4 file for S. Tahoe council seat; 5th application on its way
Two former councilmembers who left on their own accord, a planning commissioner who has twice run for the council unsuccessfully, and a political newbie/college instructor are vying to be the fifth member of the South Lake Tahoe City Council.
The four are — Kathay Lovell, Bill Crawford, Austin Sass and Scott Valentine.
A fifth candidate has told Lake Tahoe News he is definitely going to submit an application — that would be another former councilman, Bruce Grego.
“I assure you I will be filing. There is no question in my mind,” Grego said Jan.16.
Anyone else wanting to be a candidate has seven working days to file for the vacancy created by Claire Fortier’s early departure. Jan. 25 at 5pm is the deadline to apply.
Interviews will be at the Jan. 29 9am council meeting, with swearing in likely that day. If the four electeds can’t decide on a person, there will be an election in June.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Lovell and Crawford BOTH left the council to a large collective sigh of relief throughout town. Grego received the second least votes in the last election. Valentine is a relative unknown as far as the community at large is concerned. That leaves only one definitive choice:
APPOINT AUSTIN SASS!
Vote Sass for change. Vote Lovell, Grego and Crawford for more of the same.
I am glad to see Scott Valentine’s name on this list. I work with him at the college and feel he has the organization and determination to promote positive changes to our city. My vote will be for Scott. Go Scott!
Heather Cade
Funded hugely by Nevada special interests, with only their special interests at stake.
ANYONE BUT SASS.
We have apparently reached the point where everything is a fraud!
No matter who the council picks, over 50% of the voters will disagree. I say take it to a vote of the electorate.
let’s get sass on board so we can start getting something done.
Special election! Not only to vote for the seat left empty by the fleeing former mayor, how about a vote on different plans for the hole? A park/ amphitheater? Big ugly empty building? On the same ballot could be a vote for or against the 70 million dollar proposed loop road. A vote for diverting funds to build another dog park and make the city boat ramp usable again. A vote for or against the city allowing SnowGlobe to come back. Lots of other things. Any suggestions from anyone else?
Let us vote and have our voices be heard! Old Long Skiis who still believes in democracy… or whats left of it.
My vote is for Old Long Skiis.
Old long skiis for mayor…What do you think about a vote to dissolve city?
I’ve known Scott Valentine for years and am grateful he is willing to come forward and put his shoulder to the wheel. A fresh perspective on the council can only help, and I know Scott has the tools to keep pushing for the renaissance of South Lake Tahoe. Rah!
Yes. Decommission the City of South Lake Tahoe.
Old Long Skis is spot on. Put everything on the ballot. Let the truth come out.
I would love to see what Sass can do. He has raised a family here, worked in the tourist community and understands what it takes to move us forward. I think he would be a nice compliment to the council. Looking forward to some positive change.
Old Long Skis, you can vote on what goes on at the hole. Break out your check book and purchase the property and you get to vote on it. You alone. Until then it is still private property and the owners should probably have some say in what goes on. I am sure they would give you a good deal on it though.
Looks like no one here is for the good ‘ol boy and girl network Mrs. Kerry. Let’s hope SLT chooses one of the newcomers – Sass or Valentine. We’re all tired of the same ‘ol politicians. And besides – some of us are thinking Council and Claire colluded to let her stay in office so the City could choose one of those good ‘ol politicians who have done nothing but put this town in a hole. Isn’t it time to let the peoples voices be heard?
I like Scott Valentine’s thinking (MN Jan2013)about creating better quality jobs, and beautifying our town, to create a place that is highly desirable to live in, not that we don’t live in a beautiful place, but areas of our town don’t mirror that image.
X Local and Concerned citizen,
Thank you for the endorsement. I’ve got some positves in my portfolio as well as some negatives.
On the plus side I’ve lived here since 1962 and know this town like the back of my hand. I’ve worked in the motel bussines, resturaunts, a ski area and in construction.My folks started a small card and gift shop here called
“The Party House”, so I have some experience in retail. Then there was the 31 years at South Tahoe Refuse, 12 of which I was a supervisor, ran a crew of 30 guys.
I’m retired now so I’ve got time to be mayor. My negatives are that I’m not good at meetings,(too much blah blah blah). Im not very organized and I’m bad at paperwork and I…Hey, wait a minute! The city is not organized or good at paperwork either! Maybe I’d fit right in! Except for those boring meetings. I don’t see how Kae can sit through those things.
I know you guys were pulling my leg but I felt I had to respond. As to John, Yeah , I know the hole is private property but if I had the dough I would buy it, but alas I find myself a little bit short of funds currently.
