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Residents press council on a nuisance property, glyphosate use and mental‑health concerns during public comment
Summary
Public speakers asked the council to condemn glyphosate use in the Tahoe Basin, urged demolition of a long‑standing nuisance property at 2167 Harvard Avenue, and called for council accountability regarding the state of the city address and past allegations against the mayor.
South Lake Tahoe — During public communications at the June 17 meeting, multiple residents raised safety and accountability concerns ranging from an unresolved dilapidated property to pesticide use in forest projects and requests for higher elected‑official accountability.
Joy Curry described years‑long neighborhood problems at 2167 Harvard Avenue: standing demolition debris she called a fire hazard, an unremoved plastic fence, and a truck that had been moved to a neighbor’s yard. Curry said the building department’s response has been inadequate, questioned whether permits are current (she said posting was last visible in 2023) and requested that the property be demolished by Sept. 1, 2026.
“All wood should be removed from the property. This is a fire danger,” Curry told the council, urging enforcement and removal of the fence and debris.
Melissa Soldston raised concerns about herbicide use in post‑fire thinning projects across the Caldor burn scar and broader Tahoe Basin. She alleged agency messaging had been misleading and pushed the council to prioritize defensible‑space work in town and infrastructure changes such as burying utility drop lines. No agency representative was on the dais to respond during the meeting.
Angie Vegan, a disabled resident and suicide‑prevention advocate, urged greater council accountability in how the city addresses alleged misconduct by elected officials and asked that the full council participate in the state of the city address rather than delegating it to a single official. Her remarks sought both acknowledgment of harm and commitments to counseling or corrective action where warranted.
Council members acknowledged the comments; some directed staff follow‑up where appropriate (for property enforcement), while glyphosate and Forest Service practices were noted for further communication with relevant agencies. No immediate council action on glyphosate or the state of the city format was taken at the meeting.
What happens next: Staff indicated they would follow up on enforcement questions about the Harvard Avenue property and confirmed the city will continue to discuss pesticide policy and other related items at future agenda sessions.
