Changes on the way for Tahoe Paradise Park; New board member sought

In the works since 2010, the Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District is now officially a "recreation and park district." Governor Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 1023 into law that year, creating an expedited procedure for resort improvement districts to convert into community service districts, and in the case of Tahoe Paradise Park, into the recreation and park district.

That "expedited" procedure has taken almost six years for the Tahoe Paradise district to work out.

The park district will be virtually the same, but with the new definition all members must be elected by the area it serves. Since its inception, the former district had the El Dorado County Board of Supervisor for Area 5 as a board member, but that is no longer going to be the case.

The State of California has phased the RIDs out, and if a RID failed to reorganize to a more modern statute by January the district would have remained legally unmoored. Tahoe Paradise Park was one of the last holdouts in the state according to Supervisor Sue Novasel.

"It would have no definitive ties to all of the modern financing laws and “good government” statutes," said José Henríquez, Executive Officer of the El Dorado Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). "It would’ve spelled legal trouble for Tahoe Paradise."

Measures S and R are currently the largest source of revenue for the district, and they are set to expire in 2030. That was not jeopardized by Tahoe Paradise remaining a resort improvement district (RID) had it opted to do so. Since it did opt to convert, Tahoe Paradise will continue to receive these funds post-conversion into a recreation and park district (RPD); that was guaranteed by SB 1023 and LAFCO’s action when it authorized the conversion.

The legal peril would come after 2030. The district must find a way to replace those funds and one way would be for another Measure S/R. Another way would be a special tax. The latter would entail having a Proposition 218 election, subject to approval by voters. Had Tahoe Paradise remained an RID and asked the voters to approve a special tax, the action would be subject to a lawsuit because RID law has no legal ties to Proposition 218.

LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) is one of several regional service planning agencies of the State of California that oversee local government agencies and their municipal service areas to meet the community needs.

Henríquez said LAFCO waived their fees and other requirements to assist Tahoe Paradise in this endeavor. To covert is only cost the district about $25.

"Things are moving forward, the group is organized and healthy," said Novasel. "I'm real happy for them, and happy for the direction they're moving in." She will now be serving on the LAFCO board.

The Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District is now accepting applications until December 1 for appointment to the position of "Director" to serve out the remainder of Novasel's unexpired term (until December 7, 2018).

The person who fills the position may choose to seek election on November 7, 2018 for a full four- year term.

This is a non-paid position and their regular meetings are on the fourth Thursday of each month.

District directors must be registered voters in the Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District. Further information may be obtained by calling Board Chairman Victor Babbitt at (530) 545-0193 or by emailing him at info@tahoeflyfishing.com, or calling Board Secretary Peter Nelligan at (209) 985-8776 or emailing him at panelligan@gmail.com. The district website is at tahoeparadisepark.com.

Application letters may be emailed to Babbitt or Nelligan, or sent by U.S. mail to Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District, P.O. Box 550575, S. Lake Tahoe, CA. 96155.