Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News asked the seven South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates a series of questions. All are the same except for one that is specific to each candidate. The responses are being run in the order LTN received them.

Name: Tom Davis

Profession/work experience: Director of General Services for Heavenly Ski Resort; convention manager, transportation manager for Sahara Tahoe Hotel Casino; executive director of sales and marketing for Sahara Tahoe, High Sierra, Horizon hotel and casinos. Director of sales at the Ridge Tahoe, president and managing partner for Tahoe Keys Resort. For a short time director of marketing, casino host for MontBleu Resort Casino &Spa.

Age: 68

What organizations, committees or groups are you or have you been involved with?: Board of directors of the following organizations:
California Tahoe Conservancy
El Dorado County Fair Board
Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care
Christmas Cheer all Year (Food Bank)
Kiwanis Club Lake Tahoe.

Why are you running for City Council?: To make a difference, which I have done.

Why should people vote for you over the other candidates?: Because I have done what I said I was going to do. I made promises and I kept them. My brochure when I ran said we would invest in our future. The following were promised and completed: Highway 50 improvements with Caltrans $43.1 million. That is going on right now. Get the lawsuits settled at Lakeview Commons and get the project complete. That has been done. Get the Chateau project completed. That is finished. Get Harrison Avenue streetscape project going. That is going right now. Fire Station 2, new ladder truck to replace 33-year-old truck. That is done. Linear Park pedestrian lighting and landscaping and repaving of the bike path and pedestrian pathway. That is done. Pedestrian lighting curbs and gutter from Ski Run to Larch Avenue. That is done. New police vehicles. That is done. El Dorado Beach bathrooms. That is done. The Aspens 45 units affordable housing project. That is completed. The Bijou erosion control project that will keep 21,000 pounds of sediment out of the lake each year. That is done. That is completed Class 1 bicycle trail rehabilitation. That is done. I’ve been the common thread through all those projects because I believe in building bridges not fences.

What do you think is the most pressing issue facing South Lake Tahoe and how will you deal with it?: The economy, the economy, the economy. Improve the built environment just as we have been doing. More recreation facilities and opportunities and entertainment. Encouraging more retail to locate to Tahoe. Encourage locals to remodel their businesses. This can be accomplished with the incentives in the recently adopted area plans.

If the city cannot reach an agreement with its bargaining units, are you willing to go to impasse? Why or why not?: Yes, but it is my hope we will reach an agreement. Our employees are a valuable community asset.

How would you resolve the CalPERS and health care issues in the city?: CalPERS is a state issue that cities, counties and special districts have no control over. The California rule needs to be eliminated. That is shortages in CalPERS have to be made up by the local governments and special districts. They also keep changing the rules in the middle of the game which only adds to the liability. We have made some progress by our having our employees contribute to CalPERS. The city has been actively working to reduce the health care liability from retirees by having those over 65 go into Medicare. It has reduced the liability from $47 million to $25 million. The health care we provide for our current and retirees is too expensive and will be reduced over the next few years. The council has directed the city manager to reduce this unfunded liability. We have no choice but to do that. Every city is facing the same issues. In addition, all new hires do not receive that benefit. But much more needs to be done.

What is your opinion about term limits for the council?: The voters in South Lake Tahoe are educated and well informed. Every two years they can vote us in or out. And they do.

If the city has positive cash flow, where should the money be spent?: Infrastructure which includes paving our roads, improving our recreation facilities and protecting our citizens.

What are your ideas for increasing the city’s revenues?: This record July shows that our road to success lies with providing quality facilities in our city. Visitors and locals are now saying that the town looks great.

What is your vision for the 56-acre project?: We need to partner with the county because they actually own that property. However, they are working with us and are part of the recreation master plan process. This plan will establish the future of the 56-acre project. Looking forward to seeing the plan soon.

What would you do to improve relations with El Dorado County?: I have always had a good relationship with the county supervisors, most likely because I sit on the EL Dorado County Fair Board which provides me with opportunities to build friendships.

Is the city on the right course with restructuring debt and focusing on recreation? Why or why not?: Yes. We just refinanced and may do more because of lower interest rates which frees up millions for infrastructure and recreation.

Name one vote the City Council made in the last four years you are proud of and one you are disappointed in – and why?: I’m proud of voting to get the Chateau project done that helped fix the hole in the ground.

The hardest vote for me was reducing our workforce and laying off 70 employees which came to about one-third of our entire staff. We had no choice.

What is working in the city and what isn’t; and how would you go about changing what isn’t working?: What is working is that we are getting our financial house in order.

