News Briefs
Planning Commission Unanimously Recommends Approval of Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan
OLYMPIC VALLEY
On April 16, the Placer County Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan to the Placer County Board of Supervisors.
The Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan, which will be considered for approval by the Placer County Board of Supervisors in May, reflects significant public input gathered during more than 300 community meetings. The current proposal represents the culmination of a 14-year fight over the future of Tahoe — and a flurry of collaborative negotiations between the developer and conservationists.
The updated plan also reflects direct collaboration with Sierra Watch and League to Save Lake Tahoe, resulting in a revised approach that incorporates meaningful reductions and refinements based on community and stakeholder feedback. Year after year, thousands of volunteers engaged in the struggle to protect their mountain values, sending letters to officials, turning out for public hearings, and even marching in parades. Year after year, thousands of volunteers engaged in the struggle to protect their mountain values, sending letters to officials, turning out for public hearings, and even marching in parades.
As part of this collaboration, the plan reduces the overall scale of development, scaled down by 72%. Development has also been shifted away from Shirley Canyon, resulting in an approximate 24% increase in open space zoning within the main village, including roughly 40 acres designated for village-forest recreation and village-conservation preserve. The plan also emphasizes a more connected, walkable village experience, with improved access linking the village directly to the Truckee River bike path.
The plan, which would be built almost entirely on existing asphalt parking lots and other previously disturbed areas, proposes a mix of lodging types and includes new, dedicated on-site workforce housing for up to 296 employees, with accommodations for at least 200 employees within Olympic Valley. Additional components include restoration of Washeshu Creek, a $2 million TRPA Mobility Fee to support regional transportation initiatives, $800,000 in regional community contributions, $500,000 dedicated to employee housing initiatives, and a 2.5% short-term lodging fee projected to generate approximately $1 million annually to support workforce housing and transportation.
Placer County Planning Commissioner Robyn Dahlgren voiced her support: “This is a great model. It seems like you’ve all come together and the project respects what you want for the future.”
The planning commission vote is technically a recommendation; the county board of supervisors will make the final decision in a future hearing.
Learn more at placer.ca.gov/8213/village-at-palisades-tahoe-specific-plan.
~ Palisades Tahoe, Sierra Watch press releases
Open BriefCounty Launches New Emergency Alerts System: Nevada County Alerts
NEVADA COUNTY
Nevada County is transitioning to a new opt-in alert and warning system, Nevada County Alerts, which will replace CodeRED. This platform will deliver critical information to residents during emergencies.
The Nevada County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with vendor HQE, which will support the new Nevada County Alerts platform. HQE is the chosen vendor of Marin, Sonoma, and Yuba counties.
Residents are encouraged to register for Nevada County Alerts to ensure they receive notifications during incidents such as wildfires, severe weather, and other public safety emergencies. Those previously enrolled in CodeRED should re-enroll in the new system to update and verify their information to receive alerts.
Nevada County residents can sign up for Nevada County Alerts by:
- Visiting readynevadacounty.org/emergencyalerts
- Calling 2-1-1 or 1-833-DIAL211 to receive assistance from a connecting point call agent
A countywide test of the Nevada County Alert System will occur in late May.
Opt-in alert and warning is one of several ways that Nevada County alerts residents in the event of disaster. Other mechanisms include:
- Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): Notifications to cellphones based on location. WEAs do not require registration and are issued by the local government as part of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
- Emergency Alert System (EAS): Alerts radio listeners and TV viewers. EAS do not require registration and are issued by the local government as part of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
- Hi-Low Siren: Alerts neighborhoods of an Evacuation Order using a European-style, two-tone siren.
- Town of Truckee MOU: An MOU has been established with the Town of Truckee for “alert on behalf,” allowing for redundant capability of cross-jurisdiction alerting.
For more information and to register for Nevada County Alerts, visit readynevadacounty.org/emergencyalerts.
~ Nevada County Office of Emergency Services
Open BriefLocal Artist Sent to Hospital
LAKE TAHOE
Lauren Bobowski-Salm, owner of Lala Jewelry who sells at various Tahoe City locations, suffered from an inner ear infection that spread to her brain. Bobowski-Salm is currently in the hospital after undergoing surgery as a result of the infection.
Bobowski-Salm’s husband, Ryan Salm, started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs of the treatment. In the GoFundMe, he wrote, “Like many creatives, she doesn’t have the financial safety net to absorb the burden of unexpected medical expenses easily. Between hospital bills, surgery costs, an emergency medivac (Care Flight) from Reno to Salt Lake City, and the time she will need to heal and recover, the financial strain is significant.”
Find the GoFundMe here.
~ MR
Open BriefALERTWildfire Camera Wins Tahoe Fund Project Madness Competition
LAKE TAHOE
With the arrival of spring, the Tahoe Fund launched its annual March Madness campaign, bringing a new twist to a community favorite. Sixteen impactful projects competed head-to-head in a bracket-style voting tournament. Thousands of Lake Tahoe community members voted for their favorite matchups and ultimately chose the ALERTWildfire Camera to win the $10,000 prize.
