Placer County District 5 Bulletin | February 18

By Cindy Gustafson | February 18, 2023 | Bulletin | No Comments

INCREDIBLE COMMUNITIES – MANY CHALLENGES

We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful areas in our country, but what comes with that opportunity are also challenges. In the last week we have had two special meetings. Many community members attended these meetings but for those of you who couldn’t, I wanted to report on the issues that were addressed and the efforts that are being made to address some of the challenges we face.

Special Joint Meeting of the North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council and Olympic Valley Municipal Advisory Council | This meeting was specific to discussing the issues surrounding traffic and transportation in eastern Placer County. During some points in the meeting we had 150 in the room and 184 on Zoom – which was one of the largest participations we have had throughout the County. At the beginning of the meeting, I stated that we hoped to achieve 3 goals:

first, inform what has been done in efforts to ease congestion, facilitate non-motorized transportation, and expand transit use;
second, what is actively being worked on for future transportation/transit improvements; and,
third to hear the MAC/RAC and public’s suggestions and comments.

MUCH HAS BEEN DONE
Many in the public were frustrated because of the length of the presentations, but I hope that all learned that traffic congestion in our region has been worked on for many decades. Much of the transportation funding we get from Federal and State sources relies on per capita (population) allocations and those funds have always been inadequate to address the needs in our region, especially during times of peak visitation. Through the efforts of my predecessors, myself, and many local advocates, the County is committed to addressing funding gaps for service and infrastructure by dedicating much more general fund to Eastern Placer transit systems and capital projects than anywhere else in the County. These general fund dollars are critical to unlocking additional State and Federal funding achieve our transportation vision for the region.

INCREASED PRESSURES
I provided sobering statistics from census data. Since 2000, the Reno region’s population has increased 42% and the Sacramento region’s population has increased 31%. The cumulative result is 1.6 million more people in the day-trip area during the last 20 years, and that trend is continuing. Even without additional growth, there has been a significant surge in winter and summer outdoor recreation patterns nationwide. The major population centers surrounding us are creating increased demand and traffic congestion.

MUCH MORE BEING WORKED ON
Clearly, with the continued growth in drive-up areas combined with the increased demand for both summer and winter recreation, we need to push forward with much more significant programs and projects. During the meeting it was quite helpful to have many from our County staff, CHP, business organizations, and ski area leadership hear directly about the effects from increasing traffic congestion throughout the region including including: public safety response, local and regional mobility, delivery of goods and services, and the ability of our residents to go about their daily lives. The solutions require a united approach between our communities, our businesses, our local and State governments, in order to secure resources and significant funding.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Many of our local agencies and organizations are diligently working on solutions. We will continue to work with our local, State and Federal representatives and agencies, resorts, law enforcement, and community partners to focus on meaningful solutions. I encourage you to reach out to my office with other ideas and suggestions. You can also write to the officials who oversee our State Highways (both SR #89 and #267) to advocate for the resources to address the demands from travelers from other regions. I also encourage you to attend and participate with the Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Agency which includes membership from our local agencies, ski areas, and community representatives. Their efforts over the years have supported many of the changes we see in action and on the ground today.

The second meeting was a joint meeting sponsored by Placer County and the North Tahoe Community Alliance | This meeting was the first ever joint workshop of the Capital Projects Advisory (CAP) Committee, TOT Committee, TBID Advisory Committee, and Zone 1 Advisory Committee. These four committees are each tasked with making recommendations on expenditure of either TOT or TBID funding for projects in the region. The meeting was an opportunity for committee members and the community to learn about many of the projects and programs that are currently in place as well as envisioned for the region around workforce housing, transportation, and tourism mitigation. The committees also discussed future grant cycles and collaboration opportunities to help support important projects in the region. LEARN MORE + SURVEY RESULTS
These results are from a resident specific survey and were presented at NTCA’s meeting. These results will be combined with the results from the North Tahoe Community Survey (more information below) to help these committees better understand community priorities.

Additional meetings will be coming forward throughout the year and we will continue to urge your participation in the public process.

Please feel free to reach out to our office with questions.

