By Jenny Kane, Reno Gazette-Journal
An injured backcountry skier was rescued near the Mt. Rose summit on Saturday evening, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Just before 5:30pm, the sheriff’s office dispatched its Raven helicopter crew and search and rescue team to assist the North Lake Tahoe Fire Department in retrieving the a woman with a leg injury.
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
An American Indian tribe with deep roots in the Lake Tahoe basin is seeking to reclaim land that’s part of a Nevada resort area.
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California wants to ask Congress for nearly 375 acres of federal land in Incline Village.
The property includes land that’s part of Diamond Peak Ski Resort and along fairways at Incline Village Championship Golf Course.
A Reno couple died from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident on Mount Rose Highway on May 5.
According to the Nevada Highway Patrol, the driver of a blue BMW SUV failed to yield the right-of-way to the black Nissan sedan and initiated a left turn onto southbound Callahan Road. The Nissan struck the BMW. Impairment is not suspected in this crash.
The right front passenger, 83-year-old Charles Houston, died, as did his wife and the driver of the car, 78-year-old Bjorg Houston.
The four occupants of the Nissan sedan were transported to Renown Medical Center in Reno.
Both occupants in the BMW were wearing seat belts, as were two of the four occupants in the Nissan. Both rear passengers in the Nissan were not restrained.
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Trooper Doug Hildebrand at 775.687.9617 or dhildebrand@dps.state.nv.us.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News asked the three candidates for District 4 Douglas County commission race, which covers Lake Tahoe, to answer the following questions. Two of the three responded.
Wes Rice
Name: Wesley Rice
Hometown: Minden
Age: 75
Occupation: Deputy constable
Education: Mount San Antonio College and L.A. State University
What elected, civic, nonprofit boards or groups are or have you been affiliated with and in what capacity?: I was on the Douglas County Lake Tahoe Library board, chair of the Round Hill General Improvement District, trustee Douglas County Lake Tahoe Sewer Authority, chair of the Nevada Republican Rural Caucus. I am a member of the Navy League, the International Footprinters Association, as well as being a member of the American Legion.
Why do you want to be commissioner?: I want to continue to support my community and all the citizens of Douglas County by assuming a new role of leadership at a higher level.
Why should people vote for you over one of the other candidates?: I retired as a lieutenant with the Pasadena Police Department as the head of the detective section. I spent 15 years as senior deputy patrolling Lake Tahoe for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department. I have served 12 years as a trustee for the RHGID. I am a trustee on the newly reorganized Douglas County Lake Tahoe Sewer Authority. I have been the Rural Caucus chair for the Nevada Republican Rural Caucus for 14 years. I have been on the executive board for the Douglas County Republican Central Committee since 1996. I have been endorsed by Congressman Mark Amodei, state Sen. Jim Settlemeyer, Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, Sheriff Ron Perini, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Association, the Douglas/Carson Valley Farm Bureau, Former Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, Constable Paul Gilbert and the Nevada State Republican Party Chair, Michael McDonald. I have the experience, the integrity and the support to do the job.
How are you going to resolve pension issues?: At the moment we have no pension disputes in Douglas County.
What are the attributes you would look for in a future county manager?: The ability to take direction from the county commissioners and carry out their directives and policies.
When would you want a permanent county manager to be hired?: Not an issue in Douglas County.
Should the government be responsible for solving the affordable housing issue as well as homelessness? Why or why not to both? If yes, how would you solve those issues?: Douglas County needs to promote affordable/attainable housing. Homelessness is not, so far, an issue in Douglas County. We do need to zone for multiple housing in appropriate areas. Those who are born and raised in Douglas County should be able to find employment and affordable housing. The retirees moving here from California are driving up the cost of housing making it difficult for locals to reside here.
What are your thoughts of making Lake Tahoe its own county?: California side or Nevada side? On the Nevada side it would be problematic. Where would the county seat be located? Would people want to drive to the North Shore to conduct business? Incline or State Line? The process would be fraught with logistical problems.
What entities would you not take money from?: So long as there were no strings attached, anyone. My voice and vote are not for sale.
What is the No. 1 issue facing District 4 and how do you propose to resolve it?: We need to help revitalize the Stateline area. I support building the proposed convention center.
What is your opinion about recreation marijuana?: As a 50-plus year veteran of law enforcement, I think that nothing good will come of the legalization of marijuana. We have enough societal problems as it is. Driving under the influence will become a giant problem. When people drive into Nevada, they do not realize that any detectable amount of marijuana in the system is prima face driving under the influence.
Do you believe vacation home rentals should be allowed in the valley? Why or why not?: Vacation rentals should be allowed but only if regulated and there needs to be an avenue developed so that when a property becomes a problem the county can fine or revoke the owners’ ability to continue as a VHR. The problems with VHRs at the lake should be resolved before venturing into the valley.
