League: Pier-TRPA issue relatively new news to them
Updated: Aug. 1 9:45am
The League to Save Lake Tahoe is back pedaling when it comes to standing by Tamara Fritz, now saying it was just in the last few weeks they knew anything about the violations at her Tahoe City property.
That property is where the League’s annual fundraiser is conducted.
“The League to Save Lake Tahoe views the environmental violations that took place at the site of our fundraiser as a very serious matter,” League board Chairman Robert Damaschino said in a statement. “We support the efforts of TRPA and the landowner to correct them and assure they are not repeated.”
Updated July 28 5:20pm
A fine of $35,000 is too low for someone who illegally extends her pier at Lake Tahoe. That’s the thinking of some Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board members.
Tamara Fritz had agreed to pay the penalty for altering her Tahoe City property without the proper paperwork in order. But it was pulled from the consent item at Wednesday’s meeting. Because neither Fritz nor a representative was at the meeting in Kings Beach the issue was postponed.
Before the August board meeting the legal committee is expected to convene to discuss the possibility of making the fine larger.
While illegal pier extensions crop up as issues now and again, the twist to this particular property is the annual fashion-show fundraiser for the League to Save Lake Tahoe is conducted there each August. (This year the event is Aug. 6.)
Also an issue for TRPA is Fritz not abiding by the cease and desist order to stop using the dirt lot next to her for storage. This presents erosion issues.
The TRPA says it has never received a permit application for the event. While the League says Steve Sweet with the TRPA said no permit would be required this year, but that one would be required in future years if the event were to be at the Fritz property and the lot used for parking.
— Kathryn Reed
It is too low and the penalty should include removal.
Bottom LINE, THIS PERSON HAS TOO MUCH CONFLICT OF INTEREST ,WHY NOT GIVE UP TH TRPA CLOUT CRAP RUN FOR SENATE.THEN YOU’LL HAVE THEM ALL IN YOUR POCKET FOR SURE.
A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other.
A conflict of interest can only exist if a person or testimony is entrusted with some impartiality; a modicum of trust is necessary to create it. The presence of a conflict of interest is independent from the execution of impropriety. Therefore, a conflict of interest can be discovered and voluntarily defused before any corruption occurs.
I wonder what Rochelle Nason’s “official” view is regarding this matter…
What sucks about the reporting in general on this whole matter is the fact that all the papers want to attack the LTSLT b/c they host their big fundraiser there. There’s no mention to the fact that other nonprofits in Tahoe, like the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, also host private fundraising events at the Fritz’s. To many “factoids of opinion” are being created concerning the League’s stance on this whole thing. Why doesn’t someone actually ask the League what their opinion and full understanding of this matter is?
And yes, all private large scale events should be required to get a one-day event permit from the TRPA or local jurisdiction. That’s only fair.
If you read the TRPA staff report on the violations is does include removal of the non-permitted structures, which is the fair thing to do.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe would not comment on the record.
The Lake Tahoe Music Festival this year is entirely at Northstar.
Kathryn Reed, LTN publisher
It is said that storage on the Fritz vacant lot creates erosion. Ok, but what about all the vehicles parked off pavement at all the vacation rentals. And of course many, many home owners store lots of stuff on dirt at their homes. Why aren’t they penalized? It seems ridiculous that 10’s of millions of dollars have been spent to put in curbs and drainage to stop erosion and then allow parking on the dirt shoulders! And it seems to me if one is running a business, as a vacation rental, they should be required to do everything by the book, as in no parking on the dirt! Where is the oversight!
“Rochelle Nason, executive director of the league, told the Tribune last week that Fritz has “done a great deal” for the arts and environment at Tahoe. Nason said she also understood that Fritz had no personal role in the environmental violations at her property.”
The League’s eco-elite hypocrisy knows no bounds
It certainly is not the elitist message I would want sent for my organization if I was the LTSLT. “Do as I say, not as I do” is hypocrisy at its finest.
So the LSTLT is supposed to run a background check on every site they hold an event at? Is that the expectation? No one does that. Get real.
Oh PLEASE, Bongo! I love how you libs cannot ever admit an indiscretion! The queen of the League was defending an ongoing criminal act that if anybody else had been committing it, they would have been raising holy hell. It’s not about the environment, it’s about her damn paycheck. We all knew it. How blatant does it have to get before you stop making excuses for these people?
LTSLT -> ??? -> knowledge of illegal pier -> pier -> private land owner.
Fill in the ???.
If LTSLT was a professional pier inspection and construction permitting agency with records on this pier, there would be a problem for sure. If you replaced LTSLT with TRPA permitting staff party, it would be a problem.
Regardless of how this is parsed, this exposes the hypocricy of the League. It has never been about the Lake, it has been about elite power. The League was formed to keep anyone but the old money from Lake Tahoe. The defense that “Mrs. Fritz was not personally involved” is absolutely absurd. She owns the property and has been advised, legally, since 2008 of the violations. It is immaterial whether she is “personally involved”. Rochelle Nason has proved that the organization she represents is as dirty as they could be. There is no defense of this hypocricy.
The property owner is ALWAYS responsible for what happens on their property. Ignorance in this case is not bliss.
Bring the dock within TRPA compliance, and pay the fine. Pay a daily fine for improper storage on the vacant lot, until it is resolved.
Yes, many around the lake are not in compliance, but all face the risk of discovery, most lay low to avoid that. TRPA and building Depts would be swamped if they went looking for noncompliance.
It is not the job of the League to inspect every property owner for compliance with land-use and shorezone regulations; that is the job of the TRPA. And they are for once trying to do their job, but I question the ability of the TRPA staff to adequately do that when the Governing Board comes back and tells them that the staff recommended fine isn’t ‘good’ enough.
I’d also love to hear what Ms. Fritz has to say about all of this in her own defense. Sometimes keeping quite isn’t the best move.
Tahoehuskies, are you really still trying to somehow support the League’s comments through Rochelle Nason? No one expects the League to inspect every property. That has nothing to do with this issue. The main reason that the Governing Board of the TRPA has such an issue with Mrs. Fritz is that she and her agents have arrogantly ignored their legal notices to appear. They failed to show up at all to yet another hearing on the matter. Keeping quiet is not the same as ignoring authority. And keeping quiet is what Rochelle Nason should have done. However, she chose to NOT keep quiet. Quite embarassing to the League to Save Lake Tahoe for a Few Rich People.
So, the Executive Director of the League (Rochelle Nason) states, “Mrs. Fritz has done a great deal for Lake Tahoe and for the arts at Lake Tahoe. We understand that she had no personal part in the environmental violations the TRPA pursued.”
However, the Chairman of the League, Robert Damaschino, states, “The League has long taken the position that every landowner in the Lake Tahoe Basin must be held accountable for what they allow to occur on their property, and of course contributions to the community do not excuse anyone from the obligation to follow environmental laws.”
I’m confused – what is the “official” position of the League to Save Lake Tahoe when it comes landowners being responsible for activities on their property here in the basin? Is it dependent upon the size of contribution to the League?
Ugh. As a League member, I’m looking for a better organization to support. Any suggestions out there?
Douglas Animal Welfare Group? There would be a lot less back talk….
I think Rochelle’s days are numbered. I would expect the League board to end her tenure at the start of 2012. Her comments on this issue and at the city council meetings were embarrassing to the board and the org. Bringing someone else on would be the politically wise thing to do. It would demonstrate to the community that the League wants better dialogue and that the confrontational and arrogant days are behind them.