Field needs to be built to keep SnowGlobe
By Kathryn Reed
The rush this fall to have the documents signed to create the Community Play Consortium had a lot to do with money. Money in regards to the three-day SnowGlobe music festival that starts Tuesday, money from Lake Tahoe Community College’s facility’s bond, money to be spent on future fields and the potential income they will generate.
When talks of creating the consortium started early this year it was uncovered that the deeds for the properties from more than a decade ago were never recorded properly. That has all been rectified.
The parcels include the old Caltrans right-of-way that the California Tahoe Conservancy obtained after the transportation department decided not to build a freeway there, South Lake Tahoe land, LTCC property and a floating acre Lake Tahoe Unified School District has contributed on which a baseball field will be it. It’s all in the area of the current community play field in South Lake Tahoe. The old Caltrans parcel is now the city’s. Half of the playfield is on it, the other half of the playfield is owned by the college.
The city and LTCC transferred easements to the consortium, not land ownership. Therefore the consortium controls the use of that field and the future fields that are planned to be adjacent to the current one.
The college and city make up the consortium. LTUSD chose not to be a part of it.
This will be the last year SnowGlobe uses LTCC’s synthetic turf field. Photo Copyright 2014 Carolyn E. Wright
“SnowGlobe was always part of the conversation because the college, city and school district wanted to make sure whoever owns the land that they were properly insured,” City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News.
Alcohol sales at SnowGlobe have been one of the issues for the parties to deal with.
“It was not a major factor, but it was a factor,” LTUSD Superintendent Jim Tarwater told Lake Tahoe News as to why the district is not in the consortium. “I am not a real supporter of SnowGlobe, but will do whatever the community supports.”
The district, as is the norm for most K-12 institutions, has a zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol on its grounds.
The college has policies in place as well regarding alcohol, but they are more flexible. To get around alcohol being sold on campus the beer booths have always been on city property – on the asphalt on the mountain side of the set up. The consumption, well, that is allowed everywhere.
“If the field is under the control of the consortium, under the easements our laws don’t apply. That is part of the reason why we were working so hard when we realized the easements were not in effect so SnowGlobe could take place this year,” Kindred Murillo, LTCC president, told Lake Tahoe News.
Chad Donnelly, SnowGlobe founder and promoter, did not return LTN’s call asking how big of a deal alcohol sales are for the three day event that runs Dec. 29-31.
“We don’t have restrictions about selling alcohol. What the city can’t do is make money off alcohol sales,” Kerry said. “The nonprofits that work with SnowGlobe get a percentage of the alcohol sales.”
This will be SnowGlobe’s final year on the field where Lake Tahoe Community College’s soccer team plays. That is because the college intends to replace that field next year at a cost that is likely to exceed $1.6 million.
The money in part will come from the college, and part from the city via Measure S/R dollars.
“We are looking at a pretty high quality synthetic field. We are looking at some of new techniques that do not off gas,” Murillo said. “That is under investigation, to put in the latest and best and most safe field. That field is so hard and off gassing. We believe it really needs to be replaced as soon as possible.”
Talks are under way with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to begin work before the May 1 opening of construction season so the field would be ready for the soccer teams in August.
In order to invest bond money into the new field, the college has to have “reasonable use of that property for the life of the investment,” Murillo said. This means the college’s athletic department and all other programs get first priority on that field.
The city next year is looking to build a field next to it that will be sod. It would be a secondary field and where SnowGlobe could go in the coming years. The city and Donnelly have a three-year contract, with this being year two.
Donnelly was asked what he thought about having to come up with a new configuration, but he chose not to answer that question.
The college is likely to provide parking lots for future SnowGlobes. As to whether anything else would be used is up for negotiation.
“Once we build the new field it will be a better location (for SnowGlobe),” Kerry said. “It will be natural. You can’t damage it like synthetic.” She envisions the possibility of vendors and foot traffic going on the new synthetic field.
That will be up to the consortium – not the college. And right now it’s just the college and city in the consortium.
Thanks for the update and reason the consortium was pushed though- with no representation for El Dorado County/basin property taxpayer’s, as they are paying for both Measures S&R on their tax bill. If any legal minds can tell me how this doesn’t violate the taxation without representation part of our constitution- let’s hear it. Thanks.
