By Adam Wilson, North Tahoe Community Alliance chief operating officer

Over the past year, the North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA) and the North Tahoe Chamber partnered with Downtown Strategies to take a focused look at how we can strengthen the town centers of Kings Beach and Tahoe City through practical actions that build momentum and support long-term success. 

Together, we’ve developed a two-year strategic action plan designed to accelerate existing revitalization efforts, align partners around a shared vision, and identify near-term projects that can make a meaningful difference quickly. This work is rooted in local input, market realities, and the belief that small, well-executed wins lead to lasting change. 

Built with Community, Designed for Action

The revitalization study was shaped through an in-market discovery process that included stakeholder workshops with business and property owners, residents, and community leaders. Their insights helped identify strategies that are asset-based, market-driven, and ready to implement. 

Four Focus Areas Guiding the Work

The action plan is organized around four interconnected focus areas:

• Policy & Administration: Creating clearer, more efficient pathways for high-value businesses and development, including overlay districts tailored to each community and a regional “Get to Yes” approach to reduce barriers and speed up decision-making.
  
• Design: Enhancing vibrancy through low-cost, high-impact improvements like lighting, public art, banners, and visual activations that strengthen a sense of place and encourage people to spend more time in our downtown areas.
  
• Tourism & Promotion: Focusing on experiences that create better connections—not more people—by intentionally connecting events, businesses, and seasonal offerings to support a balanced, year-round economy.
  
• Economic Vitality: Capturing more local spending through strategies like a semi-permanent retail village in Kings Beach, beach-focused service expansions, and new partnerships that support entrepreneurs and small businesses.

From Strategy to Implementation

Revitalization only works if it moves from planning to action. That’s why implementation is structured around a North Shore Core Team, along with dedicated action teams for Kings Beach and Tahoe City, to keep projects moving forward and coordinated across partners. 

The goal is straightforward: create early wins, build confidence, and maintain momentum toward larger, long-term improvements that benefit the entire community. Things like seasonal workforce sharing, cross-promotional packages, and collaborative purchasing.

What This Means for Residents and Businesses

For residents, this work is about more vibrant, welcoming town centers that reflect local character, support year-round livability, and improve everyday experiences—not just during peak visitor seasons.

For businesses, the revitalization plan focuses on:

• Lowering barriers to entry and expansion
• Creating more foot traffic and longer stays
• Supporting collaboration instead of competition
• Keeping more visitor dollars circulating locally

Most importantly, this is not a top-down effort. Success depends on continued community involvement, shared ownership, and a willingness to test ideas, learn, and adapt. Community members are encouraged to join an Action Team, promote positive progress, and support initiatives that create a spark and help build momentum in our community. An action team interest meeting will be held on January 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach.

Revitalization doesn’t happen all at once—but when short-term actions create a spark, momentum builds that can lead to broader change. That’s the path we’re on together in North Lake Tahoe.

The North Tahoe business community’s pursuit of a 10-year renewal of the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (NLT-TBID) has been achieved with the Placer County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval of the initiative at their December 9 meeting. This milestone would not have been possible without the overwhelming support of assessed local businesses, of which 70.6% of revenue-weighted petition signatures were in favor, representing 98 businesses in the assessment area.

The TBID’s renewal will allow the North Tahoe community to build on the progress and success this substantial funding source has provided for the region. Created to provide—for the first time—a way for both day and overnight visitors to contribute to the region’s vitality, the TBID also provides a way for community members, business owners, and leaders serving on NTCA committees to engage in local decision-making related to the reinvestment of the roughly $16 million of TBID and TOT generated by tourism annually.

Because of the TBID, over $40 million in TOT-TBID Dollars at Work direct revenues have been invested in alignment with the community’s priorities since 2022. With the business community’s decision to renew the TBID, it ensures tourism will continue to benefit not only the assessed businesses and the local workforce, but everyone who lives, works, and plays in North Lake Tahoe – to the tune of roughly $160 million over the next 10 years.

Additionally, the TBID frees up the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)  that previously  funded tourism marketing efforts to instead support workforce housing and transportation projects and programs. If the TBID hadn’t been renewed, there would be significantly less funding available than currently exists to support housing, transportation, and  local businesses.

These two funding sources (TBID and TOT), which collectively total approximately $16 million annually, are being directed toward projects designed to sustainably support businesses year-round, aid the local workforce, and offer a better experience for everyone in North Lake Tahoe. This includes investments in economic health and resiliency, community vitality, and destination stewardship.

Because of the TBID, the committees convened by the NTCA have funded projects like those recently supported through the 2025-26 Annual Grant Cycle. At their December meeting, the NTCA Board of Directors approved expenditures of up to $668,935 in TBID and Zone 1 funding to support projects including workforc- strengthening childcare and youth development programs provided by the North Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club, the Eastern Placer Employer Housing Concierge, a one-stop housing resources hub, and more.

The NTCA Board also recommended up to $5,451,815 in TOT fund allocations to the Placer County Board of Supervisors for approval at their February 2026 meeting. If approved, those funds will support Sierra Community House’s Workforce Housing Advocacy and Direct Assistance Program, Eastern Placer County Launchpad, Tahoe City Events Park and Ride Pilot, trail reconstruction and expansion projects, and more.

