HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Comment/Emilie Kashtan
Allison Spani
From:Shanna Kuhlemier
Sent:Friday, August 18, 2023 2:47 PM
To:Allison Spani
Subject:FW: Public Comment
Please file for the last Board meeting.
Shanna D. Kuhlemier, CMC
District Clerk/Assistant to the General Manager
11570 Donner Pass Road
Truckee, CA 96161
P: 530-582-3980
www.tdpud.org
At The Truckee Donner PUD, we believe in:
Safety – Safety is our way of life!
Communication – Send and receive
Integrity – Honest and ethical!
Accountability – Own it!
Timeliness – Meet our goals and commitments!
Work Life Balance – Work hard, play hard!
From: Shanna Kuhlemier
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2023 12:21 PM
To: 'Steve Gross' <gross@portersimon.com>
Cc: Brian Wright <brianwright@tdpud.org>
Subject: Public Comment
Emily requested, I send this public comment onto the Board.
To the TDPUD Board
Thank you, the TDPUD staff and the entire organization for diligently working 24/7 to keep the people at Donner Lake
with electric power and drinking water, as best can be done, especially during severe storms and other events. It was
particularly difficult two winters ago when a power pole on West Reed snapped, causing a domino effect of problems to
poles toward the east. Applause to all TDPUD staff who participated toward fixing the problems during a tremendous
snow storm, especially staff that live remotely due to being unable to afford to live in Truckee.
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the TDPUD, when we at Donner Lake were on a boil notice for a year, and
my friend Kathy Polucha, who passed tragically, and I worked for a year to get Del Oro's Donner Lake Water District,
condemned in a 3 day trial and the TDPUD, judiciously and reluctantly, took on being the receivership and rebuilt the
entire failed water system in 3 1/2 years. All this unprecedented in the State of California. .
Please appreciate that the people of Donner Lake were put in an "Assessment District" so other TDPUD customers did
not have to pay for our problems, but once fixed, we became part of the TDPUD "family". I think our extra costs/loan is
almost up, must check.
Now I am requesting that the TDPUD step up to the plate and correct a wrong.
1
While doing the Joint trenching project with Southwest Gas, the TDPUD went into a private "venture" with a developer,
Robert Montano, who owned land above West Reed Avenue. Well as you all might recall, Mr. Montano was required to
submit an EIR to the Truckee Planning Commission which published a Mitigated Neg Dec with requirements for drainage
mitigations, prior to "any shovel hitting the ground." The wife of Mr. Wilkin's (Public Works Director/Senior Engineer
for Truckee), represented Mr. Montano in the Planning Commission's hearings. Mr. Montano pulled his permit and the
TDPUD under that auspice of "utility advantage for the public good", graded a road to Montano's proposed 4 house
development,which then bifurcated to further grade a road across the mountainside to the eastern subdivision in order
to install a water line. I think it was Lake View Subdivision, Donner Heights, or Lake View Extension, I get them
confused but will check my maps.
When the graded road occured, within a week, I called a pow wow site visit with Caltrans, TDPUD, Lahonton, the Town
and a few downhill property owners in 2003, 2003(?). The Town (Dan Wilkins) forgot to require an encroachment
permit from Donner Lake road to the Montano property, I believe, and the TDPUD forgot to take one out. I must check
into this for accuracy, but to date have found no evidence to contradict this. Please advise. BUt, we know that Mr.
Wilkins looked the other way and did not red tag the project, which would have triggered the Truckee Planning
Commission's mitigation drainage requirements which would have significantly reduced the downhill damage.
Two studies, 2006 by Inland Ecosystems identified the drainage problems and in 2016 Truckee River Watershed Council
identified the drainage and erosion problems significantly accelerated. Fast forward, this lack of mitigated drainage has
caused downhill private and public property damage as well as unfiltered cobble and debris to enter Donner Lake, a
protected waterway. We know that Lahonton (Scott Ferguson) also looked away from his responsibility due to his
close association with Dan Wilkins and his right hand man, Becky Bucar. documented with years of written complaints
with no response. , .
Due to decades from the Town, a complaint was made to the Nevada County Grand Jury, who fstudied this area with its
many problems and issued a 33 page document identifying the problems and possible solutions/emedies. This has been
deferred to Nevada County Judge thomsen, who has required responses from the Town and Nevada County with
requested responses from other folk.
I have sent in a "response" identifying 11 areas of focus, that includes the TDPUD and the Montano debacle. with a 2
inch binder of supporting documents.
The Judge has given 90 days for response and then he will do what judges do.
My recommendation is that before the first snowflake falls, the TDPUD shows some effort to go up to that
Montano/TtDPUD graded road, as best as possible mitigate the drainage and clean up the dumped mess, of trees and
debris, that was left. Now, have a "plan" for next year to fix the problems in a more permanent solution. I think the
Montano property has been sold, and I hope that Mr. Montano disclosed all the "problems" in disclosure because this
could be a hornets nest for both the owners and the TDPUD. It was always of interest to me that the contract between
the TDPUD and Mr. Montano happened years after the fact...I have to check my files for that document, but around
2016 when ink went to paper.
Well, I believe in admitting a mistake, fixing it and moving on. What we all want is a good solution to a problem.
My advice, before it gets out of hand, is to take some steps to remedy the problems in a short term solution at this point
and then make a sound plan with the new owners of the Monano property to make a long term solution. Make sure you
do what you promised to do, reseed and rehabilitate the hillside where you graded that road, to prevent further
erosion that drainage in to Donner Lake, further polluting it. Just a thought. .
Respectfully submitted,
Emilie Kashtan
ekashtan1953@gmail.com 916 4020777
2
Shanna D. Kuhlemier, CMC
District Clerk/Assistant to the General Manager
11570 Donner Pass Road
Truckee, CA 96161
P: 530-582-3980
www.tdpud.org
At The Truckee Donner PUD, we believe in:
Safety – Safety is our way of life!
Communication – Send and receive
Integrity – Honest and ethical!
Accountability – Own it!
Timeliness – Meet our goals and commitments!
Work Life Balance – Work hard, play hard!
3