Council approvals, contest and policy moves: votes at a glance from Truckee Town Council

At its June 24 meeting the Truckee Town Council recorded several formal votes affecting contracts, historic property status and the town’s legislative priorities.

Consent calendar The council approved the consent calendar items 6.1 through 6.18 with the exception of item 6.17 (which was pulled for separate discussion). The consent calendar included routine minutes, budget and contract approvals, grants and project authorizations. The roll-call vote on the consent calendar (excluding 6.17) was: Council member Romack — Aye; Vice Mayor Klobstad — Aye; Mayor Zabriskie — Aye; Council member Pallavi — Aye; Council member Henderson — Aye.

Air Diamond Consulting contract (pulled consent item 6.17) Council members debated a proposed consulting contract with Air Diamond Creative Consulting to support implementation of recommendations from the town’s recent operational assessment. The contract scope described a flexible, retainer-style engagement to help with stakeholder collaboration, prioritization and permitting software implementation. Council member Polavie raised concerns about a lack of measurable deliverables and proposed a month-to-month retainer as an alternative; proponents including the Contractors Association and other council members argued that flexibility was necessary for this early technical assistance.

After public comment and extended council discussion, the council voted to authorize execution of the Air Diamond contract. Roll-call vote: Council member Romack — Aye; Vice Mayor Klobstad — Aye; Mayor Zabriskie — Aye; Council member Polavie — No; Council member Henderson — Yes. Outcome: approved (4–1).

Historic resource redesignation and Mills Act nonrenewal (7.1) Council considered a staff recommendation to redesignate a property at 10236 Donner Pass Road (a building previously classified as a Category B “contributing” historic resource) to Category D “non-essential” and to serve notice of nonrenewal of the property’s Mills Act contract. Staff had hired a consultant (Broadbent) to evaluate the structure after on-site changes and concluded the building’s historic materials and aspects of integrity had been substantially altered. The Historic Preservation Advisory Commission (HPAC) recommended a lesser downgrade to Category C; staff agreed with Broadbent and recommended Category D.

The council voted to adopt resolution 2025-44 authorizing redesignation of the property to Category D and directing staff to serve written notice of nonrenewal of the Mills Act contract. Roll-call vote: Council member Romack — No; Vice Mayor Klobstad — Yes; Mayor Zabriskie — Yes; Council member Pallavi — No; Council member Henderson — Yes. Outcome: approved (3–2). Staff noted that nonrenewal allows the Mills Act contract to run out without immediate cancellation; staff recommended nonrenewal rather than cancellation because cancellation requires specific breach or deterioration findings and carries a substantial immediate tax penalty under state law.

Legislative platform updates (7.4) The council adopted proposed updates to the town’s 2025 legislative platform to reflect current town priorities, including updates tied to emergency preparedness, federal funding and workforce/hiring issues. Council approved the proposed edits on a roll-call vote: Council member Romack — Aye; Vice Mayor Klobstad — Aye; Mayor Zabriskie — Aye; Council member Pallavi — Aye; Council member Henderson — Yes. Outcome: adopted (5–0).

What comes next Staff said the Air Diamond consultant will provide progress reports to staff and stakeholders and that the town can terminate the consulting contract with 30 days’ notice if work is not proceeding as expected. For the Mills Act nonrenewal, staff will serve written notice to the property owner and file the notice with the county recorder as required by state law. The legislative platform updates will guide staff and the mayor/vice mayor in future advocacy at the state and federal levels.