S. Tahoe council still unable to agree on sign regulation
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe Councilman Tom Davis said, “I don’t want to be the taste police” when it comes to what kind of decorative lights people use on their businesses.
The Swiss Chalet sign could be grandfathered in.
The irony is the overall discussion was about signs – which is subjective and a matter of taste.
With more discussion Tuesday about the decades-old sign problem in the city, the council still is working through what rules it wants to dictate private businesses follow – all in the name of taste.
This type of regulation is something most cities have. The local problem is what is on the books is not enforced because this and previous councils have not agreed with it nor has there been the manpower to enforce the rules.
Too many changes were proposed Sept. 13 for a vote to be taken on the first reading of the ordinance. The soonest the next revision will come back to the council is Oct. 4.
The five councilmembers took votes on individual sections of the ordinance, but most of those were split – meaning the issue is as divisive as it ever has been.
How any ordinance that might get approved will be enforced was the subject of much discussion.
Owners of non-conforming signs will be sent a letter giving them 10 days to bring it up to code. If they don’t, then they’ll be fined each day they are out of compliance.
The five could not agree whether the Planning Commission should be the last stop for some appeals or if the council should be the body making that decision.
Nor could they all decide on when sandwich boards should be used. Though the majority sided with Development Services Director Hilary Hodges’ proposal to allow them only during holiday periods and city sanctioned community events.
What’s being called “locally unique signs” will be allowed to stay if the owners apply for that designation. Sno-Flake, Swiss Chalet and Stardust were the examples used.
No longer will private businesses be able to hire someone to hold a sign pointing to their business. But people having car washes and the like will be able to lure people to their fund-raising event in this manner.
Businesses wanting to string up energy efficient blue or white lights year-round can do so. No permit needed to do so for 90 days between Nov. 1 and March 1, though a design review is needed and a building permit may be required to keep them up longer. This is primarily to look at fire safety issues.
While progress was made on the sign issue, until a final vote is taken, each council member can change their mind. After all, that is what happened with the medical marijuana vote.
In other action:
• The council approved the ordinance affecting how medical marijuana dispensaries are regulated. Councilman Bruce Grego was the lone vote against the law. At the first reading Councilwoman Angela Swanson had voted no. Tuesday she voted yes.
So uniqueness is frowned upon unless you had your sign up prior to this city council. How is that? If they are going to enforce these rules it should apply to everyone. I don’t have a problem with the signs mentioned but I also feel that this doesn’t allow for any other business to be creative, or unique, with their signs, which is not very fair.
I also take issue with this idea that all Christmas lights must be blue or white. The article says that the Christmas light issue is being taken up because of fire safety issues, which is understandable, but how does the color affect the safety of the lights. I enjoy Christmas lights and feel it is a shame to limit people’s creativity when putting them up. This affects a lot of businesses in town and seems to only make South Lake Tahoe unaccepting of anyone, or business, with any creativity.
It feels like this City Council is against anything except a bland cookie cutter town with everything looking the same and absolutely no imagination allowed. I can’t wait to vote against each one of them.
One other thing: In the Tribune’s story on this issue, the fact was mentioned that the council is going to approve $140,000 to help businesses who can’t afford to change their signs. Really? In these economic times, when our town is laying people off and putting off necessary street repairs, we can afford to waste taxpayer money on signs! This council needs to go!!!
The council did approve the incentive program as presented at the previous council meeting. Information about it is in this story: https://www.laketahoenews.net/2011/07/inertia-plagues-south-tahoe-council-regarding-sign-regulations/.
Sorry for not including in this one as well.
Kathryn Reed, LTN publisher
I agree completely, SnoHeather! Our city council is more like a disfunctional homeowners’ association. Very subjective in its decision making.
I agree 100% Snoheather with everything you said. Especially with the street repair problem. Some of the rules that are set in Lake Tahoe are so odd , I wonder who thinks of them. Like for instance, Christmas light colors. Who cares what color they are as long the Christmas spirit is celebrated. Some of you may not think that this is a big deal, but sometimes when I see the teenagers yelling and dancing in their skimpy clothes with a car wash sign, I sometimes wonder what they are thinking? I guess they really need they money.
Thursday night they will be laying off the snow removal crew, right before winter. How much sense does that make.
Geeper, that is insane
how about taking that $140,000 and keep two city employees employed? No it’s better to have pretty signs up instead.
The first to go should be the unsightly real estate open house signs with arrows pointing to the house a half mile or mile away. Instead, they are left alone. Can you imagine someone placing signs in the street doing the same thing for their business down the road.
geeper, I can find nowhere in the agenda where it says that. The agenda states that this is a workshop and Possible action might take place.
Of course you may be right just the wrong area. The following statement is in the slide show presentation on thursday’s agenda.
Admin/ConfandPublic Works/Generalincrease
(2007: 3.5%; 2008: 6%; 2009: 5%; 2010: 4%)
These two Labor Groups are on furloughs since 2009, which is a temporary “hold” of 9.2% salary in 2009, plus 4.6% in 2010 (13.8% of salary). However, hourly rates increased by the 18.5% amount resulting in employees earning more than in 2007, but working less hours.
I hope they make a decision soon this is so important
Kitten & Skibum, It will come out Thursday night. BTW Skibum I thank you again for a great job you and your crew did on our house a couple of years ago.
How about customers deciding what signage is acceptable? Those with bad, distasteful signs, will eventually go out of business.
The only rule I can think of is to limit the size of signs, and maybe obscenities.
I would love to redoo my sign…….once the city can ever make a final decision on the “what is acceptable”. Im not crazy about spending my money twice. And about the lights, my energy efficient light strands are not missing 30% of the lights. Come on people, if your lights are burned out just replace them. Also a suggestion, the city should enforce the collection of delinquent tot taxes and distribute that money to businesses to help with the signage costs.
Our City Council lacks the skills to put this issue to a vote and end it once and for all? They want to cut jobs while giving money to private businesses? We’re doomed.
to ski bum, they worked less, and had to cram 40 hours of work in to 32. try it sometime instead of judging them. those people were bullied in to taking the stupid furlough and only a select few were given raises. the % increase is a reward for working in a hostile environment frankly. Does anyone in the labor market work without hoping for a raise at the end of the year? If you say you do then you’re an idiot and a liar. a lot of companies give end of year bonuses, the City doesn’t do that. a lot of companies actually appreciate their employees, the City doesn’t.
What? If you are talking about what I posted earlier in reference to the name calling, I cut and pasted that from the City web site agenda for the meeting Thursday evening. I did not make that up I read the agenda. Shortly after that was posted I received a call from the city that certain items were removed from the web site agenda due to my posting as they were incorrect according to the person that called me. Why are you so quick to judge me, is this really admin? Seems everything I post gets quickly scrutinized, blasted and questioned. I do not post anything that I cannot back up. Over the years I have written articles saying the exact same thing that some are just now talking about and trying to get involved with. Don’t be an @$$ hole. I now expect an e-mail from admin telling me chill out or asking me to back up my facts. This site is not a news site it’s a blog because of bloggers like you who attack and hide behind your petty little names with smirks on your face whenever you see me. Admin, please clean up your site. Ken Curtzwiler
“Does anyone in the labor market work without hoping for a raise at the end of the year? If you say you do then you’re an idiot and a liar.”
You wouldn’t call the 16% +or- unemployed in our city this? Would you? or the 9.1% nationwide. Maybe hoping is the keyword, but there was no need for the harshness.
A decent job is a wonderful thing to have in these days.
Totally mistaken about who I am. I am definately not Kae. She’s not afraid of retribution as some of us are. And trust me, it’s been done. Take it from someone that has been with the City and curtailed my lifestyle because of the furloughs. That’s one of the things I had to do to get by and raise children in this community when the furloughs happened. I could have moved, that’s easy. But staying was the hard part but I did and I’ve been living here since February 14, 1984 and have NEVER been a burden on the taxpayers or the State or anyone. I pride myself on being able to say that and have never been in a situation that I’ve had to ask for breaks, handouts, or anything and have always made my own way. I’ve sacrificed and given everything I’ve had to my job and my employer, above and beyond. So don’t tell me that I’m harsh, it’s a real bi**%$ to find out you have to switch gears after almost 30 years here. And being thrown away is the worst feeling in the entire world. It’s a wonder that more folks that are being cast aside don’t take more sick time off due to ulcers, nightmares about how you’re going to pay the bills and keep a roof over your children’s head (all the while trying not to alarm them) and still hold your head up when you go to the store because you know everyone knows. I could have ………..written a book but it’s time to leave this “blogging site’ as you put it.
and to Careaboutthecommunity- I had a decent job that i loved, and I loved the people I worked with, and I loved the community that my job afforded me to be able to work with, and I was cast aside like a flippin McDonald’s wrapper, left to flounder after devoting my entire being to my job. Literally. I would go so far as to say that I had the utmost respect from my peers and colleagues. I nearly wanted to end my life because of the sheer trauma that it caused me, and sheer panic. I just hope that the folks that are slated for the slaughter house are not too afraid of being turned out in to the night without benefit of shelter because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Really. Over/Out
What? It never gets that bad “I nearly wanted to end my life because of the sheer trauma that it caused me, and sheer panic.” Do not contemplate that as I have experience with an ended life and while you may be gone others suffer. There are people out there who are willing to talk with you Dan Wilvers is the first that comes to mind as also I am, having lost my son last year because he thought the same way as you stated. That is never a solution. Talk with not to someone. Ken Curtzwiler
Just so you know last year My company was fined over $30,000.00 from govt. agencys, we lost our dog after 13 years, we lost my wifes Mother and Father, I lost a commercial building I built plus our life savings / retirement and to top it off we lost our son. You need to talk about it and don’t hold it in.
I’m assuming you were at the same job 30 years, or close to that. That is a really tough go, and can really disrupt ones life, to say the least. You really are the exception to stay in a job that long, which makes it so much harder.
The average time in a job: Three to five years with jobs held between the ages of 18 and 38 having the shortest duration
(source America’s Dynamic workforce: 2006; U.S. Department of Labor)
Somewhere else it said the mean is 4.4 years.
Career changes in a lifetime: 7-10
It seems to be pretty amazing when people stay in jobs over 10 years now :(
It’s a tough adjustment, but you will get through it, humans are resilient. It can look pretty bad now, but hang in there, and use your resources available to you, like job counseling and retraining, maybe take a class at the college to brush up a bit, or maybe get some advice on how to make retirement work, if you are close to retirement. A professional job counselor or financial adviser can give you much better advice than I.
I wish you all the best :)
Thanks for the kind words carabout…..but I’m 48, had 3 jobs in my entire lifetime (started working at 17) and served each of them for an average of about 12 years. The first 2 were to keep bills paid since I chose to have a family and wasn’t born with a silver spoon so guess I’ll just muttle through.