SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On Tuesday, city council met for the last time this calendar year to discuss the mid-town area plan, South Tahoe Refuse’s rate increases and the Heavenly parking agreement.
Heather Horgan was sworn into city council and began serving immediately. She will serve until November 2026.
Council also discussed black bear management during the meeting.
During public comment, Lou Pierini requested that the council consider placing Measure T, which prohibited short-term vacation home rentals in residential areas, back on the ballot.
Consent agenda
On the consent agenda, Melissa Soderston spoke on item 7, the investment portfolio report. “It’s Divestment December,” she said, referring to activist strategies of divesting en masse as a protest strategy. “Even as a small municipality, we represent every single person who lives in our community. Our tax dollars do not belong in Israel and unaliving innocent women and children.”
Item 13 was pulled by Councilmember David Jinkens, which concerned the Mid-Town Area Plan. Mayor Cody Bass had to recuse himself from the item due to his business being located in the area plan. Jinkens was interested in requesting an evaluation of the impact on fire evacuation routes and an economic impact report to be added to the environmental analysis of the area plan.
Director of development services Zach Thomas clarified that the environmental analysis scope already included fire evacuation routes as an impact. City manager Joe Irvin also stated that he would look into potential economic impacts, but that it would not be covered by an environmental analysis report.
Public comment on the item largely concerned the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA) involvement in the environmental analysis, as they felt the TRPA was ineffective. Councilmember Scott Robbins said he was unhappy with the TRPA’s work, but that the council was beholden to them as a federal entity and that it was necessary to work with them in order to allow businesses to utilize the area plan.
Steve Teshara spoke in support of getting the environmental analysis underway to revitalize Mid-Town.
Thomas also clarified that the city will function as the lead agency in the review, not the TRPA.
Rate increase
Sustainability coordinator Sara Letton presented on the South Tahoe Refuse interim year 2026 and Senate Bill 1383 rate increases. The increase is 5.10% for South Tahoe Refuse’s interim year and 5.08% for SB 1383, totaling $4.38 for residential customers and $5.01 per cubic yard for commercial customers on January 1, 2026.
Letton said that they received 39 protests, but would have needed 4,200 to stop the rate increase. While public comment was against the rate increase, the council ultimately passed the rate increase.
Heavenly parking agreement
Assistant city manager Hilary Roverud brought back the Heavenly parking agreement, which proposed an annual payment of $45,000 with a 4% increase each year. The parking agreement would not cover a community service officer, as clarified by Robbins, but would allow on-street parking on Ski Run, Saddle Road, and areas of Keller Road.
Bass said that he felt that the parking agreement would be helpful for locals and was in support of it. Robbins, who has continued to vocally disagree with decisions around Heavenly, said, “You’re out of your minds. This doesn’t even fund the cost of a CSO.”
The parking agreement passed with a no vote from Robbins.
City staff and council reports
Councilmember Keith Roberts noted that the Clean Tahoe program recommended that Sara Letton take the position on the board rather than having two councilmembers on the board.
Irvin noted that the Festival of Winter Lights and the Gingerbread Making Festival both take place this weekend.
Jinkens attended the fundraiser for the Presbyterian Church at Lake Tahoe Pizza Company, where they raised $6,000 for the church. He also requested that a number of items be followed up on, including the senior plaza and Margaritaville.
Robbins and Jinkens both saw that the emergency repairs at Lakeview Commons and El Dorado Beach had eroded and were interested in having it addressed. Irvin said that it was an item for the January 27 meeting.
The next meeting for city council will take place on January 13. The unfinished new business items were moved to that meeting.
