First look offered at proposed new tourism, infrastructure projects in eastern Placer County

Published on June 08, 2018

Community members can get a first look at 30 proposals for new visitor-serving projects in eastern Placer County June 12 at a special meeting of the Capital Projects Advisory Committee.

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Northstar Community Services District board room at 900 Northstar Drive in Truckee.

Project applicants have been invited to make brief presentations about their proposals to the CAP Committee and all are welcome to attend. At their regular meeting June 28 at the Squaw Valley Public Services District board room the committee will make a formal decision on which projects to recommend to the county Board of Supervisors. Consideration of those recommendations is tentatively planned for the board’s meeting in North Lake Tahoe scheduled for July 24.

Lodging taxes collected from overnight guests in eastern Placer County have long been allocated for local, visitor-serving projects to benefit its tourism-based economy. This year, applications for this funding will first be reviewed by the new CAP Committee - a 13-member group representing broad economic and geographic interests throughout eastern Placer County.

The committee, co-chaired by the county and North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, will evaluate project proposals on how well they advance key priorities outlined in the county’s Tourism Master Plan for the region.

Last year, Placer County collected approximately $18 million in guest lodging taxes, or transient occupancy taxes. Placer has long had a practice of investing lodging taxes collected in eastern Placer County back into the communities where they’re generated. In October 2017, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution formalizing that approach, affirming the county’s commitment to investing 100 percent of lodging taxes generated in North Lake Tahoe to support tourism and implement the Tourism Master Plan.

Grant funding for the projects is drawn from lodging tax revenue, and is intended to help accomplish the goals of the Tourism Master Plan. Previously funded projects include the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project, the Tahoe City ice rink and many improvements to regional trails throughout eastern Placer County. Current funding priorities include trail development and wayfinding signage.

Over the past year, Placer County and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association have stepped up efforts to engage community members and local business associations on how best to invest lodging tax revenues in local projects and services. Forming the CAP Committee was a result of strong community interest in including the broadest possible input into prioritizing projects.