SLT City Manager's report -- Agu. 5, 2007

CITY OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
Electronic Version

August 5, 2007

MANAGEMENT OBSERVATIONS

“Excellent political leadership endures. Fleeting success or actions that arouse backlashes to what a leader sought to achieve should not disqualify excellent political leadership. A prudent leader will work to ensure that achievements will endure and gain legitimacy with people by the provision of benefits, respect for the people’s interests and commitments, and links to their cultural terms of right…” J. Patrick Dobel


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS REQUEST MORE FUNDS TO PREVENT POLLUTED WATER RUNOFF FROM ANGORA FIRE BURNED AREA

State Senator David Cox and Assemblyman Ted Gaines responded to concern of City officials over the recently published BAER report. They sent a joint letter to Mike Johanns, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on August 1, 2007 that the BAER report and its “…prescribed findings and work plans established by the Forest Service are insufficient in terms of toxic runoff prevention and to prevent any large debris flows that could endanger private property. This is in addition to on-going maintenance that will be required to clear drainage facilities and roadways.” It is our contention that additional drainage collection basins be built immediately on Forest Service lands…” City officials are applauding their support to protect the environment from the post-fire rains.

Copies of the letter were sent to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Doolittle, Gail Kimball (Chief of the United State Forest Service), and Teri Marceron, Forest Supervisor. Congressman Doolittle’s Office staff told me on Friday that our Congressman will be sending a letter of support for the City and County position on this matter as well.


MOU WITH TRPA FOR TREE REMOVAL IN THE WORKS
On Monday, July 6, 2007 I am meeting with the TRPA Executive Director to see if we can finalize the MOU that will allow the City Fire Department Chief and Fire Marshall to mark trees on private property within the City limits that must be removed to allow owners to create defensible space and make their properties fire safe. The City policy position is that defensible and fire prevention within the City limits is exclusively a local matter, and this agreement will help property owners. Chief Gigliotti and Fire Division Chief /Fire Marshal Zachau will be joining me.

USFS 10-YEAR FUEL REDUCTION STRATEGY PRESENTED
On August 2, 2007 USFS staff presented their proposed 10 -Year Fuel Reduction Strategy to a large group of South Shore community members at the Lake Tahoe Community College. I attended the meeting along with the Fire Chief and Fire Division Chief. Many representatives of the Fire Councils were also present.
When the opportunity arose, I expressed to all present the policy position of the City Council that fuel levels in the Basin are dangerously high and a severe risk to the environment, human and animal life, and the economy; the levels must be substantially reduced; the levels must be reduced well in advance of the 10-Year USFS model; all proven mechanical and fuel reduction means must be employed to rid the Basin of catastrophic fire; and the regulations governing fuel reduction in the Basin must be changed to allow for fuel removal on an expedited basis.

UPDATE ON CITY PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES

Tahoe Valley Community Plan

Work by Pacific Municipal Consultants on the environmental impact report has begun. The timeline projected for completion of the EIR under California law and the deadlines imposed for notice, publication, comment etc will bring the final EIR to the City Council by November 2008. Once the EIR is certified, the preferred plan option can then be approved by the City Council and submitted to the TRPA Governing Board for approval.

A rumor is circulating in some regulatory agencies I am told that City government’s examination of higher density development at the Wye (Y) is simply attempted “code avoidance” by City officials and SMART Growth advocates. Nothing can be further from the truth. The higher density option is being examined to explore ways to encourage private-sector investment with a reasonable ROI to invest in attractive mixed-used and workforce housing within designated areas of the proposed Tahoe Valley Community Plan Area. In the final analysis, the economics of workforce housing may allow less density and height than being studied, but the option to be examined and evaluated before the City Council makes a final decision and recommendation to TRPA. Studying something is not adopting it, and unless matters are studied the status quo always remains the norm.

Joint Facilities

Work continues to examine the feasibility and cost to build joint facilities. School District and City representatives recently met. District officials need to establish the value of the property proposed for the joint facility and they have commissioned an appraisal. The appraisal should be received by September 1, 2007.

Murray/Downs Architects will be scheduling a meeting with City staff to discuss preliminary space needs in the next week or so. This was arranged by the LTUSD.

56 Acre – Recreation and Access Project

Manuela King of RHAA will provide the City Council with an update on the 5th Steering Committee meeting held at your next City Council meeting on August 7, 2007.

Development of the City’s Storm Drainage Master Plan

An update on the status of the plan being prepared by Kennedy/Jenks should be ready for presentation to the City Council for your August 21, 2007 meeting.

Public Works staff is working closely with staff of the RWQCB (Lahontan) on the Storm Water Management Plan process including the NPDES and storm water management components. Lahontan staff requested a few changes in our NPDES plan and additional information on the NPDES component, and Kennedy-Jenks provided additional information and responses.

PROPERTY EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE CITY AND CTC EXAMINED

Darin Dinsmore of Regional Planning Partners will make a power-point presentation to the City Council at your August 7th meeting regarding workforce housing in mountain communities and an update on P-7.

