At Lake Level July-August 2022 The official newsletter of the City of South Lake Tahoe

Upcoming Groundbreaking Event for South Lake Tahoe Recreation and Aquatics Center

The South Lake Tahoe Recreation and Aquatics Center is underway!

City staff is proud to announce that the first phase of construction of the project has begun. The first phase consists of mostly site work to prepare for the future vertical construction. The community can expect to see site clearing and tree removal, installation of underground utilities, and the demo and relocation of some campground facilities this summer/fall. Phase 2 is scheduled to begin May 2023 and will consist of the building construction and completion of site improvements. The City expects the new facility to be open to the public by the end of 2024, provided the schedule goes as planned. The project is primarily funded by Measure P, passed by voters in 2016. The City will also be applying for state grants as supplemental funding.

The new multi-generational recreation and aquatics center at the 56-acres property, located within the existing campground area, will provide the community with a 64,000 +- square feet state-of-the-art LEED Gold certified facility, which will provide significant recreation and community programs.

The project has been in design for nearly two years, and with community and stakeholder input, the final design has been approved and permitted by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The new facility will be a two-story structure located just west of the existing county library. This location was chosen for two reasons; 1) to keep the existing recreation center in operation during the construction; and 2) to provide increased visibility to the public while taking advantage of the lake views.

The exterior of the facility will be a mountain-modern aesthetic, comprising all fire-resistant materials in earth tone color.

The floor plan also provides for easy navigation between recreational activities and programs and encourages gathering. Key areas include full gymnasium, aquatics, running track, fitness space, activities space, and a large events space. The facility will also include a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen for programs such as the El Dorado County’s Senior Nutrition.

The City would like to acknowledge and give a thanks to the following partners and stakeholders for the project:

• The County of El Dorado
• The California Tahoe Conservancy
• The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
• City Parks & Recreation Commission
• City Planning Commission
• Measure P Oversight Committee
• The Boys and Girls Club
• Senior Groups
• Aquatics Groups
• Harrison Avenue Business Owners
• Jordan Knighton Architecture/Engineering
• Barker Rinker, Seacat Architecture
• SierraCon/CORE

To learn more about the project and the 56 Acres site, please visit the project website at https://southlaketahoereccenter.konveio.com/

Take advantage of the Parks and Recreation events and programming for the summer season

Summer is in full swing at the City of South Lake Tahoe’s Parks and Recreation Department. We are excited to announce the Summer 2022 programs.

Special Events

Movies in the Park-In celebration of Parks Make Life Better Month, we invite the community to attend our Free Friday Night Movie Series in Bijou Community Park from 7-10 pm (movie starts at sunset). Grab your crew, a blanket or lawn chairs, and join us for some family friendly fun, Tahoe style. Snacks are available for purchase from Tessie’s Beach Bites. We will also have raffles and fun giveaways each night.

Live At Lakeview – Come out and enjoy live music along the shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe. In addition to live music, you can also rent a stand-up paddle board until 6pm or shop with many of the unique local vendors. There is guaranteed fun for the entire family! The music series takes place every Thursday evening, June 23 – August 25, at Lakeview Commons.

Swim Programs

Group Swim Lessons-Our swim lessons are tailored to the needs of each child, so that they can progress at a comfortable pace, ensuring everyone receives the instruction they need. The lesson schedule is listed below. Sessions C & D will open for registration in July. We will send an email notification when additional swim lessons are available for registration. Register here for Swim Lessons

• Session C / July 25 – August 4
• Session D / August 8 – August 18

Private & Semi-Private Swim Lessons-Coming Soon! Private swim lessons are for all skill levels and are a great option for those looking to progress or refine skills quickly. Private lessons are 25 minutes long and pair one instructor with one student. Semi-private lessons are also 25 minutes, but two to three students of similar abilities can join the same lesson, which makes these lessons a wonderful fit for siblings or friends who want to learn and swim together. For additional information call the Recreation and Swim Complex at 530-542-6056.