And Cheers!!! to Kindred & Nancy for making sure the boozing will continue because “under the easements our laws don’t apply” Don’t put a dent in the drinking at SnowGlobe or LTCC, whatever you do. You should be ashamed of yourselves … you may need a few more drinks to clear-up your thinking. OUTRAGEOUS!!
Isee:
The consortium isn’t limited only to the City and College and they are seeking involvement from other entities. You should contact El Dorado County and request that they become part of that consortium if it bothers you that they’re not participating.
Such a shame to see the measure S/R funds used to help Snowglobe. The promoter makes money off Snowglobe, but the average city resident does not benefit at all. Would much rather see the funds go to more bike trails and walking paths.
4-mer, Good idea. However, seeking involvement and having the right to move forward with a legal agreement, when all taxpayers aren’t represented, are two different issues. The article does begin with “The rush this fall to have documents signed… had a lot to do with money”
I do think there need to be clearly defined boundaries about local bond monies being used to create spaces to be rented (for profit), or giving first use by, any one entity and not for the general benefit of all taxpayers. I also question how fields can be built using bond funds, and then be titled or operated by one entity such as the college. The desires of LTCC and the city are very clear from the article and I am speaking on behalf of the unrepresented county taxpayers here. This is a very grey legal area and moves like this surely need to be questioned.
City and college promoting drugs and alcohol. How many will have to die?
Isee:
Contact EDC and request that they look into your concerns. I would imagine that all the associated terms of Measures S and R along with the original and subsequent defined boundaries were included in the Measures on which the public voted, and possibly within the bond documents.
I do believe that EDC should become involved in this consortium since they were a part of the area-wide Recreation Master Plan that was developed. I live in the county area of SLT and think we need to be represented in this.
Isee; Good luck with contacting the county or better yet getting a response. Let me know who you contact and if you get a response as I am sure there are others who feel the way you do. I find it refreshing that Mr. Tarwater finally came out and said about SnowGlobe. Most of the community did not want SnowGlobe yet it was pushed through by a select few. We do need something similar to this event but I do think a different time frame (shoulder season) would have worked better and garnered more support from the community. 4-mer; you are absolutely correct in that EDC needs to be involved, I just don’t how that is going to happen given our current situation. EDC should be working for what is best for the city and it’s residents here and not concerned how it is going to affect the county. South Lake Tahoe first EDC second.
Guess they gave up any thought of moving this crap out of the middle of a residential area…..great.
I don’t know what’s so hard to understand people?! Encouraging drug & alcohol use is a bad thing! Well unless that is, you know, government can make money from it.
And if I hear, “Well, Snowglobe brings tourists into town.”, I’ll know an idiot is speaking/typing.” We don’t need more tourists during that part of the calendar! And if we do, then the LTVA is not doing its job!
“I don’t know what’s so hard to understand people?! Encouraging drug & alcohol use is a bad thing! Well unless that is, you know, government can make money from it.”
Drugs an alcohol sell themselves. What do you think ‘Apres Ski’ is all about?
Bring in an LDS retreat to fill in revenue gaps while not having to readjust your irrelevant moral compass. Most people here have no desire to go to either event. Let’s have a sober board game tournament. I’ll enter for B-tier Carcassone and Settlers (sea farers expansion).
You have no idea what my moral compass is, even with your obsession with my comments.
Only issue I have with this event is the time of year it’s held. Wish it was at more of a soft market time.
But if our City is going to get behind an event like this, fine. Then they shouldn’t be hypocrites. For starters, tell the PD to stop busting any & all drug peddlers.
My taxes went up for this? This is a collage not a concert venue.
The big thinkers who want a concert venue missed the chance of a lifetime when Harrah’s sold the Bill’s parcel ($5,500,000).
It’s pie shaped making it much larger in the back. It could have been shared by Mount Blue and Harrah’s. Tons of parking, bathrooms and hotel rooms. No busing people around town or residential properties to be affected.
Instead we got a tacky strip-mall.
Collage or college?
Get this BS out of our town. You should hear how excited the high schoolers are and the talk of literal drug orgies. Awesome.
