public works

Douglas County Manager Larry Werner has requested to be released from his contract giving a 60 day notice effective August 31, 2018.

“The time I have spent working for Douglas County has been challenging but rewarding,” said Larry. “I know that it is time for me to pursue retirement and family, but I will miss working with the great people in this community in this capacity.”

Discussion of Larry’s resignation and a plan for the future of the position will be held at the July 5, 2018 Board of County Commissioners meeting and has been placed on the meeting agenda.

The California office of Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority (LTVA) has been closed due to roof and flooding issues, with all of their operations in their Stateline office, for now.

Last year's flooding caused LTVA to rip out the carpet in the back of the building which was the first county jail at the lake, opening in 1947. Three staff executives who had their offices at the rear of the building were moved to the front.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets project was slated to begin as soon as the 2018 building season began, but some bureaucratic red tape has delayed it. The .6 mile stretch of road will receive Class 1 and Class 2 bike lanes, parallel parking spots, reduced lane size, lighted sidewalks, underground utilities, landscaping, crosswalks and water quality improvements.

Two houses on Bill Avenue in South Lake Tahoe had to deal with flooding Thursday, March 22.

One home had flooding inside while the second home had flooding occur in their driveway.

Public Works staff are trained to assess scenarios and prioritize disaster mitigation. In today’s instance, the home with the flooding inside of the home was given the highest priority. Once mitigation measures were contained, Public Works staff were able to then focus relief efforts on the residence with the flooding in the driveway.

With the March 6 South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting slated to have SnowGlobe on the agenda, the Parks and Recreation Commission has called a special meeting in order to prepare a coordinated statement/recommendation to give Council.

The commissioners normally meet the third Thursday of the month but with the annual winter concert on the Council agenda before their next official meeting they wanted to meet to provide their opinion.

They meet at the SLT Recreation Center located at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd, South Lake Tahoe. Start time for the special meeting is 3:00 p.m.

In 2014, City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) took possession of a 2013 model Ferrara ladder truck at the tune of almost $1,050,000. It was purchased to replace the aging ladder truck SLTFR had from 1982 and paid for with funds from California sales tax money devoted to public safety.

News spread through South Lake Tahoe this week that surprised and shocked many, the City Council's decision to put City Manager Nancy Kerry on indefinite leave. The council will be meeting in closed session on Monday, February 12, 2018 to discuss the situation. Their agenda item, "PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE/DISMISSAL/RELEASE Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)" starts at 9:00 a.m.

That section of code allows special and closed session meetings to consider the appointment, employment, evaluation of performance, discipline, or dismissal of a public employee.

As part of his agreement with the City of South Lake Tahoe to hold SnowGlobe on the new Community Play Fields, organizer Chad Donnelly guaranteed $250,000 to fix and/or replace the fields should they be damaged by the three-day festival December 29-31.

This opinion piece has been updated.

Many of South Lake Tahoe's roads are decades past their prime, and Measure C is in front of voters November 7 to increase taxes by one-half percent to pay for their maintenance and repair.

I support Measure C and let me tell you why, but it will have to start with a look back to see how we got here.

The second of two community meetings concerning the 2018 Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project will be held on Thursday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center and Swim Complex at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.

A criminal investigation is underway in Douglas County after their County Manager was informed about alleged thefts of tires and possible other improprieties by two different sources.T

The Nevada Division of Investigation has been conducting the investigation since the allegations first surfaced in March of 2017. The Douglas County District Attorney also immediately initiated an internal investigation into the matter which allegedly took place within the Public Works Department. Both investigations are ongoing.

Roadwork stops in South Lake Tahoe at 6:00 a.m. Friday, so drivers have an easy go of it until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday as crews break for the Memorial Day holiday. Those working on the City of South Lake Tahoe roads go by the same rules as Caltrans, so both will stop for this period.

Starting Wednesday, Caltrans continues on the three-year Highway 50 project from the Y to Trout Creek. This year's work is from the Y to Tahoe Keys Boulevard. Another project is the completion of the bike trail from El Dorado Beach to Ski Run Blvd.