What changes would you make to the VHR ordinance affecting the lake?: I think $1,000 fines are a bit excessive. On the Douglas County side, we need some form of regulation and enforcement.
How does climate change play a role in how you would make decisions affecting the county?: Solar farms have been banned in Douglas County and wind farms are probably out of the question. I would support reasonable changes to the TRPA regulations.
Tell us something about yourself that people might not know: I was widowed at the age of 35. I was left with four daughters who I raised alone for three years. After three years I married the wonderful lady I have now been married to for 38 years come this August. She helped me raise and turn our five daughters into wonderful human beings who have now given us 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Updated 3:22pm:
A murder suspect from Lyon County who ran from from Douglas County sheriff’s deputies on Monday night was caught in Reno on May 8.
Malique Avila
The shooting occurred in Dayton about 9pm May 7. Malique Avila was identified as a person of interest.
A Douglas deputy located the Jaguar he was reportedly driving in a church parking lot on Mill Street in the valley. Two people were seen outside the vehicle, and one fled on foot.
Officers said the remaining person identified Avila as the person who fled. The person who remained was determined not to be involved in the homicide. He was subsequently released. The Jaguar was towed.
Douglas County deputies searched the area extensively for six hours with negative results.
Details on the homicide have not been released, nor is there further information about the arrest.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News asked the three candidates for District 4 Douglas County commission race, which covers Lake Tahoe, to answer the following questions. Two of the three responded.
Kristi Kandel
Name: Kristi Kandel
Age: 31
Hometown: Stateline
Occupation: President of a real estate consulting company, I&D Consulting Services Corporation.
Education: Bachelor’s degree
What elected, civic, nonprofit boards or groups are or have you been affiliated with and in what capacity?: I’ve participated in a variety of community groups throughout Ohio, Florida, California and now Tahoe. Currently in Tahoe I’m a member of the Tahoe Regional Young Professionals, attending Lake Tahoe Business Referral Network meetings and recently volunteered at the Earth Day event that the Alpine Watershed Group held on April 2. I’m looking forward to investing even more of my time in our local organizations this summer.
Why do you want to be commissioner?: I’ve been very put off by politics the past decade. It feels like politics in the U.S. have become an insurmountable mountain with our leaders acting like puppets to their political parties and corporations that fund their campaigns. However, just shutting up and not participating is not the solution. Not being actively involved in our future is not acceptable. It is our civic responsibility to become engaged citizens of the community in which we live. I’m running because I am done sitting on the sidelines. I’m running because I know I can be a positive contributor to our community. I’m running because I want to set an example with the younger generations to show them that each and every one of us has the ability to create positive change If we are willing to accept that responsibility and take action.
Over my 10-year career in the real estate industry, I’ve been fortunate to work with hundreds of local governments and utility providers, and agencies throughout the country. I am constantly surprised and rejuvenated by the gems I encounter along the way. The passion that some local leaders have for their community is contagious. Their passion is my constant reminder that we are all capable of, and responsible for, stepping up and doing our part. It is now my turn to engage and give back to my community. The vast experience I’ve gained from working with hundreds of diverse communities throughout the country will be a tremendous asset to Douglas County. I’m passionate about working with our residents and local government to bring positive ideas and contributions. I will help build a solid path for the implementation of those ideas to create a County that our children, and our children’s children, will be proud to actively participate in and call home.
Why should people vote for you over one of the other candidates?: Change is occurring throughout our Nation. We are seeing many more of our young citizens waking up and understanding that the time to take action for our future is now. It is truly inspiring to see our younger citizens engaging in their communities and working with our seasoned leaders to build a bright future for generations to come. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with other professionals who are typically 20-40 years older than myself. We have been able to successfully collaborate on hundreds of redevelopment projects throughout the county where we all benefited from exchanging a wide range of experiences and perspectives. The experiences that I will bring will greatly benefit our government officials and residents of Douglas County. My experience with hundreds of local governments and utility agencies throughout the Country in such a short time is invaluable. I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned while working with those agencies as experience is our greatest teacher. I am honored to be considered to represent Douglas County to ensure that we maximize our full potential as a community for generations to come.
How are you going to resolve pension issues?: This is a complex topic. In short, we should complete a thorough financial evaluation to fully understand the impact of any decision to our community, evaluate and understand how other communities in our state are currently addressing pension issues and then work together to find a viable pension solution for Douglas County.
What are the attributes you would look for in a future county manager?: The attributes I’d look for in a county manager would be the same as any leadership position. Some of those qualities would include:
Honesty and integrity
Confidence
Inspire others
Commitment and passion
Good communicator
Decision-making capabilities
Accountability
Delegation and empowerment
Creativity and innovation
Empathy
Leadership is the most critical part to the success of any organization. The right leader will have the proper vision for how to navigate the complex challenges of our community which is pivotal to our success. Our county manager must have a strong understanding of how to guide our local government offices to help cultivate a positive and empowering environment which allows all county employees to contribute and grow. This type of leadership is vital to building a strong and thriving local government and the betterment of our community.