Public funds for a private concert promoter who make a huge profit on Snow Globe is just wrong. Only the promoter makes money, at a cost to us the tax payers. This is another total misuse of funds.
The city/college and it’s agents are like employees of the infamous Joe Conforte and his Ranch. This is all about money, money, money, money…… MONEY! Or yeah, and alcohol.
$55 million just isn’t enough for LTCC, the poor paupers….- they have to manipulate a way to get into the (unrepresented, basin/county) taxpayer bond funds. Read the article, again. The Queen and The Duchess are doing a good job.(look-out, they’re picking-up your wallet off the dresser, when you’re not paying attention). The legally disputable behavior begs this type of ‘calling-out’.
Does anyone know if there is a procedure for rescinding the bond vote? Maybe a lawsuit to freeze the funds.
I bet the bond measure would not pass today.
Yeah! Let’s dump Snow Globe and go back the the “good ‘ol days” of the RIOTS at Stateline! I mean at the Riots, nobody got drunk did drugs or caused any problems… right?
Young people having fun, raising hell and getting inebriated at music concerts-that’s never happened before and I blame Pres. Obama, Ben Gazzi and the homogays getting married-
And we don’t need the millions of dollars of revenue either
Buck. Like, there is no “promoting” drinking on the Nevada Side of Stateline? And, you can get all the drugs you want in Nevada too.
The City is Promoting Snow Globe, so what? You would rather they promote more Police in Riot gear and at what costs?
At least the stateline riots didn’t keep me awake for days and scare the hell out of my dogs.
I would much rather listen to Mexican tuba and accordion music than some amplified arch welder.
2. So we cancel Snow Globe, go back to the Stateline Riots on News Years Eve with Mexican Accordian music because “your” dogs are scared? LOL! That’s a good one.
Go SNOW GLOBE,While your at it, Go also,Maybe just maybe you can have a good time, Get out and have fun, You only live once.Live it to the fullest ,and be safe out there.Happy New Year.
FYI, Stateline is still a drunken riot on New Years.
TEA TOTAL, This is the first time bengazzi hearings are mentioned after Hillary wiped out the hearings with her cool demeanor.
Good for you, please do not let the political revolution change you in any way. :>
Snow globe is just biz, and music is the best common ground for many different folks. Get your designated drivers and have a gas while your young.
There was a sign at burning man i loved….
Participants….straight ahead,
Spectators….. use U turn.
Miguelito!…There you are!! Are your panties still bunched over my question marks???
Tea you’re so funny…political revolution be damned. On with the party!
There will be plenty of spectators at Sno Globe this year…call THEM security:)
Parker. Sorry, not even near the problems of past New Years Eves gone by at Stateline.
I reside about a 1/2 mile from this madness of youth spirt event, the live sound levels are extremely loud at our home, most of all the massive coverage of the subwoofers that throw the bass levels for miles. We can’t relax or go to sleep till its over.
Here we go again and once again we have no say. I think this just sums it all up regarding the city and the county on ALL the topics shared in LTN. They the special elite elected ones don’t listen or care anything about us, we the people who pay their wages with tax dollars. It’s just pointless really, between DUI employees, STPUD rate increases, City lawsuits/fruitless spending, man the list goes on and on, they get away with anything that they want to throw at us. We have no say.
Sorry Rock,
I’ve been down there. Before & after Snowglobe started. It’s still a drunken riot.
And the editing function on this site I’m having an issue with-Having been at Stateline on NYE for each of the last 9 years, I’ve seen firsthand that it’s still the ‘same’ drunken riot!
J…”We have no say”…somebody voted for these City people!..VOTE THEM OUT…every taxpayer in the city has a vote!
VOTE…don’t just suck it up and complain…VOTE and get your taxpaying friends to VOTE
Robin Smith, technically “every” tax payer in the city, county, or state doesn’t have a vote. Second homeowners who don’t reside and vote in the jurisdiction they own a second home do pay taxes but don’t have a vote.
And I’m perfectly okay with that.
Big…obviously you know what I meant, however, I do stand corrected on the way I stated it.
Robin – The City Manager is not an elected position. The city council hires the city manager who insulates the council from the actions taken by the CM. Nice arrangement. right?
