By Kathryn Reed

KINGS BEACH – Voters earlier this month infused the California Tahoe Conservancy budget with $27 million.

This was through Proposition 68, which in total is a $4 billion bond for parks, environmental protection and restoration, water infrastructure, and flood protection.

The CTC board on June 21 received an update about Proposition 68 at the meeting in Kings Beach. This came after approving its 2018-19 program budget authorization.

There are some strings attached with the new bond money. Language in the initiative says 20 percent of the money must be allocated to communities with a household income of less than 60 percent of the statewide average of $39,980 in 2016. In CTC’s jurisdiction, South Lake Tahoe and Kings Beach qualify as disadvantaged communities.

Board member Lynn Suter said, “I think we need to pay attention to this in a big way.” She said the Legislature is adamant that disadvantaged communities be paid attention to.

As such the Conservancy staff has come up with a revision to the mission statement that says, “All communities have equitable access to the lake.”

It remains to be seen how this will look in terms of future projects using Proposition 68 dollars.

In Proposition 68 the focal areas are:

·      Acquire open space and create greenway corridors

·      Outreach to diverse populations

·      Mentoring diverse new leaders

·      Creating new partnerships to expand access

·      Implement improvements to increase access

·      Expand use of appropriate educational materials

·      Promote youth engagement and empowerment

·      Identify possible staff liaisons.

Key projects the Conservancy plans to work on in this next fiscal year that starts July 1 include:

·      Restoration of the Upper Truckee River Marsh

·      South Tahoe Greenway, phase 1b/2

·      Tahoe Pines Restoration project

·      Lakeview Lookout/Connelly Beach.

CTC has $15.4 million in capital outlay and local assistance funding. This comes from just more than $9 million in bond funds, about $1.87 million in special funds dedicated to the Conservancy, and $4.56 million in grants from the Federal Trust Fund and other reimbursements.

There is another nearly $7.93 million in continuing “baseline” funding from various bonds, special funds, and revenue sources dedicated to the CTC.

The state agency based in South Lake Tahoe spends about $3.4 million on personnel, with $3.2 million for other operating expenses.