In service,
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson

Additional News + Resources

NORTH TAHOE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES SURVEY

The Placer County Board of Supervisors and the North Tahoe Community Alliance Board of Directors are committed to the investment of local dollars in North Lake Tahoe for community priorities. Since there is a limited amount of local funds, this survey was created in collaboration between Placer County and the North Tahoe Community Alliance to better understand current priorities. This survey will be open through March 15. TAKE SURVEY

A VISITOR’S GUIDE FOR THE STIFEL PALISADES TAHOE CUP

The Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup, a stop on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Tour, will be at Palisades Tahoe from February 24th to February 26th. To help you prepare for the weekend and have a seamless visit, they have compiled this guide for how to visit Palisades Tahoe on the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup weekend. LEARN MORE

HOW YOU CAN HELP HONOR OUR FALLEN PEACE OFFICERS

Our Board of Supervisors this week approved a $50,000 contribution on behalf of our residents to help fund the proposed Fallen Deputy Monument at the Auburn Justice Center – honoring the nine Sheriff’s Office peace officers who’ve given their lives in service. There’s still a need for more funding. LEARN MORE

MARK WATTS APPOINTED TO PLACER PLANNING COMMISSION

The Placer County Board of Supervisors acted on Tuesday to appoint North Auburn resident Mark Watts to the Placer County Planning Commission, representing District 5. Watts has served locally on the North Auburn Municipal Advisory Council and has decades of experience as a lobbyist and governmental relations consultant in Sacramento with a focus in the areas of transportation, public policy and governance. He is currently co-principal at Watts & Hartmann LLC providing lobbying services and strategic political advice along with day-to-day management of the firm. LEARN MORE

Mark is a highly qualified professional with decades of experience in state government as well as working with local governments on transportation issues. As chair of the North Auburn Municipal Advisory Council, Mark demonstrated his respect for the public process and thoughtful approach on a variety of planning issues. Mark and his wife have residences in Auburn and Tahoe and he’s very knowledgeable of the issues facing our foothill and Sierra communities.

PLACER APPROVED TO APPLY FOR UP TO $3.8 MILLION IN FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO IMPACT FROM WINTER STORMS

Placer County is now included in a winter storm disaster declaration approved by President Joe Biden. This action brings much-needed financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saving taxpayers up to $3.8 million. Under the declaration, Placer County, along with its cities and special districts, will all be eligible for public assistance, covering qualified emergency work and repairing or replacing disaster-damaged facilities and infrastructure. LEARN MORE

PLACER COUNTY IS FIRST COUNTY TO RECEIVE STATE’S PROHOUSING DESIGNATION

Placer County has been named the first county in California to receive the state’s Prohousing Designation, a distinction that provides Placer and its private development partners a competitive edge in obtaining grant funding toward affordable housing, workforce housing, sustainable community development and infrastructure projects. LEARN MORE

COME DRIVE FOR PLACER COUNTY TART

There is no experience required. We can train you from the ground up and pay you during training as well as offer excellent benefits:

• Health, Vision, and Dental for FT employees
• Additional $1K/mo Tahoe Branch Assignment
• Premium pay for eligible full-time employees
• CalPERS retirement plans
• Retiree health insurance once vested
• Tuition Reimbursement

It’s time to think about a career you can retire from.
APPLY HERE + WATCH VIDEO

SHORT TERM RENTAL UPDATE through February 1, 2023:

PERMIT STATUS:
Total issued permits: 3,162
Total pending applications: 141

ADDITIONAL UPDATES:

Team has been enforcing new Short Term Rental ordinance since March 11, 2022
STR Enforcement hours – 7 days/nights a week including holidays (until midnight, then sheriff responds)
STR Enforcement goal = patrolling 80% of shift time

SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM WEBSITE

Contact information:

175 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn, CA 95603

Supervisor Cindy Gustafson: cindygustafson@placer.ca.gov

District Aide Sophie Fox: sfox@placer.ca.gov

District Aide Katelynn Hopkins: khopkins@placer.ca.gov

Assistant District Aide Lindsay Thayer: lthayer@placer.ca.gov