LTCC decision on SnowGlobe expected in May
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe City Manager Nancy Kerry made a case Tuesday for why Lake Tahoe Community College should allow SnowGlobe to continue on the school’s adjacent ball field.
The two public agencies own the field, with the city responsible for maintaining it.
The college board of trustees at its first May meeting is expected to vote on whether the three-day year-end music festival should return for years four, five and six.
The city last month agreed to a three-year contract with the promoter. But the event won’t happen without the college’s OK.
“As soon as the field is replaced, it won’t come back,” Kerry said of the festival. The field could be replaced at a potential cost of $750,000 in the next 30 to 36 months.
The goal is to find a turf company that has been in existence for a while. The firm the city used for the existing field went out of business before the warranty expired.
“The sample that was shown is not what was installed,” according to Roberta Mason, LTCC board president.
When Measure S was approved the voters thought they would be getting multiple fields. They got one multi-use field instead.
Kerry told the board it’s not the festival that is the field’s major deterioration, but instead it’s snow.
“Snow itself and how it melts creates a wobbly field,” Kerry said.
While the city wants to keep SnowGlobe on the South Shore, a suitable replacement venue has yet to be secured. It is estimated the event brings in $6 million to the region.
Nancy…are you nuts, snow makes a wobbly field? Try semi trucks driving on the turf. Holy crap, where do you get your facts.
There are turf fields all over the country. From north to south, heat is actually the hardest on turf fields. In all cases the fields were installed for sporting events not 4 day concerts. The number of companies manufacturing turf has grown at an amazing rate. Most venues are installing them to save costs on irrigation. Not to mention the product itself is evolving and getting better. Find a new venue, save the tax payer built fields for sporting events!
Ahhhhhh! The hidden costs for Snowglobe start creeping out of the closet.
the hidden costs will never surpass the income it brings…
Last year, the field was closed until MAY when the clean up from snow globe was completed. This year, the field is currently closed (“temporarily” the sign at the college entrance to the field states, same sign as last year) although many groups, families, teams, joggers and others have been using the field. I have noticed trash from confetti sized plastic and paper to bigger ply wood corners also metal wire and deck screws currently on this field. The grass surface is damaged with gum, burns, torn seams and vehicle damage. The field was not covered with a protective surface during snow globe this year which I thought was agreed upon. Not just a 3 day festival but a Trashing, Damaging, and Closing for 4 plus months our treasured resource festival.
Stakes were driven into the turf to hold down tents and seams have come apart. If the field was only used for sports it would still be in good shape today. Snowglobe took many years of use off of the turf. If the college can not say no to snowglobe then I will say no to new tax for college. It’s called bad management of assets.