Masters Swim-Swim into fitness! The Master Swim program is tailored to those looking to improve fitness, work on swim technique, train for competitions, or simply meet like-minded swim enthusiasts. The program is every Tuesday & Thursday, 6:30-7:30am, July 5- August 11. The entire session is $60 (12 Classes) or $10 drop-in rate per class. All fees include pool use and coaching with USMS Certified Coach, Derek Beller. Register here for Masters Swim

Recreation Swim-Summer is here and it’s time to have some fun! Grab your flip flops, shades, and dust off that bathing suit, recreation swim is back! Recreation Swim is open swimming for all ages and will be available Mondays- Fridays from 2:30-4:30pm. All participants must pass a swim test or wear a coast guard approved life jacket. Life jackets are available at no additional fee. All children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Wednesday Night Swim & Gym

Get out of work and get your work out on! The Recreation and Swim Complex will be open from 6-8pm every Wednesday night this summer. The pool will be available for lap swim and drop-in access to the gymnasium, including pickleball and basketball. The weight room, scheduled classes, meeting rooms, and ping pong are also available.

Youth Programs

Junior Giants Youth Baseball Program-Junior Giants is a free, non-competitive and coed baseball program for children ages 5-13. The program offers equipment, uniforms, program incentives, and coaches training. Junior Giants help kids lead, succeed, and have fun. Anyone can play! The Junior Giants season begins June 13 and ends August 7. Practices are held Mondays starting at 5pm and games are on Sundays starting at 4pm.

CodeFu Summer Camp-The Recreation Center is pleased to host CodeFu, a summer day camp with an emphasis on coding, computer science, and STEM. The Art of CodeFu teaches the fundamentals of coding while focusing on social & emotional elements of child & adolescent development. The camp is open to students in grades Transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. Register here for CodeFU

To view all scheduling at the Recreation Center, go to: 

Pool Schedule / Rec Complex Schedule / Special Event Schedule

City Council Places Local South Lake Tahoe Cannabis Funding/Taxation Measure on the November 2022 Ballot

Measure Would Convert Fee Collection on Cannabis Businesses While Retaining Existing Regulations

The South Lake Tahoe City Council voted on July 7 to place the South Lake Tahoe Cannabis Funding/Taxation Measure on the November 2022 ballot by a 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Bass recusing himself.

If approved by voters, the measure would enact an administrative conversion to the collection of cannabis payments to the city from a development fee to a comparable 6% gross receipts tax, without impacting any other cannabis regulation currently in effect. This conversion would streamline the tax collection process to reduce the administrative burden on City staff and local businesses.

“The City’s cannabis regulations have been working and this measure will continue them” said City Manager Joe Irvin. “Several cannabis businesses have been operating legally in South Lake Tahoe for nearly two years and have not attracted crime. Meanwhile, the businesses have generated funding for the local economy and grants for local non-profit organizations.”

The measure was placed on the ballot following stakeholder engagement as part of an effort by the City to streamline government processes to help keep the City fiscally sound and able to meet the basic service needs of residents and local businesses.

“This measure will maintain approximately a million dollars per year in local funding that can be used for general city expenditures such as maintaining essential emergency response, wildfire prevention, and snow removal services, while continuing to fund non-profit community benefit grants.” continued Irvin. “This conversion will also ensure that visitors to South Lake Tahoe who purchase cannabis products pay their fair share of the services they use while here.”

The measure includes strict fiscal accountability provisions, including public disclosure of all spending and annual independent financial audits which will be available online. No funds can be taken by the county, state, or federal governments.

For more information and to view the arguments for and against the ballot measure, visit: https://www.cityofslt.us/Elections.

How are Measure S Sales Tax funds being allocated?

On July 14, 2020, the South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously placed Measure S (South Lake Tahoe Fire Protection, Emergency Response, and City Services measure) on the November 2020 ballot. 63.73% of the voters in the 2020 election approved Measure S, allowing for the collection of a one-cent sales tax to generate up to an estimated $6.8 million in annual local funding.

