Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News is profiling candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council and Douglas County Commission. The stories are being published in the order they were received.

Name: Angela Swanson

Age: 49

How long have you lived in South Lake Tahoe?: 17 years

Job/profession: School facilities planning consultant

Angela Swanson

What would you build or tear down on the South Shore to make it great, as in what Whistler is like?:

Whistler has done a good job of creating vibrant centers for art, recreation, and government that are lacking in South Lake Tahoe. As a start to create those centers, I’d love to see the Mikasa complex replaced with a quality mixed-use project featuring live/work lofts, ground floor retail, a reconfigured parking lot, and native landscaping. That corner should symbolize the convergence of our urban core and the Highway 89 scenic/recreation corridor. Having served on the 56-acre [Lakeview Commons] steering committee, I am committed to realizing that site’s potential as the arts/cultural hub for the city. We must work to achieve the planned community center complex featuring an updated museum, arts facility, expanded library and outdoor meeting areas. These improvements are the perfect complement to the improvements at El Dorado Beach, the campground and on Harrison Avenue. The time is ripe to resume work with Harrison Avenue businesses and residents. Last, let’s take our recreational facilities to a new level. Our recreation-based economy requires improved and expanded playfields, particularly in the area off Rufus Allen and Al Tahoe, in order to serve locals and visitors alike.

What form of recreation do you participate in? What recreation improvements would you strive to make in SLT?:

I have just started bicycling again and enjoy our beaches and walking our trails. I particularly love to spend time at Valhalla and Tallac. As a parent of two teens, I spend a lot of time at our sports playfields, too.

It’s a conundrum that much of our recreational facilities and infrastructure are in poor condition when we live in nature’s paradise. Bike paths – the stretch along Eloise is a mess, for instance – are in terrible shape, our playfields overused and in need of upgrades. We are slow to embrace the niche markets for geo-tourism such as paddleboarding. I’m not an expert in this area, so my approach is to fix these problems collaboratively with the Parks Commission, our Parks and Rec staff and community groups that understand the specific needs. This is a high priority if we want to truly embrace the vision for diversified tourism.

Recreation tourism is expected to be the driving force of the South Shore economy in the coming years, and according to a decade-old study, the majority of the South Lake Tahoe residents would like to see cycling-type facilities and maintenance projects. So, what do you specifically plan to do to improve our substandard, dangerous bike paths and lanes and roads beyond hiring a consultant to tell us how bad they are?:

The mistake made in the past is that we built infrastructure without funding for maintenance. Our challenge is to implement those improvements – and the primary obstacle is funding. One thought is to revise the rules governing air and water mitigation fund accounts that would be logical sources to provide funding to be diverted to maintenance and operation of the bike trails and facilities. The funding has been established temporarily for now and should be made permanent with the approval of the Regional Plan. These pots are logical sources to fund the improvements and provide long-term maintenance.

Additionally, we need to more actively partner with the CTC and aggressively pursue grant funding to continue the plans for bike pathways and scenic corridors. In pursuing these projects the city and its partners must dare to be bold and agree to take on the challenge of working to resolution instead of falling back into our respective corners. That old way of thinking is holding up progress like the planned trail linking Meyers to Stateline.

What are the three major issues facing South Lake Tahoe and how do you expect in four years to make it so they are not major issues when your tenure is through?:

There are too many issues to choose from and so little time to solve them! But I’d start with the obvious problems. In four years each of these can result in vision becoming reality by creating a plan, timeline and commitment to the future of our community.

* The City Council and city government culture must change for the better. Leadership, collaboration and respect will need to be a primary goal for the new council in January.

* Jobs must be created and preserved. I am an advocate for the Prosperity Plan’s vision to grow three economic sectors – tourism, wellness and environmental innovation.

* The Hole will be on its way to becoming a convention center complex. A new developer will be starting work, employing our local labor force, ending an ugly chapter in our city’s history.

What compelling idea have you read in the citizens’ input of the revamped, in-progress update of the city’s General Plan?:

Most compelling to me were actually some concerns raised through citizen input. For instance, there is the concern citizens had with the Tahoe Valley Community Plan and its incorporation into the broader General Plan. It’s of particular concern as the vision and goals for the TVCP are also integral to Redevelopment Area No. 2, which was just approved. A second compelling issue was the way stormwater drainage, a major issue in California and particularly the basin, will be handled. These issues merit a final review as the GPU nears completion. I also have a great appreciation for the value added by citizens in the Neighborhood Improvement Plans. It’s gratifying to see residents stepping forward to express their visions to preserve and improve the neighborhoods where they live.

How do you plan to boost revenue in SLT?:

The city’s largest revenue sources are property taxes, TOT, and business licensing. These streams require a strong economy to grow. The fastest boost will come with increasing the number of visitors to Tahoe and keeping them here longer. One measure I advocate for is providing some support to LTVA to keep sending the message to our prime tourist draws.

