Author Archives: Webadmin

Comments on IV Hub – Diane Becker

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January 15, 2021 Dear Ms. Weber, I am submitting this written public comment to set forth my objection to page 82 of the 2021 draft Federal Transportation Improvement Program (“FTIP”).  I respectfully object and request that the FTIP revise the attached page 81 of the FTIP, which is incorrect and misleading.   I describe the basis for my objection to the use of the former Incline Village Elementary School (the “School Site”) as a transportation or mobility hub, so that the importance of my proposed revision can be fully understood by TRPA.  The draft FTIP describes the School Site on the … Continue reading →

TTD Memo re: IV Transit Hub Approval Process

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TTD/TTC Board Agenda Packet – January 22, 2021 ~ Page 37 ~ GF/ja AGENDA ITEM: VI.A. MEMORANDUM Date: January 18, 2021 To: Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) Board of Directors From: TTD Staff – Fink Subject: Approval of Public Process and Schedule for Acquisition and Site Alternatives Analyses for the Old Elementary School Site Located at 771 Southwood Boulevard, and a Potential Project for a Transit Mobility Center Action Requested: It is requested the Board approve the public process and schedule related to acquisition of the old elementary school site located at 771 Southwood Boulevard as a placeholder property, subject to … Continue reading →

CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TO OPPOSE TRANSIT HUB AT OLD INCLINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE

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YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT TO TAHOE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY (“TRPA”) IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED USE OF THE SITE OF THE FORMER INCLINE VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AS A TRANSPORTATION HUB FOR ALL OF LAKE TAHOE, AND TO REQUEST THAT ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE SITES IN INCLINE VILLAGE BE SELECTED. EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO JWEBER@TRPA.ORG ASK THAT THEY BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE ENTIRE BOARD AND INCLUDED IN THE IR 1/22/21 MEETING PACKET.

A thirty-day public comment period commenced on December 28, 2020 and closes on January 28, 2021, on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s draft 2021 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (“FTIP”) for the period 2021-2024.  This is the draft of TRPA’s four-year transportation improvement plan, which has one reference to Incline Village, and that reference is at page 81 of the 132-page plan which lists the former Incline Village Elementary School site as the location of a mobility hub in Incline Village.  It lists the acquisition and development of the former school site into a transportation hub as a done deal.  Many local residents of Incline Village have been providing input to the Tahoe Transportation District (“TTD”) and Washoe County in opposition to this project.  At the December, 2020 TTD Governing Board meeting, in response to public objections, TTD’s governing Board directed that alternative sites be looked at in Incline Village, an ad hoc committee of the Governing Board to oversee this was set up, and Mr. Hasty, the responsible official at TTD, was directed that public meetings finally occur in Incline Village.  At the December, 2020 Board of Commissioners meeting, in response to public objections, the agenda item by which Washoe County was to approve contribution of $300,000.00 of former park funds slotted for Incline Village public parks, for use in acquiring the former school site, was taken off calendar, pending further decision by the TTD Board.  Apparently, TRPA and TTD are either not communicating, or the purchase of the former elementary school site is considered a done deal, because the project is listed in the TRPA 2021-2024 plan.  It is described as “Multi-Use (in Washoe county, located ion SR28, and Southwood Blvd. in Incline Village, Plan, design and construct a Mobility Hub.).  The plan does not discuss any alternative sites, and does not discuss spending money to look at and evaluate alternative sites in Incline Village that have been recommended by members of the Incline Village community as more suitable for a transportation project than the site of the former elementary school.

It is critical that as many Incline Village and Crystal Bay residents and businesses as possible, provide public comment to voice their objection to the use of the former elementary school site to TRPA and request that this project not reference the school site but reference looking at several sites in Incline Village and taking public comment on whether to proceed with the former elementary school site, before this project is set in stone.  We are told by TRPA that “The FTIP must be updated every two years to ensure that projects receiving federal funds can continue being developed ad constructed…The projects in the FTIP essentially are implementing the long-range transportation vision of the TRP…All of the projects listed in the DRAFT FTIP are in the approved 2017 RTP and Draft 2020 RTP.”  Apparently, local residents did not object in 2017 when that plan came out, although those of us who have looked cannot find any mention on the project to acquire the former school site in 2017.  None of us knew of the plan to acquire and use the site for this purpose in 2017.  We know of the plan now.  It is critical that local residents express their public comment in opposition to this project and to the manner in which this project is referenced in the draft FTIP, to TRPA long prior to the January 28, 2021 cut-off date (ACTUALLY PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR OPPOSITION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN WRITING), by writing to:

Judy Weber, jweber@trpa.org 

Additionally, oral public comment can be given on January 22, 2021 at the scheduled Tahoe Transportation Commission Board meeting. 

