Sponsorship & Multi-Year Program

Those who make up the NTCA Board of Directors and the over 40 community volunteers who serve on the four committees the NTCA convenes, plus all of the community members who participated in the meetings and surveys that were conducted, ensured grant allocation decisions were made based on what was most important to those who live, work and play here.

The robust vetting and selection process included:

• Community-wide surveys to inform investment opportunity criteria and help assess priorities
• A request for Letters of Interest for eligible investment opportunities
• Committee review of received Letters of Interest for projects requesting funding
• Presentations by project applicants to committees convened by the NTCA
• Review and consideration of all applications by committees, including a joint committee meeting open to the public to discuss prioritization and funding of the projects
• Committee recommendations were presented to the NTCA Board of Directors
• The NTCA Board of Directors approved TBID-funded projects and recommended approval of TOT-funded projects to the Placer County Board of Supervisors
• Investment opportunities sponsored with TOT funds presented to the Placer County Board of Supervisors for approval

The full process is outlined below:

As part of the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work Program, 17 projects and programs that benefit residents, businesses, and visitors in the areas of workforce housing, transportation, trails, and tourism mitigation services were selected to receive three years of funding support through the Sponsorship grant program.

The NTCA intends to work with each applicant to outline contingencies, key performance indicators, metrics of success, and other outcomes and parameters that will be considered in subsequent years when determining the continuation of funding.

The allocation impact of the funding supports initiatives in alignment with community feedback and Sponsorship program criteria:

• Workforce housing: $7,900,000 (39%)
• Trail Transit Corridor: $5,700,000 (29%)
• Transportation: $5,242,558 (26%)
• Tourism impact: $1,185,000 (6%)

Proposals approved by the NTCA Board of Directors as recommended by the TBID Zone 1 and TBID Advisory committees to receive $2,515,558 in TBID funding include:

• BEBOT Beach cleaning robot 3-year deployment and youth/adult education, outreach and advocacy in North Lake Tahoe
  • Expanded beach cleaning to detect and remove debris including potentially harmful microplastics on North Lake Tahoe beaches.

• Lease to Locals Program
  • Providing cash incentives to homeowners who rent their homes seasonally or for one year to qualified local employees.

• Tahoe City Park & Ride winter operation (USFS 64 Acre parking lot snow removal)
  • Snow removal from areas at 64 Acres in Tahoe City to provide for 70 additional parking spaces for peak ski days from the start of January through mid-March, expanding the Park and Ride program from two to 26 service days.

• Tahoe Wildfire Preparedness Guide
  • Production of a 50,000-copy publication created by Tahoe Weekly that provides critical wildfire preparedness information for locals, visitors and vacation homeowners.

• Secline Beach enhancement project
  • Support planning and preliminary design for public recreation access upgrades and facility enhancements at Secline Beach to protect Lake Tahoe’s unique environment.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of $14M in TOT funds as recommended by the NTCA Board of Directors, TOT and CAP committees for:

• North Tahoe Trail Segment 1
  • A 2.4-mile paved trail connecting the North Tahoe Regional Park in Tahoe Vista to Carnelian Bay.

• Tahoe City Downtown Access Improvements
  • Expansion of the Grove Street parking lot, including pedestrian access improvements for businesses and recreational amenities, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

• TCPUD multi-use trail system (trail segment reconstruction project)
  • Reconstruction of aged and failing infrastructure in the existing trail system to address pavement cracking, root intrusion, visibility issues, ADA compliance, trail transitions, shoulder erosion, and drainage.

• Resort Triangle transportation plan project component (SR89 & SR267 adaptive corridor management/transit priority)
  • Transit-only lane from Tahoe City to the Placer County line on SR 89, and on Northstar Drive to the Placer County line on SR 267. Enhancement of operations on steep grades of SR 267 and provision of a climbing lane specifically for trucks and transit vehicles.

• Pam Emmerich Memorial Pinedrop Trail reconstruction and extension
  • Make the 1.5-mile paved trail the primary North Tahoe Trail trailhead location serving as the main access point to Lake Tahoe and the Kings Beach/Tahoe Vista community, and connecting to the North Tahoe Regional Park.

• Kings Beach Western Approach Project
  • Converting intersections of SR28/SR267 and SR28/Brassie to a roundabout and enhancing landscaping throughout the project area.

• Workforce Housing Preservation Program
  • Provide financial grants to local workers and homebuyers for the purchase of a deed-restricted home. Grants are available for 16% of the home’s purchase price, up to $150,000.

• RTTP Project Component (TART Connect expanded service hours)
  • Extending service hours during non-peak season to provide a more equitable transportation option year-round.

• Chalet Blanc mixed-use achievable housing project, Tahoe City
  • Contributing to 16-20 deed-restricted achievable rental housing units in downtown Tahoe City with mixed-use space inclusive of a restaurant space, and gallery/studio/lecture hall.

• Dollar Creek Crossing
  • Contributing to the project development/entitlement and construction, including gap financing of up to 80 units of rental apartments, 20 units of for-sale homes, each with an attached junior accessory dwelling unit, with construction estimated in spring 2025 subject to entitlement and funding approvals.

Proposals recommended for a combination of TBID and TOT funding include:

• Resort Triangle transportation plan parking management program in Kings Beach
  • Funding to support capital costs, operations and maintenance, and enforcement of the parking management program in Kings Beach.

• Sierra Community House’s workforce housing advocacy and direct assistance program
  • Contribute funds to the Sierra Community House’s well-established Workforce Housing Advocacy and Direct Assistance program that provides grants for rent and utility assistance for eligible residents who are part of the local workforce.
• North Lake Tahoe Workforce Vanpool program
  • The North Lake Tahoe Workforce Vanpool serves businesses in the entire geographic area of Eastern Placer County by putting vans on the road to help employees get from their homes to work. This collaborative effort between the Mountaineer Transit Company (MTC) and Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association (TNT/TMA) helps to reduce passenger miles traveled and support local businesses. The vanpool program is funded for 3 years by TOT funds and jumpstarted by TBID funds. 

Once approved, project applicants will enter into the contracting phase. After contracts are complete, applicants must provide regular updates on status, metrics, unanticipated challenges, schedule updates, actuals vs budget, etc.

Should an investment opportunity not meet contract terms, the NTCA may eliminate the investment from the Program and replace it at the discretion of the NTCA Board of Directors with concurrence from the Placer County Board of Supervisors for TOT-funded sponsorships.