When would you want a permanent county manager to be hired?: When the right person who is qualified for the position is found. However, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be indecisive waiting for just the perfect candidate to emerge. If we waited for the perfect moment, or the perfect opportunity, it will never come. We need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of our candidates and assess which one might have the skills to grow into the position and to become our next leader. Creating stability in our leadership positions will trickle down through all government departments and will create a positive and thriving culture in our government offices. However, we must understand that selecting our next county manager is only part of our process and responsibility. We must ensure that we provide our new county manager with the proper tools and support to do their job effectively. We cannot handicap our leaders and then expect unattainable results. We must set realistic short, medium and long-term goals to give our next county manger the best opportunity for their success and the overall success of Douglas County.
Should the government be responsible for solving the affordable housing issue as well as homelessness? Why or why not to both? If yes, how would you solve those issues?: These topics are too often looked upon as if they are black and white with a single and potentially simple solution. Regarding homelessness, I’ve spent quite a bit of time volunteering in multiple states. Over the years I learned to stop trying to solve the hurdles I perceived for the homeless and instead I started to listen and understand their real issues. Once I stopped trying to force my solutions on them and started listening I was able to gain clarity on how we could actually help the homeless in our communities. Solving homelessness is not something that happens overnight, nor can it be solved by just throwing money at the situation. A “simple” housing solution with taxpayer dollars does not exist or government would have solved this problem by now. Homelessness is a much larger social issue impacting every community. I’ll work with our local government to help create programs that will actually facilitate positive change, show our residents that we do care about them and provide hope to everyone. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and as Mahatma Gandhi said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”
Affordable housing is another complex issue that will not be solved simply by building a high-density apartment complex. We must first understand where the demand for affordable housing comes from. A large portion of our lake economy is from tourism. As a result, there is a great need for people to work in the lower paying hospitality jobs that tourism and global demand for those positions create. However, due to our proximity to the Bay Area and Southern California, the local home values are not representative of actual living wages in Douglas County. The homes are owned and occupied by our retired residents, professionals working remote or self-employed and second-home owners who are actually saving money due to the tax advantages that Nevada provides. Additionally, second-home owners have found that by utilizing their homes as vacation rentals they can help recoup some of their added costs while preserving the ability to use their homes a few times a year when work permits. Whereas, renting their homes full-time would not allow them to personally enjoy their homes and take advantage of everything our community has to offer.
Like most issues, once we decide to truly understand the root cause of these problems we can then work together to create solutions that work for everyone. I have several ideas for how to create an affordable housing paradigm shift and I encourage you to check out my website for more information.
What are your thoughts of making Lake Tahoe its own county?: Conceptually this is a very interesting idea since the lake and valley both have many different challenges with little overlap. However, in practice this is actually a much larger undertaking than it would seem. I would not pursue merging the California and Nevada counties as it would deplete many of our resources to make this happen without providing an adequate return. I would take the same approach for merging only the Nevada counties. Due to the complexity of working with multiple counties and two states neither of those ideas seem to be viable solutions considering other immediate and more pressing issues Douglas County currently faces.
I would be interested in forming a focus group to look into the benefits and challenges that we would face in just separating the lake portion of Douglas County from the valley. If the results of the focus group indicate that it would be advantageous to continue pursuing this path, then I would support a more in-depth evaluation. Ultimately, we will need to determine that the creation of a new Lake County would position and allow for both communities to be successful on their own.
What entities would you not take money from?: I’ve never agreed with the amount of money spent on campaigns to elect our officials, and will not be accepting donations in this election. I will be using the District 4 commissioner race to help build awareness on the amount of money that is poured into campaigns throughout the country rather than being donated to the betterment of our communities.
Winning at all costs is no longer acceptable. It is our civic responsibility to evaluate outdated processes and to reform political practices. Today, the citizens of the United States are no longer fighting to have a voice. We all have a platform due to the emergence of social media outlets. We can no longer afford to simply vote every four years and expect our elected officials to fix our problems. It’s time to use our voices to take action and bring reform to antiquated practices. It is time for us to join together to completely overhaul campaign finance reform starting in our community.
In support of the Kristi Kandel District 4 Commissioner campaign, we would love to see your donations go to some of the amazing local organizations working hard to preserve and share the Lake Tahoe paradise in which we live:
http://www.alpinewatershedgroup.org/
http://clean-tahoe.org/membership/
What is the No. 1 issue facing District 4 and how do you propose to resolve it?: Utility infrastructure. Our district faces very unique infrastructure challenges due to costly physical and environmental barriers to upgrading our aging infrastructure. Currently, our wet and dry utility systems are only “upgraded” when they break, creating a very reactive environment that is not healthy or sustainable. I will pursue available state and federal grant programs to upgrade rural water/wastewater systems and will do my best to provide our residents with a better solution than the ones provided by our elected officials to date. We will create focus groups with residents and work with public works to provide a detailed analysis of the impact of the merger to better understand the economic impact to each district.
