circulation of traffic for all olur constituents.
10. Do you know what the County’s Strategic Plan is and what parts do you support/oppose?
The County’s Vision and Mission statements are noble.
County Vision
Safe, healthy and vibrant communities, respecting our natural resources and historical heritage.
County Mission
El Dorado County government shall provide efficient, courteous, and effective services and infrastructure for safety, protection, and well-being of our residents, businesses and visitors.
But that does not seem to be the practice. Look at the many decisions that have been made to allow development to encroach in rural zones without regard to infrastructure or identifying the necessary resources to support that development. The lack of good resource management has impacted us with high fees and devastating events such as wildfires.
After many attempts to reign in growth, Measure E was passed to restrict and discourage residential development in certain areas of the county, thereby decreasing traffic congestion and protecting open-space and rural and agricultural areas. The fact that three ballot initiatives were proposed to control the growth into the rural areas states the opinions and values of the residents of the County. Many of the residents living in dense development along the western edge of the County more identify with Sacramento and its economy, not El Dorado County and its rural lifestyle. Opponents argued that the initiatives were anti-growth and anti-development and that they would have harmed the county's economy and kept the housing industry from thriving. They said the best method is by voters expressing their wishes through selecting county supervisors, rather than through initiatives at the ballot box. Yet history shows Supervisors have been heavily supported by real estate and development interests and elected to office, voted in favor of development, and those very issues opponents raised on housing and the economy are what we are facing today. We need housing, but it has to be selectively placed and supported by infrastructure and resources that are fully funded. The sprawling development is too costly to support. I have been accused of being a smart-growth advocate. I am actually an anti-dumb growth advocate.
Two of the Core Values in the Strategic Plan are at the very foundation of good government.
Integrity - Doing what is right legally and morally at all times regardless of whether or not someone is watching.
This is where a backbone is needed, and sorely lacking in elected positions. I am guided by my ethics and moral code developed through my many years in public service and my faith.
Service Excellence - Provide comprehensive service to all citizens of El Dorado County while loyally doing our job without expectation of recognition or personal gain.
This is the very essence of public service. We need to serve the public. We are servants, not rulers. Humility and care are the foundation.
I agree with most of the points in the strategic plan and look at how we can meet these goals. The plan is brief and helps outline the goals, but with my experience in strategic planning, it is very short on specifics and actions. There is no action plan nor prioritization of the goals. During my time in office, I would hope to put some ‘meat on the bones’ for this plan and prioritize the goals, find funding and set metrics for achievement. An accompanying action plan and roadmap needs to provide direction for future leaders to ensure a solid future for El Dorado County. Otherwise it just becomes another study collecting dust on a shelf.
11. Housing – what are your plans for housing (West Slope and Tahoe Basin)? Do you agree with Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless’ plans for the HomeKey project that has bought 3 hotels to house the homeless?
Part 1:
There have been numerous posts on social media and articles in the papers recently on the cost of housing and workers being priced out of areas. Today I was discussing the issue with a local worker who has rented her place for 13 years! They are kicking her out to update and purportedly sell. They have done this with other properties they own and wind up renting again at up to double the price!! This is an illegal practice in California that is not enforced.
One thing not discussed in any of these are the societal costs. If workers cannot afford their rent, they leave which then leaves businesses without the ability to remain open. Workers that apply for social programs such as food stamps in order to help afford their livelihood are barely scraping by and one event from being forced out. The price of housing is also tied to the homeless issue and the demand for homeless shelters.
Housing and rental prices are at all-time increases yet wages remain flat. Is it a housing issue or a wages issue? In my view, it is a bit of both.
Demand for housing is being driven by the grab for profit and others being shoved out due to the increases then trying to find affordable options. Those fearing they won’t be able to buy in the future do what they can to buy or rent, sometimes beyond their means. That can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, federal researchers said, in which price growth can become exponential.
The researchers specifically highlight the role of investors, who are aggressively buying up homes. Investors now buy 33% of the homes in the US, which is a 5% larger share than the average over the past decade, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. The business of ibuying -- in which a company buys a home for cash to slightly fix it up and resell it again is competing against ordinary buyers looking for a home to live in. Flipping and renting out homes are both lucrative propositions for investors.
Wall Street investors and hedge funds are snapping up property and making everyone suffer. Investors started becoming bigger players in the real estate market after the housing crash that brought on the Great Recession. A high concentration of investors has made things difficult for regular homebuyers using mortgages, who are easily outbid by companies paying all cash — often at more than the asking price. These investors are encouraging the use of pocket listings, otherwise known as whisper listings to improve their competitiveness in the market. This means they get Realtors to notify them of a listing before it goes out to the general public so they can make a cash offer. With the inventory of available homes at an all-time low, this practice reduces it even more. When demand is high and inventory is low, prices increase even further. This is not an open and free market! Keeping listings from the open market can be seen as a form of market manipulation. The National Association of Realtors has a policy banning this practice, but it is still widely used and even expanding in the industry to boost profits through larger commissions. https://time.com/nextadvisor/mortgages/what-is-pocket-listing/
Rent increases have been around 18-20% this past year where normal is about 1-2%. Home rents have seen as much as 30% increases. The consequences of housing market exuberance can include overpriced homes, investments based on distorted expectations of returns and reduced economic growth and employment.
