SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — South Lake Tahoe City Council at its second consecutive evening meeting on Tuesday will receive a single use plastics and polystyrene presentation from Keep Tahoe Blue, may vote end the local weather emergency, will likely agree to a contract with a paving company to fill craterous potholes and may authorize an agreement with an agency to lead the Mid-Town Area Plan effort.

The weather has consumed much of our lives this season and led to the City Council ratifying the city manager’s decision to declare a local emergency on March 14. Council may vote to end the emergency.

The emergency proclamation ensured the City was in the best position to receive additional resources necessary to respond to the emergency conditions.

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The City’s request is pending for public and individual assistance through the California Office of Emergency Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The council also on March 14 requested that an item be brought back by staff to consider a subsidy or reimbursement for residential snow removal. Staff is recommending against a program being established since the urgent need has abated, and because of the significant costs and staff resources that would be required to stand up such a program and the challenges of establishing criteria to determine who should qualify for this assistance. 

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Council may also adopt the annual master schedule of fees and charges the city uses for services.

A public hearing was conducted at the March 14 meeting. The 2022-2023 Master Fee Schedule incorporates consumer price index adjustments, reflects continuing efforts to promote full cost recovery for certain fees, incorporates market comparisons, and adds new fees adopted by City Council over the past year. The Master Fee Schedule seeks to balance the City’s cost recovery goals, market conditions, and overall policy considerations, said the executive summary in the agenda.

The master fee schedule can be viewed here.

Council, in working on a Mid-Town Area Plan, may authorize about $600,000 to Design Workshop to assist in developing the plan and leading the effort.

City staff is requesting the council appropriate $598,697 for the professional services agreement, with $151,405 of that total be allocated from the City’s undesignated general fund reserves and $100,000 from General Plan available fund balance.

The City is undertaking the development of the Mid-Town Area Plan to guide future land uses and development to meet the needs of residents, businesses, visitors, and the environment. The plan will leverage the adopted 56-acre master plan and existing infrastructure at Lakeview Commons and Harrison Avenue to further transform mid-town into a recreation, arts, and community hub.

The Strategic Plan directs the City to prepare an Area Plan for the Bijou/Al Tahoe, Sierra Tahoe Commercial, Bijou Community Park, and Bijou Meadow/Golf Course areas. The Mid-Town Area Plan would provide land use guidance for all future redevelopment and development opportunities in the Mid-Town area.

The presentation from Keep Tahoe Blue will update council on the group’s effort with the help of 36 community volunteers to educate local businesses about the updated Polystyrene and Single-Use Plastics Ordinance.

On the consent agenda, a pair of items may be approved without discussion including an agreement with West Coast Paving for Pothole Repair on Pioneer Trail, Johnson Boulevard and Park Avenue, and opting into an national opioid settlement..

The historic snow has led to a significant number of potholes with the aforementioned roads some of the roughest.

Council will consider a $244,840 contract, with a 10% contingency for $24,840, to fill craters that includes grinding the pavement and using hot mix asphalt for more permanent repairs. Other roadways will be treated by city personnel with cold patch, the agenda said.

Council may also approve participation in National Opioid Litigation Settlements which could net the City more than $850,000.

In 2021, the City opted into a National Opioid Litigation Settlement with Janssen and distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and Amerisource Bergen and now has an opportunity to join a second round of nationwide settlements involving Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. Cities and counties have a deadline of April 18, to sign on to these settlements. The total settlement amount is $18.1 billion over 15 years. 

The City may get as much as $850,265 from this second round of settlements, depending on how many California local jurisdictions opt in. These funds will be used for allowable opioid abatement activities in support of the Police Department’s South Tahoe Area Collaborative Services program.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, at City Hall located 1901 Lisa Maloff Way. It will also be live streamed on Channel 21, City website at http://www.cityofslt.us, YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3LYne8Ih-kTPLnnuyJW9SQ/live and via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86566325335.