I throw my support behind Bill Crawford to fill the empty seat on the council. I’m happy to be The “Mayor of Knox Street”. Take Care, Old Long Skiis
The cost to the taxpayers of conducting either an all-mail ballot or polling place ballot special election would range between $9,000 and $15,000. The costs for running a campaign to win this vacant Councilmember seat would be borne by the candidates. If either an all-mail ballot or polling place ballot election were conducted the earliest the winning candidate could begin serving on the City Council following the date of certification of the election results would be on May 17th with an all-mail ballot or on June 14th with a polling place ballot, with that individual serving on the City Council until December 9, 2014, or for roughly 17 to 18 months. A special election will cause the City Council to operate for approximately another 4 to 5 months with four members creating the risk of deadlocked votes. This information is available on the City’s website via the following link http://www.cityofslt.us/index.aspx?NID=84 and then clicking on the December 27, 2012, meeting tab. For these reasons I support the Council proceeding with an application and appointment process.
It is my hope that whoever the Council appoints it will be someone who has something to contribute and can work and “play” well with the other Councilmembers so what needs accomplishing to improve our community can be achieved.
There should be a special election and Fortier should have to pay for it. I will trust no one who is appointed by the good ole boy/gal network. There’s a reason the city council was investegated by a grand jury. It’s called incompetence…
Bill Crawford is my choice. His votes in the past have been spot on. Regarding the BID, loop rd. and hole, Bills votes turned out to be the right vote. He doesn’t accept contributions so there is no conflict of interest on many if not all issues.
87% of the residents could care less about the whole subject,it’s more like you kiss my butt and I’ll kiss yours!
Let the county come take over you’ll see things get taken care more fairly,faster, Better ,leave the people with promised secret agendas in their closets.
This council will not do the right thing. Word has it that a deal was cut a long time ago by Cole to put his high school buddy in and his other buddy Davis will back him up. They are working hard to sway Conner to support them now that Swanson was tossed out into the cold by the three of them i,e. the CTC seat toss-off they blindsided her with. Watch.
Mr. Pierini:
Bill Crawford was not serving on any City Council when the Councilmembers voted on the BID, Loop Road, or the Chateau Project. His most recent term on the City Council was after the BID and Chateau Project votes and it ended prior to the TTD’s Loop Road proposal so he did not vote on anything associated with that matter either. Would you please furnish specifics on the important, topical votes that Mr. Crawford participated on?
Other than much chaotic dissention, the numerous times that Mr. Crawford refused to even vote on items, and his accusations of wrongdoing by then Councilmember Bruce Grego and initiation of a Grand Jury Investigation, my only recollection of anything memorable that Crawford initiated and voted on was the October 19, 2010, Unfinished Business Item (a) – Ordinance of the City of South Lake Tahoe City Council Amending the South Lake Tahoe City Code by Adding Chapter 15C – Medical Marijuana Cultivation. Crawford made the following motion which effectively pushed that decision onto the next City Council and gave the medical marijuana dispensaries a much stronger foothold in our community:
“IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER CRAWFORD TO CONTINUE THE CONSIDERATION OF THE ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 15C – MEDICAL MARIJUANA CULTIVATION TO A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING, AT A DATE TO BE DETERMINED.”
Your following public communications comment at the December 14, 2010, City Council meeting in recognition of outgoing City Councilmember Crawford made your very strong support of him abundantly clear:
“1. Lou Perini expressed his appreciation to all individuals who work and participate in public service…. He provided specific praise to Councilmember Crawford saying he agreed with him 90-percent of the time and he offered suggestions to the incoming/new Council.”
4-mer, I should have said thats the way he would have voted and he would have voted that way. Needless to say his ideas and policys regarding these issues have been spot on. Yor reaserch should show that Bill votes with his pen more than most and those writings said no to these projects.
Mr. Pierini:
So the basis of how Mr. Crawford would have voted is an assumption based by how he “votes with his pen in his writings”? My preference is to deal with facts and not speculative assumptions and an individual’s vehement criticism of others decisions and actions post outcomes is not the same as committing to one’s opinion and accepting responsibility for such while the decision-making process is occurring.
Not an assumption I asked him and so can you.
Mr. Pierini:
So you asked him how he would have voted had he ever voted. I wonder if his answers would have indicated opposition if any of those matters had been successful. Like I said before, it’s really easy to be critical of others decisions/actions after the fact and to say you’d never have done what they did. I just believe that when an individual places themselves in the public eye and wants to represent everyone’s best interest they need to be honest and forthright prior to and during controversial events and not afterwards.
Also, I don’t need to ask Mr. Crawford anything. I watched and listened to him for four years on his last stint on the City Council and am well aware of his stated positions. I rarely agree with him and personally I didn’t like his conduct or his communication style when he served on the City Council. But those are just my opinions.