In past years, the Tahoe Fund’s March Madness competition invited the public to vote on Tahoe favorites like trails, beaches, and peaks. This year, the focus shifted to spotlighting and supporting the incredible partner organizations working to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.
Over 100 Tahoe area fires have been stopped before reaching 1 acre thanks to the existing ALERTWildfire camera network, run by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Seismological Laboratory. Last summer the Tahoe Fund and Tahoe Prosperity Center launched a fundraising campaign to install an ALERTWildfire camera on USFS lands in Blackwood Canyon to close a major detection gap on the West Shore and across the lake in Incline Village.
After a successful campaign, a temporary camera was installed to provide immediate support during the last fire season. A permanent camera will be installed next year thanks in part to the additional funding awarded through the Tahoe Project Madness competition.
While the winning project took home the $10,000 prize, all 16 featured projects received a combined $700,000 in funding from the Tahoe Fund during its last fiscal year.
To learn more about this project, visit tahoefund.org/wildfirecamera.
~ Tahoe Fund press release
Open BriefAmid Forest Service Restructuring, Local Divisions Anticipate No Changes
TRUCKEE/TAHOE
The March 31 announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service, calling for a move in headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as “sweeping restructuring of the agency,” is not expected to impact regional divisions.
Moonshine Ink contacted both the Tahoe National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit offices, and received the same response:
“USDA’s announcement includes no changes for forest or district offices or their staffing. The [Tahoe National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit are] committed to ensuring that all operations — including wildfire readiness and response — continue without interruption. The Forest Service’s fire readiness and response remain unchanged, and our operational firefighters and aviation resources continue to support wildfire response.“
The move places “leadership closer to the lands they manage,” as noted by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in the USDA press release, and shifts from a regional model to a state-focused one.
“Under the new model, 15 state directors will be distributed throughout the country to oversee Forest Service operations within one or more states,” continued the press release. “State directors will serve as national leaders with primary oversight of forest supervisors, operational priorities, and relationships with states, tribes, and other partners. Each state office will include a small leadership support team responsible for functions such as legislative affairs, communications, and intergovernmental coordination.”
Placerville will serve as the location for California’s operational service center, based on existing workforce, operational needs, proximity to resources, and more.
The announcement comes just over a year after 10% of Forest Service staff were laid off, on Feb. 14, 2025, and its lingering impacts.
~ AH
Open BriefCalifornia’s Solar Exclusion is Set to Expire
NEVADA COUNTY
Nevada County Assessor Rolf Kleinhans advises property owners considering solar panel installation to plan ahead, as California’s property tax exclusion for active solar energy systems is scheduled to expire on Jan. 1, 2027, unless the state extends it.
The state’s Active Solar Energy System Exclusion allowed many homeowners to add solar energy systems without increasing their property tax assessment. After the sunset date, new solar installations may be treated as taxable new construction. Homeowners with existing solar systems will continue to receive the exclusion, even when the law sunsets.
The property tax incentive for installing an active solar energy system is provided as a new construction exclusion. This means that installing a qualifying solar energy system does not increase or decrease the assessed value of an existing property for tax purposes.
For additional information about the Active Solar Energy System Exclusion, please visit the California State Board of Equalization’s Active Solar Energy System Exclusion.
~ Nevada County Assessor’s Office press release
Open BriefMain Street Secures Permits for Gateway Roundabout Improvements
INCLINE VILLAGE
The gateway to Lake Tahoe from Reno begins at the intersection of Mt. Rose Highway and state Route 28, where a traffic circle installed in 2012 directs visitors east to Incline Village and west to Crystal Bay. Washoe Tahoe is known as the “gem of Washoe County,” and the gateway roundabout is home to a collection of bronze animal sculptures created by renowned local artist June Brown.
Fourteen years later, enhancements are needed to improve both safety for visitors and the sculptures, as well as overall aesthetics. The Incline Village Main Street initiative is leading these improvements, with irrigation as a key component to support additional perennials and trees. Iconic granite boulders will be incorporated to reflect the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe’s east shore.
This project represents a true public-private collaboration, with strong community involvement, particularly in fundraising efforts, helping bring the vision to life.
Improving aesthetics to reflect the natural beauty of the East Shore and safety are the goals of the planned improvements. Iconic granite boulders, fir and aspen trees, and a succession of perennials are part of the new design. Irrigation will be installed to support the new plantings. The entire traffic circle will be mounded higher to improve visibility. The bronze animal sculptures will be repositioned on the roundabout.
~ Incline Village Crystal Bay Business & Community Association press release
Open BriefTDPUD Approves Energy Resources Agreement, Reviews Electric Reliability
TRUCKEE
The Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) Board of Directors recently approved an updated energy resource contract, approved a contract to conduct a customer survey, reviewed monthly electric reliability statistics, continued capital investments in TDPUD’s electric and water system, and nominated a local agency leader to represent the region in local government.
TDPUD is part of a 50-member collective called UAMPS (Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems), and purchases power to serve Truckee through this group. TDPUD gets power from a variety of UAMPS sources including the Horse Butte Wind project in Idaho and Nebo Gas plant in Utah. The UAMPS members also leverage resources for power purchase agreements and market purchases. One additional benefit of participating in UAMPS is the Pool Project where members combine load and resources amongst themselves to insulate from market dynamics and leverage market power. TDPUD has been a member of the UAMPS Pool Project since 2005, and the board took action to continue with an amended Pool Project that has been updated to reflect changes in wholesale energy markets.
TDPUD’s electric utility tracks outage data each month and presents those findings to the board. Key metrics measure how often outages occur, how long they last and how many customers are affected. Thanks to a mild winter and ongoing investments in system reliability and safety, the district recorded minimal outages in both March and April.
Continuing progress on its 10-year capital investment plan, TDPUD’s water department is already getting underway with its 2026 capital projects. TDPUD continues to address aging infrastructure, regulatory mandates, and opportunities to modernize the utility through the 10-year capital investment plan.
~ Truckee Donner Public Utility District press release
Open BriefAlpenglow Sports Seeks Nonprofit Beneficiaries
LAKE TAHOE
Between June 1 and 30, Alpenglow Sports will be accepting applications for two new nonprofit beneficiaries for the 2026/27 Winter Speaker Series season. As a nonprofit beneficiary of the 21st annual Winter Speaker Series, the selected organizations will have the opportunity to receive over $100,000 in direct financial support. Other benefits include comprehensive and professional marketing opportunities, a unique activation at the event, and two successive years of support. The two chosen nonprofits will join Truckee Dirt Union, Truckee Roundhouse, and Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association continuing on for their second year of support, to round out the five supported groups for the season.
The Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series is an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Tahoe’s adventure community.
The fundraising arm of the series includes giveaway (in person and online) and bar proceeds, along with anonymous donations from the Donor Party.
The Winter Speaker Series Nonprofit Selection Committee will accept applications for the 2026/27 season between June 1 and 30. Applications must be submitted by June 30 to be considered. The selected nonprofit partners for the 2026/27 season will be notified by mid-August.
Please email info@alpenglowsports.com, or head to Alpenglow Sports’ website, for the 2026/27 Winter Speaker Series nonprofit application. Please note that any organization applying to become a Winter Speaker Series beneficiary must be a certified 501c3 nonprofit in order to be eligible for selection.
~ Alpenglow Sports press release
Open BriefCounty Updates Capital Plan, Advances Key Infrastructure Projects
PLACER COUNTY
The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the updated Countywide Capital Improvement Plan, outlining a more streamlined approach to infrastructure planning and advancing a slate of projects for the coming fiscal year.
The five-year plan, covering fiscal years 2026/27 through 2030/31, serves as the county’s roadmap for major capital needs, including parks, public safety facilities, transportation, and broadband. Projects are funded separately through the county’s annual budget process.
Efforts include roadway safety upgrades, wastewater and landfill improvements, Tahoe City access enhancements, and a countywide broadband expansion project.
Project details and cost breakdowns can be found in the county’s staff presentation document.
~ Placer County press release
Open BriefNTCA Seeks Applicants for Volunteer TBID Advisory Committee
NORTH TAHOE
The North Tahoe Community Alliance is seeking candidates for a newly combined TBID Advisory Committee. This unified committee brings together the former TBID Advisory and Zone 1 committees to streamline governance, reduce duplication, and strengthen how local business assessments support the region. The application period is open through May 2 at 5 p.m.
Committee members will serve as a voice for the business community, helping guide investments that support economic health and resiliency, community vitality, and environmental stewardship. This includes projects and programs such as transportation, workforce housing, stewardship initiatives, community enhancements, and visitor-serving infrastructure.
Funding recommendations are made to the NTCA Board of Directors, who retain final authority over TBID expenditures. Engagement on the new TBID Advisory Committee is a voluntary role with monthly two-hour meetings and additional time and commitment during the grant cycle process.
Learn more or apply here.
~ North Tahoe Community Alliance press release
Open BriefMoving In, Moving On, Moving Up Briefs
Chamber Selects Cory Hunt as New Business Development Manager
NORTH TAHOE
The North Tahoe Chamber announced that Cory Hunt has been hired as its new business development manager. Responsible for cultivating opportunities for new and emerging businesses in North Tahoe, Hunt will also oversee the visitor information centers in Tahoe City and Kings Beach as hubs for business support, stewardship education, and high-quality visitor experiences that connect visitors directly to the local economy.
Hunt brings a background as a small business owner, hospitality professional, and community leader to the role. He spent over a decade building and operating businesses in San Francisco and Oakland, developing a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses. He has been actively involved in business and community organizations, including the Polk Street Merchants Association and the Oakland Uptown Downtown Nightlife Committee, and most recently supported entrepreneurs through his work with Entrepreneurs’ Organization Reno Tahoe.
Drawn to North Lake Tahoe by its outdoor lifestyle and strong sense of community, Hunt is passionate about building meaningful relationships and supporting a vibrant, resilient local business community. He started in his new role on April 6.
~ North Tahoe Chamber press release
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