initiative

An Affordable Housing Task Force has been formed to assist Douglas County in its efforts to develop quality affordable housing opportunities. This has been in the works since July when they entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nevada Rural Housing Authority “For Creating a Viable Path to Achieving Affordable Housing for Douglas County, Nevada.”

Part of the Board of County Commissioners Strategic Plan includes evaluating the potential of offering affordable housing development incentives through the update of the Housing Element of the Master Plan.

Today at the 21st annual Lake Tahoe Summit, the creation of a new partnership of state, federal, environmental, industry, and research representatives working together to protect Lake Tahoe and the surrounding central Sierra Nevada was announced. The effort, the Tahoe-Central Sierra Initiative, is focused on restoring the health and resilience of the area’s forests and watersheds. It builds on the legacy of work that has been done to “Keep Tahoe Blue,” and a variety of activities already underway in the Central Sierra landscape.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors today issued the following statement
about El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Warren Stracener’s decision regarding the constitutionality of Measure E, which was passed by voters in June 2016. It enacted or reinstated certain restrictions and policies concerning roads and traffic congestion, especially traffic issues related to new development:

School is out and summer is in full swing at Lake Tahoe. Visitors and residents are heading to beaches and launching boats, kayaks, and standup paddleboards to get out and enjoy the jewel of the Sierra. Millions of people visit Tahoe each year and the shoreline is where they go to experience its famously cold, clear, blue water.

Jack Johnson is not only an entertainer, but he is also an environmentalist doing what he can to reduce his impact on the earth. When Johnson comes to Lake Tahoe this summer on July 28 and 29, one can not only expect great music, but also a zero waste tour.

His All at One initiative is a social action network where everyone can make a positive change in their local and world community. As he tours, Johnson will connect with non-profit groups, take environmental action, and receive rewards. All At Once promotes Sustainable Local Food Systems and Plastic Free Initiatives.

Join law enforcement at the next Coffee With a Cop event on Friday, June 30 at the Alps Haus Cafe in Markleeville from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Members of the California Highway Patrol's South Lake Tahoe office, Alpine County Sheriff and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, have coffee, and build relationships.

All community members are invited to attend.

Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the Department’s work in Alpine County’s neighborhoods.

Children from the South Shore of Lake Tahoe no longer need to go hungry during the summer months. Thanks to a generous donation of $125,000 by Rob Katz, Vail Resorts CEO, and his wife Elana Amsterdam, “Summer B&B 4 Kids” will launch on Wednesday, June 21, with a focus on helping the over 50 percent of local children who are receiving free or subsidized school meals during the school year.

Most places take just one day to officially "Pay it Forward" but one person in the South Lake Tahoe community has made it his goal to cause a ripple effect of kindness through the community for a whole week.

International "Pay it Forward" day is on Friday, April 28 and more than 80 countries and 70 cities across America have made proclamations to join the global initiative and make a difference by creating a huge ripple of kindness across the world. Small acts of kindness, when multiplied by millions of people, can literally change the world for the better.

The public is being asked for feedback as Douglas County moves forward on planning their next four years. Their new strategic pan will be the roadmap on directions for the County and its Board of County Commissioners.

The commissioners and staff met on February 6, 2017 to review survey feedback from residents and map out new strategic priorities. Infrastructure, organizational sustainability and financial stability were all identified as top priorities. Economic vitality; safe community; and natural resources, culture and quality of life were also categorized as priorities.

Twenty-five years ago, I finished my graduate work in Oregon and moved to Northern Nevada for a planning position at TRPA. Having spent a large part of my youth hiking and camping at Tahoe and in the Sierra, the move felt like coming home.

The South Lake Tahoe Endowment Cabinet awarded $50,000 to South Lake Tahoe area non-profits and schools during a recent reception at South Tahoe High School.

Wendy David, the Cabinet Chair, awarded the grants to an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd.

Private donors fund the Foundation with money to be given back to the community in the form of grants.

The North Lake Tahoe Visitor Center has run out of Christmas Tree cutting permits, but there are still some available at the Forest Supervisor’s office in South Lake Tahoe, the USFS office in Incline Village and at El Dorado National Forest offices.

Permits cost $10 each with a limit of two per family. They must be purchased in person, are not transferable and are sold on a first come, first serve basis through December 23, if available.