Resolving the aging infrastructure will also result in more feasible solutions for other challenges our district faces regarding affordable housing and vacation rentals.
What is your opinion about recreation marijuana?: It was voted in by our residents. As the governing body it is now our responsibility to make sure we create and adopt the appropriate codes and enforcement to oversee the new marijuana industry. Like any new technology or industry, we should take additional steps to educate ourselves and our residents of the uses and impacts of marijuana. Knowledge is vital to creating a community that is well educated on the actual facts and effects of marijuana instead of how mainstream media and propaganda have portrayed marijuana for over 50 years. My firm belief is that we have a much larger, and very deadly, prescription drug issue that needs to be addressed at our local, state and federal government levels.
Do you believe vacation home rentals should be allowed in the valley? Why or why not?: Douglas County should provide equal opportunity to all residents regarding vacation home rentals. The same permit requirements for homes at the lake should apply to homes in the valley. The VHR ordinance is currently being reviewed by the commissioners and Planning Department and it should provide the mechanisms necessary for proper code enforcement. It is my hope that this ordinance update will ensure that the quality of life and rights of all Douglas County residents are protected. Regardless of where their homes are located or how residents choose to use their homes.
What changes would you make to the VHR ordinance affecting the lake?: As a vacation home owner and real estate professional, I thoroughly reviewed the VHR ordinance in Douglas County as well as several other communities prior to purchasing a home in Douglas County. The current Douglas County ordinance does not address all of the issues facing VHRs in our community today and should be updated to reflect an understanding of today’s challenges and opportunities. Much like Uber and Lyft have successfully disrupted and transformed the taxi industry, VHR online hosting platforms have disrupted and are transforming a very old housing industry in a much needed way. As such, clear code enforcement parameters should be adopted which will ensure the quality of life and rights of all Douglas County residents are protected. A large portion of our community is sustained by tourism and with the proper enforcement tools the current issues surrounding vacation rentals should start to subside. Code enforcement, creating an environment that facilitates bringing higher-paying jobs to our community and retraining our residents on the latest technologies to assist them in switching industries should go a long way towards reimagining the future of our community.
How does climate change play a role in how you would make decisions affecting the county?: Our Lake Tahoe community currently does an excellent job of trying to reduce our environmental footprint. It is our civic and social duty to be conscious of our actions, and inactions, both as individuals and as a community. I will work with the local government and residents to help Douglas County become the leader in Nevada for reducing our environmental footprint.
Tell us something about yourself that people might not know: I grew up in a small Ohio town of 2,500 people, three stoplights and no fast-food. We had 10 pizza places and what felt like 100 churches. My family was fairly poor and for a portion of my childhood the six of us lived in a pretty small trailer. At 17 I graduated high school and immediately enrolled in college summer sessions. I proceeded to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in three years. At the age of 20 I took the belongings that could fit in my car and I moved to Florida to start my career in the business world. I managed the Florida office for a national sign company for 3½ years while working on projects worth $1-3 million annually. It was during that time that I became close with the CVS Pharmacy real estate and development team as well as their preferred developer in the southeast region. Un the fall of 2010, and at the age of 23 I started working for that development company. By the first quarter of 2011 I had convinced my new company that I was the best option at our organization to relocate and open our Orange County office. One of our primary clients, Family Dollar, had decided they wanted to expand to California and my company had agreed to take the risk and try to develop in arguably one of the most difficult states in the U.S. In the industry we joke that if you can develop in California, the Northeast and parts of Florida you can be a developer anywhere. From the ages of 23-27 I was the development project manager for 30 new construction projects a year from San Francisco to Calexico. I was working 60-80-hour weeks and in those 3½ years obtained more real estate experience than most people do in a lifetime. While it was never easy, company resources and support were scarce and often I felt like I was fighting alone for our company’s survival in California I would not trade those experiences for anything. Without persevering through those challenging circumstances I would not be where I am at today or more importantly be the person I am today. At the age of 27 I decided to join another developer in Newport Beach so that I could gain experience on larger 5-30 acre developments. It took all of three months for me to realize that development is development regardless of the project size. I immediately began planning for my next career move. I had decided that it was time to fulfill the dream of starting my own company. In the spring of 2015 I officially quit my cushy development job and set course on a path that changed my life forever. As of April 2018 I’ve now completed three very successful years as a business owner, own a couple properties, recently adopted an amazing 9-year-old dog and get to live in paradise.
On paper I have beat the odds and accomplished the American Dream. However, I know I’m just now getting started. Money and possessions have very little value in the grand scheme of life. Life is about the human interactions we have on a daily basis and the relationships we cultivate. It’s the way we treat our neighbors and choosing to make decisions that are best for our entire community and not just what’s best for ourselves. It’s about working together to build an accepting and understanding community that leans in instead of leaning out. It’s about taking responsibility for our actions and the impact that our choices have on those around us. It’s about creating and impacting a future that we will never see but we know our future generations will inherit. I can promise you that if I am elected as your District 4 commissioner I will hold myself to these standards every single day.
