North Tahoe Community Alliance selects 17 projects to receive up to $20M in sponsorship and multi-year funding

TAHOE CITY, Calif. - The Tourist Business Improvement District (TBID) covering the north shore of Lake Tahoe continues to yield results that benefit the community, the environment, and the visitor.

Launched in July 2022, an assessment fee was added to all TBID business transactions for those who provide any type of visitor service including food and beverage, and retail. The fee can be paid for by the business, or added to the customer's bill, and is paid by all who use the business, visitor or not. Depending on the zone the business is located in, the fee is one or two percent.

The North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA) was created to fund areas of workforce housing, transportation, trails, and tourism mitigation services with money collected through the TBID and Tourist Occupancy Taxes (TOT).

As part of the NTCA’s new Community Vitality and Economic Health Investment Program, 17 projects and programs that benefit residents, businesses, and visitors in the areas of workforce housing, transportation, trails, and tourism mitigation services were selected to receive three years of funding support through the Sponsorship grant program. In total, up to $20,027,558 in funds from TBID and TOT generated in Eastern Placer County were recommended or approved. These grants unlock match funding of up to $35,383,799 million that can be leveraged, bringing the total funding investment to $55,411,357 million over the next three years.

The allocation impact of the funding supports initiatives in alignment with community feedback and Sponsorship program criteria including:

Workforce housing: $7,900,000 (39%)
Trail Transit Corridor: $5,700,000 (29%)
Transportation: $5,242,558 (26%)
Tourism impact: $1,185,000 (6%)

“To have reached this point, where funds generated both by the TBID and overnight guests who contribute TOT in our region are being reinvested in support of our residents, businesses, visitors, environment, and way of life, is a tremendous milestone,” said Sue Rae Irelan, NTCA Board president. “The formation of the TBID is what helped get us to this point. Its creation also freed up TOT funds that previously supported destination marketing efforts that have since been reallocated to help fund these initiatives.”

Proposals approved by the NTCA Board of Directors as recommended by the TBID Zone 1 and TBID Advisory committees to receive $2,515,558 in TBID funding include:

BEBOT Beach cleaning robot 3-year deployment and youth/adult education, outreach, and advocacy in North Lake Tahoe

Lease to Locals Program

Tahoe City Park & Ride winter operation (USFS 64 Acre parking lot snow removal)

Tahoe Wildfire Preparedness Guide

Secline Beach enhancement project

Proposals recommended to the Placer County Board of Supervisors by the NTCA Board of Directors, TOT, and CAP committees for allocation of $17,512,000 in TOT funds include:

North Tahoe Trail Segment 1

Tahoe City Downtown Access Improvements

TCPUD multi-use trail system (trail segment reconstruction project)

Resort Triangle transportation plan project component (SR89 & SR267 adaptive corridor management/transit priority)

Pam Emmerich Memorial Pinedrop Trail reconstruction and extension

Kings Beach Western Approach Project

Workforce Housing Preservation Program

RTTP Project Component (TART Connect expanded service hours)

Chalet Blanc mixed-use achievable housing project, Tahoe City

Dollar Creek Crossing mixed-use achievable housing project

Proposals recommended for a combination of TBID and TOT funding include:

Resort Triangle transportation plan parking management program in Kings Beach

Sierra Community House’s workforce housing advocacy and direct assistance program

“The Community Vitality and Economic Health Investment Program gives North Lake Tahoe a unique opportunity to address the priorities our community has determined are most important to those who live, work, and play here,” said Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO. “I want to thank the members of all four volunteer committees, the TBID Advisory, TBID Zone 1, TOT, and CAP committees, for their hard work and dedication to working through this process on behalf of our community.”

The four committees convened by the NTCA reviewed the project applications and determined which investment opportunities to sponsor. The NTCA Board of Directors approved the committee recommendations for TBID-funded investment opportunities and recommended TOT-funded investment opportunities to the Placer County Board of Supervisors for their consideration and approval at their October 17 meeting.

Learn more about the NTCA Community Vitality and Economic Health Investment Program, the projects that have been funded, and how the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program supports a vibrant, year-round economy in North Lake Tahoe at www.northtahoecommunityalliance.com.