Stalemate in South Lake Tahoe council on Cannabis Community Benefit Fee policy
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A significant portion of Council’s time Feb. 27 went to public communications with many discussing vacancy tax. The Transient Occupancy Tax was another largely discussed item resulting in Council terminating efforts for a Transient Occupancy Tax increase. Both were covered by the Tribune in-depth.
After the lengthy public communications, Mayor Cody Bass announced the decision to postpone the presentation on a basin wide entry fee to March 12 meeting.
Here’s a summary of other business conducted at that Tuesday night meeting.
Council came to a stalemate on language changes to the Cannabis Community Benefit Fee Revenue Allocation Policy and its grant application. On the table were changes to language that says funds from Measure G go towards projects that mitigate the potential negative impacts of the cannabis industry and promote the priorities of the City’s Strategic Plan.
Councilmember Tamara Wallace made a motion to keep the language the same. The motion failed with yeses from Wallace and Councilmember Cristi Creegan and nos from Councilmember Scott Robbins and Mayor Pro Tem John Friedrich producing a tie. Mayor Cody Bass recused himself from the item.
Friedrich made a motion to change the wording from just an “and” to an “and/or” for mitigating cannabis impacts and promoting the City Strategic Plan, so those organizations that don’t necessary prove they mitigate cannabis impacts, but do support important City priorities don’t get thrown out entirely.
That motion failed as well, with yeses from Robbins and Friedrich and nos from Creegan and Wallace. A stalemate was called and no changes were made to the policy.
The city’s Fire Department is receiving $1,651,250 funds from the California Tahoe Conservancy Grant for fuels reduction projects by way of a sub-recipient agreement with Lake Valley Fire Protection District.
The funds will bill back staff time for basin wide coordinated project planning. It will also fund a limited term position through 2027 for a Division Chief. The position responsibilities include managing the grant, directing all fuels reduction projects in and around the south shore, and making agency connections in a movement to regionalize the process of mitigating fire fuels.
Council hosted a public hearing on the City’s Master Fee schedule increases and adjustments. The changes account for consumer price index adjustments of around 2.6% increases and add new fees adopted by Council over the last year. The list of fee adjustments is available in the agenda packet. City Council will consider formal adoption of the changes at their March 26 meeting.
City Council accepted applications and made the citizen appointments to the following commissions and boards.
Arts, Culture, and Tourism Commission:
- Stacy Greer (At Large)
- Kathryn Muat (Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority)
Police Advisory Commission:
- Justin Zunino
- Keith Roberts
El Dorado County Commission on Aging:
- Keith Roberts
The city is continuing to solicit applications for the Building Board of Appeals, having not received any applications in its recent solicitation.
The entire meeting and agenda can be viewed on the City of South Lake Tahoe’s website.
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