By Matt Weiser, Water Deeply
A century of fire suppression has left Western forests overgrown. That has interrupted nature’s regular fire cycle and means that when fires do happen, they become catastrophic because there is plentiful fuel to burn. It also means forests are sucking up more water than they did historically.
How much more water? That’s always been difficult to estimate. But making this calculation could go a long way toward fixing the overgrown forest problem. If we know how much water could be freed up by thinning forests to reduce fire danger, it could create a new financing mechanism to do the expensive work of cutting trees and staging controlled burns.
A team of scientists from the University of California and the National Park Service now has some answers. In a new study, they combined sensors that measure evapotranspiration – how much water trees exhale – with satellite images of “greenness” on the landscape to estimate the additional freshwater runoff that could be created by thinning overgrown forests.
Publisher’s note: Profiles for the four El Dorado County District 5 supervisorial candidates will be running on May 6 and May 7. The election is June 5.
Kenny Curtzwiler
Name: Kenny Curtzwiler
Age: 62 on May 11
Occupation: Retired military/contractor
Education: Two years college
What elected, civic, nonprofit boards or groups are or have you been affiliated with and in what capacity?: None
Why do you want to be supervisor?: I have always been active in the community and feel that I can direct a positive change in the forefront rather than behind my articles.
This is a nonpartisan position. How will you conduct your duties in a nonpartisan manner?: I am a registered non-partisan. I will listen to all sides of an issue without party influences or party loyalty.
Why should people vote for you over one of the other candidates?: I have been a 41 year residents and already am involved with community issues.
How are you going to resolve the CalPERS issue?: Solving CalPERS can only be done at the state level.
Should the government be responsible for solving the affordable housing issue as well as homelessness? Why or why not to both? If yes, how would you solve those issues?: Affordable housing a city issue and not the responsibility of the county. That said the county should be interacting with the city and private groups to not only address the issues behind affordable housing but take an active role in public/private responsibilities. The TRPA must remove the barriers in place that are preventing residents from building an affordable home. As it stands now only out of town investors can afford to overbuild a house in Tahoe and turn it into a VHR. We need to build homes and not investment houses.
To date the county has not been able to fix the traffic issue in Meyers with tourists clogging up residential streets. What is your solution?: I have already come up with one solution to the overuse of the algorithems guiding the shortcuts beyond the “nudge” solution currently being used. This solution will affect all eight points of entry to our side streets at a cost of zero.
What are your thoughts of making Lake Tahoe its own county?: It will be far easier to form our own city of Meyers then combine with the city of South Lake Tahoe to form a separate county.
What entities would you not take money from?: I did not accept any money in the last election from Red Hawk Casino, Local One, West Slope developers or the local chambers and I don’t see myself changing.
What is the No. 1 issue facing District 5 and how do you propose to resolve it?: Lack of proper representation from our current supervisor on every major issue in the Myers area. We cannot solve or move forward on the issues of the Meyers Plan without the community’s input.
Do you believe supervisors should meet in Tahoe more often? Why or why not?: Yes. We are one-fifth of the county and we should meet here one-fifth of the time.
Would you support having more tax dollars from the county coming to the South Shore? Currently, more dollars leave the basin than come back.: Yes.
What is your vision for the 56-acres in South Lake Tahoe?: The county needs to step up and either work with the city of South Lake Tahoe to create a viable and productive recreational area or sell it to the city for $1 as they did with the airport.
Do you support having vacation home rentals? Why or why not?: Yes. We are a tourist community and everyone is affected by them. The problems we are now experiencing at an unprecedented level are caused by out of area investors without a state in the community. An owner can have a VHR but they must have a local brick and mortar property manager to address any violations. We must also have a limit to the VHRs as well as addressing occupancy levels, noise, bear boxes and multi-family overbuilt residences being built in a neighborhood that is zone for single family residences. TRPA must either enforce the current zoning or the city and county must change the zoning laws.
You lost last time you ran. What makes you think there will be a different outcome this time?: The current supervisor will now have to acknowledge the fact that she must recuse herself from the important issues and explain to the public why she did not say anything until after she was sworn in. The residents need representation which has been lacking these past 3.5 years. We cannot continue to pay someone for a full time job that they are only at part time.
Tell us something about yourself that people might not know: Pam and I have been married 37 years and we actually held the wedding ceremony on the beach at Vikingholmes castle in Emerald Bay.
Publisher’s note: Profiles for the four El Dorado County District 5 supervisorial candidates will be running on May 6 and May 7. The election is June 5.
