Tahoe Prosperity Center funding divides City Council
By Kathryn Reed
The majority of the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday decided to spend $10,000 in taxpayer money on the Tahoe Prosperity Center without knowing what it will be spent on.
Councilmembers Tom Davis, Hal Cole and Angela Swanson think increasing the city’s allocation to this nonprofit is a good idea. The city has now contributed $30,000 to the group.
Center officials have 60 or 90 days, whatever works for them the majority of the council said, to come back with a clear business plan.
“I would rather see the plan before we give them money,” Councilwoman JoAnn Connor said at the Feb. 19 meeting. And she’s the city’s rep to the center’s board.
Councilwoman Brooke Laine took issue with giving one nonprofit cash when the process has not been opened up to others as was done years ago.
Laine went on to say of the center, “It just feels like an additional layer of bureaucracy.”
Usually staff makes a recommendation to the council about the action to take. In this case, none was offered. It’s also not in the budget. The staff report from City Manager Nancy Kerry says, “If approved, funding would need to come from unassigned excess reserves for 2013.”
The Tahoe Prosperity Center’s website says this about itself, “Promoting regional sustainability through economic vitality, environmental stewardship and healthy communities in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin.”
Tom Greene, chairman of the center, presented to council, along with Christina Proctor. She called herself the interim executive director, while just a month ago she sent out a press release saying she was the flak for the group. There are no employees now – just people working as independent contractors. And there is nothing in the current budget, which operates on a calendar year, for projects – just staff.
“What this comes down to is this is an investment,” Greene told the council. “Our desire is not to come here every year.”
B Gorman, who is on the TPC board and as leader of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in developing the Tahoe Prosperity Plan, said, “Capital generation will be a 10-year project when we dive into that.”
What the center has been spending the bulk of its time on is trying to bring broadband to the basin.
Working regionally, the center proponents say, is how best to attract outside capital to get things done. The idea is broadband capability would open doors to potential businesses or entrepreneurs who would relocate to the Lake Tahoe Basin.
In Greene’s letter to the council asking for the money, he wrote, “The TPC is also working in coordination with the Tahoe Transportation District to facilitate productive Basin-wide dialogue aimed at fostering regional transportation initiatives.”
That and the mention by Proctor of a TTD meeting last week that Swanson attended unbeknownst to her colleagues nearly cost the center the city’s contribution. And then it was unearthed that the TPC is going to be the facilitator, while at the same time being a member, of the business group meeting to analyze the fiscal analysis of the loop road.
Cole was clearly unaware there was an analysis going on despite its being mentioned at several meetings and being written about.
In the end, though, it was the belief in broadband that swayed the majority of the council, even though they didn’t know how their $10,000 was going to help accomplish that.
In other action:
• The council made appointments to various commissions. Parks and Recreation – Rebecca Bryson, Peter Fink, Steven Noll, Bonnie Turnbull and Scott Valentine; Clean Tahoe – George Alm; TRPA Advisory Planning – Joy Curry; and El Dorado Commission on Aging – Gerry Grego.
• No longer can the council use any electronic device while the meeting is in session – only at breaks. This has to do with adhering to the Fourteenth Amendment and due process.
• People speaking to the council will be given three minutes. No letters will be read into the record.
• Expenses by councilmembers must be preapproved by the other four electeds. The city manager’s expenses are OK’d by the mayor.
‘People speaking to the council will be given three minutes. No letters will be read into the record.’
So if you work days and want to voice your opinion on the record to the council your just SOL.
Way to represent your constituents. That’s one way to get around doing the business OF the people FOR the people!
The “good ole boys(and girls)” continue to do as they wish.
NICE!
Who wouldn’t like $10,000 without having to tell the person giving you the money how you’re going to spend it?
Why don’t we all get in line?
Why is the city giving away our money? If I believe in this non-profit organization, I’ll give them money. I don’t need a middle man.
These 3 councilmembers would recklessly throw money at anything and everything if they could. And they do, and they always have. Higher taxes and fees in the City lets them do that.
Thank you to the other two who kept their wits together.
Cole and Davis, being good, if aging, businessmen, will throw city money into anything that might somehow help their businesses, however remote the possibility, as long as it doesn’t actually cost them any money.
Sorry to see Christina Proctor fall in with this bunch; she’s been good at LTCC and was a good responsible reporter for the Tribune – praise rarely given or deserved.
The Prosperity Center is another silly liberal idea that is helped nothing and makes all you half aware liberals feel good.
If you want to improve Tahoe’s economy stop following the fools that bring you this kind of academic nonsense.
HERE THE FACT FOLKS You are where you are because you follow who you follow. (People like those behind this silly academic concept)
Liberalism Kills and South Lake Tahoe is at deaths door. RIP
The Prosperity Center is another silly liberal idea that has helped NOTHING but makes all you ‘half aware’ liberals feel good.
If you want to improve Tahoe’s economy stop following the fools that bring you this kind of academic nonsense.
HERE’s THE FACTs FOLKS You are where you are because you follow who you follow. (People like those behind this silly academic concept)
Liberalism Kills and South Lake Tahoe is at deaths door. RIP
I commend Kae for providing this information. Multiple layer boondoggle is what I think it is, without a LOT more openness and further information. The goals, stated by the group, are vague generalities. NO BUSINESS PLAN? and they came for taxpayer money (and got it!…AGAIN!..what have they accomplished with the previous 20K?)?
Tie-ins with the Chamber..?, …the proposed hy 50 road changes in the Stateline area,….it reeks with hypocrisy (and some things best not said in a family publication).
It STINKS.