Please send your written opposition to Judy Weber, with the request that your written opposition be added to the public comment at the January 22, 2021 public meeting and that copies of your opposition be provided by Ms. Weber to the entire governing Board of TRPA.  This is critical and time sensitive.

December 2020 Newsletter

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We just wanted to thank all of you for your interest in making this beautiful community even better. Our collective actions have had some positive impact. We have some newly elected officials at Washoe County and IVGID. Their contact information will be added to the website as soon as it becomes available. A calendar has also been added so you can view upcoming meetings. Look forward to continuing to provide you with timely information on local topics in what we hope will be a healthier and prosperous new year. Happy New Year. Your IVCB Matters Admins

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Local Government Board/Committee Meetings

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WHEN DO  PUBLIC AGENCIES MEET TO DECIDE ISSUES RELEVANT TO INCLINE VILLAGE AND CRYSTAL BAY?
HOW CAN YOUR VOICE BE HEARD?

Compiled by Diane Becker and Ronda Tycer
 

This post informs community members about meeting dates and agendas of the many public agencies that decide issues impacting Incline Village and Crystal Bay (“IVCB).  You can get timely information about topics to be discussed at upcoming meetings by viewing the meeting agendas and informational packets in advance. The public agencies publish their meeting agendas and meeting packets on their websites three (3) working days prior to a meeting as required by Nevada law.
Most meetings are now conducted using Zoom or another online meeting application, so IVCB citizens can participate without going to meetings in person.

 1.     Washoe County Board of Commissioners.  These 5 Board members are IVCB’s main governmental body deciding on most IVCB governmental services. IVCB has 1 representative on the Board.
 The Commissioners meet on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 10 a.m. Any member of the public wanting to attend in person at the Reno facility of the Washoe County Government, or to participate or provide public comment on line should review the Board’s agenda posted at https://www.washoecounty.us/bcc/board_committees/index.php

2.      Incline Village Crystal Bay Citizen Advisory Board.  These monthly meetings are held locally in Incline as a way for IVCB citizens to give input to Washoe County. The CAB makes recommendations to the Washoe County Planners and Commissioners, but decision power rests with the County. The County is currently in process of expanding the range of topics on which community members can weigh in.
 CAB meetings take place on the 1st Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. 

The CAB agendas are published online prior to the meetings. They can be located by searching “Washoe County-community services department–index-citizenadvisoryboards-inclinevillagecrystalbay.” 

3.     Incline Village General Improvement District.  The IVGID Board of Trustees make decisions about managing IVCB utilities, parks, and recreation. These meetings always pertain to IVCB issues. IVGID Trustee meetings occur on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. 

The IVGID Audit Committee meetings generally occur at 3 p.m. prior to the Trustee meetings but they may occur on different days. 

4.     Washoe County Planning Commission. The Planning Board members work closely with the IVCB CAB on issues relevant to Building and Planning in IVCB. Issues discussed by the CAB are forwarded to the Planning Commission for a vote. If a local developer wants permission for a variance from code or needs a Special Use Permit, the developer first makes a case at the CAB, the CAB sends its recommendation to the Planning Commission, and the Planning Commission then votes on the issue. The Board meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. 

5.     Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.  The TRPA has several committees and Boards that make decisions for the entire Tahoe basin, but also for specific areas within the Basin. Many issues are critical to IVCB residents. A monthly meeting schedule can be viewed on the TRPA website (www.trpa.org), as the meeting dates vary.  The Governing Board generally meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. The Advisory Planning Commission also generally meets on the same or prior Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.  The Local Government and Housing Committee generally meets on Tuesday at noon.  

6.     Tahoe Transportation District.  The TTD was formed by the same Bi-state Compact as TRPA and is closely aligned with TRPA with many members serving on both Boards. The TTD Board is currently discussing the issue of buying the Old Elementary School to use as a bus hub for Sand Harbor. Similar issues of interest to IVCB occur on occasion. IVCB residents can submit public comment to the TTD Board (www.tahoetransportation.org) (www.facebook.com/TahoeTransportationDistrict). The Board meetings occur on the 2nd Friday of the month at 9:30 a.m.  

7.     North Tahoe Fire Protection District Board.  Occasionally the Fire District Board agenda includes issues of concern to all IVCB residents. Check at nltfpd.org. The Fire District Board meetings occur on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m.  

8.     Washoe County Health District.  The Board is currently considering proposed new regulations for public accommodation facilities in Washoe County. Check at www.washoecounty.us/health. The Board meetings occur on the 4th Thursday at 1 p.m. 

