Through TOT-TBID Dollars At Work, the North Tahoe Community Alliance provided TBID grant funding to the Tahoe Truckee Workforce Housing Agency (TTWHA) to expand its free Housing Concierge Program to TBID employers in Eastern Placer County.

The program provides a one-stop resource for local workers navigating the housing market, connecting employees with housing resources and programs, including rental and homeownership opportunities. The TBID funding helped TTWHA expand these services to more employers and employees in the region.

As part of the expansion, CivicSpark fellow Caroline Sandberg joined TTWHA for a year of service focused on helping grow the program. She began by conducting a workforce housing survey to better understand the needs and challenges facing employees in Eastern Placer County. Outreach included email, phone calls, mailers, social media and in-person visits to local businesses.

The survey also led to an opportunity to work directly with Northstar California Ski Resort. Caroline partnered with Northstar’s HR team to develop a customized workforce housing survey focused on the needs of its employees, including seasonal workers. The results provided Northstar with a clearer picture of its workforce’s housing challenges and helped identify opportunities to better connect employees with available resources.

For TTWHA, the project also demonstrated how the Housing Concierge Program can work directly with individual employers to better understand their workforce housing needs and develop more targeted support. The approach can serve as a model for engaging additional employers throughout the region.

This is an impactful example of TOT-TBID Dollars At Work: investing in programs that support the local workforce, strengthen employers and help address one of the challenges facing businesses and employees across the region.

By Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO
Photo Credit: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

The 30th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, which took place August 19 at Sand Harbor, offered another opportunity to connect with elected officials who represent our communities and advocate for the protection of Lake Tahoe.

Bi-partisan support for Lake Tahoe and the $35 million in federal appropriations requested by the “Team Tahoe” delegation earlier this year as part of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act was reaffirmed and celebrated. The funds support hazardous fuels reduction and forest health, regional water infrastructure upgrades to protect communities, aquatic invasive species prevention and control, watershed restoration and water quality, Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery, and program oversight and accountability.

By bringing elected officials together in Tahoe, the Summit also allowed for conversations about local priorities and how our business community has established and expanded opportunities for public-private partnership. In our case, the formation of the TBID and the progress that has been made as a result were points of discussion.

Meetings at our offices with Placer County officials, Congressman Kevin Kiley and Congressman Ami Bera resulted in their support of the effort to designate the Kings Beach District as an Opportunity Zone. Qualified Opportunity Zones encourage long-term investments through federal tax incentives, with approval partly contingent on a public referral process.

This type of in-person access to decision-makers is invaluable as our efforts to advance projects, programs, and initiatives that benefit our community continue. They also give us an opportunity to humanize their impact, reinforcing the critical need for this type of advocacy work.

Read more about the NTCA’s advocacy efforts in support of Placer County’s referral of the Kings Beach District as an Opportunity Zone.

The NTCA recently led a coordinated advocacy effort in support of Placer County’s application to have the Kings Beach District designated as a federal Opportunity Zone—a valuable tool for attracting long-term private investment to the community by offering federal tax incentives.

While elected officials were in Tahoe for the Tahoe Summit last month, NTCA staff brought the opportunity to the attention of state and congressional leaders, highlighting Kings Beach’s eligibility, investment potential and need for sustained economic revitalization. At the same time, NTCA worked to build a coalition of support from local businesses, community members, and regional partners to demonstrate the collective commitment to the district’s future.

In total, 18 support letters were generated by local nonprofit organizations and business owners, community members, and elected officials—including from State Assemblymember Hadwick, State Senator Alvarado-Gil, and a joint letter from Congressmen Kevin Kiley and Ami Bera. Bera’s office also reached out directly to the Governor’s congressional liaison to encourage inclusion.

Although an Opportunity Zone designation does not guarantee investment, it could help incentivize catalyst projects that strengthen the business district, create jobs, improve commercial properties, and support broader community priorities. The application has since been completed and delivered to the Governor’s office for review. If approved, it is then recommended to the federal government.

This effort is aligned with the NTCA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of policies and resources that bolster North Tahoe’s economic vitality, and demonstrates the value of the relationships that have been generated with elected officials over time—affording the ability to ask for support on behalf of our community’s needs.

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.

September First Tuesday Breakfast Club:

September 1, 2026
Protecting Tahoe: Science, Stewardship & Action on the Lake

Agenda:

• Introduction to Breakfast Club and round robin introductions
• Feature presentations
  • Alex Forrest and Cara Kiger Hollis, UC Davis TERC – State of the Lake Report
  • Jenny Uvira, Clean Up the Lake – Deep Dive Insights
  • Shannon Friedman, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency – Recent EIP projects and restoration work in the Tahoe Basin
• Q&A
• Supervisor Gustafson, Placer County
• Agency Updates
• Community Stump Speeches

Click the link below to join at 7 am on Tuesday, September 1.

A number of projects are underway in the region to improve and repair infrastructure, but they will also impact traffic and transportation at multiple locations around the lake this summer. Plan ahead and, whenever possible, take public transportation or make use of the region’s paved and dirt trail network.