As we search for suitable locations to build quality and attractive workforce housing, staff is examining lands that are available in the City limits that are not environmentally sensitive. On August 2, 2007 the Mayor (as a CTC Board member) and I met with staff of the California Tahoe Conservancy (Ray Lacey, Bruce Eisner and Peter Eichar) to discuss how we would examine property exchange between our two agencies for a wide variety of public purpose (e.g. workforce housing, drainage facilities co-located with parks etc). CTC staff mentioned the importance of ensuring that the discussion and process for examining these exchanges be done in an open and transparent process. The Mayor and I agreed that openness and transparency is an important component of our work.

City staff and consultants are examining publicly held sites that could be used for storm drainage and park facilities and ones that are suitable for workforce housing. CTC is examining open-space properties owned by the City outside of the City limits that may serve CTC interests.

Mr. Eisner outlined a process for exploring land exchanges that I am sharing with appropriate City staff. Essentially, both the CTC and City will prepare a list of properties to be considered for exchange by APN, and acreage, structures if any, deed restrictions, source of funds to purchase property etc. The list of the CTC and City will then be examined to see if it can be transferred and whether the exchanged properties meets the needs of the other party.

I am assigning the Director of Parks and Recreation, Director of Public Works, and the Director of Redevelopment and Housing to work with CTC staff in developing our respective lists.

Highway 50 Environmental Improvement, Safety and Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Project

Last week I sent a letter to the Caltrans District Director of Transportation for discussing with her concerns about the Highway 50 Project. The letter described history of the project, the fact that important components in the project continue to be reduced, and the frustration with not having TRPA and Caltrans support to the State and Federal government for full funding of the entire project. I expressed the concern that the City Council sees the installation of pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA improvements as important components. I spoke with the District Director about the letter and our concerns as well.

The Director of Public Works notes, “At this juncture the start date for the construction of the Phase I project from Trout Creek to Ski Run Boulevard is May 1, 2009. It is unknown whether the project can be done in a single summer or multiple summers. Once they bid the project in December of 2008, we will have a better idea. At this time they plan to continue the road work without any walkways, lighting or landscaping from Ski Run Boulevard to Stateline with a finish date of 2012. Caltrans has been asked to give their semi-annual update on the Highway 50 Project,…” The next report will be made to the City Council at your August 21, 2007 meeting.

TRPA Demo Project

The Community Development Director reports the following:

“I would like to clarify that a mixed use project in the vicinity of the Y can be considered as a TRPA Demo Project prior to the adoption of the TVCP. However, the community plan would need to be approved prior to implementation of the project.

The projected schedule for the Demo Project process calls for 6 months to select the projects and allocate the development commodities. Then another year to submit the projects and their associated environment documents for review and approval. This should allow adequate time for the TVCP to be adopted and a Demo Project within the TVCP to proceed.”




Harrison Avenue - The Next Steps

The City Council recently heard a presentation on a proposed project to make improvements on Harrison. Staff of the California Tahoe Conservancy believes that the CTC Board would be willing to fund large portions of the project if the project is one in its entirety that meets objectives and goals of the Commission. The estimated cost of the project design submitted is $2.8 million.

The Director of Public Works reports the following:

“The amount of the supplemental grant is … $38,750. We are awaiting City Council minutes but it is our understanding that the City Council approved the conceptual plan submitted and asked staff to pursue funds for design and construction, so we are a little concerned about developing a new plan. As such I am going to amend the Harris and Associates contract before City Council to allow for the additional planning grant funds and ask the City Council for approval to accept the grant and begin work on a re-design at that same time. The major requested changes involve CTC concerns about traffic/bicycle interface and a desire for a 10’ to 12’ wide bike path instead of the 8’ path designed to date. They have also asked for the City to study other routes behind the businesses. … With the additional width of the pathway requested by the CTC, it is quite possible that there will not be enough room for parking in front of some of the stores or would only allow for parallel parking. Until we complete the re-design work and get the South Y signal funds encumbered, I have no one to work on this project. Look for a staff report in September.”

REGAN BEACH PROJECT (Reported in July 25th Management Observations)
The Director of Parks and Recreation Gary Moore reports the following:

“I met with Peter Eichar (C.T.C.) and did a walk through at Regan Beach. The C.T.C. agreed to allocate $25,000 directly to “Design Workshop” for conceptual planning design of the Regan Beach facility. Peter is starting the process at C.T.C. and in the near future we should be starting meetings and observations of the property with the design contractor.”

This CTC funding opportunity provides the City Council with a chance to examine options for Regan Beach facilities and amenities for the public. The existing facilities are tired and need attention to maximize the value of this recreation amenity to the community.

ARTIFICIAL TURF

Mayor Pro Tempore Weber tells me that he and TRPA Board members are working on a revision to TRPA rules to ensure that approved artificial turf for recreational complexes are not counted as coverage for new or rehabilitated recreational facilities. This is a positive step that will help public recreation providers throughout the Basin.

FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH SOUTH TAHOE REFUSE

The draft franchise agreement and discussion will take place at your meeting of August 7th. Action is also needed to clarify by resolution that 3% of the 9% increase in 2005 was intended to go to the company with the remainder going into a fund for the new recycling and sorting building.

DAVID JINKENS
City Manager