Make "affordability" a Town priority

Our 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 housing

Truckee 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 & improvement easier

If 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.

Partner with local agencies to find joint cost savings

In Truckee, we have 18 special districts/agencies, each with their own budgets. We can save money across the region by sharing resources, such as fleet management or HR. That money saved could free up significant resources toward improving the quality of life in Truckee.

Encourage second homeowners to rent to locals

Truckee 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 townhomes

If 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 certainty

In Truckee, we expect high quality 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 solutions

Truckee 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.

Support investment in our community

Whether 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 months

Time 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 priorities

Truckee 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.

Lead by listening

As 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 community

Truckee'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.

Support local small business owners and non-profits

Our 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 processes

If 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 Town

The 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.

Protect our local environment

Truckee 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 recreation

Many 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 roads

Traffic 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.