About

by EDC Supervisor District V Sue Novasel and extracted from a memo

by John Upton (District V Supervisor from 1990 – 1998) on 1/6/15

TPRPD was founded under state law in 1965, by the resolution of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and by the approval of the voters of the district. At that time, qualified voters were registered voters who resided within the boundaries of TPRPD or property owners. In the late ’90s, the law was changed and now only registered voters who reside within TPRPD are allowed to vote on TPRPD elections.

The Board of Directors was formed as a part of the original resolution, allowing for 5 board members, consisting of 4 members residing and elected from within the district and the 5th being the Supervisor in “the area which represents the district”, District V. Terms of the 4 at-large directors are for 4 years, staggered in odd-year elections (2 directors are elected for 4-year terms every 2 years). The Board has the power to conduct all proceedings provided within the law for financing the cost of acquiring, constructing, extending, improving repairing, maintaining, operating, and regulating any of the public improvements and to exercise any of the other powers in the law.

El Dorado County’s Auditor-Controller is the fiscal agent responsible for TPRPD. His duties include:

1.       Paying employee salaries and all attendant state and federal reporting duties

2.       Paying operating and capital costs

3.       Custodian of TPRPD’s operating and interest-bearing investment funds

4.       Maintaining TPRPD’s budget, including recording budget vs. actual revenues and costs

As part of the original agreement, the developer of Tahoe Paradise provided a $300,000 cash contribution, the interest upon which was intended to provide park maintenance funds in perpetuity. However, by the late 1980s, rising costs and lower interest rates no longer supported park operations, even with supplemental membership fees and other revenues. The $300,000 principal started to be spent for park operations.

Two ballot measures were placed on the ballot in the 1990s and both failed. In September 2002, Measure S was approved by South Lake Tahoe area voters, including TPRPD district voters. Measure S changed the TPRPD in the following ways:

1.       The park became open to all South Lake Tahoe area public, without membership fees

2.       TPRPD became a member of a 3-member agency JPA (joint-powers agency). The other JPA members are the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County. A unanimous vote is required for any JPA action.

3.       The JPA provides $50,000 annually (in July) to maintenance funds for TPRPD under the Amended Joint Facilities Agreement that was part of Measure S. These funds come from taxes that are collected along with local property taxes each year.

4.       The JPA will be in existence for the term of the bond, 30 years - until the fiscal year 2029-30.

5.       Measure S funds also included one-time facility improvement money in the amount of $229,630 which included funding of: repairs to the playground equipment and tennis courts; repaving; purchase of a grader; and re-roofing and natural gas to the manager’s home. It also included an additional $8,550 for Lake Baron drainpipe repair and $1,380 in additional tennis court repairs.

TPRPD currently has two funds in the custody of El Dorado County:

1.       Assets – equity in a pooled cash account. This money is used to fund TPRPD operations and is readily available. The balance as of October 31, 2014, was $124,235.

2.       Assets – cash with Fiscal Agent: County – these are TPRPD’s funds on deposit with the State Local Agency Investment Fund (FAIF). It is the remaining balance from TPRPD’s original $300,000 which was being consumed by TPRPD for operations prior to Measure S.  The balance has been $154,000 since June 30, 2005.

For the year ending June 30, 2014, TPRPD spent $7,322 more than it received in revenues. The JPA approved providing an additional $10,000 on a one-time basis to TPRID. For the current year ending June 30, 2015, TPRPD has received an additional $10,000 from the JPA. Based on the prior year’s operation expenses, the JPA does not feel there is a need for additional money (other than the yearly $50,000) for TPRPD.