Court Upholds Lake Tahoe Regional Plan
TAHOE BASIN
A federal court on April 7 ruled in favor of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, affirming an update to the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan that took years to develop.
The lawsuit was filed by the Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore in February 2013, following nearly a decade of public input to update the plan originally adopted in 1987.
The decision by U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez was based on the facts in the record used by the TRPA Governing Board to make its decision on the plan in December 2012. The court upheld the agency’s discretion to make policy decisions based on sound science and a complete record. Info: trpa.org
Lake Clarity Stabilized in 2013
TAHOE BASIN
Lake Tahoe clarity levels continued a decade-long trend of stabilization in 2013, according to the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, which reported the average annual clarity level for 2013 at 70.1 feet. While the reading represents a 5 foot decrease over the previous year, it is still above the lowest value recorded in 1997 of 64.1 feet.
Winter clarity has been improving since 1997; however, the persistent trend for summer is still one of declining clarity. Current drought conditions have also impacted clarity. Low precipitation means that less clarity-reducing pollutants are brought into the lake. Info: terc.ucdavis.edu/research/clarity.html
Kindness Campaign Launched in Local Schools
NORTH TAHOE/TRUCKEE
Six area schools — North Tahoe High, Truckee High, Incline High, Sierra Continuation, North Tahoe Middle, and Alder Creek Middle School — are launching the massive Tahoe’s Got Sole campaign, one of the largest shoe drives ever conducted in the Lake Tahoe Basin, sponsored by Think Kindness. The goal for the initiative will be to collect 10,000 pairs of gently used shoes, which will be distributed to local shelters and the needy during a free shoe day. The campaign calls for any style of shoes, spanning from high heels and athletic shoes to sandals, and will conclude at the end of May. Info: thinkkindness.org, (775) 636-8026
Watercraft Inspection Program Sees Changes
TAHOE BASIN
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board in March approved raising the fee for boat decontaminations from $25 to $35, one of the changes to the program recommended by the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinating Committee following a reduction in federal funding that helped support the program since it began in 2009.
This is the first significant fee increase since 2011. All other fees will remain the same. Additionally, the Homewood inspection station, which conducted only 8 percent of inspections last year, will close, and the committee is considering changing the hours of operation at Meyers, Spooner, and Alpine Meadows inspection stations to close at 5:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Info: tahoeboatinspections.com
Downtown Association Hires New Executive Director
TAHOE CITY
Stacie Lyans, a leader with more than 10 years of professional experience in public relations, marketing, recruitment, and event planning, is the new executive director of the Tahoe City Downtown Association.
Lyans has spent the past decade as the assistant director of admissions for her alma mater, Humboldt State University, where she helped the school reach record enrollment for the past several years. She will begin her new position on May 1. Info: (530) 583-3348, visittahoecity.com
Work Begins on Kings Beach Commercial Core Project
KINGS BEACH
Construction of the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project began in April. One of the first changes is altering the four-lane Highway 28 into three lanes, and making Brook Avenue an eastbound, one-way road. Construction will occur Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.; Saturday construction will happen as needed. One lane in each direction will be kept open, and there will be no detours into streets north of the highway that run through residential neighborhoods.
Improvements on the south side of the highway between the North Tahoe Event Center and Coon Street are scheduled to be completed by July 1 and will include the new Coon Street roundabout. The project also has a new website, kingsbeachcore.info, which includes an updated construction schedule and illustrative renderings and photos.
North Tahoe and Meeks Bay Fire Enter Into Agreement
MEEKS BAY
The North Tahoe Fire and Meeks Bay Fire protection districts have entered into a mutual aid agreement for Fire Services Management and Related Services. Because John Pang, Meeks Bay fire chief for the past 19 years, retired on April 4, the two fire districts entered into a collaborative agreement, which will ensure continuity of emergency services and increased public safety by adding additional management resources and combined response of both districts.
Town Launches OpenCounter for Start-Ups
TRUCKEE
The Town of Truckee recently announced the launch of OpenCounter: Truckee. A web-based tool, OpenCounter helps budding start-ups interested in opening a business in Truckee to estimate the time, costs, and processes necessary to set up shop. OpenCounter asks the right questions, in the right order, so business owners understand the requirements, fees, processes, and time that will apply to their planned use and location. OpenCounter also collects metrics on new business development activities to inform the town’s economic development strategies, including which areas of the community have the most commercial activity, what kinds of businesses are starting, and what job generation numbers they can boast. Truckee’s investment in OpenCounter is part of its overall strategy to encourage small business development and local economic development. Info: truckee.opencounter.us
Trout Creek Trail Project Open for Comments
TRUCKEE
The Town of Truckee has submitted an initial study/mitigated negative declaration for the Trout Creek Trail Project. The Trout Creek Trail is proposed to connect Northwoods Boulevard near Coyote Moon Golf Course to downtown Truckee at Bridge Street just north of Highway 80. The proposed trail is a 10-foot-wide paved trail along the future alignment of the third Tahoe Donner Connector and along portions of Trout Creek. The trail is approximately 7,900 feet long. While future trail sections within Tahoe Donner are described in the town’s Trails and Bikeways Master Plan, this is the only section being considered at this time. Any comments on the mitigated negative declaration must be submitted by April 22 to Jessica Thompson, associate engineer, at jthompson@townoftruckee.com.