Norma Santiago
Name: Norma Santiago
Age: 63
Occupation: Community consultant; Sierra State Parks Foundation, board member; El Dorado County Mental Health Commission, associate member
Education: B.S. Business Administration with emphasis in marketing and organizational behavior, UC Berkeley, graduated 1977
What elected, civic, nonprofit boards or groups are or have you been affiliated with and in what capacity?: I was elected on three occasions to represent Lake Tahoe residents as their District V supervisor on the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors. Within that capacity, I served on the:
· El Dorado County Water Agency
· Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
· Mental Health Commission
· El Dorado County Transportation Commission
· Tahoe Transportation District
· California Tahoe Conservancy
· Chamber of Commerce liaison
· Tahoe Paradise (Park) Resort Improvement District
· South Lake Tahoe Recreation Joint Powers Authority
· California State Association of Counties (CSAC), board of directors, El Dorado County representative
As a volunteer, I remain very active in the following:
· CA State Biomass Working Group
· South Fork of the American River (SOFAR) Collaborative
· Sierra State Parks Foundation, board member
· El Dorado County Mental Health Commission, associate member
· Hope Lutheran Church, Church Council, secretary
· South Lake Tahoe Democratic Club, vice president
Why do you want to be supervisor?: I thrive on being in service to the community.
I love being the kind of supervisor that listens and works with the community on deliver solutions that best serve them.
This is a nonpartisan position. How will you conduct your duties in a nonpartisan manner?: I seek community solutions based on community input. When called upon, I don’t ask a person’s political affiliation, I ask how can I help solve the issue?
Why should people vote for you over one of the other candidates?: I am the candidate who best suits the next stages of Lake Tahoe’s evolution in refining a vision and implementing ways to improve technology, advance economic clusters for education, tourism, recreation and environmental science; and, for taking steps in creating the kind of community that will thrive with diversified opportunities for families, the workforce, business, visitors, and assisting those in need within our community.
How are you going to resolve the CalPERS issue?: There is a multi-faceted approach to addressing the county’s solvency with respect to its retiree benefits that affect current and future budgets. First, is to have a direct input on what investments CalPERS makes that generates the best return for the fund’s solvency without compromising the state’s values e.g. investments in high tech industries that deal with climate change adaptability, “green” technologies, etc. I believe that California should be an example of a prosperous new economy based upon its commitment to climate change adaptability.
Given this there are, in my mind, three ways to deal with the problem:
1) Remain active with organizations such as CSAC to work with the state on ongoing pension reform. CSAC’s well respected Executive Committee provides input from its members directly to the governor.
2) California state government and labor organizations need to work together to find a resolution for pension reform. There needs to be a compromise in policy so that the fund can get to solvency and begin the process of decreasing these unfunded mandates.
3) The county must look at the future impact it is facing with unfunded mandates and evaluate its own investments to set aside monies to pay these future obligations.
Should the government be responsible for solving the affordable housing issue as well as homelessness? Why or why not to both? If yes, how would you solve those issues?: Yes, government should assist communities in addressing the homelessness condition and affordable housing. County government has been conspicuously absent from the solutions side of the table regarding homelessness, lending a compassionate ear to the kind souls assisting those in need, but doing little to actually turn the tide on a growing homeless population. El Dorado County has dedicated only mild participation for mental health, affordable housing, substance abuse counseling, and veterans services for crisis and chronic homelessness.
I applaud the people whose exhaustive efforts have been assisting those in crisis and I would bring a final report to the Board of Supervisors based on practical input and practice to guide staff, departmental services and dedicated funding for a proactive programming to turn this condition around. On the policy side, ongoing studies and discussions have created analysis paralysis. It is time we take action on the conversion of tourist accommodation units to help build workforce housing; incentivize long term rentals versus vacation home rentals, and work with our larger employers and nonprofits, such as land trusts and foundations, to develop housing programs for their employees.
To date the county has not been able to fix the traffic issue in Meyers with tourists clogging up residential streets. What is your solution?: This is an unforeseen negative impact on our community from mobile map applications that give travelers shortcut information to avoid Highway 50 congestion. The city and county have met to address this issue and have addressed some of the neighborhood congestion by creating road blocks at Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill due to chain requirements; but while that works in winter, it is the travelers right to utilize public roads and this measure is only effective when chain conditions exist.
The California Highway Patrol is currently looking into the map application software to create electronic closure of roads, guiding travelers exiting the basin through the Agriculture Check (Bug) Station.
Arguably, this is a public safety issue and the agencies in charge of our visitors’ and residents’ safety are the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, police and fire districts and departments.
I would work with all public safety agencies in addressing key map application providers and not give up until this issue is handled and travelers not congest neighborhoods but are directed to remain on U.S. highways when exiting the basin.
Likewise, the utilization of intelligent transportation systems that help motorist get real time information about traffic conditions could help minimize congestion while monitoring traffic flows.