With millions of dollars in road repair needs ahead over the next several years, the City of South Lake Tahoe is going to move forward with plans to put a ballot measure before the voters this November.

A half-cent sales tax increase in the city limits would bring in enough funds to start a preventative maintenance program as well as fixing current problems, something Assistant Public Works Director Jim Marino said they've wanted for over ten years.

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel and her fellow supervisors have taken the first steps to create a Traction Control Ordinance for Lake Tahoe. During their meeting on March 21, approval was given for the concept of an ordinance that, once created, will be back before the Supervisors in April for final adoption.

In coordination with the Community Development Agency, Transportation Division (DOT) and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO), Novasel presented the item for vote to create safer roads during heavy snowstorms in the Lake Tahoe area.

Sierra Boulevard is about to get a whole new look that will include a better experience for bicyclists and pedestrians, streetlights and water quality improvements.

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, NCE, Inc. was awarded a contract to design the project which will run from Barbara Avenue to Palmira Avenue. They will be paid up to $610,110.

Rain is still falling in South Lake Tahoe but chain controls are starting to go up at upper elevations as snow begins to fall. Up to 1"-2" more precipitation is still expected Thursday night at the 6,200 ft elevation.

Lake level rain is forecast to end Friday with a winter storm warning in place until Saturday morning at 1:00 a.m. 4"-7" of snow is expected in South Lake Tahoe during that time.

A gas leak behind the South Lake Tahoe Raley's at the Y prompted a temporary evacuation of the store Thursday evening.

The first call came in at 4:27 p.m. and South Lake Tahoe Fire and Police departments responded. A gas leak was suspected but the gas meter that services the grocery store was buried in 25-30 feet of snow. SLT Fire Battalion Chief Tim Spencer called in the City's Public Works department who brought a front loader that was able to dig through all of the snow.

The roads around Lake Tahoe have been hard to navigate this week after several feet of snow fell in the basin after the last series of storms over the weekend. Many streets in South Lake Tahoe remain narrow and thick with snow, making it hard to drive through neighborhoods.

Just as residents struggle with all that snow left on their roofs, driveways and walkways, City snowplows are also struggling with what seemed at times as nonstop snow.

Updated 9:45 p.m. - Three cars were involved in a series of incidents on Pioneer Trail that ended with one overturned car just before 6:30 p.m. Monday night.

According to Capt. Al Martinez of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, a truck driving westbound near Price Road spun out of control on ice and ended up in a snowbank. One vehicle traveling in the opposite direction saw what happened and was able to stop, but a second car behind them had to make an evasive maneuver which resulted in an overturned car.

10:00 a.m. update 1/9/17: The City of South Lake Tahoe and the American Red Cross have closed their evacuation center in the city. One person arrived at the evacuation center last night.

"LTUSD and the Red Cross were excellent partners during last night’s storm event," said Tracy Franklin of the City of South Lake Tahoe.

The SLT Public Works department will be focusing on snow removal today. They are also working on getting the deep slushy water out of roadways. Franklin said the flood areas are still flooded and not receding at this point.

Most people who drive through South Lake Tahoe know Marcus Ashley Gallery by the large wind sculptures outside their Village Center location near Stateline, but a step inside shows so much more.

Museum quality, limited editions, world famous artists, and "wow" are just a few words that come to mind as one enters the doors at the gallery. Each turn treats the eye with beauty and wonder, and anticipation what is around the next bend.

Vail Resorts has called on the United States Congress to approve the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2015. This Act provides $415 million in funding and reauthorizes important Lake Tahoe restoration activities that began in 1997 and refocuses federal, state and local efforts toward reducing wildfire threats, improving water quality and clarity, and combating invasive species. All of these are important to the local economy at one of the most visited lakes in the world.

Thank you Jeff Munson and CarsonNow.org for the continuous coverage and updates of the fire.