We can also do a better job of enforcement and collection of TOT on vacation rentals. The same applies to business licensing. Many businesses in the city do not register for a license. They should be identified and required to comply. All of these measures will improve our bottom line without increasing existing fees, a move our community can ill-afford in this economy.

What stands out to you in the 2010-11 budget?:

What immediately jumps out is how little of a $101 million budget is unrestricted. That matters because we know an additional $12 million must be cut over the next five years. When the options for cuts are small, it’s difficult to maintain the city’s prime responsibility to its citizens: police, fire and emergency services, snow removal, roads maintenance, parks and recreation. It will be challenging to work with a budget where the cuts could potentially impact these important services to our residents.

What needs to be done to allow businesses to thrive in SLT?:

Get out of their way! As I walk precincts, I hear regularly from small business owners that the city’s regulations and requirements are as or more, onerous than TRPA’s. There is inconsistency in the application of rules and a failure to recognize that the city must take a customer-friendly approach. Solving that problem takes training, a review of our policies and codes and support of the staff who deal with the public daily. My impression is that the city has a good staff that wants to do their best but need the support and tools to deliver.

What have you done to help South Lake Tahoe be a better community?:

It was an honor to work with the community in a leadership capacity to successfully pass and implement Measure G, a measure that’s putting local businesses – suppliers, contractors and trades people — to work. Yes, Measure G is a tax, but one delivering value, substance and jobs. It’s also proof that a public agency can and will fulfill promises to get the job done. Only 20 months after approving the bond, the district has two building completed, two more under construction and two more ready to start in the spring. And the work is attracting new students and families to the community. In addition, I was able bring my 20 years of experience working with state government agencies to help deliver $30 million in state matching funds, $12 million of that through collaboration with the grant-writing team at the high school.

What boards, commissions, or other experience do you have?:

I currently serve on the boards of two groups – the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe and the Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation and was a member of the steering committee for the Lakeview Commons (56 acre) project. I am most proud of my tenure on the Lake Tahoe USD Board of Education where we were confronted with labor negotiations, ongoing budgetary cuts, and the challenge of serving an increasingly poor population. Despite that, we managed to implement innovations like the Two Way Immersion program, retained class size reduction and revolutionized the high school with career pathway programs.

I also have 20+ years experience working with state and local governments and school districts. I understand development issues, redevelopment policy and the impacts growth and decline have on communities. I work with legislative staffs in Sacramento, worked in a congressional office and cut my teeth in politics doing grassroots organizing. These skills and experiences are important to making sure our city receives its fair share from Sacramento and is pro-active not reactive.

Why should voters vote for you over someone else?:

Passion, ability, experience. I have the passion for the work of the council. This passion gives me the energy and drive to invest the time needed to understand the issues, reach out to diverse constituencies and build the alliances needed to create good policy. My abilities were proven in governance with the school district. I understand that it’s not primarily my vision that counts, but taking the vision already out there and making it happen. I’m skilled at consensus building, working to decisions publicly and with broad input. And I play nicely in the sandbox – a skill that’s sorely needed. Experience counts. I’ve been charged with the accountability for a $30 million public agency budget, dealt with tough union negotiations, had to make cuts to programs and laid off staff. I then faced hurt and angry people affected by those cuts in the supermarket. It’s hard work that takes the ability to make the best decision for the greater good, knowing that few decisions will never make everyone happy. I’ve been there, I can do it, and I do it well.

BlueGo, the public transit, is mired in lawsuits and bankruptcy. Do we need public transit on the South Shore? If so, how do you propose to make it functional?:

Yes! Public transit has two types of riders – those who ride by choice and by necessity. This community has a large ‘necessity’ ridership that must be served. We also have the choice population that we need to motivate out of their cars and into other forms of transit. This group includes our visiting guests.

We make public transit functional by getting out of the red in the short run, improving infrastructure and restructuring operations in the mid-run and expanding ridership in the long run. BlueGo got into trouble when its budget, built on grant, state and federal subsidies, fell hundreds of thousands of dollars short and was too understaffed to manage operations, financial oversight and chasing grants. No agency in the basin, particularly the city, can subsidize this shortfall. We can’t escape the fall-out of a $500,000 deficit and our transportation budget will demand better monitoring in the future to be successful. Service options must be simplified and routes consolidated for now. It’s not a good option but it keeps buses on the road and ensures service to the segment of residents in need.

Looking ahead, the bus service suffers because there is no infrastructure to encourage ridership. Currently residents sit in the open air on metal park benches or stand exposed to the elements. We must build enclosed, pedestrian and bike friendly shelters that make it bearable to wait. Long-term success demands luring those “choice” riders to use the system. They won’t ride until the system is convenient, includes more routes and increased run frequency. Can we accomplish this? I’m not sure, but it’s a goal we must strive to meet.