Government tries to control the increases by proposing various controls and increasing production. Rent control and inclusionary zoning faces opposition from industry groups which lobbies on behalf of property owners and developers. Lowering costs of development often leaves many of the associated infrastructure costs unfunded and burdened by taxpayers.
Advocates for low-income tenants support more federal funding for Section 8, but they also want bigger changes. The National Low Income Housing Coalition advocates for a federal rental assistance fund, like the temporary relief programs that were launched during the pandemic. But that doesn't actually lower the rental cost, it just fills the gap for people to afford the rent and transfers our tax dollars to the investor's profits. Why are the taxpayers footing the bill to enrich wealthy real estate investors?? While more people have to resort to using social programs to maintain their livelihood, the real estate investors are being subsidized by the public dole. It is time for change.
A recent study by the Tahoe Prosperity Center titled South Shore Region Housing Needs and Opportunities (2019) found that "75% of the long-term rental housing stock in the South Shore is individually owned homes; about 25% are apartments.” According to the study, an average of 100 new homes per year have been developed on the South Shore since 2010 with the majority (75%) valued at over $550,000.” Note the average household income in South Lake Tahoe is $49,390.
Rents began rising in some years up to 20% per year beginning in 2014. The median value of a home in 2014 in South Tahoe was $349,000, while the average household income was $41,380. Further research shows that a local 3-bedroom house rented for $1,400 per month in December 2014; and that same rental in June 2021 was $2,850, while the median home sale price is $699,000 and the average household income is $57,396. The median home sale price requires an annual household income of $134,000 to afford a single-family home.
Since 2014, the cost of a rental increased by 103%, the median purchase price increased by 96.6%, yet the average household income increased by only 38.7% over that same period. These increases in value have caused many property owners to sell, which caused up to 15% of resident renters being forced to move because the owner sold the rental. Roughly 10% of renters were forced to move because their unit was converted to a short-term rental. Only 18% of local residents can afford to buy the median-priced home, and 75% of our residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
This comes back to the wages issue and affordability. As wages remain relatively flat and record profits are realized by corporations, it becomes obvious that the housing issue is a veil for the low wage issue. While prices in Tahoe are high, they compare to pricing on both sides of the mountain and throughout California. The difference is that the job markets are stratified to include opportunities for growth and better paying jobs that can afford the housing prices. Here in Tahoe we have mostly low-paying service jobs to support the economy while housing is out of their reach. There are fewer local jobs that pay a liveable wage. When local residents are priced out of the housing market, the sense of community ceases.
Part 2:
We learned in high school about Maslow and the hierarchy of needs. Food, shelter and safety are the foundation of those needs. We are finding more and more that those basic needs are not being met. While the need to house the homeless is always noble, providing housing without the supportive services needed to make the homeless escape their situation through mental, medical, or employment support is an exercise in futility. The County keeps reducing these services in the basin which makes correcting the homeless situation a difficult venture.
Recent laws to address California's housing supply and homelessness crisis are being credited as the end of single-family zoning. The State Legislature has for the past several years passed numerous pieces of housing legislation in each legislative session. The 2020 Legislative session saw more than 30 individual pieces of housing legislation enacted into law.
Among the housing laws passed in recent years is the ability to convey an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (ADU) as separate property. Another is that the property does not have to be “owner-occupied.” ADUs provide a lower-cost option than traditional market-rate construction to increase the housing supply in existing residential neighborhoods. The theory is that increasing supply reduces price.
California housing laws restrict building additional units where units are rented to lower incomes, or where permitted affordable housing exists. This practice targets building in middle-class or wealthy areas where affordability will be difficult to obtain. Affordability remains consistent with desirability, with the most affordable being in the least desirable areas. When building additional housing, the other housing surrounding it tends to reflect local market rates, rather than suppressing prices. Selling or renting such units is subject to the open economy.
While certain private interests have raised CEQA “streamlining” policies as the best way to address our state’s housing shortage, such proposals are based upon misleading narratives and misinformation. Some bills removed infrastructure fees and mitigations that cities rely on for impacts and city services. In the evolution of the subdivision process, an unregulated market will produce substandard lots with inadequate improvements in infrastructure.
What seems to also be an exercise in futility is turning hotels into homes while homes are being turned into hotels. It is bad policy to allow such permits when there is a clear indication of a housing shortage. A look at how much housing stock we have and how it is being used can tell us what methods we may apply to find housing opportunities. Whether it is partnerships, incentives, or disincentives, we need to explore all avenues to increase housing utility. Houses are built to house people. Federal law lists the legal description for a single-family home as “a structure maintained and used as a single dwelling unit. A single-family home is built as the residence for one family, person, or household, whose owner has an undivided interest in the property." According to the California Association of Realtors, only 31 percent of households can afford to buy a median-priced home in California in the third quarter of 2019, 25 percentage points lower than the nation’s average.
