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172
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Volume 172 • Issue 53 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Caldor Fire
ROOFING • SOLAR • SIDING
Smiths’ pretrial date set
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Odin Rasco Staff writer
David Scott Smith of Somerset and his son Travis Shane Smith, a Folsom resident — the two men accused of igniting the Caldor Fire in 2021 — are set to make an appearance at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 22 & 23 in El Dorado County Superior Court Department 1. Lawyers estimate the preliminary hearing will take two days to complete. The hearing will be a review of the charges and available evidence, and will ultimately determine whether the case moves on to trial. A pre-pretrial date of Aug. 11 will confirm the preliminary hearing date. n See Smiths, page A3
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Mountain Democrat
2022
David Scott Smith
Travis Shane Smith
2010 2022
Supes update VHR ordinance n Advisory committee of staff and
stakeholders to be formed
Bill Rozak Tahoe Daily Tribune
Photo by Brian Baer
State Parks recreation sites will also have to push back opening dates with 3-6 feet of snow still on the ground. Pictured is Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park at Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County in April.
Forest Service expecting delayed openings at Tahoe Lisa Herron USDA Forest Service Spring conditions in the Lake Tahoe Basin have finally arrived but the epic winter will likely delay the official opening of many National Forest recreation sites including beaches, campgrounds, forest roads and trailheads. “The Forest Service is aware of the public’s desire to access National Forest recreation sites as early as possible,” said Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit deputy forest supervisor Vicki Lankford. “We make every effort to open sites as soon as they are deemed safe for the public, we have adequate staffing on board and can ensure precious natural
resources will be protected.” Before recreation sites can be fully opened to the public the Forest Service must complete seasonal hiring of crews and staff to manage sites, clean up from winter, remove safety hazards such as damaged trees and wait for the danger of a freeze to pass before turning on water systems for restrooms. In a typical year, campgrounds, beaches, forest roads and trailheads start becoming accessible in mid-May. This year Forest Service officials note delays are unavoidable particularly in shaded areas such as Emerald Bay, north and west shores and
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The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors last week passed a motion to amend four elements within the vacation home rental ordinance and also approved the creation of an advisory committee to explore more potential adjustments. The board held a two-hour discussion that included, among other things, complaints, the current cap on the amount of rentals, clustering in neighborhoods, occupancy limits and enforcement. “We know that within our communities (VHRs) are disruptive,” said District 5 Supervisor Brooke Laine. “The public is anxious to be a part of this to build a better program.” The county has 827 permitted VHRs in the unincorporated areas of the Tahoe Basin, from Tahoma on the West Shore (109), to Meeks Bay to South Shore (718). The number of VHRs dropped below the cap of 900 in October 2021. There are 122 active permits on the West Slope, from the top of Echo Summit west through the county. Brendan Ferry, the county’s deputy director of Tahoe planning and stormwater, gave the board a presentation on the state of the ordinance and possible amendments. Possible amendments included compliance with the defensible space ordinance, reducing the VHR cap of 900 in the Tahoe Basin, increasing fine amounts for health and safety violations, modifying hosted rental requirements, including additional permit suspension options, enhancing enforcement and clarifying transient occupancy tax payment responsibility. Of the suggested amendments, the board felt comfortable approving four items and felt others needed to be discussed before moving forward. The approved items include compliance with the vegetation management ordinance, increasing fine amounts for health and safety violations, including additional permit suspension options and allowing the local contact to be decertified.
n See Delayed, page A6
n See VHR ordinance, page A7
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