Planning commission recommends council confirm delinquent refuse-fees report

The South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission on an otherwise routine agenda voted to recommend that the City Council confirm the annual delinquent refuse fees report and direct the finance department to forward the certified report to the El Dorado County Auditor-Controller for placement on property tax rolls.

Planning Manager John Hitchcock presented the report, citing City Code section 4.150, which governs collection of refuse charges and specifies that property owners are liable for mandatory refuse service fees regardless of actual use. Hitchcock told the commission that mandatory fees unpaid for 180 days may be collected by the refuse franchise and become a lien or special assessment on the parcel if confirmed by council. He said certified notices were mailed to delinquent accounts on April 6 and that the public hearing on the commission agenda was published May 1.

No members of the public spoke on the matter. After the presentation and an opportunity for protest, a commissioner moved to adopt a resolution recommending council confirmation and directing the finance department to send the certified copy to the El Dorado County Auditor-Controller for collection; the motion was seconded and carried. The commission did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript; the chair stated the motion carried.

The action begins the administrative process that, if confirmed by council, will result in delinquent refuse charges being added to the county property tax rolls as special assessments and recorded as liens on the affected parcels. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for final acceptance and confirmation.