To ensure that Measure S funds are being spent as voted on, the City of South Lake Tahoe provides fiscal accountability measures including public disclosure of all spending, annual independent financial audits, and performance reports. As part of our promise to voters, the City implemented strict fiscal accountability for Measure S spending by continually updating a webpage dedicated to Measure S financial reporting on revenues, expenditures, and projects currently underway.

To view Measure S sales tax and fund allocation, please visit www.cityofslt.us/MeasureS/fiscal.

A message from Fire Chief Drennan:

South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue continues to gear up for the summer season. Our crews have a full training calendar which focuses on emergency medical services, structure fire response, and wildland urban interface threats. We also just finished a large joint agency training with Cal Fire, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District to better coordinate and prepare for wildland fire season.

We encourage everyone to pay attention to the current basin-wide burn ban, which prohibits solid fuel burning - this means no charcoal or wood fired BBQs. If and when we go into Red Flag conditions, the fire department will push this information out via our social media outlets and the City’s website as soon as we are aware of the forecasted conditions. We also do our best to staff an additional engine for immediate response to any wildfires that start during Red Flag conditions.

Internally, we have some promotional news we would like to share. Captain Tom Kerley will start his probation on June 27 and will be heavily involved in training for the month of July. Tom Jones was also recently promoted to the rank of Engineer/Paramedic. Congratulations to both Toms! We also expect to hire three new Defensible Space Inspectors in July to assist with our prevention bureau.

Stay safe out there!

Did you know how Measure S Sales Tax funds are being allocated?

On July 14, 2020, the South Lake Tahoe City Council unanimously placed Measure S (South Lake Tahoe Fire Protection, Emergency Response, and City Services measure) on the November 2020 ballot. 63.73% of the voters in the 2020 election approved Measure S, allowing for the collection of a one-cent sales tax to generate up to an estimated $6.8 million in annual local funding.

To ensure that Measure S funds are being spent as voted on, the City of South Lake Tahoe provides fiscal accountability measures including public disclosure of all spending, annual independent financial audits, and performance reports. As part of our promise to voters, the City implemented strict fiscal accountability for Measure S spending by continually updating a webpage dedicated to Measure S financial reporting on revenues, expenditures, and projects currently underway.

Have you been hitting those potholes on Tahoe Keys Boulevard lately?

If so, we have some good news for you. The City will begin the 2022 Road Rehabilitation Project in August. The project will repave the entire length of Tahoe Keys Boulevard, as well as portions of Washington Avenue, 3rd Street, and 15th Street. Work also includes the replacement of six failed drainage pipes, which will alleviate minor flooding and preserve the new roadways. All work will be completed by September 30. Funding is provided by Measure S. The City is also prioritizing roadways for next year and we are putting together a program to stretch the Measure S funds for various lower-cost options to extend the life of the current pavement.

Your tax dollars at work through Measure S!

To view Measure S sales tax and fund allocation, please visit www.cityofslt.us/MeasureS/fiscal.

City approves Barton Avenue Multi-Family Housing Project

Development Services is excited to announce the approval of the Tahoe Valley at Barton Avenue Multi-Family Project. The project is the construction of fourteen (14) new multi-family residential units consisting of seven duplex buildings at 2160 Barton Avenue. Four duplex buildings will be accessible from Helen Avenue, and three from Barton Avenue. The project also includes new landscaping and sidewalks along Helen Avenue and onsite amenities for residences.

The Tahoe Valley at Barton Avenue Multi-Family Project is the first major project to take advantage of the City’s development right incentive program by using the TRPA’s conversion incentive to convert commercial floor area into multi-family residential units of use. The project consists of (12) 3 bedroom/2 bath units and (2) 2 bedroom/2 bath units with private balconies or patios.

The project is expected to break ground this summer and will provide much-needed rental housing stock in the City.