Recall of Fallen Leaf Lake board members progresses

By Susan Wood

A petition to recall two board members of the Fallen Leaf Lake Community Services District has been certified, the El Dorado County Elections Department confirmed Tuesday.

The filing targets President Mike Kraft and board member Eric Thaden for what a disgruntled group of Fallen Leaf Lake citizens labels an “unresponsiveness” to their constituencies. A dispute over the ouster of longtime store and marina operator John and Ruth Rich has spurred controversy for nearly a year. The board has since chosen a new concessionaire, with Rob and Sandy Wirth planning to get the hub of the village outside South Lake Tahoe running by Memorial Day weekend.

Petitioners collected more than the necessary 48 signatures – 30 percent of the registered voters in the district. Residents will pay for the election. The board will meet Saturday at 11am in the Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Station at 241 Fallen Leaf Lake Road. The board is expected to call the election and has two weeks to set the date, or the Elections Department will do it for the board.

An Aug. 31 election has already been set to replace the seat vacated by former President Dana Clark, who cited the negativity of the concessionaire issue as his reason for leaving.

Also on the agenda for Saturday’s meeting is an update by interim General Manager Tom Barnes on upgrades to the store and marina; a progress report from the Wirths on their preparations; the continuation of the special fire district tax; and a discussion of an emergency plan for the village.