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Mayor Cody Bass outlines housing, environment and infrastructure priorities in State of the City
Summary
Mayor Cody Bass used the 2026 State of the City address to emphasize affordable housing, stormwater and road investments, transit expansion and a planned replacement fire station; staff reported progress on SugarPine Village, the Tahoe Valley Greenbelt stormwater project and 2025 road rehabilitation.
Mayor Cody Bass delivered the City of South Lake Tahoe’s 2026 State of the City address, laying out strategic priorities that center on housing, the natural environment, transportation and public safety.
Speaking to a packed hall at Lake Tahoe Community College’s Duke Theatre, Mayor Cody Bass thanked city staff and acknowledged the Washoe Tribe as the traditional stewards of the Lake Tahoe Basin. He framed the address around the council’s strategic priorities, which the council adopted on May 6, 2025, and said housing is a top priority for the city.
On housing, Bass noted the SugarPine Village project as the city’s largest affordable housing undertaking; he said Phase 1B will provide 60 deed-restricted units this summer and that Phase 2B is pursuing financing. The mayor also highlighted local programs intended to increase housing access, including incentives for property owners to convert homes into long-term rentals and a rental-assistance program that helps tenants with deposits and application support.
Bass outlined infrastructure work that aims to protect Lake Tahoe’s clarity and reduce vehicle reliance. He pointed to the recently completed Motel 6 demolition and Upper Truckee marsh restoration as an example of habitat work designed to trap sediment before it reaches the lake. He also previewed the Tahoe Valley Greenbelt and Stormwater Improvement Project, describing it as a two-phase effort that adds stormwater basins, boardwalks through wetlands and an all-weather looped trail; city staff anticipates the project will be open to the public following the 2026 construction season, no later than September 2026.
On transportation and roads, the mayor said Lake Link service will expand citywide within weeks to provide first/last-mile connections to fixed routes on Highway 50 and to reduce vehicle miles traveled if riders adopt the system. He described the city’s recent road-rehabilitation strategy and funding increase, noting that annual road investment rose from about $457,000 in 2018 to $4.8 million in 2025, plus $500,000 for local patching crews.
Bass also credited staff and airport leadership with balancing the Lake Tahoe Airport budget: ‘‘When I joined council eight years ago, the Lake Tahoe Airport was about a $850,000 deficit to our general fund. . . we have now balanced the budget at the airport and we don't have a deficit,’’ he said, citing a comprehensive rate study and better leverage of FAA grants.
On public safety, Bass said the city acquired a parcel adjacent to Fire Station Three and plans to proceed with planning and design for a single-story replacement with improved apparatus bays and firefighter living quarters.
Interim City Manager Hillary Roverud opened the event, thanking staff and the host venue; Ms. Riana Greenwall and Mr. Steven Andrjack provided staff presentations on the Tahoe Valley stormwater project and the city’s road-selection criteria, respectively. The mayor opened a public-comment period limited to the State of the City; no members of the public spoke.
The address detailed a set of near-term projects and programs the city intends to carry forward; several are contingent on securing financing or completing planned construction in 2026.
