Discord on SLT council over board assignments

By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe City Councilman Tom Davis practically threw a tantrum at Tuesday’s meeting when he didn’t get appointed to the boards he wanted.

“Thank you. I’m getting the message very clear,” he told his colleagues after they chose Councilwoman Wendy David to be on the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority board instead of him. He then withdrew his name for consideration on the next two boards.

Jan. 17 was the annual meeting for the council to select who of the five represents the council on various boards.

When all the voting amongst themselves was done, Councilwoman Brooke Laine said even though she didn’t get everything she wanted the important thing is for the five to work together.

Davis then said, “I’m extremely disappointed. I didn’t get mayor pro tem and the appointments I wanted.” (The mayor pro tem was decided last month.) “I have paid my dues in the community and on this council.”

When it came time to approve all the appointments via one resolution it was a 4-1 vote, with Davis the dissenter.

Assignments include:

·      California Tahoe Conservancy – Hal Cole (community member)

·      City Selection Committee – Mayor Austin Sass (always goes to mayor)

·      El Dorado County Lafco – Laine

·      Tahoe Regional Planning Agency – Sass; Davis as alternate

·      TPRA Advisory Planning Commission – Scott Weavil (community member)

·      Tahoe Transportation District – Sass; alternate David

·      Abandoned Vehicle Abatement JPA – Laine

·      Cal-Tahoe JPA – David and Davis; alternate Laine

·      Clean Tahoe Program – David

·      Community Play Consortium – Councilman Jason Collin

·      League of California Cities – Collin; alternate Davis

·      PADMA – City Manager Nancy Kerry and City Attorney Tom Watson

·      Recreation JPA – Sass

·      Waste Management JPA – David; alternate Davis

·      Redevelopment Successor Agency – Laine; alternate Collin

·      Tahoe Prosperity Center – David

·      Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce (non-voting) – Collin

·      South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce (non-voting) – vacant

·      South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association – Collin.

The council eliminated three internal subcommittees – economic development, development services code, and champions plaza.

Davis did get his way when he advocated to retain the senior citizens center subcommittee. He is the lone councilmember on the committee.

Other subcommittee assignments are:

·      Real property negotiating subcommittee: Davis and Laine

·      Vacation home rental: David and Sass.