SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – In a special city council meeting, the council heard public comment on Measure T, which previously banned vacation home rentals (VHRs) in residential neighborhoods before it was deemed unconstitutional in a recent ruling. Ultimately, the council voted 4 to 1 to not appeal the ruling and unanimously voted on a 45-day moratorium on issuing VHR permits in areas where Measure T prohibited them.

Like Measure T’s passing, public opinion was particularly split on whether or not the city should appeal the unconstitutional ruling from Judge Slossberg in Placerville.

Some spoke to the legitimacy of the court’s ruling, while others deemed Slossberg uninformed on the topic due to his outside status and unfamiliarity with Tahoe. Many called upon the city council to protect what the people voted on, though several also called for them to sever the unconstitutional section if possible.

A few people spoke to how the measure helped people to get housing that would have otherwise been unavailable. Notably, Amelia Richmond spoke to her position as a qualified VHR (QVHR) permit holder, saying that she would have voted for Measure T in order to protect housing, and that Slossberg should not have presupposed how other QVHR holders would have voted.

“This is a business decision… what do you stand to gain and what do you stand to lose?” said Mark Salmon, one of the members of the South Lake Tahoe Property Owners Group, which brought forward the lawsuit. “The court has provided a clear guidance—let’s take it.”

Others supported Salmon’s statement, especially because the city would be opening itself up to further lawsuits. Lauren Gresh, general manager of RnR Vacation Rentals, spoke to the damage that Measure T had done to the business and to cleaning staff that they hired. A petition to reinstate the previous VHR ordinances and deny the appeal had garnered over 600 signatures, reflected in the statements of business owners who stated that their businesses and Tahoe’s economy as a whole suffered because of Measure T.

Previous ordinances that took effect shortly before Measure T were considered some of the strictest in the country.

After a closed session in which the city council conferred with their legal counsel, all except councilmember Scott Robbins voted against appealing the court’s decision.

During public comment, many were in favor of both the decision and the moratorium. Lisa Underwood, vice president of the Tahoe Keys Resort, spoke to how they were one of the backers of the lawsuit in order to “protect people… who suffered damages” from Measure T. She, along with others, urged the city to prioritize those who previously had permits.

City attorney Heather Stroud clarified that the previous permits expired at the end of 2021 and that Measure T did not allow their renewals. The measure did not have the ability to revoke those permits.

Though some felt that the 45-day moratorium was not long enough, it is an urgency ordinance, meaning the initial period cannot be longer than 45 days, but it can be extended as long as there is public notice, a hearing, and a 4/5 vote.

Councilmember Keith Roberts addressed those unhappy with the decision that city council made. “I view this as a chance to make things right—let us fix it. I, for one, feel a huge responsibility to make this right… please don’t look at it as we’ve turned our backs on you.”

Mayor Pro Tem Cody Bass echoed a public comment from Dan May that the citizens’ initiative represented a failure from city council. He addressed that the way VHRs are currently handled in the tourist core is different than how they would be handled in residential areas.

“We’ve got to make sure that we don’t open up those residential zones for proliferation of investments that push out residents,” said Bass. He was open to exploring new solutions to help ensure housing, safety, and protections for residents, and said he saw this as “a completely clean slate.”

Councilmember Scott Robbins disagreed with Roberts and Bass. “This is the city council turning its back on the people and the citizens of this community, in no uncertain terms… the voters voted for Measure T to take away the authority of the city, explicitly, to put vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.” He saw this moment as abandoning the residents for “moneyed interests” and not representing the people.

Robbins didn’t see the 45-day period as long enough to craft a potential ordinance, and was unhappy with the idea that things would revert to how they were before Measure T was enacted.

City council voted unanimously to pass the moratorium, though given conversation on the topic, it is likely to be extended to give staff and council time to create a new ordinance.

The next city council meeting is on April 22.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.