ANNUAL ELECTION OF STAR’S BOARD

(8/18/2016) It’s that time of year again! Do you know a fellow REALTOR® member who demonstrates leadership skills and abilities?  We are looking for dedicated individuals to run for the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS®’ Board of Directors.  Please consider recommending someone (or yourself!) that you feel could help guide and safeguard our organization.

This year the Nominating Committee will be tasked with finding candidates for one Director (3 year term), President-Elect, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.

Nomination recommendations requested for election of 2017 Board of Directors

The Election Committee has set Monday, October 31, 2016 as the date for the 2017 Election.  In an effort to foster South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® member involvement in the decision making process, the Election Committee requests your input concerning the selection of nominees.  In accordance with our Bylaws: “The Election Committee shall circulate a notice to all members that they may request nomination at least two weeks prior to the committee’s selection of nominees.”

“The Nominating Committee shall select at least one candidate for each office, except President, and at least one candidate for each place to be filled on the Board of Directors.”

The Board of Directors is comprised “of four (4) officers and nine (9) directors.  The ninth (9th) director shall be the most immediate past President. … No more than three officers and/or directors may be elected from one firm. … In the event that an elected director or officer changes firms after an election and in so doing, increases that firm’s director/officer count to more than three (3), it is hereby established that each officer/director will be allowed to complete his/her term.”

The Nominating Committee will prepare the following slate of officers and directors:

2017 OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

President:  MICHELLE BLUE-BENEDICT, PINNACLE REAL ESTATE GROUP OF LAKE TAHOE

President Elect:_____________________________________________________________________

Vice President:_____________________________________________________________________

Secretary/Treasurer: ________________________________________________________________

Immediate Past-President, Director, 1 Year: ELLEN CAMACHO, DEB HOWARD & CO

Director, 1 Year:  JILL MOFFETT, SIERRA SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Director, 2 Years:  JANA NELSON, SIERRA SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Director, 1 Year:  JESSI SEIFERT, C21 AT TAHOE PARADISE

Director, 1 Year:  DAN SPANO, PARADISE REAL ESTATE

Director, 1 Year:  RON “FLIP” WALKER, PINNACLE REAL ESTATE GROUP OF LAKE TAHOE

Director, 2 Years:  CRAIG WOODWARD, DEB HOWARD & CO

Director, 1 Years: JESSE YOHNKA, RE/MAX REALTY TODAY

Director, 3 Years: __________________________________________________________________

Please note that you do not need to obtain permission from the individual that you would recommend in order to place them on this list.  It will be the task of the Nominating Committee to determine if the individuals meet the requirements for office, as determined by our bylaws, and to obtain permission from potential candidates before placing them on the ballot.

All recommendations received in writing will be submitted to the Nominating Committee for review.  The deadline to submit recommendations to the STAR Office is 5:00 pm, Friday, September 2nd.  You may scan & email recommendations to staor@staor.org, fax them to 530.541.7011, mail them to 2307 James Ave., South Lake Tahoe, CA  96150, or drop them off at our office.  Please feel free to contact the Association Office at 530.541.7007 if you have any questions.

We appreciate your input and your assistance as we set about the task of nominating individuals that will form the slate for the 2017 Election.

To download a printable PDF of the Recommendation Form, please click here.

REALTORS submit public comment to TRPA on Regional Plan Update

The following are the comments made by South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Director Hayley Williamson at the TRPA Governing Board meeting on May 24th, 2012.  She highlights REALTORS®’ concerns that the TRPA is considering implementing a point-of-sale mandate for the installation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).  BMPs are landscaping requirements by the TRPA to eliminate runoff of water into Lake Tahoe to protect its water clarity.

Public Comment for the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS®
by Hayley Williamson, Government Affairs Director (GAD)
TRPA Governing Board meeting, May 24, 2012

“Hello, my name is Hayley Williamson; I am the Government Affairs Director for the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS®.  As Supervisor Santiago said, we as a community have a unique opportunity with the new Regional Plan.  The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® would like to applaud the TRPA and all stakeholders in moving forward with this new Regional Plan toward effective environmental planning in the Tahoe Basin.  

TRPA did a great job taking into account many different points of view and came up with a preferred Alternative 3.  The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® really applauds many aspects of Alternative 3.  The fact that there are more opportunities in land coverage transfers and the fact that there is more flexibility between hydrologic zones seems to go toward smart growth planning, which is something that TRPA has identified as one of their main goals. REALTORS®, home buyers and home owners are very excited to see more flexibility in the ability to build decks without having to get more coverage, which is something that allows people who live in Lake Tahoe to really get out and enjoy Lake Tahoe and the beautiful scenery that we live in.  

The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® would also like to comment on Alternatives 2 & 5 in the form of a very strong caution against any point of sale mandate for BMPs.  One of the things TRPA did recommend in Alternative 3 is region-wide planning.  The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® supports region-wide planning.   

BMP compliance at point of sale would be disastrous for REALTORS®, homebuyers and home sellers.  It would be close to impossible to implement in the winter with snow on the ground.  TRPA has mandates against moving dirt between November and March–how do you implement Best Management Practices at that point?  Some TRPA members have suggested we hold money in escrow for BMPs at point of sale.  Escrow companies are very unwilling to hold money right now, and furthermore how much do you know to hold if you can’t do an evaluation in the winter on the BMPs going in?  It puts a market that is very fragile right now at a disadvantage.  It makes it really hard for people to try to live and sell their home in Lake Tahoe, something that all of us have enjoyed.  Furthermore, BMPs at point of sale would not be environmentally effective.  If you look at the number of homes changing hands in the Basin, many times it is the same home changing hands, which means that if you are trying to do BMPs on every property, that is just not an effective way to do it.  

TRPA has come up with an effective way to implement BMPs, which is on a region-wide level.  The South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® thinks this is a way forward towards smart growth and a way for our community to do effective environmental planning.  

All of the REALTORS® here in this room make their living here in Tahoe, work here, and play here.  REALTORS® have a lot at stake with this new Regional Plan Update.  As an industry, we are really the front line to the person who is just being introduced to Lake Tahoe.  We support Alternative Plan 3.  Thank you.”

http://www.staor.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WilliamsonPublicComments2TRPA.pdf