 9.     Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau.  This Bureau is located in Incline and named IVCB Visitors Bureau, but it is actually aligned with and funded by Washoe County transient-occupancy tax to promote tourism in the North Lake Tahoe area. It is a main financial supporter of the Thunderbird Lodge. Check at https://www.gotahoenorth.com/lake-tahoe/business-community/incline-village-crystal-bay-visitors-bureau/ The Board meetings occur on the 3rd Wednesday after 3:00 p.m. 

10. Incline Village Community Forum.  Although not an official public meeting, this meeting is open to all IVCB citizens to discuss issues of local concern. Because it is not affiliated with a public agency, the Forum does not adhere to open-meeting law restrictions. Citizens are allowed to bring up any topic of interest to the community, and give input without a time limit. Many public officials (WCSO Deputies, NLTFPD Fire Chief, IVGID General Manager, IVGID Trustees, Washoe Commissioners, etc.) and public speakers (candidates, activists, non-profit personnel, etc.) attend the Forum as a way to directly address IVCB citizens. A recap of the meetings is sent out to keep citizens informed of current happenings in the community whether they are in residence or not. The IV Community Forum meets every other Friday at 9:00am. It is currently meeting on zoom, but otherwise is held in the Incline Library.

To sign up for the meeting or recaps, contact moderator Peter Todoroff (ptodoroff1@sbcglobal.net).

11. IVCB Community 1st. This publication and website is managed by citizens to keep IVCB residents informed of upcoming meeting dates for all the above public agencies. It often includes a summary of the IVGID Board meetings. IVCB Community 1st sponsors occasional community meetings on issues of general concern (e.g., past meetings have addressed Short-term rentals and Transportation & Parking).

To sign up go to www.ivcbcommunity1st.org/subscribe.  

Another IVGID giveaway?

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AT THE NOVEMBER 18 2020 6PM MEETING, (GENERAL BUSINESS ITEM K.1) IVGID TRUSTEES WILL CONSIDER A REQUEST BY THE NON-PROFIT DIAMOND PEAK SKI EDUCATION FOUNDATION (DPSEF) TO NEGOTIATE A GROUND LEASE AGREEMENT AT DIAMOND PEAK FOR AN UNDISCLOSED SUM. WILL IT BE ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR LIKE PARASOL AND THE VISITORS CENTER?.

There have been a few mentions of DP staff working with Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation to look at needs for which there might be opportunities for collaboration. But the proposal to seek a long term ground lease so that the DPSEF, a private non-profit, can build a new facility on public property comes as a surprise to many. The 2018 agreement between IVGID and DPSEF calls for collaborating on facilities needed by both DPSR (Diamond Peak Ski Resort) and DPSEF. There is no discussion in the proposal about what is needed by DPSR, only what is “needed” by DPSEF.

This is not a criticism of DPSEF board or coaches. They do a very good job of running a ski race program, but it doesn’t really serve that many community members. It seems a small percentage of the community would be receiving a very large commitment of resources, beyond what the community has already been providing for years. And now that our comfortable carrying capacity, even before COVID-19, is exceeded on almost a daily basis, we certainly don’t have a need to market Diamond Peak through a race team.

Trustees have the responsibility to make decisions in the best interests of the entire community. This project was never mentioned in the Diamond Peak Master Plan, approved only 5 years ago. This is the first the public has had any notice of the options given by DPSEF. Recommending an agreement be drafted before publishing a notice and holding a public hearing on a matter of such significance and long term consequences would violate the fiduciary duties of the IVGID Board.

And for years we have been told our facility fees have paid to make facilities available for our use. Giving the DPSEF exclusive use of this land for what will likely be several decades or more, appears to violate that covenant. There is not sufficient justification to give away public assets (although not explicitly stated, if this request is similar to past ones, the lease will be for $1 a year) for a non-public use.  NRS prohibits such behavior for counties, cities and towns. Do we need to get the legislature involved to once again correct one of the shortcomings of NRS318?

We have seen the unintended consequences of long term leases. Parasol wanted to sell us the building for which we had given the land 99 years. The Parasol building and the IV Visitors Center were both essentially donated without considering the long term needs of the District and now cannot be undone for many years. We wouldn’t be looking for a place for a dog park today if IVGID still had possession of those properties. .  If 10 years from now DPSEF doesn’t want the building (where have we seen that before?) we are going to be asked to buy if from them. What if the global warming predictions come true and dictate the closure of Diamond Peak during the term of the lease? We might want to sell the property, but having a long term lease would not be helpful.

Alternatives (none were given in the proposal):

  • Consider this along with the other projects in the Diamond Peak Master Plan.

On first glance option 2 seems to be a good proposal to improve safety for those being dropped off. But instead of leasing the land to DPSEF, this project should be considered with other components of the Diamond Peak Master Plan which is supposed to be re-evaluated and updated; if there is enough community support/private support, it can be pursued, but as a community asset, not a private one on public land

  • Look for other existing facilities at DP.

