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<h2>AI Policy</h2>Government should be of the people, by the people, for the people. While AI can be a useful tool in some fields and in various contexts, I promise not to use AI-generated writing in my campaign. I knock doors and talk to voters because I want to hear from you, the people. It is my job to share your stories and champion your needs. An AI model works by scraping the internet, not by hearing from the Truckee community. In everything I write, say, or publish, you will hear my authentic voice. And the same goes for everything I say from the dais, whether as a Truckee Planning Commission or elected Councilmember. This is my promise to you.

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Meet Jason

<h2>An experienced Truckee leader</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/f03d7cf6-2144-4a28-a657-1b0d19f0feb7/3408d5e6-6e96-4156-ba93-6f4a2a88b643/3408d5e6-6e96-4156-ba93-6f4a2a88b643.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C213%2C1365%2C1580&amp;w=1500" alt="Jason Toups headshot" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Jason Toups brings deep experience to the Town Council. Jason currently serves as the Chair of the Truckee Planning Commission, where he is focused on addressing Truckee’s housing and affordability needs while ensuring new development contributes positively to our community.Jason was also a leader on Measure G for a new library, where he led voter engagement. In that role, he spoke with over 1,000 Truckee residents about their hopes for a new library.Jason is an organizer for Truckee Pride. Every pride week, he leads Pride Trivia Night at Alibi, and Jason and his husband host a Pride Shabbat service for the North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation located at the Church of the Mountains.Jason is also a proud member of the Truckee Rotary Club, where he commits to the ethos of service above self.Jason and his husband were initially drawn to Truckee by the mountains and lifestyle, but they quickly fell in love with the local community that makes Truckee so unique.Jason grew up in the Los Angeles area before attending Yale, where he studied Economics &amp; Religious Studies and met his now husband. He has worked as a consultant, a community organizer, and now runs his own financial advisory practice. But he's most proud of the work he's done in Truckee: showing up, listening, and working for a better future.If elected, Jason Toups would be the first Asian American and openly gay member of the Truckee Town Council.

For an affordable, thriving Truckee

Keeping Truckee Livable

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My husband and I were initially drawn to Truckee by the mountains and lifestyle, but we quickly fell in love with the local community that makes Truckee so unique.While we were drawn here by the mountains, we stayed because of the community. I’m running to put that local community first by always listening.&nbsp;A little about me: I grew up in Los Angeles. I went to Yale, where I studied Economics &amp; Religious Studies and met my now husband. I've worked as a consultant, a community organizer, and now I run my own financial advisory practice. But I'm most proud of the work I've done here: showing up, listening, and working for a better future in Truckee.I bring relevant Truckee experience to the Town Council. I currently serve as the Chair of the Truckee Planning Commission, where I am focused on addressing Truckee’s housing needs while ensuring new development contributes positively to our community. I was a leader on Measure G for a new library and am an organizer for Truckee Pride. I also volunteer with the Rotary Club and the Tahoe Jewish Community.If elected, I would be the first Asian American and openly gay member of the Truckee Town Council.&nbsp;- Jason Toups

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<h2>3. Data Driven</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/f03d7cf6-2144-4a28-a657-1b0d19f0feb7/90fcc2e5-0e4d-4f91-9c8c-219c77127537/90fcc2e5-0e4d-4f91-9c8c-219c77127537.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C188%2C2996%2C2349&amp;w=1500" alt="Jason Toups standing on a summit above Lake Tahoe" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Jason Toups believes decisions should be based on relevant data, not gut feelings or who he knows. At a recent Planning Commission hearing, Jason brought data to show that Truckee's income caps on "affordable" housing are too low for local nurses and firefighters to qualify. That data led the Planning Commission to unanimously recommend adjusting the income caps to ensure our local workers can qualify for our affordable housing.Jason believes that data help us cut through the noise and make better decisions. One of his key policy priorities is for the Town Council to adopt and track outcome metrics for each of the Town priorities, allowing us to better track our success or challenges.

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Jason's Values

<h2>1. Listening to you</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/f03d7cf6-2144-4a28-a657-1b0d19f0feb7/73561924-e419-4fd6-895a-b94a7e746d10/73561924-e419-4fd6-895a-b94a7e746d10.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C244%2C3024%2C3769&amp;w=1500" alt="Jason Toups and his husband with their puppy, Gracie" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="35" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">Jason believes the best ideas come from our community. Jason brings a background as a community organizer to his leadership style. He believes leadership is about listening, not imposing one set of views.As a Planning Commissioner, Jason reaches out to both project supporters and opponents before every hearing. He always leads by listening and strives to find a balance that works for the community.While serving on the Measure G campaign, he heard from over 1,000 Truckee residents from across the political spectrum who all wanted to see a new Truckee Library.

