S. Tahoe council too tired to work; sign discussion delayed
By Kathryn Reed
It’s 3:30 in the afternoon and the South Lake Tahoe City Council is too tired to finish what’s on the agenda. It’s the second meeting in a row the five have said they just don’t have the stamina to keep going.
They’ve pulled the stamina card more than these two times. The five only meet twice a month – usually – to do the city’s business the people have elected them to do, but they don’t always work a full eight-hour day. They seldom take less than an hour for lunch.
This sign is out of compliance with South Lake Tahoe's ordinance. Photo/LTN
In July, they only have one meeting scheduled.
Yes, they still had closed session to deal with Tuesday after canceling the workshop on signs. But the only item to be discussed was City Attorney Patrick Enright’s review. This was the second meeting in a row for that topic. And earlier on June 21 he got his 5 percent raise without any discussion. It was on the consent agenda – which is where non-controversial items tend to wind up because they don’t need vetting.
Figuring out what to do about signs has been an issue most of the council members have wanted to tackle. But they keep deferring the issue.
Now the topic is slated for a special meeting on June 28 at 7pm at Lake Tahoe Airport. This means staff has to work late. Of course they already have been paid to sit through two meetings to not say a word about signs.
(The meeting will start at 6pm in closed session to discuss the complaint, which the city was served Tuesday afternoon, by the League to Save Lake Tahoe over the city’s General Plan.)
The issue with signs is that most in the city limits don’t comply with the ordinance. The previous council told the police department not to enforce the rules because it would mean another financial burden to businesses. Signs are not cheap.
Enforcement of temporary signs, like sandwich boards and banners, was never supposed to be lax.
Hilary Hodges, director of Development Services, is looking for direction from these five to see if as improvements are made to Highway 50 they want to enforce the sign ordinance.
As sidewalks and bike paths are put in at different places, it will mean some signs will have to be moved. The setback is supposed to be a minimum of 5 feet.
The questions are: Move the old sign out of the way? Or, put in a new sign out of the way that complies with the ordinance?
Next week’s meeting will be a discussion, with no action taken.
Any business putting up a sign is supposed to have it go through a review process by the city’s planning staff. The application fee for a sign permit is $130.
When a damaged sign, like at Lily’s Tires, is replaced with what was there – that’s fine to do without a permit. (That particular sign is not in compliance, but is grandfathered in for the time being.) When a sign is replaced with something new, like what Barton did for its offices on Highway 50, they were supposed to have received a permit – and didn’t, according to Hodges.
What are described as lollipop signs are non-conforming. The same goes for signs that list a ton of businesses like Kings Trading Post.
Group signs that follow the rules are at Ski Run Center and at the center anchored by Ross.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency in its Regional Plan also talks about signs. The city and five counties in the basin are allowed to have stricter regulations.
How is the city attorney getting a 5% raise in these economic times “non-controversial”? I think it is completely and absolutely WRONG!!! This city council is turning out to be the same or even worse than past councils and they should all be removed from their offices immediately.
Don’t expect the city council to enforce sign regulations when they allow banners and sign boards at the airport for their own leasees. Plenty of tourist towns have good sign rules, many with stricter regulations than SLT, that enhance visitor experience (Carmel, Nevada City, Memdocino, Ferndale, Mammoth Lakes, to name a few). Why do we always settle on the lowest common denominator in this community?
The City stopped enforcing their sign ordinance when TRPA adopted one (they figured TRPA could also adopt the expense of enforcing their own) and it’s been downhill ever since. A nice looking sign is no more expensive than an unattractive one but the non-conforming signs placed without a permit deprive the City of permit fees.
Well the first thing the City should do is cite Barton for its non-permitted new sign. And stop taking long lunches which cause afternoon drowsiness.
Have Barton remove the sign. They should know better.
Let TRPA enforce their own sign ordinance, why should the city spend the money to inforce TRPA rules. As far as I know the city is the only enity on the lake to enforce TRPAs ordinance for them.
So decent, dedicated, hard working people that don’t get sick, take vacation, or play hookie from work to play golf get laid off (adding to the unemployment rate of SLT and ultimately depleting the census numbers cause we’ll have to move away) and there’s still plenty of $ to give raises and have folks enforcing idiotic parking regulations. Sounds like business as usual though frankly.
