Citizen survey: South Tahoe functioning at subpar level
By Kathryn Reed
Although some would argue a survey did not need to be taken, South Lake Tahoe officials believe having current data in writing gives them the authority to make changes people want, instead of guessing what they want.
City Manager Tony O’Rourke took his own analysis in September about the city. The new council did the same in late December-early January. The public was sent a survey in December, with results released this month.
Everyone is on the same page – the natural environment is great, everything else needs improving. Less than half of the survey takers rated the direction of the city as good or excellent.
“Clearly, it’s not a surprise,” O’Rourke said of the entire survey. “Now we are developing a course of action to address those weaknesses and build upon the strengths. We’ll develop tactics and performance measures. Ultimately we need to build the public’s trust.”
From all this data and analysis of it, the council on Tuesday came up with five goals to work on.
Facts about the citizen survey:
• 1,200 utility customers were mail the survey – so not just South Lake Tahoe residents, but people affected by decisions the council makes;
• 390 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 35 percent;
• The National Citizen Survey compares South Lake Tahoe responses to about 500 jurisdictions elsewhere in the United States to provide a benchmark.
In the executive summary of the citizen survey it points out, “Of the 31 characteristics for which comparisons were available, three were above the national benchmark comparison, two were similar to the national benchmark comparison and 26 were below.”
South Lake Tahoe is dead last with its residents when compared against others in employment opportunity category. Ninety-four percent said “poor” on the survey.
Compared to the 2008 citizen survey, people today believe things in South Lake Tahoe have gotten worse when it comes to ease of traveling via bus, car, bike and foot.
One thing that has improved slightly between the years is people think traffic signal timing is better. Otherwise they are more disenfranchised with streets – the repair, cleaning, lighting, snow removal, and sidewalk maintenance.
Forty-eight percent believe housing costs are reasonable, 20 percent believe there is ample affordable quality housing, and 30 percent believe the variety of housing is adequate.
In two years, people’s sense of community has dropped four percentage points to 46 percent.
Consultant Mike Levinson was brought in to decipher the volume of paperwork in front of the five councilmembers Tuesday, which went beyond the survey, to bring perspective to the material, and help them set goals.
“You have enormous potential with your amenities, in particular your airport,” Levinson said. “Fourteen percent of your tourists you are attracting are from Southern California and they are driving eight to 12 hours.”
He believes commercial air service will double that percentage.
Levinson said with three-fifths of all tourists coming from California, “You should do more to promote within that market. You are not taking advantage of that.”
He also pointed out with 78 percent of the city’s budget devoted to salaries and benefits, the council is going to have to address it if the city is going to be solvent.
“If you take all the data, you can build a case for change. There is a lot of room for improvement,” Levinson told the council.
The survey that counts the most is the one where people vote with their feet and walk away. Thousands and thousands have done so… Right?
When you compare this towns performance to others of similar structure and size you realize that it is among the worst of the pack, not the best, not the middlers – among the worst.
If you continue to do as you have always done you will continue to get what you got… Right?
To expect different is a form of “community insanity”
The town, the county and the state all appear to suffer from that malady.
The latin term says it all – head-up-da- butcis
Thank the TRPA for killing business opportunity. This place would be a forest where they could do perverted acts if allowed.
Dissolve the City. Consolidate services. Save money. Provide better services.
It’s hard to think along the lines of a good sense of community, of course it keeps dropping, because overall the 2 themes that this town fights and aligns itself with is environment and tourism. I think community gets shoved aside, or is expected to fall into place magically if the other two succeed.
Much of the time it feels like community is totally unimportant. It’s all about making a buck, or wishing we would all move out of here and let things turn back to nature. Residents are caught in the middle of these huge powers.
If you are a one horse town and the horse goes lame you are outa luck. If your vet is Dr. Trpazi or Dr. Sltnik you are guaranteed a chronically ill horse. They even called in Dr. Taxitis, but she is too busy with other sick puppies.
The vultures are even staying away.
As the patient continues to waste away, life sustaining nourishment is being withheld in the name of protecting
the very sick patient from environmental toxins.
Let me give you a hint: more studies will not increase public trust.
This pretty much the same as it always been, let me ask of the this:(• The National Citizen Survey compares South Lake Tahoe responses to about 500 jurisdictions elsewhere in the United States to provide a benchmark.)
How many those 500 other places have a TRPA? PLEASE SOMEONE TELLS US THAT! That’s the thorn in everyone’s butt, you know it, they know it, the people who want come here build know it.
There are other places to invest your money than do the ring around the Rosy with that group Earth Theories of time, space, freaks.
If Jesus knew that when they set out the dove to find a tree branch for the ark, that bunch would filled full buck shot, don’t land here Noel. You need a permit for all those animals to leave their fertile dropping…if ADAM, EVE BEEN AROUND, THEY WOULD HAD A ORANGE FENCE TO STOP THEM EATING THE APPLE FOR THE FIRST SIN, THAT WOULDN’T WORK. And behold, it’s not working here.
