INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees is moving toward reinstating beach access for employees after a lengthy discussion during its Nov. 12 meeting.

The move would reverse a January 2023 decision to remove beach access for out-of-district employees.

When the board removed access in 2023, trustees said the policy violated the beach deed and could put the district at risk of lawsuits.

Trustee David Noble met with outside legal counsel on the legality of reinstating the rule and found it was permissible. To address deed restriction concerns, 500 community members said they would support sponsoring employees to allow them access.

Noble and Chair Michaela Tonking were the only trustees to vote against removing beach access in 2023. Trustee Ray Tulloch supported the removal. Since then, the board’s makeup has changed with the additions of Trustees Michelle Jezycki and Mick Homan, leaving Tulloch in the minority on the issue.

Staff said that before 2023, beach access had been an employee privilege for at least 40 years.

Tulloch compared the situation to smoking, saying that years ago the meeting room would have been filled with cigarette smoke, but the longevity of a practice doesn’t mean it should be reinstated.

One public commenter argued that employees living outside the district don’t financially contribute to the community because they don’t pay district taxes and fees or shop locally.

“I could not disagree with that more strongly,” Jezycki said. “Our employees are front-facing to our community.”

She added that employees are often the first people residents interact with when accessing the beaches.

Jezycki also emphasised that reinstating the rule would not overcrowd the beaches.

“If you look at the past numbers, the use has been de minimis at best. It was like 1 to 2% of all beach access,” she said.

While most of the board supports reinstating employee beach access, trustees said they need to clean up language in the ordinance, especially regarding who can be an employee’s guest and whether those guests may visit the beach without the employee present. The ordinance is scheduled to return to the board on Dec. 10, 2025.

Other items

The board unanimously approved a grant agreement between IVGID and the Michael Gross Family Charitable Fund for the installation of a war memorial in the Village Green. The memorial is scheduled for completion in 2026.

The board also unanimously approved the creation of a “super senior” rate, which will reduce rates by 30%.

In addition, trustees approved a contract with Hometown Health Providers Insurance Co. Inc. to provide employee medical insurance coverage from Jan. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

The board heard end-of-season presentations from community services, which will be covered in a future article.

The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2025.