OMG, noone should be getting a pay raise right now. City employees are getting laid off every month and this guy gets a raise?!?!? unbelievable!
This is bull i am so tired of hearing about this city council doing nothing and getting raises!!! Who cares about the signs i know i didnt pay for a permit nor will i. this town is going into the ground the city council is a joke! how about worry abot something elses that is more important, until we have a real city council that isnt full of a bunch of outdated old decreped people. our city will never grow with these people in charge……ohhhh im to tired to talk. well retire and let someone else make changes this town is gonna fall apart and dissappear at the rate we are going i say impeach all the city council members and vote younger ones in we need change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the city council members should really take a look at what they are doing…and what they are not doing….they were elected to take reasonable action..not long lunches, and worry about signs….
how do they figure that city employees can be laid off…or forced to take extra days off..then give someone a raise…when he is already making over $100,000 as year!!!!!!!!!
How many of us make that? and if we did…would we need a raise?
the city council members should really take a look at what they are doing…and what they are not doing….they were elected to take reasonable action..not long lunches, and worry about signs….
how do they figure that city employees can be laid off…or forced to take extra days off..then give someone a raise…when he is already making over $100,000 as year!!!!!!!!!
How many of us make that? and if we did…would we need a raise?
the members of the city council should be thrown out…and a new election should be
done. almost anyone could do better than these guys.
This is just what I had hoped would happen to that city. Sinking just like I predicted because none of you wanted to hear the truth for years when I tried to tell you about the corruption. False plea deals and crooked cops, plus lying and thieving people on your city council =’s doomsday for South Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is so ugly anymore and that is what is going to be its downfall. There are much nicer places to visit and they do not rip you off like South Shore. Look at Big Bear Lake where you can rent a place for $400 a month and still have a nice lake and mountains nearby. Ha ha South Lake Tahoe from Sam Venhuizen. You lied about me for years now I will take your city down by telling the truth. Go elsewhere and end the corruption in South Lake Tahoe.
Can we all do this?
Bring a bag lunch next time and complete your agenda.
This article should go in each of your files as a reminder that citizens depend on you to get things done.
Well, it looks like nothing has changed with the city council. I was at the airport restaurant yesterday having lunch when the council took its lunch break around 12:45pm. The members present with the city manager didn’t look all that tired to me. In fact they were very energetic in their conversations. Promises of change from the city manager and new council members again amount to nothing. It didn’t take long for either parties to settle into the old routine established many years ago with the first council.
The truth ,nothing changed..and it won’t cause they are bunch 500.00 month insurance ,title grabbers.
They took the donor money got elected,forgot this suppose to be a community function.
Lard butts do nothing but make our town smell.
Look at the city grand plan years behind the due date,do you really think they care?
I’m too TIRED to do the job I spent so much time and energy acquiring. All I wanted was the status, I didn’t know you guys actually expected me to EARN my pay and your respect. It’s too HARD.
Whiiiiiiine.
(But, hey, nobody’s actually holding my feet to the fire and making me work, so I guess I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing!)
Hey, stop bashing the Council! Sure, they haven’t dealt with our economy or roads! But they saw to it that the City Attorney got his raise! So they did get something done!! (Because I guess it’s asking too much of the City Attorney to say, “You know what? Let me pitch in in a small way to help our cash-strapped town. Since I’m well-compensated as is, I’ll forgo my raise!”)
lol @dog….boy that’s the truth.
Do you really think that hole will be anything we can really use with this kind of energy charged Group of has Ben’s.
I bet they are not too tired to ride out on the lake, catch a few cocktails.
See a few ever now then ,when I’m drift fishing.
Why don’t they just admit conflict of interest, admit they got too many other important things to do.
Wonder who paid for the lunch. Taxpayers?
And how is it legal to have a vehicle parked on the city limit side of Pioneer near Black Bart advertising the Marathon in September. I think that’s another infraction but it’s tolerated because it brings in $. It’s all about who you know.
The city limits on pioneer tr. is where Heavenly Valley Cr. goes across, just east of the sign. The sign is in the county.