We could do a better job of communicating with the public and transparency in government in the city. To our credit we see the problem and are working on it. For instance you can go to the city web site and get information on the budget and most all of the city programs and all City Council meetings www.cityofslt.us
Or you can call me anytime at 530.545.1168.

Being on the council requires working with four others. Give readers an example of how you work well others in difficult situations with differing opinions: I believe in building bridges not fences and even when I’m in the minority on a vote I still respect the majority decision. I always respect the majority vote of the council and never try to undermine their decision even when I don’t agree.

What is your opinion about the following topics:

· Ferry service on Lake Tahoe?: I think it will be a financial black hole. There just isn’t enough demand for it. However, free bus service would be the smart place for the Tahoe Transportation District to seek grant funds. It is common sense that when fares are free rider ship goes way up and greatly benefit’s the working community.

· Loop road?: The city has made it clear that we will not seize properties through eminent domain. If it is possible to have all those who own property there to be willing sellers then if the TTD can accomplish that it is a better project.

· Future of Lake Tahoe Airport?: Airport proved its value in the 2007 Angora Fire disaster. We are seeing an increase in general aviation small plane traffic. What I would like to see is an airport district that would include portions of Douglas County, El Dorado County and our city. It’s a fact that our airport serves a regional market that should help bear the costs of the district.

· Increasing the transient occupancy tax?: Only if it was not going into the black hole. It would have to be for something that increased other revenues for our businesses and city government.

· Changing the vacation rental ordinance to reduce the number of such units in neighborhoods?: No. We have a very comprehensive city ordinance that addresses all the issues such as noise, number of people and parking. The ordinance also provides for elimination of a vacation rental if it is a recurring problem. I am in the vacation rental business and my company has provided many great family experiences. The problem we see is usually from out of town single home vacation owners (VRBO) who rent properties but don’t live here so they can’t supervise them. And local vacation rental companies are responsible good community neighbors and are proactive in policing the units they handle. They have staff that are available for that. Parties in quiet neighborhoods are not tolerated. The biggest complaints that I get are illegal marijuana in our neighborhoods. That is what I will push to have addressed. We must have safe neighborhoods. I was doing a ride along with our police department and witnessed a fire at a house used for a illegal marijuana grow. The renter had bypassed the electoral panel which overloaded the system and caused the fire.

Why do you have a concealed weapon permit? How often do you carry that weapon to council meetings or other public places?: The Second Amendment allows law-abiding citizens to have protection for them and their family. The whole point of concealed carry is just that. No I do not carry it to City Council meetings. The police provide security at our meetings.

Tell the voters something about yourself that they may not know: I hold a 100-ton United States Coast Guard license. (Currently inactive.) When I worked for the Sahara Tahoe Hotel Casino I took out on the hotel’s 42-foot yacht Elvis, Tom Jones, the Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Joey Bishop, Engelbert Humperdinck, Liberace, Mac Davis, Helen Reedy. I met some great people.

By Rebecca Klein, Huffington Post

Closing the achievement gap between low-income and affluent students could be as simple as do-re-mi.

In a study out Tuesday from Northwestern University, researchers looked at the impact of music education on at-risk children’s nervous systems and found that music lessons could help them develop language and reading skills. The study is the first to document the influence of after-school music education on the brains of disadvantaged children, as opposed to affluent children receiving private lessons.

Researchers from the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern spent two summers with children in Los Angeles who were receiving music lessons through Harmony Project, a nonprofit organization providing free music education to low-income students. In order to document how music education changed children’s brains, students were hooked up to a neural probe that allowed researchers to see how children “distinguished similar speech sounds, a neural process that is linked to language and reading skills,” according to a press release.

Read the whole story

By Steve Janjic

By all accounts, America’s emerging cannabis industry is shaping up to be the country’s biggest business experiment of the 21st century.

But the mushrooming niche sector could quickly become an unnavigable morass of conflicting state and federal laws, with banks reluctant to touch the industry’s abundance of money and a patchwork of state and local laws governing everything from transporting to selling the marijuana derivative.

While many entrepreneurs are eager to put business plans into action if and when legalization occurs in their state, the nature of marijuana legalization on the local, state and federal levels creates problems for buyers, sellers and users.

We will soon hit the tipping point, when state after state legalizes some form of cannabis sale and use.

What’s the best way to ensure a legal, fair and accountable business model for the young industry? The solution is a Wall Street-like forum that allows commerce in a fully-disclosed and transparent marketplace, he says.

Here are the benefits of such a system on the industry:

• Ensure regulatory and tax-agency accountability and reporting: One of the benefits touted by cannabis legalization proponents is increased tax revenue, but will an understaffed IRS be able to track the money flow? A digital commodities exchange system would monitor, track and audit orders, activities and transactions of all market participants in a simple, online user-interface or automated reporting format. Growers and retailers could calculate, apply, debit and credit taxes and related fees in real-time at the point of transaction.

• Helps cultivators, distributors and retailers stay connected to market trends, ensuring a fair and open market and business success: A Wall Street-like model would provide cultivators and vendors a central electronic platform to sell/buy their inventories anonymously, so that only product, quantity and best-available pricing are shown, creating a transparent, neutral and non-manipulated free market. Under such conditions, supply and demand are the only factors affecting price discovery.

• Forces the industry to self-regulate: The more states that allow for cannabis usage, whether for medical or recreational purposes, the bigger the industry will get. The longer the industry endures without a unifying and orderly structure like a commodities exchange, the more exposure to scrutiny it’s likely to receive. An automated system would avert unnecessary criticism by allowing all parties to monitor, track, account and audit every aspect of every transaction for every participant within the intra-state network.

• Ensures fair and orderly transactions, efficient dissemination of pricing, market trends and more: A Wall Street-like model should display the full depth of market with live, executable prices and associated quantities per a given product or strain. A real-time interface would provide market access to participants using prevailing best sell/buy prices. Goals of such a model should include a diverse base of clients within the market, true price competition, tailored solutions to suit the needs of all participants and 24/7 access over the Internet.

Steve Janjic is CEO of Amercanex, founded to provide a transparent, neutral and non-manipulated marketplace for institutional cannabis-industry participants, including growers and retailers.

By Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Review-Journal

A committee that advises the Nevada Tourism Commission on how to market the state to prospective winter visitors deadlocked on two votes over which company it wants to run the $1.75 million campaign.

The committee on Friday heard pitches from two companies, Las Vegas-based B&P Advertising and Public Relations, and Creative Concepts of Fairport, Conn. Both have worked in the past with the commission.

The companies didn’t discuss creative elements of the campaign, but the state’s winter effort traditionally focuses on Lake Tahoe’s ski season. The value of the contract is higher than last winter’s $1.5 million budget but less than last summer’s $3.6 million campaign.

The split vote was the result of philosophical differences on the campaign.

While the request for proposals seeks a campaign that drives prospective visitors to the state’s Travel Nevada website through traditional and social media, the two companies offered different views on how to accomplish that.

Read the whole story

By Sharon Bernstein, Reuters

SACRAMENTO — The Pacific Ocean phenomenon called El Nino, which can lead to storms in the U.S. Southwest and other places, will likely start soon, but may not bring hoped-for relief to drought-parched California, U.S. government meteorologists said on Thursday.

Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a report the likelihood was increasing that El Nino, characterized by a warming of the ocean temperature in the eastern Pacific near the equator, would be weak this year.

A weak El Nino could still bring flooding, storms and even hurricanes to Southern California, but it is too soon to tell whether that will happen, said Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the agency.

Read the whole story

By Paloma Esquivel and Sandra Poindexter, Los Angeles Times

California parents are deciding against vaccinating their kindergarten-age children at twice the rate they did seven years ago, a fact public health experts said is contributing to the reemergence of measles across the state and may lead to outbreaks of other serious diseases.

The percentage of kindergartens in which at least 8 percent of students are not fully vaccinated because of personal beliefs has more than doubled as well, according to data on file with the state. That threshold is significant because communities must be immunized at a high rate to avoid widespread disease outbreaks. It is a concept known as herd immunity, and for measles and whooping cough at least 92% of kids need to be immune, experts say.
Public vs. private

High vaccination levels in the U.S. have helped millions of children avoid serious diseases and saved tens of thousands a year from paralysis, birth defects and death, experts say. But the risk of infectious disease remains a concern. Recent measles cases, for example, were brought into the country by travelers and quickly spread to several unvaccinated individuals.

Read the whole story

By Brian Nordli, Las Vegas Sun

A study released Tuesday found that missing even a handful of days of school can cripple student achievement in the classroom.

Researchers from Attendance Works, a national advocacy group, found that students who miss three days or more in the month before taking National Assessment for Educational Progress tests exhibited skill levels that were one or two years below their peers. The exams are widely considered the nation’s report card and can provide a snapshot for each state, according to the study, titled “Absences Add Up.”