To date, because of the TBID, $40,204,262 in direct funding through the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program has supported 58 projects and programs that benefit the North Lake Tahoe community. 

Thank you to every business that contributed to the TBID renewal effort. Your partnership and commitment has and will continue to make meaningful, lasting impacts in the region we all love.

First Tuesday Breakfast Club is a community forum hosted by the North Tahoe Community Alliance. It presents an opportunity to learn about timely community news, project information, and relevant updates from businesses and influencers in North Lake Tahoe.

Breakfast Club takes place on the first Tuesday of each month from 7:00-8:30 AM.

December First Tuesday Breakfast Club:

December 2, 2025
Travel Trends & Tahoe Insights

Agenda:

• Introduction to Breakfast Club and round robin introductions
• The State of Tourism in California – Lynn Carpenter, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Visit California
• Lake Tahoe Travel and Regional Economic Indicators – Kirstin Guinn, Director of Marketing, NTCA
• Q&A
• Supervisor Gustafson, Placer County
• Agency Updates
• Community Stump Speeches

Click the link below to join at 7 am on Tuesday, December 2.

The North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA) relies on its volunteer committees to guide how TOT-TBID Dollars at Work are reinvested in the community, ensuring projects and initiatives align with local priorities.

Currently, the following committee seats are open:

• TBID Advisory Committee: Olympic Valley/Alpine Meadows seat – apply by December 15
• Zone 1 Committee: At-large seat – apply by December 15
• Business and Chamber Advisory Committee: Kings Beach District seat, restaurant business seat, lodging business seat

If you represent a business within the NLT-TBID District Boundary and are interested in serving, click the links above to learn more and apply. Help shape the future of North Tahoe!

Adam Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, North Tahoe Community Alliance
Published in the Sierra Sun on November 15, 2025 >

Having grown up here, for as long as I can remember, North Lake Tahoe has faced a critical question:  how do we maintain a vibrant, sustainable, and resilient economy that supports the people who live and work here, while also preserving what makes this place so special for everyone?

One tool that has proven effective has been the formation of the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID).

Established through a collaborative effort among local business leaders, the TBID is a self-assessment made by lodging, retail, restaurant, and activity-based businesses within our community. It’s not a tax—it’s a collective commitment to addressing community priorities. And it has created a locally controlled, dedicated source of primarily tourism-generated funding that allows us to reinvest in the priorities that matter most to our region.

Why We Need the TBID

Before the TBID, the only source of tourism based revenue generation was transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue generated by overnight visitors, which is allocated by Placer County. The TBID created a more flexible and locally governed tool to reinvest revenue generated not only by overnight visitors, but those who visit for the day, directly into the community—supporting infrastructure, programs, and services that benefit residents, visitors, and the local economy.

This shift has empowered our business community to help decide how funds are allocated, ensuring local priorities are reflected in our investments. The result is a more transparent, community-focused approach to making tourism work for our region.

What the TBID Has Made Possible

Since the TBID’s launch, tourism-generated dollars have been put to work in tangible, impactful ways. Through the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program, $33.5 million of TOT and TBID funds have been invested in programs that likely wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Here are just a few examples:

• Microtransit Expansion: TBID funds have helped support TART Connect, the free, on-demand microtransit service that improves mobility for residents and visitors.
• Workforce Housing Programs: Initiatives like Lease to Locals and the Workforce Housing Preservation Program have been supported by the TBID to help provide housing options for local employees.
• Environmental Stewardship Initiatives: Investments in the Clean Up the Lake scuba cleanups, the BEBOT beach cleaning robot, and Don’t Drop the Top campaign reflect our commitment to protecting Tahoe’s natural resources.
• Trail and Recreation Access Improvements: TBID funding has supported winter trail grooming, bike and pedestrian safety, and trail and trailhead improvements to ensure everyone can enjoy Tahoe.
• Local Business Support: Tourism development, Love North Tahoe shop, dine and play local, event funding, workforce vanpool programs and destination management efforts have helped our businesses stay strong year-round—not just during peak seasons.

What the TBID Means for Our Future

If renewed by the business community this fall, the TBID will continue to serve as a cornerstone of responsible destination management. It will allow us to continue to invest in workforce housing solutions and clean transportation options, protect our natural environment, and ensure that North Lake Tahoe evolves in a way that is authentic, inclusive, and sustainable.

It also ensures that local businesses maintain a direct voice in how tourism revenues are spent—something that is crucial for the long-term economic health of our community.

A New Era of Local Investment

From my perspective as COO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance, the TBID has fundamentally changed how we think about reinvestment. For the first time, we have a reliable revenue stream that is directed by our community, for our community. Our board and committees—comprised of local business owners and stakeholders—carefully evaluate every funding request to ensure it aligns with our shared goals:  improving quality of life, sustaining our economy, and protecting our natural assets.

