SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – City council approved a geothermal energy feasibility study for snowmelt at the Recreation and Aquatics Center while installing a gas boiler in the meantime, passed a new ordinance that revises how city code treats abandoned or damaged buildings in the city and directed staff to advocate for certain housing priorities as the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency moves forward with newly drafted policies at its meeting on Tuesday.
Council also passed the first reading of an ordinance expanding the ability for businesses to use sandwich boards while restricting their appearance and delayed the first reading of an item that would increase the monthly salary of city council members after this reporter pointed out a mathematical error that would have violated state law.
Council’s regional housing priorities
City staff presented to council about the drafted policy recommendations that came out of the third phase of TRPA’s Tahoe Living initiative titled “Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin.”
Tahoe Living is a multi-year project to make housing more accessible while preserving the natural environment in the basin.
Since the beginning of the working group, city staff has suggested prioritizing housing that is affordable by design, only deed-restricting homes to prevent them from turning into vacation home rentals and building a regulatory framework that enables all communities in the Tahoe basin to mitigate the housing shortage.
City council voted to approve all of the staff recommendations that were presented to them and also directed staff to advocate for several policies in the future:
- A TRPA mandate that every single-family residential neighborhood in the basin allows “missing middle” housing like duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes, without the need for an area plan amendment. This is opposed to the TRPA supporting local jurisdictions to make the change themselves, which councilmembers noted was too passive an approach
- TRPA consideration to charge vacation home rentals commercial mitigation fees (such as for vehicle miles traveled) rather than residential ones. Or preferably, designated VHRs as Tourist Accommodation Units rather than Residential Units of Use so they are subject to unit caps and additional regulations
- For TRPA to establish a regional basin-wide equivalent of California’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation, a system to hold local jurisdictions accountable for creating affordable housing
- For TRPA to complete an economic analysis of the implications of the drafted policy recommendations to know how it will impact the city and region
TRPA’s draft policy recommendations report is currently under environmental review and has little room to make changes at this point. Later this fall, the environmental impact statement will be available for public comment over a 60-day period.
Long term, this report will shape how TRPA approves future housing development and what fees, incentives and restrictions are in place to make that happen.
TPRA will approve the report sometime next year, and ultimately make amendments to its Regional Plan and Code of Ordinances to reflect the recommendations. TRPA staff, governing board, planning commission and the Tahoe Living Working Group worked together to shape the policy recommendations draft.
Tahoe Living Working Group is a collective of experts, local government officials and non-profit leaders — including Mayor Cody Bass and City Housing Director Jessica Wackenhut Lomeli — who are shaping the Tahoe Living Initiative.
City council voted unanimously on the advocacy direction.
Abandoned building ordinance passes
City council passed a new ordinance that revises how city code treats abandoned or damaged buildings in the city. The council initially discussed the ordinance at its Sept. 22 meeting and passed the ordinance unanimously on Tuesday’s consent agenda.
The ordinance gives city staff more discretion when dealing with owners of an eligible abandoned or “substantially damaged nondwelling structure.”
“I think this should be interpreted as a message from the council to staff to get serious with properties that are being purposefully and flagrantly in violation of their responsibilities as property owners,” Councilmember Scott Robbins said at the Sept. 22 meeting.
City council votes to study feasibility of geothermal energy
City council directed staff to complete a feasibility study for using geothermal energy to melt snow on the walkway to the Recreation & Aquatics Center, while also approving the installation of a gas boiler in the meantime.
During construction, crews added hydronic infrastructure below the walkway that just needs an energy source to be functional.
Council approved this dual option 4-1, with Councilmember Robbins voting against it. Robbins did not want the council to approve the new gas boiler, instead wanting to use traditional snow removal techniques while completing the geothermal feasibility study.
Most council members expressed hesitation to use additional fossil fuels, but the four who voted yes said they valued the immediate public safety aspect over the relatively small amount of gas needed to keep the walkway above freezing temperature, especially in an El Nino year.
Geothermal operations would likely not be operational until summer 2028 or summer 2029, according to the staff report. The public works director said at the meeting that three years for geothermal implementation was optimistic.
Mayor Cody Bass said the feasibility study could become a long-term road map to create a city-wide network of geothermal pavement heating.
Expanding how businesses can use sandwich board advertising
City council had its first reading of a new ordinance expanding the ability for businesses to put temporary signs, primarily A-frame sandwich boards, to advertise and draw customers in from the street. City council will vote on the proposed changes to city code at its Nov. 3 meeting.
The planning commission approved the changes 3-1 at its Sept. 17 meeting.
The ordinance aims to make signage more equitable by allowing one sign per business, not land parcel, so every business has the opportunity to put up a sign at multi-business parcels like Heavenly Village.
It would increase the hours businesses are allowed to put temporary signs up to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, when signs were previously only permitted on weekends and holidays. And city staff recommended limiting signs to six square feet per side with a height of four feet maximum and specifying the acceptable sign materials, colors, and maintenance.
City council revised the ordinance at the meeting to specify that all new sandwich boards that are purchased must not have the appearance of being made out of plastic to preserve city aesthetics.
It also added in that the ordinance will sunset 18 months from adoption to ensure the council will review the impact of the ordinance after next summer. Council can then choose to extend it or modify it.
City council considers giving itself a raise
City council was set to introduce an ordinance that would increase the monthly salary of its members from $1,394 to $1,687 and schedule it for adoption next month. This item was delayed until the Nov. 3 meeting after this reporter approached the city clerk and finance director during recess to point out a mathematical error.
California state law allows city councils to increase their compensation up to 5% every calendar year, cumulatively, but the $293 raise on the agenda was a 21% raise over the two year period since its last increase.
At the meeting, staff corrected the new proposed monthly salary to $1,537, which is a $143 increase instead.
City council discussed the issue anyway to clarify its intentions when the item comes up again.
Councilmembers Heather Horgan and David Jinkins said they will abstain from the vote. Jinkins said money should not be the reason people run for public office, but he still hopes to encourage as many people as possible to run for public office.
Mayor Cody Bass was the biggest proponent of the raise from the dais, calling it a “disservice to future councils” to not increase their pay at the 5% rate, and that only wealthy people will be able to afford to run for city council if it doesn’t maintain its compensation. Bass is not running for reelection this year.
Councilmember Scott Robbins echoed Bass’s concerns saying that without pay, the only people who will run will be independently wealthy or have vested financial interests in council decisions.
Both Bass and Robbins noted that with the number of hours they spend on council activities each week, their compensation comes to less than minimum wage.
The raise every two years before the election is fairly standard to keep pace with inflation, which averaged 2.9% since January 2025, staff wrote in its report. The city clerk noted that each time she has brought the possibility of a 5% raise to council, no council has denied or decreased it.
The raise would be effective January 23, 2027, exactly two years since councilmembers last received a raise. City council will reintroduce the ordinance with the correct numbers at its Nov. 3 meeting.