The findings held true in Nevada, where 22 percent of students in fourth and eighth grade reported that they missed more than three days in the month leading up to the exam.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

On a 3-2 vote Thursday afternoon, the South Tahoe Public Utility District board approved a three-year contract for employees that calls for raises of at least 6 percent and up to 9 percent in that time period.

Voting no were Chris Cefalu and Randy Vogelgesang.

“I can do the 2 percent cost of living. I cannot cap it at 9 percent,” Cefalu said at the Sept. 4 meeting. “My decision has been known all along.” He thought 9 percent was too high.

Vogelgesang, though, changed his mind at the meeting. He suddenly was having issues with the three-year agreement. He said he wanted to be responsive to ratepayers who have concerns about the contract.

“Right now talking about it is not the time because we made the union an offer,” General Manager Richard Solbrig responded. “If you pull it off the table, there are consequences.”

Had the offer been changed or not approved, the district would have faced state sanctions regarding unfair labor practices.

The board adopted the agreement at an Aug. 15 special meeting. Cefalu was not at that meeting and Vogelgesang said he didn’t remember that decision.

Two members of the public spoke at Thursday’s meeting. Pamella Bondor-Wenziger, who attended meetings in the spring when rate increases were discussed, questioned why the public doesn’t have a say in salary increases.

Board President Eric Schafer assured her she was being heard, but it will be for future boards to take any action on what she had to say.
Kenny Curtzwiler said he believes the incoming board, of which there will be at least one new member (Schafer is stepping down) and the potential for two, should be deciding on the contract.

Schafer said the five seated were elected to do a job, were capable of doing it and those decisions should not be kicked down the road.

This is the second salary increase for STPUD employees in the last two years.

The board in November 2012 unanimously approved a four-year contract for the union and two-year for management that was retroactive to July 1, 2012. Union members received between a zero and 13.31 percent pay hike, while the management group increase was between zero and 14.1 percent. About two-thirds of the 92 union employees received a raise.

There are now 110 employees in the union and 17 managers not represented by the union.

The 2012 contracts allowed for salaries to be discussed at the two-year mark, which is now. Discussions about management wage increases are ongoing.

More details of the current contract are in this Lake Tahoe News story from Aug. 29.

By Roger Harrabin, BBC

Research from Cambridge and Aberdeen universities estimates greenhouse gases from food production will go up 80 percent if meat and dairy consumption continues to rise at its current rate.

That will make it harder to meet global targets on limiting emissions.

The study urges eating two portions of red meat and seven of poultry per week.

However that call comes as the world’s cities are seeing a boom in burger restaurants.

The research highlights that more and more people from around the world are adopting American-style diets, leading to a sizable increase in meat and dairy consumption.

It says if this continues, more and more forest land or fields currently used for arable crops will be converted for use by livestock as the world’s farmers battle to keep up with demand.

Read the whole story

Publisher’s note: Lake Tahoe News asked the seven South Lake Tahoe City Council candidates a series of questions. All are the same except for one that is specific to each candidate. The responses are being run in the order LTN received them.

Wendy David

Name: Wendy David

Profession/work experience: Lake Tahoe Unified School District teacher’s aide 1975-1981, co-director Tahoe Parents Nursery School 1984-1997, site manager CASA El Dorado, South Lake Tahoe 2000-2009, LTUSD board of education 1997-current.

Age: 65

What organizations, committees or groups are you or have you been involved with?: Lake Tahoe Unified School District, co-chaired our successful $64.5 million Measure G bond effort. Took lead roles with Measure L and Measure A.

Current commissioner and chair of First Five El Dorado, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, third term.

El Dorado Child Abuse Council, three years as the chair. Spearheaded community forum Poverty to Prosperity, highlighting and educating our community on some of the very real issues facing the unemployed, underemployed and those incapable of employment, including serious transportation barriers.

Lake Tahoe Cabinet /El Dorado Community Foundation and have accepted their invitation to be a member of the board beginning in January 2015.

Facilitator and member Lake Tahoe Collaborative.

Community Advisory Committee/ Barton Health Foundation.

Angora Fire Fund, the group that was formed to respond quickly, securing and distributing $1 million in funds to 254 families that lost their homes.

Lake Tahoe Education Foundation, liaison, 17 years.

Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra.

Bread and Broth founding member.

Tahoe Magic founding board member.

Appointed as a community leader to committees in planning for our future through Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the prosperity plan.

Also included are youth sports boards, school site councils, family life committee, and community liaison for Senior Project at South Tahoe High School.

Why are you running for City Council?: I love my community and have been heartbroken to see it become tired, faded and dated. I feel that it is the right time as I retire from the LTUSD board to step up, bringing my skills to the council and the city. I look forward to being a part of the creation of a stronger and more sustainable economy, enhance our offerings and reputation as a recreational destination, provide jobs for our community and build allegiances through collaboration with our private and public partners. I am encouraged by our beginning face-lift and look forward to helping to shape the future of South Lake Tahoe.

Why should people vote for you over the other candidates?: I will bring a fresh voice to the City Council, coupled with four decades of experience in leadership roles in this community and at the county level, chairing numerous organizations and serving as president of the board of education for 13 years of my 17 years of tenure.

I am a natural facilitator; understand the process of decision-making and embracing change. I listen, collaborate, respect divergent views, and work toward consensus. I believe that I will bring the broadest record of respected leadership to this office.

I am the only council candidate that brings the voice and perspective of our most vulnerable population. I know their struggles, their families and their stories.

What do you think is the most pressing issue facing South Lake Tahoe and how will you deal with it?: I believe the most pressing issue for the council will be creating and implementing a budget that plans adequately for the future and protects the present. I believe it is essential to put in the hard work of visioning, planning, working collaboratively and embracing all facets of our community to move forward in this positive direction. It takes money to create the change we want to see. It takes effort, new ways of doing business, cooperation and diligence to have the resources to create change. It takes fortitude and guts. We can accomplish this, which will open doors for the city we envision in the future.

If the city cannot reach an agreement with its bargaining units, are you willing to go to impasse?: These are personnel issues that I would not speak publicly to, especially as a candidate. I can comment that I am familiar and understand the bargaining process and that impasse is a possible help when the parties are unable to reach agreement.

How would you resolve the CalPERS and health care issues in the city?: I cannot and will not comment, again, on any issue that is a personnel, closed session item. It would not be fair to fellow council members or to the bargaining units. I do know that this will be an issue that the City Council will grapple with. I can reiterate that I am a fair, respectful, thoughtful and wise decision-maker.

What is your opinion about term limits for the council?: This is an interesting question for an elected official who is finishing four consecutive terms. I am not in favor of term limits for the council. I do believe in the power of the public vote and the responsibility of every registered voter to vote, deciding at the polls when it is time for someone to step down and another to step up.

If the city has positive cash flow, where should the money be spent?: I would like to see money spent to give incentives to new businesses who have a business plan that buys tired properties on the Highway 50 corridor, demolishes and rebuilds. I have never been as happy as recently to see backhoes and tractors cleaning up our landscape. I would like to see our roads get the attention they have needed for years. I have studied the five-year Community Investment Plan and agree that there are many additional places where we need to revitalize, invest and improve our city and appreciate that they have been prioritized.

What are your ideas for increasing the city’s revenues?: We can look at the properties we own and how we can increase revenues through usage, buying and selling of properties. We can continue to encourage new business. We can enhance our appeal by continuing to upgrade the physical appeal of our city to visitors. I am looking forward to all residents ringing in on this question. I hope the council will adopt this as a question of their own.

What is your vision for the 56-acre project?: I have been very impressed with the Lakeview Commons project. My vision, as a dreamer and not looking at funding sources, would be to create a community complex of buildings that would include our city offices, a nonprofit organizations building, similar to the Parasol Building in Incline, and a large community meeting area. It would incorporate a new or remodeled recreation center, and a visitor/tourist center that would meet the needs of our tourists, visitors and community residents. This complex would have outside plazas, playgrounds, picnic areas, benches and walkways. It would be a centerpiece jewel the city that would be available for those visitors from around the world and those across the street.

What would you do to improve relations with El Dorado County?: Communication and involvement at a county level is essential. As the only South Lake Tahoe representative on a county commission or board at times, I have learned that developing respectful two-way working relationships based on common goals, being informed and transparent about our city’s needs, and acting as a passionate advocate for those needs has helped to improve relations. I will continue to advocate for South Lake Tahoe through my comrades and connections on the Western Slope. It is not easy, takes work and the Sierra divide is tough to overcome. I will work to have a close relationship with our newly elected board of supervisor.

Is the city on the right course with restructuring debt and focusing on recreation? Why or why not?: Yes, South Lake Tahoe’s reliance on gaming and the jobs it provided has passed. We are prime to become a world-class recreation destination. We have not provided our visitors from around the globe with a city that projects that we are world class. Focusing on recreation and building an infrastructure that will complement and enhance the experience of every visitor will contribute to our economic vitality. I am not an expert on the details of the restructuring of the city’s debt, but I believe in the purpose and focus it brings.