The Airport another thing, sure business will improve if we had a Commercial flights to somewhere, but with airline comes bigger problems,(who’s going to enforce NOISE?)The residents that live in the Pit area, behind the airport hate the Egg Beater tours. They sure hell don’t miss that action of Air Cal ,PSA, HOLIDAY AIR, COMING IN ON ONE ENGINE READY TO Blast another raging fire into their neighborhood.
Barton can’t handle broken legs, Heart attacks, an air lines crash be TOO MUCH FOR THAT INSURNACE GRABBING BUNCH GERM CARRIERS TO HANDLE. Really think about it, with no airport there’s no moron trying to set his crotch on fire blow up the plane.
The nation broke, the state broke, the people are broke, and the old good old times of living on credit are Gone.
You can take all the data, all the pensions, all the big ideas, and you need to start all over with plan common sense.
This town can’t feed the people here right now, they can’t fill up the space we already have, they can’t employee the population that lives here, and yet all they think about is building more crap that will stand unused. What’s the point?
The lake is here, there’s water in the lake, there’s mountain to climb, there’s endless space to use if you can get around all the green gates, boulders, signs, there’s tons of things a person can find to do, the problem is ever tom, dick, harry, wants to run the place like some frigging Disneyland .The people will come, you just have to wait for all the sores to heal.
There wasn’t one thing wrong with the South shore 15 years ago, we let redevelopment, real estate’s agencies and corporation come in here screw us blind with problems we shouldn’t have, we let the idiots that sit on the council be blinded by Greed ruin this paradise.
Now we are stuck with the unthinkable question of a world economics fall out, America not number 1 anymore, the bankers are out to screw you again and the little cities like this one are begging for security.
Take all these unfinished improvements, the epa, shove where the sun doesn’t shine,”BE HAPPY AND THANFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE”.
Cover the holes up, let the people re-find Tahoe, let what’s here be re-occupied, let the people play in Gods forest, waters, let there be PEACE, AND GIVE OUR COMMUNITY TIME TO Save up some cash to do what it can afford to do pay for at a reasonable amount time.
Live for today, let tomorrow take care it’s self.
I live by this motto:”Everybody needs to get laid, smoke the herb, dance to the music, enjoy life to its fullest, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike”.macoche
I do not understand how you can compare a vacation recreation area with a national survey ??
Lions, and tigers and bears oh my
TRPA, Redevelopment & overpaid executives
OH MY
Ben Pignatelli:
“It is also a bit absurd to me that we all don’t have our real names on these comments.”
I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s just about impossible to take seriously anyone who thinks everyday is Halloween.
Frankly, most of the people who can’t summon the courage to stand behind their comments just aren’t worth reading, anyway: Most of their comments seem to be mindless and/or shrill rants devoid of any merit, whatsoever.
(Kinda like the post prior to this one).
Perhaps that’s why we find our City functioning at a sub par level; it’s a reflection of the less than courageous citizenry to do anything about it other than print their often retarded remarks.
FYI Chuck Halladay, I know who you are, and you’re a good guy! And I’m not out for attention (not saying you are), or some courage award! I do take the time to express concerns I have about the City and its government. I know everything I state is accurate! If someone disagrees, they’re free to comment here!
But I do not have a secure government job. Don’t know if you still do or not? But if I criticize Vail Corp., they certainly have the ability to put pressure on those I do business with! (And I believe they would! Blaise Carrig, w/ his ego certainly would have!!) If I criticize those on the City’s payroll, the various Union’s rank & file, as a whole group is very formative! ( I KNOW of City Council people saying they’re intimidated by them!) They as a unit can certainly decide what businesses they frequent!
And if I criticize government officials, well the Grand Jury certainly implied they can be vindictive! And I KNOW in this budgetary crunch time how they’re now shaking down Hotel/Motels for “TOT Deposits” of thousands of dollars, but where they’ll show “discretion” if they see fit. Not to mention the police officers who pull people over for extremely minor reasons, but will also show “discretion” if they feel like it! (I don’t want a $100 plus ticket, plus higher insurance!)
No! This isn’t a dictatorship where I’m going to jail for speaking my mind! But a degree of anonymity, while allowing for some off-the-wall stuff, (and good for you for being open), does allow for an advanced degree of dialogue!
Parker, welcome to my world of anonymous persecution lol. You should hear the dissing I am taking because of my last article from some powers to be lol.
It’s better to be unseen,unknown as to be seen ,know, be Crapped on…it’s your own choice.
Sure ,write your name,paste your phone number,email address all over the-internet, no one cares who you are,be ready for phone calls,knives in the night,your neighbor not talking to you,police following you and buddies of good deeds to the community park…go for it…but most will watch from the comfort of our over priced castles,fondle our prizes ,fame to secrets while you get egged on the dark nights of circles of prestige,intellect,hypotheses stories no one reads ,no matter who write them,no one cares anyway.
Freedom a hard thing to handle sometimes!
Ride the wave,ride the wave, the whole town riding the wave.Where’s your boards wax at,you are welcome to ride the waves.