Free Bird awarded Lakeview Commons concessionaire, Regan Beach up in the air

By Kathryn Reed

One South Lake Tahoe beach concessionaire is locked in – Free Bird will be at Lakeview Commons.

These are the crepe people.

Lake Taco has been offered a deal to continue operating at Regan Beach, but owner Danny Chavez has told city officials he isn’t so sure he wants it because access to the beach will be encumbered this summer.

The day after the City Council tabled making a decision on who will be selling food, staff decided to reject all bids. This also eliminated the need for the May 18 special meeting that had been scheduled.

City Attorney Patrick Enright and Assistant City Manager Nancy Kerry met with Lake Tahoe News on May 18 to talk about what is likely to happen.

Because there were two ranking systems used by the three city staff members who evaluated the potential concessionaires, there were irregularities. That is why the top candidate from each set of criteria was chosen.

Staff, because no money is being expended and it’s a short-term contract, can make these decisions without council approval. The contracts are for this season only.

The plan is to send out a request for proposal in the fall to have a business or businesses on board for the following five summers.

Enright said Chavez has not signed the one-summer contract because new playground equipment will be installed at Regan Beach this summer and the parking lot will be used as a staging area for construction work in the Al Tahoe neighborhood after Labor Day.

Chavez is afraid it will not be a profitable endeavor, Enright said.