Name one vote the City Council made in the last four years you are proud of and one you are disappointed in – and why?: I am proud that the City Council voted to create the Commons and to go ahead with the Harrison Avenue project. I am disappointed that after voting for the bag ban, a wise and environmentally progressive decision, that the council then, in opposition to their voted time line, voted to delay implementing the next stage of the ban.

What is working in the city and what isn’t; and how would you go about changing what isn’t working?: I believe the city is working when it takes a hard look at our future financially. I believe in strategic planning, timelines, community input for projects, collaboration and transparency. I am seeing all of this evolve and develop as the city moves forward.

I would not be running for City Council if I believed that the council is working at the highest level of collaboration, consensus building, visioning, respect for staff and administration, trust and cooperation between themselves and with the community and other agencies. I believe that every council does the best they can and brings the best they have to offer. I also believe that a new voice on the council will be beneficial to the city.

Being on the council requires working with four others. Give readers an example of how you work well others in difficult situations with differing opinions: I have had many difficult situations over the last 17 years on the board of education. I know that each interested person, staff member, resident, parent and student has a right to be heard and acknowledged. I respect the person and the right to comment and to disagree. I listen to each comment, rephrase and repeat it back and then acknowledge it. Some examples of dealing with difficult decisions and differing opinions came when we were faced with closing two elementary schools, possibly cutting our athletic programs, creating K-2 schools and 3-5 grade schools, and changing to a 4×4 schedule at STHS. All of these difficult decisions had extensive comments and input. In all instances the public brought valuable input, in all instances the public input was taken seriously and in some instances, this input influenced the board to move in a different direction. A good council will bring a broad range of experience and knowledge to each discussion and decision in a respectful and professional manner.

What is your opinion about the following topics:

• Ferry service on Lake Tahoe?: Sounds great to me, less cars, less pollutants in the air, better experience for travelers. A good ferry service does need a higher water level and we need that too!

• Loop road?: I will need to study this further, but a highway going through our casino corridor has never made that much sense to me.

• Future of Lake Tahoe Airport?: It will not again be a commercial airport. Interstate 580 will soon be completed and the commute to the Reno/ Tahoe airport will be less than an hour. However, we will always need to have an accessible and open airport for our safety, in emergencies and for the appeal to private owners.

• Increasing the transient occupancy tax?: I need to study this proposal, looking at the cost to our visitors, the benefit to the city and how we would utilize the increased income. This would be a process; I imagine that would take study and input with our public and private partners.

• Changing the vacation rental ordinance to reduce the number of such units in neighborhoods?: We are a tourist destination. We have seen a drastic change in how our visitors want to enjoy our beautiful surroundings on their vacation. I don’t blame them. It is a far better experience for a family or friends to rent a home. Without data to support a compelling reason to change the ordinance, I would not be in favor. We do not own the neighborhood we live in, nor the sky or the mountains. If fortunate, we own one home in the neighborhood, sharing the rest of the neighborhood with others that wish they did as well. We are the lucky ones.

Your background has been focused on social services, how will that translate to having to deal with a broader spectrum of issues on the council?: I care deeply about children and families. I always have. Each of them is a thread in the fabric of our community. My knowledge of our families, nonprofit agencies, governmental agencies and my direct leadership, decision-making and networking will translate very well to the broader spectrum of issues. I will bring a perspective to the council that educates and recognizes the impact of our decisions in relationship to our residents. Our city is our community and I will constantly be aware that each decision we make can affect a person, a family, a business or an entity positively or negatively. I recognize and respect that many others know more than I about many of the broader issues at the beginning of my term. Each council member brings a vital perspective, mine will be that of vast board and organizational leadership, the ability to vision, execute and implement ideas and goals. I can speak of our most fragile residents and their housing, job and transportation challenges. I can also learn the issues, discuss the issues intelligently and thoughtfully, remembering that the impact is great, and often will follow for generations.

Tell the voters something about yourself that they may not know: Voters may not know that my husband and I came on vacation to South Lake Tahoe, as a stop on the way to the “perfect place” we would choose to live; at the time our thinking was that it might be Boulder, Colo. It was the end of June and we spent all of July going to the beach, having barbecues, playing softball and baseball, watching the sunsets and enjoying our two young boys. At the end of July, we thought, why not here? A job was secured. Two more kids, seven grandkids and 41years later, it is still a vacation.