News Briefs
Council Adopts 2040 General Plan
TRUCKEE
On May 9, just under a month after the Town of Truckee council was originally expected to make a decision, council members moved to adopt the 2040 General Plan, Downtown Truckee Plan, and subsequent supporting ordinances and amendments. The decision came after a mid-April delay for the council to soothe community tension over allegations of unheard input. Moonshine Ink reported on reasons behind the delay and reactions in Town General Plan Adoption Delayed, Time Needed to ‘Reestablish Community Trust.’
The main organizations council members focused on meeting with from mid-April to May 9 were Mountain Area Preservation, Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe, and Tahoe Forest Hospital District The topic of proposed height of future projects on Jibboom Street was the most popular topic brought up by members of the public during group meetings, and on Tuesday evening, council members discussed adding a conversation about the revision of height standards in the town’s development code to the Draft Fiscal Years 2023 to 2025 Work Plan. This work plan, which currently recommends advancing 73 policies and action items from the 2040 General Plan, is expected to come before the council for approval in June.
Modifications to portions of the 2040 General Plan were made at the May 9 meeting at the request of MAP, including more detailed descriptions of land use policies (like LU-4.1 Adequate Industrial Land), expanded definitions (such as Riverfront Mixed Use), and additional policies (adopting an environmental justice program). CATT, too, saw its suggestions incorporated, including the addition of a greenhouse gas reduction analysis to the Climate Action Plan portion of the general plan.
“This plan is really a reflection of the public input over the last five years,” said Councilmember Jan Zabriskie at the end of the meeting. “We adopted an awful lot of what MAP recommended; it’s a better plan because of their contributions. I would say the same for CATT and the hospital and so many individuals who also participated. Richard Anderson’s piece on the groundwater-dependent ecosystems … Rolf Godon got us to put in a stronger tree-growing preservation program … This plan is full of community input and the staff put in an extraordinary number of hours. I think it’s time to get going on implementing this.”
TFHD’s next steps are not yet certain. Moonshine Ink is actively reporting on what direction the hospital district will take to proceed with its proposed master plan now that it will not be incorporated into the general plan update.
Watch the full council meeting, which culminated in the general plan’s adoption, here. The updated changes are available here.
~ AH
Community Hospital to Add Mammography Services
INCLINE VILLAGE
Tahoe Forest Health System announces that the Incline Village Community Hospital Foundation was awarded a $1.9 million grant by the Helmsley Charitable Trust to support 3D mammography equipment for Incline Village Community Hospital. This grant will cover the cost of the equipment as well as the renovation expenses associated with providing this new service line at IVCH.
Walter Panzirer, a trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said this grant will help improve access to essential breast cancer screening closer to home and provide earlier breast cancer detection.
“Long travel times to a facility offering mammography greatly limits access to breast cancer screening, particularly for women living in rural areas like Incline Village,” Panzirer said. “This grant will increase access to mammography breast cancer screening.”
The TFHS diagnostic imaging department identified that there are approximately 4,400 females between the ages of 40 and 100 who live in Incline Village and qualify for mammography screening services. Currently, accessing this care requires driving between 25 and 40 miles.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust recently added Nevada as the eighth state in its rural healthcare program, providing grants to help 10 Nevada hospitals purchase state-of-the-art diagnostic and radiology equipment. In the last decade, the Helmsley’s rural healthcare program has awarded more than $600 million to organizations and initiatives aimed at improving healthcare for rural patients. For more information on the grant efforts of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, visit helmsleytrust.org.
~ TFHS press release
Business Briefs
Ski California, Palisades Tahoe Win Safety Awards
OLYMPIC VALLEY
Ski California was selected as the 2023 Best Guest Safety Program award winner by the National Ski Areas Association at its national convention for the creation and effective use of its digital Mountain Safety Guide. Additionally, NSAA selected Palisades Tahoe, a Ski California member resort, for the Best Overall Safety Program for a large resort. This marks only the second time a state association has been honored with a prestigious NSAA safety award; Ski California was first honored in 2018 for the print version of the Mountain Safety Guide.
In its first season, nearly all of Ski California’s downhill resorts leveraged and promoted the guide through their channels at some point in the season, including integration into websites, blogs, resort apps, social media posts, employee orientations and safety meetings, online ticket and pass sales portals, promotion in high-traffic areas, and more. At launch, site traffic exceeded the hosting limit of the server and an upgrade was required to accommodate site visitors. And because of online translation tools, the guide is viewable in languages other than English.
Designed to be relevant to skiers and riders of all experience and ability levels, the Ski California Mountain Safety Guide features the common set of safety guidelines used at member resorts in California and Nevada.
Completing the safety quiz at the end of the guide with at least 80% accuracy entered participants for a chance to win one of two 2023/2024 unrestricted Ski California Gold Passes. This spring, due to continuous snowfall that extended the winter season for many Ski California member resorts, a robust new prize package was unveiled to encourage skiers and riders to continue to review the guide and take the quiz. Skiers and riders have until July 1, 2023, to review the Mountain Safety Guide, take the quiz, and be entered for a chance to win the Ski California prize package that includes Praxis skis or a Jones snowboard, four 2023/24 lift tickets to the Ski California member resort of their choice, Ski California and resort swag, and more.
Ski California, in collaboration with its design partner, MMGY Origin, intends to make the Mountain Safety Guide available for customization by other industry associations.
View Ski California Mountain Safety Guide and take the quiz at safety.skicalifornia.org.
~ Ski California press release
