S. Tahoe council miffed contract signed without their consent

By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe City Council members were less than thrilled with finding out a five-year contract for the use of a city building had been approved by a department head and not them.

Stan Sherer, Community Development director, defended his actions on July 17.

“We rent all kinds of facilities. Historically, we haven’t come to the council,” he said.

One of the problems as noted by City Attorney Patrick Enright is, “We don’t have a written policy as to how we lease properties.”

That is going to change per the council’s mandate.

It’s not that the recreation and other department heads won’t be able to rent city property, but they won’t be able to do so on a long-term basis.

The council was in a quandary with how to proceed because Unity at the Lake has been renting the property at 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd. for nearly a year. Rent is $1,700 a month.

Councilman Tom Davis asked what happens if the contract is not ratified by council.

Enright said, “I don’t know. They’ve been there 10 months and have made tenant improvements.”

A contract is signed between Sherer and Unity without its being dated. The lack of date infuriated the council as well.

Sherer said because Unity had been renting city space at the senior center and this group was the only one willing to make substantive improvements to the building, he picked them.

The council voted 3-1 to keep the contract in place. (It expires in October 2016.) Councilman Hal Cole abstained and Councilwoman Angela Swanson was absent.