We have 2000 square feet of office space in the skier services building. Now that many office workers can work from home, why does IVGID staff even need to be located at Diamond Peak? Couldn’t we share this facility with DPSEF?  We have a large room in the main lodge that is empty much of the time. Couldn’t that be a study center for the ski team during the week?

  • Compare the cost of providing a race program in-house.

Other ski areas in the region that used to have similar non-profits for their race program, have been running their own race program for years.  They are either cost neutral or alternatively profit generating. We have not compared the cost of running our own program to having DPSEF run it. Staff should come back with estimates of costs to run this “in-house”, making sure to include comparing soft costs (all the things we currently give away to DPSEF).

And with so many projects in the “pipeline”, our staff has limited bandwidth. They will most certainly be involved in this project since they have all the historical documents and drawings relating to the site.

Questions that need to be answered:

  • How many/what age athletes primarily use the existing off-site facility?
  • How many IVGID residents/parcel owners and their children are participants?
  • How many non-resident/non parcel owners are participants?
  • How many season passes were sold (by category: sr. adult, child, student) were sold to non-resident/non parcel owners?
  • What will the use of the property be during the summer?

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR IVGID BOARD AND ASK THAT THEY DEFER ANY DECISION ON GOING FORWARD WITH A LONG TERM GROUND LEASE; SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BEST WAY TO COLLABORATE WITH DPSEF.

Important COVID-19 update from Washoe County

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Washoe County Commissioner Marsha Berkbigler asked community members to stress the critical nature of the recent COVID-19 outbreak and share this information.

1.    The COVID situation in Washoe County, including Incline Village and Crystal Bay, is very serious because both Renown and St. Mary’s hospitals are full, Renown opened up one floor of beds in its garage and that is now full, and  patients are being taken to other facilities.  Additionally, some doctors and nurses are out with COVID, and therefore there are less medical personnel available to treat COVID cases than are needed.

2.    Commissioner Berkbigler reminds everyone of the Governor’s directives to shop by pickup and delivery wherever possible, and not to leave home for the next two weeks, except for essential travel and trips away from home.  She also urged that you limit gatherings, including holiday gatherings, to others in your household only.  Commissioner Berkbigler explains that if the COVID situation does not improve in the next 2 weeks, it is likely that the Governor will re-institute the closure rules which were in effect at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Washoe County Health District Media Report
November 13, 2020

From: Oxarart, Scott
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2020 5:00 PM
To: Health – District <HealthDistrict@washoecounty.us>
Subject: COVID-19 Update & Media Report

Press Releases:

Media Coverage:

Inquiries/Interviews:

  • KRNV: Kenzie Margiott inquired about cases at schools
  • RGJ: Anjeanette asked if we experienced any issues at the POST due to the high winds. No.

WCHD Social Media Activity:

Scott Oxarart

Communications Manager | Washoe County Health District

soxarart@washoecounty.us | O: 775-328-2414 | C: 775-276-1021

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First meeting Ordinance 7 Committee

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The GM’s Ordinance 7 Committee met via Zoom on Tuesday, September 29 and was not livestreamed.  Neither has any audio or video recording been posted on the IVGID website. The agenda was not posted until the day before the meeting.  The GM only gave a brief summary in his GM report at the Board meeting on Wednesday, September 30. He announced that Ann Viel would not be on the committee and that Mary Danahey would be added. He said the committee’s ground rules and goals were presented. The committee will meet bi-monthly.  Susan Herron commented on social media that meeting … Continue reading →

IVGID Beach Fund under water?

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IVGID Finance Director, Paul Navazio’s, 9/9/20 presentation on punch card utilization contains disturbing revelations that our beaches are essentially under water, and not from global warming or rising lake level. The problem stems from complications relating to punch cards and the fact that some residents of the district don’t have beach access. Their facility fees should not be used to support the beaches. Mr. Navazio’s presentation confirmed that, in fact, just last year nearly a half a million dollars of punch card use that should have been deducted from the stated total beach revenue, was instead deducted from the community … Continue reading →

Punch card “Utilization and Accounting” on 9/9/20 BOT Agenda

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This item will have an impact on the FY21-22 budget. It is clear that IVGID budgets to the rec/beach fees, i.e. it determines the maximum acceptable amount for the rec/beach fee and then budgets to spend that amount. It’s supposed to be the other way around. Determine what is needed to maintain and improve our amenities, and after a public hearing to see if the citizens/Board agree, assess fees to meet those needs. The GM’s Ordinance 7 Committee hasn’t even met yet,but the Board is being asked for direction on punch cards.There are many aspects to the discussion, but the … Continue reading →