Logo courtesy of TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program News Release

TAHOE CITY, CA (MPG) - The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved Feb. 3 $5,451,815 million of transient occupancy tax funding for a total of seven projects in North Lake Tahoe. The projects fall into four categories, including facilities, trails, transportation and workforce housing.

By long-standing county policy, all TOT revenue collected in eastern Placer County is reinvested to benefit eastern Placer County. The seven projects were solicited, vetted and recommended through the North Tahoe Community Alliance’s TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program with recommendations from the TOT Committee and NTCA Board of Directors.

“These projects have been thoroughly vetted and recommended as having a substantial public benefit,” said District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “As a community that relies on tourism, it’s crucial we make sure our reinvestment efforts through this program fund key issues our communities are experiencing.”

Facilities

The North Tahoe Public Utilities District will receive $65,000 in funding to install public art in the newly-constructed community gathering space for the Tahoe Vista and Kings Beach communities at North Tahoe Regional Park. 

A total of $400,000 will go towards the construction of the Scotty Lapp Memorial Skatepark, a 10,000-square-foot concrete skatepark designed by California Skateparks on Grove Street in Tahoe City. The Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District will transfer the land for skatepark construction and the Tahoe City Public Utilities District will provide future maintenance once complete. The Scotty Lapp Foundation will coordinate construction and funding for the project. 

Trails

The Tahoe City Public Utility District will receive $1.5 million to reconstruct 1.4 miles of the Dianne Feinstein West Shore Tahoe Trail from the southern part of 64 Acres south to Sequoia Avenue to improve safety and trail condition. This project is part of TCPUD’s multi-use trail system that is publicly accessible year-round. The total project is expected to cost $4 million and TCPUD will fund the remaining project expenses.

The High Fives Foundation will receive $43,975 to expand the North Tahoe Trail in eastern Placer County by constructing a half mile of accessible trail and connect to the Sawtooth Loop Trail. Project costs include trail building fees, trail maintenance and supplies, and trail marking and safety signage. 

Transportation

A total of $92,480 of TOT funds will go to the Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association to establish a Tahoe City events park-and-ride pilot program in partnership with the Tahoe City Downtown Association and Palisades Tahoe. This pilot will offer transit for 27 large events in Tahoe City, providing shuttle service for each event daily for attendees to Tahoe City from Palisades Tahoe, with additional pickup options along the west shore of Lake Tahoe, complementing regional bus services. The program is expected to launch this month.

Workforce housing

Sierra Community House will receive $350,000 in TOT funding for crisis intervention services and rental assistance in North Lake Tahoe and Truckee. This program aims to provide housing stability and prevent evictions for local workers through direct financial assistance, legal support and case management services during periods of income disruption, rent increases or when seeking new affordable housing. Over the past two years, 194 households received support and assistance through this program and 96% of surveyed recipient households reported remaining housed since receiving assistance. 

Placer County’s Launchpad program also received $3,000,000 for additional workforce housing funding in eastern Placer. The Launchpad program is designed to improve the financial feasibility of workforce housing projects for developers, residents and Placer County landowners, while creating long-term housing stability for the local workforce in the North Lake Tahoe region. In exchange for receiving program funding, each unit is deed-restricted for local workers for a period of 55 years, with the restriction automatically renewing upon each transfer of the property. The program is expected to make a total of $3,275,000 available for workforce housing projects with applications being accepted Feb. 25 through March 18.

Across these seven projects, the board’s $5.4 million in TOT investment leverages more than $2.7 million dollars in matching funding. 

Learn more about TOT funding and projects in North Lake Tahoe.

Learn more about TOT-TBID Dollars At Work.

About TOT-TBID Dollars at Work

Since 2021, over $45 million in TOT-TBID Dollars at Work revenues have been invested in support of 65 projects and programs that align with the North Lake Tahoe community’s priorities. Committees convened by the NTCA that represent a diverse collection of local voices and the NTCA Board of Directors evaluate and determine which investment opportunities to fund with TBID dollars, or to recommend to the Placer County Board of Supervisors for funding with TOT dollars. Learn more about the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program and the initiatives it has supported here.