Drugs have orgies?
Isee…big uh oh…then Nancy Kerry ‘works’ for JoAnn Connor? $100,000 for…
Kerry has what to do with the SNO GLOBE arrangements??
It just keeps getting better!
” For starters, tell the PD to stop busting any & all drug peddlers.”
Red Herring.
“Only issue I have with this event is the time of year it’s held”
No it isn’t. Read your own comments, this was mentioned pretty low on your list. Operative word is ‘only’. Obviously you don’t mean it.
I need to remember to listen for the subtle nuances in the music when I’m eating dinner at the Y.
I wonder how many kids will die this year?
There you go again Liburude,Negative as always.Are you ever HAPPY ?
Seriously, Linda- I guess you don’t know about a teenager dying in the bank off Pioneer Trail a couple years ago…… that’s why it’s important where the alcohol is served at SnowGlobe. It’s called covering your a–. The city, promoter and college need to protect themselves, legally, from the next death and overdose from drinking and drugging in the frigid cold. It never came out how much was paid to compensate the family for the loss of their child but you can bet somebody opened their wallet. In the mean time…. the truth bites… like zero degrees. Liberule asks an appropriate question here.
Isee,When you keep looking at the past, The Future looks dim.Go forward and think Positive.Yes we do remember It does not have to happen again,Think POSITIVE.
THOSE WHO FORGET THE PAST ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT THE PAST.
Field needs to be built to keep snowglobe? Why do we the taxpayer build a field for our city to only be destroyed by snowglobe? The JPA needs some supervision from the people who pay the tax and soon! Snowglobe needs to be on a parking lot not on ball fields.
Isee: Nobody forced that girl to ingest alcohol and drugs. She made the choice to over indulge and wander off in near zero temps. Yes, a tragic loss but the blame is on her.
We nearly lost two more last year, likely would have if they hadn’t been found.
https://www.laketahoenews.net/2014/12/2-snowglobers-found-unconscious-at-hard-rock/
Regarding Stateline, it’s a lot better than it used to be before law enforcement decided to go ahead and close the road and be more concerned about peoples safety than trying to control every little thing.
What kills me about Stateline is all these years we’ve had people pouring into Tahoe to celebrate New Years and for the most part Tahoe has discouraged it or downplayed it. All these tourists are coming up without any major ‘event advertising or promotion’.
So you have all these folks here to play that other city’s will spend mega money drawing them in for New Years and we waste the opportunity.
Have Stateline and South Lake Tahoe ever once considered making the most of this opportunity and do it right. Close the road (they do it anyway) send them around the loop roads. Have music and entertainment from the beginning of the loops to the end, the whole Heavenly Village, Stateline, corridor. Make it as family friendly as possible to counter the younger out of control revelers. Have fireworks, and for crying out loud have a countdown clock so people know when it’s the New Year, and when it’s over and time to clear the streets. If New York and Vegas can make it work on a large scale I’m sure we could figure it out on a smaller scale.
I can’t understand why the powers that be completely ignore this opportunity that has been handed to them on a silver platter for decades and instead decide to whore themselves out and bend over backwards to promote a four day concert (and I’m being generous with that description) in the middle of what is essentially a residential area of South Lake Tahoe.
Besides the money which could be covered by doing New Years correctly near Stateline, your holding this ‘concert’ in the wrong area of town at the wrong time of year. We don’t need to promote more tourism between Christmas and New Years, especially when we have great skiing conditions.
Still waiting to see this city spend some money on decorating this town from the ‘Y’ to Stateline, it’s about as cheap of a way to promote Tahoe as a winter wonderland as it gets, and it’s reusable!
Anyway, pump your hand up and down above your head and jump up and down to the beat of the base. Because it’s all about that base, about that base.
The beat goes on….
KIT…SHAME for that comment!!!
The young lady died a 1/2 mile from my home in the other direction from snowglobe, it was in subzero condition like 10 below, I will always remember that freezing winter as one of the coldest winter I lived in so far. Though she was under the influence of whatever, it goes to show what a dangerous environment Lake Tahoe can be in severe cold winter temperatures when out on foot in it. Along with OLS, I knew of another old school mate in the 70s whom was discovered literally frozen to death WHILE under the influence behind the cemetery, a haunting remembrance of the past.