And, finally, proven measures to improve traffic flow can be designed and put in place with the help of the highway patrol and Caltrans. El Dorado County’s Transportation Department maintains a very professional and positive working relationship with Caltrans. Input from the community and county transportation staff will be an effective influence in working with Caltrans on traffic flow solutions.
What are your thoughts of making Lake Tahoe its own county?: While I love the thought of autonomy based on the Tahoe basin knowing keenly its issues and solutions, I think affording its own identity as a county will require a great deal of analysis and public participation. Counties and cities are formed to initially address specific public safety, transportation, roads, public services, goals and visions reflected and requested by their constituencies. Services are provided through a tax base that is budgeted by government. In so much as the overlaps between counties and cities are balanced, it will be the budget of an independent Tahoe county that would have difficulty delivering state mandated social services and minimum law enforcement (Sheriff’s Department) from within its own tax base. Whether that tax base is large enough to cover these services has to be part of the analysis.
In the meantime, I see that communities at Lake Tahoe, Meyers to the West Shore, have consistently served as visionary examples impressing policy makers in Placerville. The strength of our community providing input to the Board of Supervisors has worked to implement positive changes throughout the entire county, but especially in the Tahoe basin.
When I was county supervisor, the board followed my lead in cleaning up the Angora Fire and processing the rebuilding of our burned community quickly and without undue costs to the fire victims.
The board also followed my lead on chamber of commerce grant requests, recreation improvements, bike trail expansion, water quality projects, forest treatment priorities, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency goals, road maintenance funding, public safety protections, and greater relationship building with the city of South Lake Tahoe and other regulatory agencies at the lake.
What entities would you not take money from?: It would be immediately convenient to say that I would not take campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association, as I would not.
I have never been confronted morally or ethically by a misguided contribution, so I haven’t needed to contemplate this question. I have traditionally received contributions from supportive community members who know that I represent all voices evenly without consideration of financial impact on my election.
What is the No. 1 issue facing District 5 and how do you propose to resolve it?: Housing.
District 5 has been facing a housing crisis for several years and it is time to make a commitment to solve this issue. There have been many studies and gatherings that have led to more studies and gatherings.
Policy changes need to be addressed to move toward building a sustainable, diverse inventory of housing for our residents: Revising ordinances for vacation home rentals, converting tourist accommodation units to create some workforce housing, and conformance to the 2008 California State Aeronautics Act zoning could seriously impact housing stock.
There is a direct relationship between housing and jobs. The opportunity for varying, well-paying jobs is not only contingent upon a strong and diversified economy, but also on a solid housing policy that creates a diversified housing inventory. We cannot have one without the other.
This issue can only be solved by strong leadership and political will. This will be one of my focused priorities and I fully intend to utilize all available resources by the combined agencies at the lake to finally provide improvements for affordable workforce housing.
Do you believe supervisors should meet in Tahoe more often? Why or why not?: Yes. Support by county supervisors is fundamentally based on an ongoing and frequent familiarity with the Lake Tahoe Basin issues.
When policymakers truly experience issues and efforts at Lake Tahoe, they will be invested in the solutions.
When I was the District V supervisor, I brought El Dorado County board members to the lake often to either meet with me individually, attend meetings with the city, to participate in public forums, to tour facilities, for annual board meetings, and to meet with our business and regulatory agencies so that each board member could gain a greater understanding of issues before making decisions on them.
Also, because of Lake Tahoe’s unique position at the federal and state level, there is an opportunity to influence policy county-wide that benefits the entire county. Some examples of this are in the areas of water, forest management, transportation, the digital infrastructure.
Would you support having more tax dollars from the county coming to the South Shore? Currently, more dollars leave the basin than come back.: I would argue that more county contributions come to the lake versus leave, though that figure can fluctuate according to road and facility maintenance needs, social services requirements, water quality control requirements and fluctuations in the economy that are recreation and tourist based.
El Dorado County provides many services at South Lake Tahoe and within the basin, including, animal services, library, recreation, road maintenance and snow removal, water quality, mosquito abatement, mental health, public health, law enforcement, court facilities, Juvenile Treatment Center, county jail, planning and building departments, recorder clerk, senior and low income services, Job Connections, environmental management, public defender, district attorney, and veterans’ services.
And, while the Lake Tahoe Basin is a contributing economic engine for the entire county, it takes the entire county to contribute to a healthy Tahoe basin. And, vice versa.
In my nine years as the District V county supervisor, I took great effort in breaking down the barriers that leant to the separation of effort for the health of the entire county. When fires in the American River Canyon close down a transportation artery, not only does Lake Tahoe suffer from the economically constricting result, but so does Placerville and Pollock Pines.
I strive to keep our county whole and healthy, creating policy that raises the entire tide so that all ships rise.
What is your vision for the 56-acres in South Lake Tahoe?: The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Area, 56-acre, is a gem for our community and contains one of the greatest recreational and cultural experience potentials at the lake.