Do you support commercial air service at Lake Tahoe Airport? Why or why not?:

I do, but expect it to be at least three to five years away. The commercial air traveler will be looking for a quality, high-end experience when they arrive in South Lake Tahoe. Our goal must be “build it so they will come.”

This is an opinion I’ve come to after a great deal of research in the past few months. Originally, I felt as many do in the community that commercial air was doomed, would sap precious revenue from the city’s coffers. Several considerations swayed my position.

* First, to be successful a new carrier’s aircraft would have smaller passenger capacity – around 74 seats. Horizon Air is doing this successfully in Mammoth. In fact, they’ve expanded their service to Mammoth in 2010 despite these hard times. This is different from the old days when PSA and AirCal flew 737s into Tahoe – filled to capacity — as regulations prohibited flights within California landing at Reno. The smaller aircraft are important, too, to make service reliable given our weather conditions, the limitations on noise and for environmental sensitivities.

* Second, in 2009, the airport recorded 30,000 take offs/landings. It’s already much busier than I realized and a bellwether for what could be accomplished with commercial service.

* Third, any meaningful efforts to reduce traffic congestion must include air service as an anchor and hub to get visitors onto public transportation.

Is there any individual, group or organization you would not take campaign money from?

Wow, I’d love to have that problem! Right now my campaign is funded primarily in $50 chunks from friends and family. To be more serious, this is an important ethical question. I would not accept funds from an individual or organization that I find morally or ethically repugnant. Nor would I accept funding from anyone expecting favors in return for support during the election.

Nepotism and favoritism runs rampant in the city when it comes to hiring preferences. The council sets policy. What type of policy would you write regarding nepotism and favoritism?

I want to separate the fact that there are many, many family relationships among employees at the city from the word nepotism. Both are issues, but nepotism means that there is favoritism, unfair and discriminatory practice in the work place. These are two different problems that should be addressed with strong, enforceable policies and a change in culture.

The city needs to adopt a policy that reflects best practices found in municipalities elsewhere in California. That policy needs to expand on existing harassment and discrimination regulations already in place. It must include provisions such as requiring that one relative cannot directly supervise or manage another relative. It must address protections during the hiring process to eliminate bias in selection and screening. It should also provide a clear means for confidential protest, complaints and grievance filings.

Despite having these rules in place, the system won’t work if there is not a culture in place to stop the infamous “good old boy” attitude that allows for abuses. This problem, I believe, is the heart of the issues raised by the media in recent weeks. It was asserted that there are lateral issues of discrimination wherein an employee was protected because a relation had a high-level position and exerted nepotistic influence across departments. True or not, this is a good example of workplace problems that can’t be regulated. It can only be controlled through culture and regular ethics training.

This brings up another dimension in this discussion, one more relevant to the City Council. I do not support having close relations in elected office and serving in appointed positions on boards and commissions. Councilmembers should have an ethics policy of recusing themselves from votes that could benefit family members or are personnel issues. The policy should include a public statement as to the reason for recusal.

You left your elected position to the Lake Tahoe Unified School District board before your term expired. Why should voters believe you are more committed to the City Council position?

Thank you so much for giving me the chance to address this! I did leave the board six months before my term expired. I was devastated to have to do it and to this day regret having to make that decision.

But I was in a position where I had to put my family first. Like many others, in January 2009 I found myself jobless, financially fragile and scrambling to figure out how to support my family. My work, as a planning consultant to school districts through California, often demands travel outside the Tahoe basin. The logical job choices were to go to work for a school district or join another consulting firm in Sacramento. Fortunately, my clients chose to follow me, letting me establish what’s now a successful practice based here in South Lake Tahoe that gives me the freedom to join the City Council.

You and three other council candidates met with the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce. Then you and two others were invited back for a follow-up meeting. Tell us about that meeting.

Yes, I accepted an invitation to meet with the Chamber of Commerce. It was a great conversation and they grilled me on the issues. I am, however, an independent candidate working with my own campaign supporters, without obligations to any interest group. I am passionate about learning as much as I can in order to serve as an educated and informed council member. I have met with many business leaders, TRPA, the Conservancy, the local Carpenters Union, and the Sierra Club among others. It is important to understand their perspectives and build the relationships that I will need to call on as a councilmember. I am also walking door-to-door, speaking with voters, listening to their concerns. My decisions will always be made while keeping the door and my mind open to all information and communication.

[At the second meeting], I was offered the chance to get some free advice on how to run a campaign, but didn’t participate in the teleconference.

Tell us something about yourself that voters don’t already know:

I’ll tell you a couple of things people don’t know that sum me up:

* I am afraid of heights – to this day, my stomach flip flops when I take that first bend coming down Echo – but I love roller coasters.

* My dad inadvertently helped to become politically active. As a soldier in WWII, he spent three torturous years as a POW in a Japanese prison camp. His experiences encouraged me to spend time developing my own beliefs and acting upon them. He taught me its action not opinions that count.