The County can affect the housing supply through policies that promote building or control rents. It is appropriate when you see large increases in rents that continually price people out of housing to set limits. Judicious application of, or exemption from taxes and fees can inspire development. However, the overuse of those policies could leave the taxpayers holding the bag and our infrastructure underfunded. The cost of infrastructure is a hard cost, but who bears that cost and over what time is a difficult balance.
Government should partner with business to bring affordable housing to those that are on the lower scale of wages. This could be by dedicating land for building and deed restricting it to affordable rates. I worked with a developer to help design and zone affordable single-family dwellings that were higher density (10 units per acre). Government should also work to diversify the economy to bring higher paying jobs to the area. Businesses should bring wages into alignment with the market to make housing affordable for their workers. Doing so can help meet State environmental goals for reducing congestion, Vehicle-Miles Traveled and Greenhouse Gases, while providing businesses with resident local workers, all that currently affect Tahoe.
We need to build affordable housing that is safe and healthy, while ensuring that our state’s most vulnerable residents are not inadvertently exposed to hazards and other dangers in their own homes. Simply allowing developers to build more housing in a market that is already dominated by investors and lots of expensive, vacant housing units will only produce more expensive housing that very few of our residents can afford.
12. Economic Development – how would you encourage more employees to live/work in Tahoe?
People want to live here for their jobs - they can't.
My plans are very aligned with the County Strategic Plan to develop and attract businesses that provide economic sustainability and quality job creation. We need to invest in infrastructure to improve and maintain competitiveness. This includes expanding our broadband services to attract high-tech industries. Tahoe is said to have broadband, but the provider is not willing to fund the improvements that get to the individual homes and neighborhoods. Over 1Gb is considered broadband and is available in Tahoe, but the old infrastructure in Tahoe neighborhoods limit service to about 400Mb. The federal infrastructure bill provides funding for expansion of these services and we can be competitive in such grants. A focus on obtaining these should be a priority.
Another area of opportunity is at our airport. The Tahoe airport used to serve as a commercial service hub. There are many reasons why commercial service ceased at Tahoe, but the airport is still developed to accommodate planes as big as Boeing 737s. Discussions have centered around closing the airport, but TRPA regulations on land use prevent any viable option for the property. What is clear is that the airport is frequented by a variety of users with an array of aircraft. The airport has the capability of meeting all FAA regulations for any type of service. The County Strategic Plan states “Develop guiding economic principles to leverage the County's Airports and their ability to become an economic driver for small businesses and tourism.”
The future of aviation includes Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). These businesses are developing such systems at a quick pace and plan to be operational in the next few years. The developers of AAM and UAS systems could find Tahoe an opportunity to develop and test these systems in a diverse environment. With the short distances to regional commercial service and to business centers, this could also offer the opportunity to live in Tahoe and be able to work connected via the improved broadband or an alternative commute.
What is needed as well to increase employment opportunities is by improving workforce development skills. We can attract better paying jobs, but where is the workforce? We need to work with LTCC to provide training through the workforce development program to help workers gain the skills to be employable. The current focus of the curriculum is on basic jobs in the service industry or environment. We need more professional and management training for better opportunities.
We need to increase our retail opportunities. This will allow residents to shop locally instead of driving such distances and keeps tax revenue here in the District. This also meets the environmental and transportation goals to reduce congestion and emissions.
Commerce, typically large retail, is needed to provide the additional funding and Tahoe’s mostly service industry does not meet our funding needs. The resistance to include other businesses in Tahoe leaves us without real solutions. Our economy from 30-40 years ago was a mix of recreation, entertainment and tourism and included many retailers such as the Outdoorsman, I. Magnin and others. Tourism made up only about 40 percent of the economy then. Today it is over 60 percent. The middle class could make a reasonable living in our economy, but they have been driven away in favor of the tourism economy.
The west slope wants to remain rural in nature and yet we must develop housing to meet local demand. Allowing major builders to develop large tracts of land places undue pressure on the available resources and creates traffic nightmares. Let us concentrate the housing and develop more densely in urbanized sections of the County to reduce these demands on the resources.
These are just a few ideas to improve our economy and job opportunities to afford living in the area.
13. What are your feelings about the JTC and plans to move it back to Placerville eventually?
After seven years of analysis and discussion, the Supervisors unanimously approved building a new juvenile detention center in Placerville and shuttering the South Lake Tahoe facility. Unfortunately, this is already decided. This is another ‘nail in the coffin’ for South Lake Tahoe. County services are being ‘evacuated’ from the basin. Our residents are being forced to drive over an hour for things such as planning, courts, health, and other County services. This is directly in conflict with both County and TRPA goals of climate action and VMT reduction. The abandonment of County services for our residents is the impetus for the many discussions about becoming our own County or annexation to the City.
However, the tax base in the south shore is unable to provide all the services required by a new County. We would have to establish our own court system, jail and detention, public safety, planning, code enforcement, etc. The cost is the reason Placerville is shutting down these services. As mentioned earlier, the tax base of housing does not fund all the services under Proposition 13 law.