After a planning charrette, a creative public process by which the community, planners and governments came together to propose the best possible opportunities for this site, the county and city worked together alongside the Tahoe Conservancy to build Lakeview Commons and bike trails.
The future holds incredible possibilities for performing arts, expanded recreation, and improvements to the El Dorado County South Lake Tahoe Branch Library.
However, before we realize this vision, the lease agreement between the city and county regarding this property is in great need of revision. Soon this lease is going to be up for renewal and several things contained in the current lease need clarification. Discussions must begin now to address the greater goal and specific responsibilities.
It is important that the county and city come to an agreement on this important public property. There will be great opportunities to fund exciting projects in the future with the potential passage of Proposition 68.
Do you support having vacation home rentals? Why or why not?: I fully support community input, and I respect those who have suffered from the lack of enforcement in their neighborhood surrounded by abusive behaviors in vacation rentals. I believe not only the abuser occupying the house should be penalized, but the owner or manager of that house should be immediately awakened, cited, and put on notice. There should be swift action throughout the community that our County will not tolerate bad behavior within our neighborhoods.
I believe county enforcement of offenders has been hindered by confusion within the Treasurer Tax Collector’s Office, tying the hands of our law enforcement with bureaucratic processes and procedures.
Residents should not be repeatedly victimized because the county cannot effectively and efficiently solve this problem. I am wholly disappointed that leadership on this issue was seriously late and lacking in action.
It is time that we come to an agreement over the definitions of vacation home rentals. While the state defines them as single-family homes subject only to county provisions of any single family home, the truth is that they are commercial enterprises that require conformation to higher standards due to their adverse impacts.
As a single-family home, VHRs are a permissible use in the neighborhoods, however, if they were designated as a commercial entity, they would be required to conform to same regulations similar to a commercial lodging property. How we get there could require a California Environmental Quality Act analysis that would provide input for zoning changes in residential neighborhoods related to restricting current uses.
Perhaps simpler would be new leadership and a strong political will that immediately makes necessary changes to relevant ordinances, and direction to county counsel to finitely present action the Board of Supervisors can currently take that will curtail abusive behaviors in our neighborhoods.
Lake Tahoe area Realtors and property management companies have an important role to play in this issue. During my tenure as county supervisor, I found that VHRs that were managed by property management firms where less likely to create problems in the neighborhoods. Given this experience and direct discussions with some VHR owners, I would make it a requirement that VHRs be managed by a local property management firm.
After you were no longer a supervisor you sued the county for back pay. How can you justify this?: For the purpose of clarification, Supervisor [Ron] Briggs and I pursued litigation not because of more pay. We pursued it because of a disagreement on a legal interpretation of a compensatory benefit for the members of the Board of Supervisors that was written in the applicable ordinance. Supervisor Briggs, with the help of his own legal counsel, had done extensive research on the matter and brought it to me as well as other members of the board who would have been impacted. Given the extent of his argument, I chose to join him in the case.
As a county supervisor, you rely heavily on county counsel to provide you with the legal facts of a case in front of you. I have a great deal of respect for the county counsel and the many who serve in that capacity. Supervisor Briggs and I had limited avenues for ordinance clarification. From the court’s decision, it forced the county to clarify and correct any misinterpretation of action and ordinance language. In the end, the important thing to remember is not who wins or loses, but that a positive outcome is achieved.
I strongly believe that any employee has the right to question policy especially if what is in an ordinance or any governing document is unclear. It is important that clarity be established by whatever manner is available. In our case, the option was to go to court.
I’m glad you asked the question because I want to make it clear to the people that just because you hold a certain position does not take away your constitutional right to challenge a legislative policy.
Tell us something about yourself that people might not know: I’m a proud mother of two amazing children.
I’m a very active member of the Hope Lutheran Church and service on its Church Council as the secretary. The core of my spiritual being is in the belief that we are here to help and love one another.
I love Star Trek!
I am a proud Puerto Rican American who loves her birthplace and wishes that all could see it and its wonderful, loving people. It is a U.S. territory worthy of being honored and respected as any other state in the U.S. Viva Puerto Rico!
I love movies. I will watch a good movie over and over again. It was not only a preoccupation, but I also co-hosted a radio and TV movie review program.
I collected Betty Boop and Barbies, that I’ll finally part with if anyone is interested.
I fully relate to being poor, and being successful, to personally searching for affordable housing at Lake Tahoe, and to preferring a job that helps people.
I believe in this community and the vision it can create.
I listen, I hear, I respond, and I respect community input. I love the public input process.
By Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee
California’s death row has ballooned to nearly 750 inmates and the state hasn’t executed a murderer in more than 12 years.
That could change soon.
California voters in 2016 approved Proposition 66, which attempted to remove regulatory hurdles to executions.
Among the 35 largest counties in the state, Kings, Riverside, Shasta and El Dorado counties have the highest rates of death row inmates per 1,000 homicides. The lowest rates were in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Merced and Solano counties.