This page will be updated throughout the summer road construction season with information on where to get the latest updates, so bookmark this page to stay in the know about what’s happening and where to expect delays. Plus, view the Construction Guide created especially for our business community.

View or Download as PDF

CalTrans

• For updates, follow CalTrans District 3 on Facebook, X and Instagram
• For real-time traffic information, view Caltrans’ QuickMap
• Read the latest email update on construction projects in Lake Tahoe from September 12 here.

NDOT

• View projects
• For updates, visit NVRoads.com and @NevadaDOTReno

Placer County

• View projects
• Visit the project websites for updates: Grove St./SR 28 Signalization & 2026 Tahoe Area Roadway Treatment Plan

Tahoe City Public Utility District

• View projects
• For updates, visit tcpud.org/construction

North Tahoe Public Utility District

• View projects
• For updates, visit ntpud.org/projects

Southwest Gas

• View project

Learn more about this summer’s critical infrastructure project overviews here.

Last month, NTCA CEO Tony Karwowski was appointed to the CalTravel Executive Committee, presenting a new opportunity for North Tahoe to have a substantial role in shaping the direction of the association and its efforts in FY2027 and beyond.

As the state association tasked with protecting and advancing the interests and investments of California’s travel industry through advocacy, collaboration, and education, CalTravel has been a valuable resource to the North Tahoe business community—in particular as it relates to being informed and having influence on issues affecting businesses that operate in the travel and tourism sector.

As part of our membership, the NTCA has represented North Tahoe at CalTravel’s annual Advocacy Day in Sacramento, giving our region an opportunity to be represented in meetings with elected officials to share the perspective and priorities of businesses in our region. In addition, CalTravel’s experienced lobbyists help compile resources that all of us are able to use to help advocate for our interests, including the status tracking of bills, connecting us with our  legislators, providing tips for legislative meetings, and more.

By joining the CalTravel Executive Committee, Tony is charged with helping CalTravel grow in influence, effectiveness, and value, further supporting the interests of the North Tahoe region.  Ultimately greater influence in this area helps ensure our local economy is supported by legislation friendly to the priorities of our local businesses.

The NTCA Board of Directors recently approved the appointment of 10 local residents to four volunteer committees convened by the NTCA and North Tahoe Chamber that help guide work and investments in support of local businesses, residents and visitors. 

“On behalf of the NTCA staff, we’re pleased to have the opportunity to work with such an engaged, passionate group of people on the various committees we convene to work on behalf of our community,” said Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO. “With these new committee appointments, we continue to foster a diverse collection of local voices across our volunteer Board of Directors and committees—all of whom are instrumental in the collaborative decision-making needed to help advance efforts in support of our community’s priorities.”

TOT Advisory Committee Appointments

Kelsey Everton (Northstar) has been appointed to a vacant At-large seat – one of seven designed to reflect a wide range of expertise and experience. John Jewett (Taylor Builders) was recommended to fill one of four seats representing transportation and housing advocacy. Both are longtime Kings Beach residents.

TBID Advisory Committee Representation

Tahoe City resident Patrick Sheehan was appointed to one of two new at-large, non-voting community representative seats on the TBID Advisory Committee. This seat was designed to ensure geographic and resident representation.

Chamber Advisory Committee

Five members were appointed to the Chamber Advisory Committee to fill vacant seats on the 13-member committee. New appointees include Sean Kristl (Alpenglow Expeditions), who was selected to represent an activity business, Michael Phillips (Tahoe Restaurant Group) to represent a restaurant business, and Aline Henricksen (Tahoe Time Vacation Rentals) to represent a lodging business. Two existing committee members have shifted seats; Patrick Lacey (Palisades Tahoe) will now represent the Squaw Valley Business Association/Olympic Valley, and Caroline Ross (Squaw Valley Business Association) will represent the NTCA Board.

Kings Beach/Tahoe Vista/Carnelian Bay District Advisory Committee

To aid in oversight of the geographic area and needs including but not limited to events, advocacy, business support and services, beautification, and economic development, Kristen Pepin (Pep’s Place and real estate agent) and Michael Myers (Sierra State Parks Foundation) have been appointed to the Kings Beach/Tahoe Vista/Carnelian Bay District Advisory Committee.

Read the press release here.

For residents, local business owners, and the many visitors who come to experience North Lake Tahoe, peak season congestion—and everything that comes with it—has been one of the region’s most persistent challenges for decades.

Since shifting from a traditional destination marketing organization to a destination stewardship and management organization, NTCA has been focused on addressing challenges that arise year-round, but particularly during North Tahoe’s busiest times of year. With input and collaboration from our community, we’ve built a foundation of programs designed to better manage the places that make North Tahoe special.

Some of our proactive work happens before visitors arrive in North Tahoe. Our communications efforts have shifted to help people understand that how they visit matters as much as whether they visit. We offer straightforward guidance on how small choices—arriving prepared, using Park and Ride or TART Connect, packing out trash, giving wildlife space, and more—help care for the region and result in a better experience for everyone.

