A Community-Driven Plan for South Lake Tahoe

I support local residents living in residential neighborhoods in homes they can afford. This will always be a top priority. I strongly supported affordable housing initiatives in my previous council term, including:

• Built Sugar Pine Village at the Y
• Stopped the Loop Road from displacing hundreds of residents in the Rocky Neighborhood, with plans to build new affordable housing in the previous highway right of way instead
• Passed inclusionary zoning ordinance to incentivize construction of homes that are “affordable by design” (aka not monster homes)
• Adopted lease to locals program that gives incentives to second homeowners to rent to locals rather than leaving the home empty or creating a vacation rental

These initiatives earned South Lake Tahoe a prohousing community designation in 2024. I will build on these accomplishments with the following priorities:

• Make it fast, easy, and affordable to build housing that locals can afford, like ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes
• Remove regulatory and financial barriers to building homes that are affordable by design (smaller with less environmental impact)
• Build on programs like Lease to Locals that incentivize second home owners to rent their homes to local workers
• Design policies that encourage visitors to stay near community centers, and that maximize housing dedicated to locals in our neighborhoods
• Reduce fees and permitting requirements for renovation and rehabilitation of existing housing

I’ll push to double our pothole repair budget, and increase the pace and scale of road and infrastructure repair. To do this, we’ll need more revenue, whether through budget reallocation or new sources (which will take community conversations and consensus).

I always supported strong budgets for our hard-working police and fire departments, as well as for public safety services including snow removal. I will continue that support, and look for ways to deepen support of those who protect and defend us.

We should make our town centers—Midtown (Bijou/Lakeview Commons), Ski Run, Harrison Ave, Bijou, the Y and Stateline—the go-to places for locals and visitors alike. Places where visitors can walk to and from nearby lodging, that are alive with live music, public art, thriving small businesses, restaurants, coffee shops. Building in our town centers should be streamlined, with the goal to make it fast and easy to develop where it most benefits our community.

The more tourist dollars that are spent in our community centers, the more small businesses and their employees will thrive, the more local musicians and artists will be supported. The more tourists support local businesses, musicians and artists without driving, the more locals will embrace this form of sustainable, low-impact tourism.

City policies should make it easy and fast to develop in our community zones, including rapid implementation of the new Midtown Area Plan. This includes business permits, and lodging.

City Hall should be moved within the Midtown Area Plan, and the current City Hall should become a visitor center.

There needs to be an ambitious business recruitment and incentive program to attract businesses to develop on currently vacant parcels, especially those in proximity to community centers.

Given the largest threat to Lake Tahoe is climate change, the City of South Lake Tahoe must be a national and global leader in clean, renewable energy and clean, zero-emission electric transportation.

• 100% Renewable Energy: I helped lead the charge for the City’s 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030 resolution. We need to get serious about achieving this goal, in a way that helps relieve the high utility rate burden everyone is experiencing.
• Fleet Electrification: Accelerate electrification of City municipal fleet vehicles and the Lake Link microtransit system.
• Public Education: Pair climate action with visitor campaigns emphasizing that keeping Tahoe blue requires clean energy choices at home and on vacation.

Given the largest threat to Lake Tahoe is climate change, the City of South Lake Tahoe must be a national and global leader in clean, renewable energy and clean, zero-emission electric transportation. This should be paired with a public education campaign that helps visitors (and locals) understand that if they want to Keep Tahoe Blue, they need to take action for clean energy and transportation where they live.

I helped lead the charge for the City’s 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030 resolution. We need to get serious about achieving this goal, in a way that helps relieve the high utility rate burden everyone is experiencing. To do that, I’ll champion a clean energy and electrification fund to help residents save on utility bills by installing rooftop solar, installing energy efficiency measures and switching from gas to electric. I’ll push to electrify the City’s fleet vehicles and the Lake Link microtransit system.

I support establishment of a dedicated funding source to help businesses and residents install rooftop solar and energy efficiency upgrades.

Sustainable Tourism Model: South Lake Tahoe should be THE model of real tourism sustainability -- starting with having tourists stay within walking distance of our many vibrant town centers.

• Transform Highway 50 Into a Main Street: Transform Highway 50 from Stateline to Al Tahoe Blvd into a walkable, bikeable corridor that slows traffic and makes room for electric buses, shuttles, bikes, scooters.
• Transit Alternatives: Reduce tourist traffic on roads by expanding public transit, ferries, microtransit, and shuttles.
• Public Access to Lake Tahoe: Place markers at the high water mark along our shorelines, inviting residents and visitors to enjoy their public beach access.

South Lake Tahoe should be the Costa Rica of US tourism -- rooted in deep sustainability, which includes keeping cars off the road, having tourists stay within walking distance of our many vibrant town centers, including Ski Run Blvd., Bijou, Harrison Ave./Lakeview Commons, and the Y.

Transform highway 50 into a main street

TRPA adopted a main street plan to make the stateline area less of a highway, and more of a main street that favors pedestrians, bicycles, etc. I believe what’s good for the Stateline goose is good for the South Lake Tahoe gander. I will champion making Highway 50 a main street throughout our community, starting from Stateline to Al Tahoe Blvd. Let’s slow traffic down and get people out of their cars and into public electric transit, bikes, scooters, etc.

Reduce tourist traffic on our roads & increase transit alternatives (ferries, shuttles, etc)

Tourists aren’t the problem, it’s when they drive their cars. I will champion policies to support tourists staying on/near Highway 50 within walking distance of our town centers.

Support for Live Music & Arts: Increase support for local musicians and artists, creating new venues and celebrating public art throughout our town centers.

Parks & Bicycle Trails: Continue making park improvements and bicycle trail expansion a city budget priority, including completing the crosstown Greenway Bicycle trail.

South Lake Tahoe for All (South Lake Tahoe es para todos): Building on my work launching the Multicultural Festival and Multicultural Subcommittee, I will prioritize efforts to ensure every voice in our community—including our immigrant families—is heard, represented, respected, and defended.

I helped launch the Multicultural Festival and Multicultural Subcommittee when I served on Council previously. At a time when immigrant communities are feeling threatened, I will prioritize any and every effort to ensure that all voices in our community are heard, represented, respected, supported and defended.