<h2 style="text-align: right;">2. Always prepared</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/f03d7cf6-2144-4a28-a657-1b0d19f0feb7/171e9b25-6cba-43d9-b08c-06ced66cd6bc/171e9b25-6cba-43d9-b08c-06ced66cd6bc.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=1532%2C1382%2C2097%2C2179&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">The first duty of a Town Council member is to show up and be prepared. Jason Toups has a 100% attendance record as a Planning Commissioner. Before every hearing, he prepares by carefully reading the agenda packet, submitting clarifying questions to the town staff, and proactively reaching out to community members for their input.Without that preparation, a leader cannot know what's truly at stake. Jason promises to bring that energy and preparation to the role of Town Council.

If elected, what can Jason Toups do to tackle affordability in Truckee? Below are some concrete steps that are well within the power of the Town Council to take.

Affordability Action Plan

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Raise income caps on workforce housing

Adopt housing standards that are affordable by design

Encourage second homeowners to rent to locals

Allow senior citizens to access workforce housing programs

Reduce fees for garbage collection by renegotiating the contract

Stop charging Policing fees to local non-profits and local agencies

Conduct a comprehensive fee study

Lobby the CA government for a FAIR plan discount for Measure T

Dramatically speed up approvals and reduce fees for homeowners and businesses

Encourage sidewalk vendors as long as they meet health &amp; safety standards

Support community spaces, like the Library and KidZone

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What I've heard from our community. Here's what we need in Truckee:

Top Priorities

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We need a Town Council that is laser-focused on reducing the cost of living.

Affordability

We need local housing so Truckee remains a place where people of all ages and incomes can make their home.

Housing

It should be fast and easy to get Town approvals to reinvest in and improve your property.

Responsive Government

As a Councilmember, my job is to listen to our community and put your needs first. I've been knocking on hundreds of doors and listening to locals.

Community First

We need a diversified local economy that isn't entirely reliant on tourism. We need to make it easier for businesses to renovate, innovate, and reinvest.

Local Economy

We must preserve the environment, recreation access, and excellent quality of life we all love about Truckee.

Quality of Life

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Truckee Affordability Action Plan

Keeping Truckee livable. Fighting for affordability. Fostering local housing. Speeding up government responsiveness. 

Jason Toups for Truckee Town Council

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Affordability Action Plan

Jason is running for Truckee Town Council to bring a focus on affordability and keeping Truckee livable. 

About Jason Toups

Affordability, Housing, Responsive government, Putting our community first, Local economy, and Quality of life

Jason's Campaign Issues

Issues

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“My goal as chair is, however it gets decided, I want the public and applicant to understand why it was decided that way,” said Truckee Planning Commission Chair Jason Toups. “That’s really important to me. Land use planning and approvals can be a very confusing process … Even if people disagree with the findings we make, I want them to understand why we made them. I see us spending time in the hearing to really explicate for the community what the standards are, what applies here, and why they apply.”

Long-Standing Jibboom Housing Project to Go Before Planning Commission

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Protect our local environmentTruckee is unique because of its natural environment. We must protect it. We should continue efforts to reduce waste and litter while encouraging recycling. We should continue to rehabilitate the Truckee River and invest in our trails, open spaces, wetlands, and parks.Improve access to recreationMany of us live in Truckee because of the wonderful access to the outdoors. We must continue to expand and enhance our paved and dirt trail networks. We should support regional trail efforts, such as the Resort Triangle and Pines to Mines trails.Reduce traffic on our roadsTraffic is one of the biggest concerns locals have. We need to partner with the resorts to meaningfully reduce ski weekend traffic. In addition, we need to fund and encourage alternative transportation methods, such as TART, bike trails, and the bike share program.

Quality of Life

Support local small business owners and non-profitsOur local businesses and non-profits are essential to the fabric of Truckee life, and we need to support and partner with them. We need a Truckee where anyone can start a business and thrive, and where we celebrate the unique, funky ideas that make Truckee.Speed up permitting processesIf you have a dream of opening a business, we should support and celebrate that. It should be easy and affordable to do so in Truckee. The reality is that it can take months or even years to get all your approvals. Let's fix that and the lower costs for everyone.Develop an economic vitality plan for the TownThe Town of Truckee has committed to developing an economic vitality plan. We need to prioritize that effort and ensure it does not experience any further delays.