Voters have narrowly approved an initiative to tighten gun background checks in Nevada. Backers of Question 1 said they wanted to close the loopholes in the current law by requiring background checks through a licensed gun dealer when most firearms change hands, including personal and online sales.

The vote totals were:
Yes - 558,586
No - 548,685

Question 2, the legalization of marijuana
Yes - 602,400
No - 503,615

Many are ready for this election to be over the national level with the negativity surrounding the campaigns. On a local level there are several choices before voters.

If you have not already submitted your ballots, find your polling place here:

California
Nevada

If you live in the South Lake Tahoe City limits, you are able to vote for two of ten candidates for City Council (in alphabetical order):

Brooke Laine
Dan McLaughlin
Jason Collin
JoAnn Conner

For the first time in several decades, the Eldorado National Forest will sell Christmas tree cutting permits. Permits for pine, fir or cedar trees up to 6 inches in diameter at the base will be available beginning November 14, 2016. "The goal of this program is to provide an enjoyable holiday experience for families and friends in the natural setting of their national forest" said Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree.

Measure P will be a key initiative on the City of South Lake Tahoe’s Nov. 8 ballot as a tourist-only tax to help rebuild the area’s aging Recreation Center.

Without raising taxes on local residents and businesses, Measure P will bring an estimated extra $2 million a year to support the community. The Lodging Association has voted unanimously to support further recreation in South Lake Tahoe. If passed by a two-thirds vote, Measure P will increase transient occupancy tax by 2 percent to 12 percent.

School physical education at one time was full of jumping jacks, sit ups, pull ups and push ups. Today's physical education at schools has taken on a whole new focus, and Sierra House Elementary in South Lake Tahoe is being honored for what they do on a daily basis.

The school received recognition for their outstanding efforts in creating an active school environment under First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, Her plan is dedicated to ensuring 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will be partnering with the Drug Enforcement Agency in hosting a Drug Take Back on Saturday, October 22, 2016. This will be the public’s 12th opportunity in the County over the last six years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding your home of potentially dangerous expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. You can drop off your pet medications also.

Bring your pills for disposal at the following locations between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• East Fork Fire Station #12, 3620 N. Sunridge Drive (north Douglas County )

At the Lake Tahoe Summit last month, we saw the power of what we can accomplish when we work together. Progress over the last two decades was showcased when President Obama made his first-ever visit to Tahoe and said conservation and restoration efforts like ours are more important than ever as the nation works to adapt to a changing climate and create a more resilient environment.

El Dorado County Superior Court Judge James Wagoner ruled today against the lawsuit filed by Jason Collin on July 14 to stop the Loop Road measure from being submitted to the voters November 8.

"I'm obviously disappointed in the ruling today," Collin told South Tahoe Now. "I still have a lot of concern about an initiative being pushed forward that has fundamental flaws and misleads voters."

Marijuana Brownie Incident - During the last weekend of July, a group of women visited South Lake Tahoe for a bachelorette party. During the visit, the women willfully ingested marijuana brownies they obtained through a ride-share company. Within a few hours, 10 of the women were taken to the emergency room in South Lake Tahoe. Eight of the ten were later admitted to the hospital for treatment. While many would have you believe marijuana is a harmless drug, those of us in the public safety arena have seen increases in medical emergencies from marijuana ingestion.

Starting in the upcoming Fall 2016 quarter, Lake Tahoe Community College will once again be offering reduced tuition to residents of certain nearby Nevada communities in the Tahoe Basin. Up to 100 Nevada residents living in specific communities who meet the parameters established in the new partnership between California and Nevada can tap into the new, lower cost, which is three times the California resident rate, or $93 per unit. This equates to a savings of $88 per unit from the $181 per-unit rate established for all other non-residents attending LTCC.

The July 19 meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council should be a long one, with multiple items on the agenda ranging from vacation rentals to massage parlors.

Some of the items the Council will be addressing:

Old Business: Vote on Vacation Home Rental changes to the code which grandfather in multi-family units with a permit by September 1, a request by SnowGlobe to extend their contract by 3-10 years and budgetary items.

Hundreds of volunteers hit the Lake Tahoe beaches on Tuesday to clean up after the holiday revelers who flocked to area beaches to celebrate the 4th of July.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe coordinated the trash pick up efforts at nine area beaches. Their volunteers gathered almost 1,600 pounds of trash which included 7,738 cigarette butts.

Single-use plastics were the second-most commonly found category of trash, following cigarette butts.