By Jessie Marchesseau

MEYERS – At a special meeting last week, the Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District board of directors unanimously approved a resolution to convert the resort improvement district to a recreation and park district.

One of only seven RIDs remaining in the state. The TPRID board has been discussing this move for years. With a January 2018 deadline looming, the board finally made its decision on June 15.

After confirming any and all permits, possessions, funds, etc. would transfer with the park including the water rights to continue filling Lake Baron, it was established that the change will have very little effect on the park or the district. Changes will mainly be seen in two areas: the board and the name.

Tahoe Paradise Park visitors should not notice any difference with not being a resort improvement district. Photo/Jessie Marchesseau

Jose Henriquez, executive officer for El Dorado Local Agency Formation Commission, who will be assisting the district with the conversion, advised the board upon Judy Clot’s inquiry, the park’s name can remain the same and the name of the entity will change from Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District to Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District. As for the board, under the RID legislation of 1961, the district 5 supervisor, currently Sue Novasel, was to be one of the board members. The newer legislation which governs RPDs considers that an incompatible office. As a result, Novasel must step down from the board once the conversion is complete, and the fifth seat will be filled by another member of the community.

Other than that, it is expected to be business as usual for Tahoe Paradise Park once the conversion is made.

“The day to day operations of the park and district will not change,” Hernandez said.

So why bother switching?

Henriquez explained that the legislation allowing RIDs was created in 1961 and done away with in 1965. Therefore, they are operating under an antiquated set of rules and regulations which never get updated; they are basically stuck in the ’60s. By changing, they can take advantage of newer laws.

“You’re operating under a new, more modern statute which has ties to major pieces of legislation passed by voters and by the legislature,” he said.

Hernandez used a car analogy to describe the benefits of the change:

“It’s like driving an old Soviet-style car: it might still get you to where you need to go, from place to place, but no one’s making any parts for it; it’s badly in need of repairs and it’s completely unreliable,” he said. “So you’re basically switching from a 1980s Yugo to a Toyota Camry. It’s a good reliable car with modern features.”

Now that LAFCo has been given the go-ahead to start the conversion to this newer, more modern type of public district, the conversion process will still take several months. Once the final analysis is complete and approved by the commission, there will be a public hearing on the issue. Henriquez estimates this will happen sometime around October.

January 2018 is the deadline set forth by Senate Bill 1023 for RIDs to take advantage of an expedited and reduced cost conversion. The bill, passed in 2010, was designed to encourage the remaining RIDs to convert to more modern community services districts. In TPRID’s case, because it is so small in size and purpose (its sole purpose is to operate Tahoe Paradise Park), it was approved to convert to a recreation and park district.

The topic has been discussed at several recent TPRID meetings, as well as numerous meetings over the last seven years. Only five people in addition to the board were in attendance at Thursday’s meeting for the final vote, including Henriquez and this reporter.

Before the meeting adjourned, board members also mentioned they are starting to look for a part time park aide, the new fees for tennis and pickle ball will go into effect soon, and they are still waiting on a report from TRPA regarding the beach.

The next board meeting for TPRID will be June 22 at 6pm.