“We cannot build community in darkness and silence,” said Toups. He recounted that during the week, an anonymous person had torn down the rainbow flags that showed the way to one of the events—which has happened before, when Truckee first put up their pride banners.So, Toups connected Pride to the trumpets of the passage. “Let Pride be a call to bring our camps together… let it remind us to be heard and seen.” He called for all communities to unite and support one another.

Truckee Pride’s third year emphasizes connection and community

I believe in leading by listening. Community organizing is about spending time with people, understanding their concerns, and helping build solutions based on what you hear.

"I believe in leading by listening. Community organizing is about spending time with people, understanding their concerns, and helping build solutions based on what you hear."Everything I’m running on comes directly from conversations with residents. My campaign priorities reflect what people have consistently raised with me. During the Measure G campaign for a new library, I personally spoke with more than 1,000 Truckee voters. Those conversations weren’t just about the library, they were about what people want to see in our town.

Q&A with Truckee Town Council Candidate Jason Toups

Make "affordability" a Town priorityOur Town Council has 5 strategic priority areas. As of today, "Affordability" isn't one of those. There are over 17,000 words in the Town Council priorities and workplan, but "affordability" only appears once. Let's change that.Raise income caps on workforce housingTruckee has been investing in workforce housing, but many of our programs have income caps that are too low. For example, a local firefighter and nurse would make too much money to qualify for deed-restricted workforce two-bedroom under current policy. We need to fix that.Make investment &amp; improvement easier &amp; fasterIf you are a property or business owner that wants to invest in and improve your asset, we should support and celebrate that. It should be fast and easy to get Town approvals. Time is money, and our processes today could be dramatically faster.

Support investment in our communityWhether you want to open a business, renovate your deck, or install a heat pump, it should be fast, easy, and affordable to do so. Let's reimagine our Town processes to make the experience as streamlined as possible. Issue permits in days, not monthsTime is money, and long waits add to the cost of living here. For example, a recently-opened coffeeshop took 11 months to get an approval. We can do better. A permit should take days, not months.Set measurable goals for all Town prioritiesTruckee has a great list of priorities developed from years of community input. But beyond priorities, we need goals with measurable outcomes and regular tracking toward those. We need to show the public our actual impact, not just our activities.

Responsive Government

Lead by listeningAs a Planning Commissioner for Truckee, Jason prepares for each hearing by meeting with both project supporters and opponents. Jason brings a background as a Community Organizer, and he believes elected leaders should always focus on listening to the community first.Build a vibrant, welcoming communityTruckee's local businesses, non-profits, and local residents are what make our Town so special. Jason believes Truckee should be welcoming to all. Jason has built community in his own life by helping organize Truckee Pride every year and developing more Truckee-centered activities for the North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation.

Community First

Encourage second homeowners to rent to localsTruckee has around 7,000 second homes. Of those, only 1,250 have a short-term rental permit. That means over 5,500 homes are mostly vacant. Our Town's most successful housing program, Lease to Locals, converts approximately 50 homes per year to full-time rentals to locals. Let's double or triple that.Support diverse housing types: studios, one-bedrooms, tiny homes, and townhomesIf we look at the number of single-family homes per capita, Truckee has almost 2x the National and California averages. In other words, we have a lot of 2,000 sq ft, three-bedroom, two-bath, single-family homes. But we're missing other types of housing: studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, tiny homes, and townhomes. We're missing the types of homes that young people and senior citizens need.Maintain high development standards while speeding up the process and providing more certaintyIn Truckee, we expect aesthetically pleasing development. That shouldn't change. But if we have high standards for development, then we need to speed up the process in order to reduce timeline costs. We need to provide more clarity in our development code so there is less uncertainty about whether a project meets our standards or not.Advocate for better fire insurance solutionsTruckee is one of the only towns in California with a dedicated wildfire mitigation budget (funded by Measure T). Yet we pay the same fire insurance rates as the rest of the Sierra. We need the Fair Plan to offer discounts to communities like ours with significant mitigation efforts.

Keeping Truckee Livable. Jason Toups is focused on listening to our local community, improving affordability and housing, and making our government more responsive. 

What we can actually do

Affordability Action Plan

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