South Lake Tahoe City Council agrees to raise garbage rates, install parking meters

By Kathryn Reed

Tuesday was a day of 4-1 votes. The first involved garbage rates and two were about paid parking in South Lake Tahoe.

JoAnn Conner on her first day as a member of the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted against the 1.57 percent South Tahoe Refuse hike. The increase will be effective Jan. 1.

For most residents it means the current monthly rate of $24.33 will now become $24.71.

Conner believes with the decrease in residents and people having a hard time making ends meet, that this is not the time for an increase. The other council members were not thrilled with the increase, but agreed to it.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council — JoAnn Conner, Hal Cole, Tom Davis, Angela Swanson, Claire Fortier. Photo/LTN

The garbage company per the franchise agreement may ask for rate hikes every three years that have to do with all sorts of factors. But the one granted Tuesday had to do with the consumer price index. STR may ask for hikes based on the CPI in the interim years.

However, rates did just go up May 1. This was actually a delay from Jan. 1, which is the date the company had wanted for that increase. But the city, along with El Dorado and Douglas counties were in talks to get their rate adjustment times in alignment. In May, fees went up 4.48 percent in El Dorado County, and 4.97 percent in South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County.

El Dorado County supervisors have already approved the latest increase. Douglas County commissioners are set to vote on it Dec. 20.

Another money related issue on the agenda involved putting in parking meters at various locations in the city.

Parking issues in South Lake Tahoe are driving a wedge between residents and somewhat between council members.

Two votes were taken at the Dec. 11 meeting with Mayor Tom Davis casting the lone dissenting vote each time.

Ultimately the ordinance the council approved in November regarding parking meters is intact except there won’t be any meters on Ski Run Boulevard from Highway 50 to Pioneer Trail.

On Jan. 8 the council is expected to revise the ordinance to add meters on Ski Run from Pioneer Trail to Saddle Road and along Paradise Road, and to identify neighborhoods that should have permitted parking.

Sixteen people spoke at the meeting and three letters were read into the record.

The views ranged from this is the worst time to do something like this to do it now because there is never a good time. Some believe it will hurt businesses, while others said the meters could help turn over business. Others said it would just hurt locals. The counter argument was locals need to pay for the areas they use, just like tourists.

In other action:

• Davis is now mayor of South Lake Tahoe and Hal Cole is mayor pro tem.

• Conner was sworn in as a new councilmember after Bruce Grego said his goodbyes.