This isn’t just about tourism—it’s about transformation. The TBID allows our community to address long-standing needs, pilot creative solutions, and build a future where North Lake Tahoe can thrive—economically, environmentally, and socially.

As we look ahead, I encourage our business community to continue engaging in this process. The TBID represents our collective power to shape the future of North Lake Tahoe, and its renewal is critical to continuing the progress we’ve made together.

Let’s keep building a North Lake Tahoe that works for all of us.

After 27 years as the North Tahoe Visitor Information Center Manager, Kym Fabel recently retired, leaving behind a lasting legacy in North Lake Tahoe. Known as the welcoming face of the region, Kym shared her warmth, local knowledge, and passion with countless visitors and community members, helping make their stays unforgettable.

A self-described “Navy Brat,” Kym was born in Spain and has lived across the country—including Norfolk, San Diego, Pacific Grove, Castro Valley, Davis, and Tahoe. Over the years, she has worked in diverse roles, from testing Central Valley soils for gas exploration at Chevron to ticket sales at Alpine Meadows Ski Resort and serving as Director of Group Sales at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she launched the aquarium’s first behind-the-scenes tours. She also worked in lodging at Northstar California Resort before finding her “dream job” at the Visitor Center in Tahoe City in 1999.

In her role, Kym thrived on helping visitors discover the best North Lake Tahoe recreation, restaurants, and lodging. She enjoys mountain biking, paddleboarding, hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, and volunteering as a site steward, monitoring archaeological sites in Nevada with the BLM and U.S. Forest Service.

Kym’s dedication, expertise, and genuine spirit have made a lasting impact on our community. Please join us in celebrating her remarkable career and wishing her all the best in her well-deserved retirement!

The NTCA’s updated Strategic Plan for 2025-2028 continues to outline a robust vision for a vibrant community where tourism-generated funding supports a healthy economy, protects the natural environment, and enhances the Tahoe experience for all. Four big initiatives will be the focus of the next three years, while being responsive to the needs of the community:

• Community vitality – community engagement + TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program
• Economic health and resiliency – destination revitalization + economic impact of visitation
• Destination stewardship – collaboration + human impact mitigation
• Organizational excellence – organization capacity and leadership + community impact and leadership

View the strategic plan below.

NTCA is proud to celebrate Marketing Director Kirstin Guinn, who was recognized with a Lake Spirit Award by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on October 22. This annual award honors individuals who go above and beyond to protect and restore Lake Tahoe’s environment.

Kirstin was recognized for her leadership in destination stewardship, helping create a tourism economy that gives back while educating visitors, businesses, and residents about protecting Tahoe’s unique natural and cultural resources. Through her work, NTCA continues to build collaboration across the region, ensuring the lake remains clean, safe, and vibrant for generations to come.

“The Lake Spirit Awards celebrate the champions of Tahoe,” said TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan. “Kirstin’s innovative outreach shows how thoughtful action can have a lasting impact on the health of the lake.”

For more on this year’s Lake Spirit Awards, visit trpa.gov/awards.

In collaboration with area partners, including Supervisor Gustafson’s office and area nonprofits, including the Sierra Nevada Alliance, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District and others, the NTCA recently participated in an aerial tour of Tahoe’s roadless areas with a staffer from State Representative Kevin Kiley’s team.

The intention of the tour and subsequent roundtable discussion was to share local perspectives about how rescinding the Roadless Rule could impact our local communities, economy and environment.

Adopted in 2001 after one of the largest public engagement efforts in U.S. history, where over one million people commented when the original rule was being considered, the Roadless Rule currently protects 58 million acres nationwide, including 4.4 million acres in California.

The rule sought to protect areas that were identified as key for water quality, backcountry recreation experiences, and biodiversity by preventing new permanent road construction and reconstruction, with a few exceptions (e.g., for public safety, wildfire response, or certain access needs like mining claims with valid existing rights), and preventing commercial timber harvesting (large-scale or industrial logging), while still allowing limited tree cutting for wildfire fuel reduction, restoration, personal firewood/gathering, or when necessary to protect public health and safety.

This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a process to rescind the Roadless Rule. If adopted, this change would lift restrictions on new road construction and industrial logging in inventoried roadless areas.

Congressman Kiley’s district includes some of the most visited and beloved Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRA) in the Sierra Nevada, spanning the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Together, these landscapes protect lands vital to clean water, recreation, habitat, and wildfire resilience.

With that in mind, the tour highlighted key places that are central to both the region’s ecology and outdoor economy, including Castle Peak and Granite Chief, areas surrounding Desolation Wilderness and Freel Pass, terrain around the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, and east of the California border to the Mt. Rose Wilderness.

Last month, NTCA and North Tahoe Chamber leadership made public comments at the Liberty Utilities rate case hearings on August 21 and 23 to advocate for our local business community amid proposed rate hikes. Utility Judge Commissioners heard from 18 businesses and community speakers directly, and received a total of 323 written comments to the court docket demonstrating how the proposed rate hike will impact businesses, our economy, and our community. It’s not too late to submit a comment to the court docket to have your perspective heard. Learn more about the Liberty Utilities rate case and submit your comment below.