Truth hurts, eh? Own your mistakes. Quit blaming others. I said it was tragic, but preventable.
KIT…DOUBLE SHAME ON YOU!!!!
Robin,Live for now ,and you will be happier ,What happen is then , Its now that counts.WAKE UP.Listen to the music, Oh yeah another thing if you look into the schedule about the snow globe they have a better way to do things this year.Alot safer.
Choosing to be a soulless, sub-human foxbot is tragic but preventable- turn off the brain scrubbing BS and rejoin humanity-
There are tragic outcomes at the ski resorts, boating on the lake or spending time in Desolation Wilderness-enjoying the Tahoe Basin’s many adventures comes with risk-like everything in life
Kits Carson this may be the one time I actually agree with you 100%!
Linda…”Oh yeah…..they have a better way to do things this year.Alot safer.” Gr8 comment…
Could have done without….”Robin live for now, and you will be happier…WAKE UP” BS
I agree that we should use the infrastructure already in place at Stateline and make the best of it. Do you really want a winter version of Burning Man in SLT? Every year, oh, it will be bigger and better!!
Too bad you can’t read Billy! And too bad you have no idea what you’re talking about, as usual!
Parker. People are drunk at Stateline most weekends and holidays.
According to another local news source, Eleven (11) arrests were made on New Years Eve 12/31/14 – 1/1/15; last year at Stateline. I can remember a time when the number of arrests at Stateline were near 100.
Now, are arrests down because of a planned event like Snow Globe or other events, not sure. I my opinion, Snow Globe gives young people something to do besides going down to Stateline, climbing on Street Lights, causing trouble etc.
Last year PLEASE!!! Too many people in town as it is, add kids sleeping in cars, etc. Last year PLEASE!!! Also heard, overdoses already at the hospital as of December 31 am!
Isee, great comments! Praying no one dies this year, what a sad commentary about a few nights in Tahoe!
Rock,
Come on. You may be correct, or not, that arrests are down at Stateline? And if you are correct, I credit you, seriously, for saying there could be multiple or different reasons.
But to say last year there was x amount, and according to someone’s recollection there used to be a y+ amount, is not proof of any trend. We would need to see the full, year by year official stats.
My eye test of being down there in the Stateline area is far from official. But it is truly still a zoo in the area since Snow Globe started, as it was prior.
It may be a little mellower before Snow Globe lets out. But then it is felt when that crowd heads down to Stateline.
But to all those I’ve agreed with, and disagreed with on this site in 2015, (and in the spirit of the late Old Long Skiis) I wish you all a Healthy & Happy 2016!!
Parker, “,…is not proof of any trend. We would need to see the full, year to year official stats.”
However, that crowd has let off ALOT of steam BEFORE heading to Stateline.
Mark Twain and Herman Cain!
1am, really city elitist rulers?! This was by far the most loud snowglobe to date, what are you thinking?! I know, MONEY all at the cost of our peace and quiet, YES us the tax payers who reside here. I suggest if this event shows up again then place it on Coles meadow right behind his estate and aim that stage with those massive sound levels right at his house!
The new Lake Tahoe Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is currently under construction on the opposite side of Al Tahoe Blvd – essentially across the street from the current Snow Globe site. In the event that Snow Globe is allowed to continue in the LTCC area, I do not see how the Rehabilitation Center and Snow Globe can possibly co-exist for the 3 days the concert is on-going how can that be a healing and healthy environment for the wildlife?
Parker. There was an older article from a mid 90’s New Years Eve and the arrests were 88. This info is not easily found via search engines I have or perhaps I missed it in the details.
“The rush this fall, had alot to do with MONEY…..
Deeds for the properties from more than a DECADE ago were NEVER recorded properly….AND it goes on and on.”
This entire CITY is full of these types of discrepancies….a bunch of thieves people. I cannot believe all this goes on and NO one is interested in putting a stop to it.
Well, SOMEONE is going to pay.
Can someone tell me why Americans need to put their nose in everyone else’s business? The biggest lot of self righteous hipocritical people in the northern hemisphere.