SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe’s City Council returned on Aug. 13 after a recess in July.

The agenda provided a quarterly update on the city’s affordable housing waitlist and revealed a decrease from 1,108 names to 891 at the end of this year’s second quarter.

However, there are potentially more than 100 names that appear on multiple lists. Due to this, staff approximates 800 individuals on the compiled lists.

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The city says approximate wait times can range from 1-7 years depending on the size of the unit sought. There are 592 people awaiting a one bedroom unit, while 210 are waiting for a two bedroom unit. And for a three bedroom unit, 89 are on the waitlist.

The update also provides numbers on Sugar Pine Village, which began accepting applications on April 15. As of July 15, 350 applications had been completed. Of those, 16 were denied. The report says 282 are from the local area and 139 applications are moving forward in the process.

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The city won’t have an accurate number on the waitlist for the village until people qualify for a unit there and are accepted.

Council approved the transfer of $160,308.98 of remaining funds leftover from renovation and repairs at Fire Station 3 to Fire Station 1 for repairs. Fire Station 3 originally had $300,000 allocated for improvements.

“We really tried to identify need-to-haves versus want-to-haves,” Fire Chief Jim Drennan told council. They only spent $139,691.02 on Fire Station 3’s repairs, which included upgrades to the HVAC system, kitchen, paint, and floors as well as electrical and roof repairs.

The chief requested council approve the transfer in order to provide maintenance repairs to the 30-year-old building at Fire Station 1. Repairs listed include paint, bay door replacement, bathroom and shower as well as bedroom and stair renovations, along with others, all totaling close to $600,000.

Council also approved the transfer of funds from the Fire Department Emergency Medical Service’s available funds for Fire Station 1’s project for a total repair budget just over $310,000.

Staff has prioritized the list of repairs. “Once we get hard bids,” Katherine Stempien, Associate Architect said, “then hopefully we can spend more of our wish list.”

The chief said they may look to the fire department foundation for assistance with the remaining repairs as the process unfolds and they have a better idea of costs.

Council received a presentation from Director of Public Works, Anush Nejad on a proposed five-year Capital Improvement Plan and fiscal year 2024-2025 budget recommendations. Projects on the fiscal year’s budget list include building general facility upgrades, Bellamy Parking Garage upgrades, Fire Station 3 replacement, citywide ADA upgrades, and multiple complete streets programs. Also on the list are drainage improvements and grant application services.

The costs total over $4 million with sources from Measure S, cannabis funds as well as general funds and other sources.

The city also conducted a participatory budget survey this summer where the public provided feedback on how to prioritize $2,000,000 in undesignated excess reserves from the general fund.

Based on those results, Nejad presented a list of proposed projects and allocations from those excess funds. These projects included Regan Beach renovations ($250,000), the 3900 Lake Tahoe Blvd affordable housing project ($1,000,000), complete streets project at Johnson Blvd ($200,000), annual pavement rehabilitation ($500,000) and U.S. 50 Road Safety Phase 1 Upgrades ($50,000).

Council directed staff to bring these recommendations back to the Aug. 27th City Council Budget Workshop, where council approved them as presented. However, the $1 million for the affordable housing project has only been set aside, not appropriated for spending. There is a possibility that later, potentially at a mid-year budget review, this could change, and this funding could be appropriated for roads or something else at council’s discretion.

At the Aug. 13 meeting, City Council accepted a $45,000 grant from the Tahoe Fund to help with Lake Link electrification expenses. Both the South Shore Transportation Management Association and city leadership have expressed interest in moving towards an electric fleet. Proceeds will cover a portion of design for chargers and a snow canopy at 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd. The city is seeking more grants to cover the entire cost.

Council also accepted a $75,000 grant from CalRecycle for education and outreach on the transition from the current collection system to the 3-cart collection system. Additionally, the city will also use the grant for education and outreach on organic diversion for both commercial and residential.

Following the passage of the ordinance banning the sale of plastic water bottles, the city has installed numerous water bottle refill stations at high-use sites. Council accepted a grant from Tahoe Water Suppliers in the amount of $12,500 to help offset these costs.

Council also confirmed negotiation terms on a transit JPA with El Dorado County, approved hiring a consultant on economic development at the Chateau site, provided results of a community survey, and approved an airport master plan, as well as a naming rights agreement for the future recreation and aquatics center. The Tribune provided a separate in-depth article on each of these matters.

Council was scheduled to receive an update on the Midtown Area Plan and confirm priority topics, however, that matter was rescheduled for City Council on Sept. 10.

The entire meeting and agenda is available on the City of South Lake Tahoe’s website.