We use tourism-generated funding to deploy Stewardship Ambassadors on the ground at popular beaches and trailheads during peak periods to talk directly with visitors about fire safety, wildlife, and Leave No Trace practices. And, we fund projects and programs like the BEBOT beach cleaning robot, bike valet services and the Blue Beach program to help address the impacts of recreation on Tahoe’s most-loved beaches.

Tourism continues to be the backbone of our local economy, but our marketing campaigns are purposefully created to help spread out visitation and support businesses during quieter times of year. Our focus is on encouraging midweek and off-peak-season travel, with responsible travel framed as part of what makes a North Tahoe trip memorable. During busy seasons, our efforts are focused on stewardship tips designed to teach and inspire everyone to help take care of Tahoe.

We are listening, collaborating and leveraging relationships with regional partners including but not limited to; Placer County, US Forest Service, CA State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy, and the Destination Stewardship Council to achieve desired outcomes, and continue to take action as it relates to efforts centered around the three E’s of sustainable destination management: Education, Engineering, and Enforcement.

Looking ahead, to us, that means continuing collaboration and expanding relationships with regional partners to continue education that results in more visitors arriving already informed about how to do right by the environment and the North Tahoe communities they move through. It means supporting infrastructure and transportation improvements that make responsible and reduced impact behavior choices easy. And, it means working alongside public safety officials so that policies designed to serve the best interests of our communities during peak periods are enforced consistently and fairly.

There will never be a single fix for managing peak season visitation, and no single organization that can do it alone. Continuing to listen, collaborate, and build on initiatives that have already demonstrated success—programs like Park and Ride, TART Connect, trash and other human impact mitigation strategies—are what we can do to help remedy ongoing and future challenges.

North Tahoe’s beauty is what draws people here in the first place. Managing that popularity thoughtfully is how we can ensure it stays worth visiting, and worth calling home.

We’re looking for an experienced leader to help shape the future of North Lake Tahoe. The North Tahoe Community Alliance is hiring a Vice President of Economic Impact to lead our financial strategy, strengthen public-private partnerships, and turn strategic investments into measurable economic and community outcomes. If you have a background in finance, accounting, economic development, data, and strategic investment—and are passionate about creating lasting regional impact—we encourage you to apply. Explore the position highlights below, then view the full job description and application.

Position Highlights

Download .pdf

Ready to apply?

View the full job description and submit your application here:

By Tony Karwowski

When the North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District was formed, it created a new opportunity to invest tourism-generated funding back into our community. We started to address critical issues like workforce housing and transportation, while also taking action to support the needs of local businesses. 

With the new 10-year TBID term set to begin July 1, and the work underway to refine how funds generated by tourism are reinvested, North Lake Tahoe’s tourism economy is poised to work more effectively on behalf of all of us.

Historically, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) generated by those who stay overnight in hotel or short-term rental properties was guided by the (now dated) 2015 Tourism Master Plan. Now, in partnership with Placer County, the NTCA is refining the framework that defines how that funding is invested back into the community.

The Economic Health and Catalyst Initiatives Roadmap will replace the Tourism Master Plan as the primary reference document for TOT investments. It will also provide new long-term funding opportunities for high-impact projects and programs. With this new model in place, it will translate to greater opportunities for investment in critical workforce housing, transportation, and infrastructure initiatives that enhance the quality of life in our region. And, paired with the TBID, we — as a community — will continue to have the ability to support community enhancement, environmental stewardship, and more with tourism dollars.

Over the next year, while the new roadmap is being refined, we’re continuing to reinvest tourism-generated funds in a variety of ways that will help our region thrive. From efforts designed to drive responsible mid-week and off-peak season visitation in support of North Tahoe’s economy to direct support for local businesses, downtown revitalization, event sponsorship, and more, we’re focused on advancing the programs and projects that are making a positive impact in our community.

In fact, over $250,000 is budgeted this year to bring ideas to life that were identified in the revitalization study that the North Tahoe Chamber completed in partnership with the TCDA and the Kings Beach District. The intention is that these opportunities will help enhance the vibrancy and connectivity of our downtown areas.

Tourism dollars are also supporting more local events than ever before, with the North Tahoe Chamber allocating $660,000 to activate 48 special events, including 12 ongoing events, this year. From local favorites like the Made in Tahoe Festival and the Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series to the Tahoe City Food & Wine Classic and many more, events support our business community and add to the variety of things to do and experience in North Lake Tahoe.

And, the Placer County Board of Supervisors recently approved TOT funding that the NTCA Board and TOT Committee recommended to ensure the continued support of Lease to Locals, the Workforce Housing Preservation Program, and TART Connect while the new roadmap process is completed. 

As the roadmap is being refined, community and committee members, implementers and subject matter experts will have opportunities to weigh in and help shape what it becomes. Stay tuned for more in the coming months.

—Tony Karwowski is president and CEO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance