S. Tahoe tries to make special events less of a problem
By Kathryn Reed
An angry citizenry prompted South Lake Tahoe officials to look closely at how it handles special events.
Guidelines were thoroughly discussed April 3 during a City Council workshop at which six members of the public gave their input, plus one letter was read into the record.
New Year’s Eve weekend’s SnowGlobe music festival, which definitely helped the economy, rattled so many houses that some nerves are still frayed more than three months later.
December's SnowGlobe music fest forced South Tahoe's hand to formalize special event guidelines. Photo/LTN file
The council at the April 17 meeting is expected to adopt guidelines for special events.
The problem with SnowGlobe was the sound – not of music per se – but the excessive bass associated with the type of music that spilled from the community ball fields at Lake Tahoe Community College.
To prevent a repeat of those problems, the city is considering imposing rules that call for special events to be between 10am and 10pm, with decibel levels of no more than 95.
“Ninety-five dbA is restrictive. Most cities are generic,” City Manager Tony O’Rourke said. But he also said it’s easier to relax rules than to implement them after the fact – thus the reason he supports the 95dbA.
He pointed out how the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s noise rules call for sound not to exceed a certain limit over a sustained 24-hour period. Based on that criterion, the booming sound from SnowGlobe did not violate TRPA rules.
In doing research, South Tahoe officials found two cities with decibel limits higher than what is being proposed locally. Aspen and West Palm Beach have limits of 100dbA.
With these being guidelines and not an ordinance, it means staff has more flexibility. For instance, it’s likely another New Year’s Eve event could have an end time of 12:30am so revelers could celebrate the new year. But to avoid another SnowGlobe incident, either speakers will be positioned differently, or acts will be scheduled so the less deafening ones come on last.
Having a say in the schedule is part of the guidelines.
Some discussion Tuesday centered on whether the city should charge a permit fee.
It was pointed out by staff as well as B Gorman, CEO of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, that it takes most events a handful of years before they turn a profit.
“People have no idea how expensive events are,” Gorman said, relaying how people after year two of Sample the Sierra asked where the proceeds are going. The $30,000-plus spent on tents and other materials for the event are still being paid off.
Money for the city comes via hotel and sales taxes.
Gorman suggested in addition to city staff, that someone like Carol Chaplin, head of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, be on the events committee.
While Councilmembers Claire Fortier and Tom Davis liked that idea, Councilwoman Angela Swanson said someone less entrenched in the business, like a member of the city’s recreation commission, should be involved.
That issue was not resolved at the meeting.
Where events can be conducted was another issue brought up at the meeting.
“Venues are our biggest obstacle,” Stan Sherer, community services director, said.
The South Shore is an obvious draw because of its natural beauty, easy drive from the Bay Area and Central Valley, and proximity to Reno-Tahoe International Airport. But locations for events are lacking.
A baseball tournament coming to the area in the summer is using fields throughout the basin and in Gardnerville.
Cody Bass wants to bring a festival on the scale of Outside Lands that is staged in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. He envisions the way to do that is to convert Bijou Community Golf Course into a music venue. He’d like that to happen Labor Day weekend.
JoAnn Conner, president of South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, would like the city to look at the number of similar events it allows at a given site – for example how many crafts fairs are at South Tahoe Middle School.
Councilman Hal Cole, remembering the contentious nature of meetings regarding arts events, said he is not ready to revisit that issue.
Another aspect of future events is a waste management plan will be required, with the goal of being zero waste.
My only input is to hold these types of events on dates that are not times when the level of business in town is already saturated (Xmas/New Years week, 4th of July week, Presidents day, Labor day), but times where an event will CREATE more visitors during times that are not as busy as a rule.
The fact that the unwelcome and excessive noise from Snow Globe awakened residents from their sleep miles away, and reportedly shook objects loose from the interior walls of residences, but did not violate any TRPA rules, shows just how out of touch with reality TRPA and its convoluted rules actually are.
I applaud the City Council for looking at the issue of special events in a wholistic way, being informed by rather than driven by a single event that admittedly caused a lot of problems. I also totally agree that the larger events should be held off the peak weekends. As a resident I am more willing to accommodate an event I may not be interested in attending if it contributes to stabilizing local businesses; the economic effect of an event will be greater if held outside of the peak weekends.
To clarify, what I asked was for the city to look at actually expanding the number of events allowed at a site, while maintaining it’s restrictions on the number of same type events on the site.
While it may not want more than four craft faires at STMS, for example, that site would be perfect for other events,which would bring more money to the school district and maximize the few sites we have that are big enough to host events, while being strategically located with parking. We need to keep more revenue in the city and not push people to use Nevada properties for events.
my impression is that people forget that the trpa is only about lake tahoe water clarity…
We are becoming a city of craft , or is it cra_ fairs. Nothing wrong with them but most are the same stuff on a different corner and even on the same weekend? Now the old ammusement park and slide area will have a all summer long craft village to compete with the others? Hope its an attraction and different vendors will offer unique hand crafted items? The middle school was mentioned and there is only ONE FINE ART FESTIVAL offered all summer and that is the Tahoe Arts Project TAP festival in JULY. Every vendor is allowed only hand made, created by them, art work of all kinds. The confusion occurs when passers by see the same image of yet another CRA- fair. This is a major fund raiser for TAP and keeps getting better. If TAP was allowed to offer a wine tasting that would allow visitors another reason to browse, buy ,and enjoy what is presented, it would make this an even bigger draw for visitors and locals. Look for TAP’S ART FESTIVAL and support a great cause while there July sixth seventh and eigth.
“Money for the city comes via hotel and sales taxes.”
Is B Gorman current on the TOT due on her rentals, as well as all those she supposedly tutored on how to skirt the TOT? She should have been fired immediately for her actions and never trusted again.
fromform says: April 4, 2012 at 8:23 am my impression is that people forget that the trpa is only about lake tahoe water clarity…
You should go to the TRPA website and take a look at their scenic review questionnaire/application.
As to the events why not have them during the summer at Heavenly base lodge? Use the slopes as stadium seating and play the music into the mountain.
They have bathrooms (might need a few portables) restaurant, bar, PARKING could still get permits to add tents for food pot and alcohol to accommodate the crowds.
Someone from our local government responsible for this type of planning should visit Telluride for the summer months (or similar town). They have pretty major events almost every week and the locals embrace them (everthing from a weeklong bluegrass concert to a mushroom festival).
Here in Tahoe we don’t do enough on the front end to produce great events that our locals truly appreciate, monetarily and recreationally. It’s good that city council is looking at this problem sensibly.
In mountainous situations the sound is carried differently. If you are at Lake Louise and talking at the far end, you can be heard plainly by someone who is standing on the front lawn of the hotel. We were disturbed for many hours by the sounds of “Snow Globe”. We have had a chance to talk to neighbors all along the valley and North Upper Truckee, the consensus was that it impacted all of us who actually live here and if it’s that loud again….I plan to go somewhere else. Unwanted noise for that many hours is hard to take, along with the traffic, and garbage that is left all over the place. Did anyone ever check the aftermath of the little town that held this event in Colorado….what did their citizens have to say? How much money did the town make after everything was paid for and cleaned up? Why didn’t they want these guys back again? Do we want them back again? Are they still picking glass out of our very expensive playing fields?
sunriser 2—great idea, make use of California base lodge at the Heave during the summer.
It’s pretty Obvious why people go To Nevada side to enjoy the Better codes, shows, freedom of choice, VARIETY.
Why would anyone want hassle with this kind of permitting, ordinances, while you can just go on down the street or NOT COME AT All?
And now a bright idea not to have EVENTS THAT ATTRACT CASH ON National Holidays when the population has the days off ,like these people are going to take time off from work to drive all the way up here just for little old South Shore normal think tank genius.
Somebody may want inform Santa Claus not to delivery presents till the craft fairs, buzzards, are at home meditating.
Never ceases to amaze the general population City Council workshops, which really don’t work for anyone other than themselves, turning the lights, heat on at the airport, walking in circles to get from A to B.
Why don’t we utilize the top of the parking garage more often?
Love the idea of using Heavenly for events.. how about a jazz festival or bluegrass with Eldorado Co wineries featured? There is a large fan base of people with the money to travel for a great concert.. they will spend more, eat at finer restaurants and make more $$ for the city than the druggies! They’ll stay at high end hotels, take tours, hire boats to ski and see!
Bajuk,
Right have 50% of the non paying audience,sitting in the million plus home owners front yards,like over at Harvey’s.
Maybe THEY can just plug in the amps at your house, you serve wine,you provide all the REQUIRED TASKS IT TAKES TO PULL THIS KIND IDEA OFF with money up front,liability insurance,security,crap suckers for the chem heads.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION,THEY HAVE MORE TROUBLE AT THE OUT DOORS CONCERTS WITH HONKY MUSIC THAN DRUGGY MUSIC!
That’s a fact,That booze does more than make you happy,it make you fighting crazy like Toby’s concerts.CASIONS SECURITY HAS THEIR HANDS FULL AFTERWARDS.
MAYBE YOU NEED TO COME OUT THE CLOSET SEE WHAT GOES ON AROUND HERE.
Same goes for the top the garage,the mind set is not in my backyard,pay for parking,get the time share people looking for another place to trade their times, dates with Cabo.
Same old song,Too many agencies either enforcing the law or looking the other way.Some Joker just can’t stay off the phone for 48 hours while people have fun in their life’s!
We use to rent out the top the tram with Bills dad years ago ,so no one would ***** about noise,The old creek chair bowl would be the place if any up there.But I believe Vail a little smarter than you think.
I think that it was great that Snowglobe offered locals something to do on New Year’s Eve that was actually fun