HAPPY MARCH!

While it wasn’t much, last week’s small storm helps with our significant snowpack deficit.  “Miracle March’s” have occurred - let’s hope that we gain some additional relief this month from our historic drought conditions. 

At this Tuesday’s Board (March 8th) meeting we will be considering setting the new fees for the short-term rental program. Staff has responded to the Board and community with a program that will double the amount of enforcement for nuisances and double the staffing to ensure compliance with permitting required by the new ordinance. The new ordinance also requires health and safety inspections for all STR’s this year or they won’t be renewed. The County is coordinating with the local fire districts to conduct these inspections. The fees proposed are significantly higher to fully fund the program and ensure that general taxpayers are not subsidizing these activities.   

The Board will also be considering authorizing a study on the Eastern Regional Landfill Biomass Plant. Staff have responded quickly to our request to re-consider this project. At the current and projected level of forestry/defensible space work within our public and private lands, we need to increase the efforts to find means of disposal. The facility is only part of what is needed within the region, but because of the County’s work in 2013 we believe this can be moved forward quickly. 

Tuesday, March 8th is International Women’s Day – a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. Throughout our County and our Eastern Placer Truckee region we have many women leaders in industry, non-profits, and government leadership.  Some of the following are even historic firsts for women holding the top position or being in the majority on their board or council. I am so fortunate to work closely with many of them in service to all of you! These are challenging times for all in leadership, so please reach out and thank these women for the examples they are setting, their leadership and many contributions to our region. 

We can’t possibly list all the women working to improve our Eastern Placer communities, but here is a start:

PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT, AND GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVES:

Placer Tahoe staff will provide education on new ordinance standards, requirements, and fines/penalties as well as a live permit application demonstration of the new on-line software which will be utilized for permit intake starting April 1, 2022.  The webinar is targets to current STR operators looking to renew or those seeking a new STR permit during the 2022 permit cycle. A new permit system will be available for applications starting April 1st, 2022.

[ZOOM LINK]

The Community Collaborative of Tahoe Truckee (CCTT) requests resident participation in a confidential survey to measure local quality of life, community engagement, and behavioral health needs. The survey is open now until April 3, 2022 and the results will help local organizations develop programs to better address the health needs of our community members. As a follow up to the 2020 Community Engagement & Behavioral Health Survey, the information collected in this survey will be valuable data used to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, identify any community health trends and support the recently released Behavioral Health Roadmap. TAKE THE SURVEY

January, SB 871 would add the COVID-19 vaccine to the other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance and eliminate the personal belief exemption for COVID-19 vaccination as well as any future disease immunizations as determined by the California Department of Public Health. Under California law, students are allowed to skip vaccines required for in-person attendance at K-12 schools after a doctor says it's medically necessary to do so. However, since current law only applies to previously approved immunizations, the state must offer broader personal belief exemptions for all newly mandated vaccines unless lawmakers and the governor override that requirement.  

I do believe there are medical benefits to vaccines, but I believe it’s a personal choice. As long as we can take protective measures ourselves against those who have chosen not to vaccinate, then I’m OK with opposing any state or federal mandate on this. LEARN MORE