JoAnn’s the City’s representative to the Board, and she says she wants to see The Plan. I assume she voted NO..? (??).
I assume Brooke also voted NO..?
Nothing much about the City Council, Chamber, etc… astonishes me anymore, well, not very much after my 40 years here.
Biggerpicture,
You are 100% right. Hal Cole, Tom Davis and Angela Swanson are not working for the citizens of So Lake Tahoe, They are 3 IDIOTS that will bring the City to it’s Knees and go away blaming George W Bush for their failure’s.
They won’t let letters be read into the RECORD any longer ?? sure would like to hear the reason for that stupid rule, maybe it’s because the TRUTH HURTS!!!
AND THEY CAN’T STAND THE TRUTH.
The Tahoe Prosperitiy Council?
It looks like the ones that are prospering (even tho it’s a non-profit, wink wink, nudge nudge) are those that sit on the board of the TPC. I’ve got to come up with a plan to start some made up organization so I can get free taxpayer dollars without any explanation of where the money goes!
Boy, and I thought the consulting firm idea was a way to shake the schekels out of peoples pockets. Unfortunately I was told here that I needed to go to 8 years of college before I could become a consultant. At my age and limited income I can’t afford college. Oh well, back to the drawing board…
Maybe, The League to Save Raccoons? The Bureau of Blue Jays? Probably not very good ideas but I’ll keep working on it.
There has got to be a way to get some money from the city council and their over flowing coffers..
Stay tuned and if you send me a few dollars, tax deductible of course, maybe I’ll put you on my board of directors. Old Long Skiis
Digital Content,
“Liberalism kills”. LMAO! Conservative BS at its lowest. Tell that to the parents of anyone killed in one of the wars or “police actions” brought to us by the right wing hawks who believe the United States has to perpetuate the military industrial complex. History shows that those who are unwilling or unable to change are the ones who fail.
I agree that throwing tax dollars at an idea that is not backed with a proper plan is foolish. The Chamber of Commerce only exists to raise money and give people the illusion that a government agency is guarding their interests. This B Gorman is a master of BS or he wouldn’t be in the position he is in. “Capital generation will be a ten year project”. Unless he can make it a twenty or thirty year project. How many quarters in a parking meter will it take to make up for the 30k that has been spent with ZERO to show other than paying staff members. The Council members must feel the pressure of the community or they would not be limiting their input. Three minutes, yeah, that’s plenty of time to build a rational and reasonable argument.(Sarcasm sign).
Laketoohigh,
Are you really saying that the wars have been the fault of conservatives? Do you really think that is a well thought out and historically justified position? It sounds to me like a very shallow minded point of view in line with most liberals… Let me help – BUSH did it!
Tahoe is dyeing along with the liberal centers of California and New Jersey, New York – people are fleeing and it is going to get worse, much worse – No Bailout!
You liberal people caused it, YOU FIX IT.
I’ll sit back and watch – when the riots end and the smoke clears I’ll come back to California and get myself a nice ocean view, maybe a place in Incline Village too.
After this the editor will likely censer me like she did several other conservatives I know.
But know this – the country is watching and learning how bad Liberals are to America’s future.
If the letters are public record maybe they could be posted on this site?
Laketoohigh:
FYI, B Gorman is a woman with the initial “B” being for Betty. Also, the Chamber of Commerce is not a government agency but a private entity with memberships by businesses.
Regarding the public comment time period at City Council meetings, I think that 3-minutes of continual, non-stop dialogue should be an adequate amount of time for someone to succinctly make their points if they’ve prepared, but what I’ve noticed when I watch the City Council meetings online is that frequently people speaking for longer are being redundant and adding extraneous remarks that are of no relevance to the applicable agenda item.
Laketoohigh and Sunriser 2:
When I’ve watched the meetings online I learned that anyone can send a letter with their opinion to the City and any letters sent even without a request to be read into the record have been referenced with the individuals name and their position on a matter and it’s announced that those letters are distributed to the Councilmembers. The front page of the meeting agenda states that any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council are available for public inspection at the City’s Clerks office and on the City’s website at http://www.cityofslt.us so those letters become public record and can be viewed on the City’s website. I’ve found that if you click on the City Clerk’s tab on the website and poke around there’s a wealth of information available about the City’s agendas/business, their meetings, and the Councils actions not only for the current period but also in the past.
4-mer,
I said the illusion of a government agency. Having owned businesses in town, I know the difference. As for B Gorman, I don’t believe gender makes a difference here. Like OLS says, I need a plan to get free taxpayer dollars with no explanation.
Please consider that everyone is not as articulate as yourself. Just because a person might not be able to express their views or concerns about their community as concisely as you, it does not mean they should not be heard out by the City Council.
Hold the meetings so the working class who pay the taxes have time to attend and let them have their say. Ask the people of Bell California what happens when a City Council is left to their own accord.
Digital Content,
Your a product of the Nevada school system I’m guessing.
You’re not your. If autocorrect is such a problem for most of us, can you think how hard it must be for the Pope to Twitter in Latin?:-)
Laketoohigh:
I apologize for my oversight; I completely missed your use of “illusion” which makes for quite a different meaning.
Maybe they will purchase another study? The last one still confuses me.
All that tourist’s want is high end and super high end accommodations like the projects that failed at 323 Tramway, the Hole and behind Lake Side.
We should build more of these as fast as we can. In addition the best way to increase occupancy rates at the Embassy, Marriott and the high-end properties on Ski Run is to tear down the low cost competition???
Monty Python couldn’t make this stuff up.
My apologies if that study was commissioned by one of the other half a dozen groups doing the same thing.