Introducing the Long-Range Planning Committee + Trails and Open Space Committee

Introducing the Long-Range Planning Committee + Trails and Open Space Committee

Association News, Member News
Dec 16

LONG-RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW ONE COMMITTEE IS HELPING PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF TAHOE DONNER

The Long-Range Planning Committee (LRPC) is a 12-member committee whose initial meeting was held earlier in 2022. The LRPC was established to provide a vision and plan for the future of Tahoe Donner. The LRPC serves the board and staff as a resource across the association’s long-range planning efforts.

PRINCIPLES + FRAMEWORK OF THE LRPC
The LRPC works to ensure that, through long-range planning, the association continues to preserve and enhance the membership’s quality of life in line with Tahoe Donner’s vision and mission statements. This framework is upheld by guiding principles, which include:

  • Safety and compliance
  • Environmental stewardship
  • Member interest
  • Adaptive management
  • Asset protection
  • Governing documents
  • Member enjoyment
  • Financial responsibility

The current approach of the LRPC is split into three objectives:

  • Creating a current-state document to better understand what makes up Tahoe Donner today 
  • Developing a roadmap that will lead to creating future state options and recommendations
  • Providing annual advice and feedback on projects and plans

CURRENT FOCUS
Two subcommittees have been created to help kickstart two of these objectives both now and in the future. 

  • The Current State Subcommittee is drafting an updateable and accessible description of the current state of Tahoe Donner, based on items including governing documents, policies, demographics and more. It is expected the LRPC will adopt the Current State document at its meeting in October.
  • The Future State Subcommittee has been assembled to enable the full committee in developing a roadmap to guide the LRPC along a six-step process to eventually complete a recommended future state report for the association. It is expected the LRPC will adopt the Future State Roadmap in its October meeting.
    1. Step 1: Current State Review
    2. Step 2: LRPC Member Future State Input
    3. Step 3: Future State Deeper Dive and Member Engagement Planning
    4. Step 4: TD Member Engagement Program Implementation
    5. Step 5: Member Input Evaluation; Blending with Steps 2 + 3
    6. Step 6: Future State Report

Roadmap step details can be found on the website here; timing will be set based on the LRPC’s 2023 workplan, which is currently under development and can be found with October’s minutes.

In its June, August and September meetings, the committee provided input on capital project planning documents in preparation for the 2023 budget process. The feedback received was provided to the board during the Sept. 22 budget workshop.

BEYOND THE FUTURE STATE VISION
Once the board has approved a recommendation for the future state, the LRPC will focus on the plan for bridging the current state of Tahoe Donner to the future state options. 

To learn more about the Long-Range Planning Committee’s work, charter and future workshops, click here. 

Thank you to our member volunteers and staff who make up the Long-Range Planning Committee:

  • Joe Balan
  • Jim Beckmeyer (Chair)
  • Denise Gauny
  • Jackie Ginley
  • Laura Lindgren
  • Rob McCray
  • Jerry Meek (Vice Chair)
  • Jon Mitchell (Staff)
  • Dan Simmons
  • Ward Sproat
  • Michael Sullivan
  • Mike Vivas
  • Keith Williams

To learn more about the Long-Range Planning Committee, click here. To participate in a Long-Range Planning Committee meeting, meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at 2PM both at Northwoods Clubhouse and online via Zoom. 

TRAILS AND OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW ONE COMMITTEE IS HELPING PLAN FOR THE NATURAL SPACES AND PLACES AROUND TAHOE DONNER

The Trails and Open Space Committee (TOS) is a 12-member committee whose initial meeting was held in 2021. The TOS was created to serve the board of directors and staff with matters pertaining to the association’s land management, open spaces and trail system. 

FRAMEWORK OF THE TOS

The TOS works to initiate the progress of the association’s natural spaces, which can be broken into two parts – advisory and stewardship. 

ADVISORY

  • Developing, updating and maintaining land management
  • Supporting implementation of land management in open spaces, on trail systems and within documents and policies
  • Identifying relevant capital-improvement program projects
  • Supporting consistent and sufficient funding
  • Developing policies and strategies
  • Identifying land acquisition opportunities
  • Facilitating land management partnerships
  • Leveraging opportunities to increase the value and benefit of the trail system

STEWARDSHIP

  • Fostering awareness, understanding and appreciation of the need to preserve and protect Tahoe Donner’s trail system and natural resources
  • Promoting enjoyment and community connections
  • Developing and maintaining social and education efforts to foster stewardship culture
  • Serving as ambassadors to the trail system and open spaces
  • Facilitating member involvement 

This framework is upheld by guiding principles, which include:

  • Safety and compliance
  • Environmental stewardship
  • Member enjoyment
  • Adaptive management
  • Asset protection
  • Financial responsibility
  • Member interest

By moving forward with these objectives and principles, the committee can provide support for various planning efforts for the association, including Annual Workplans, Five-Year Strategic Plans and capital improvements plans and projections.

CURRENT PROJECTS
This year, one of the main projects of the TOS involves the Trails Master Plan. Last updated in 2013, the purpose of the Trails and Open Space Master Plan Update Project is to create a plan that affirms Tahoe Donner’s commitment to land management, open spaces and trail systems while acknowledging evolving use patterns and the association’s desire to offer a spectrum of family-friendly recreational opportunities for hikers, equestrians and mountain bikers. With community and stakeholder input, the new plan highlights areas where Tahoe Donner can increase the quality of user experiences and provide project recommendations that demonstrate a return on investment for homeowners. The plan will offer strategies for prioritized implementation in future years. 

Staff and consultants plan on presenting an updated plan draft to the board at the October board meeting on Oct. 28. 

To learn more about the Trails Master Plan, future meetings and more, click here. 

Thank you to our member volunteers and staff who make up the TOS Committee:

  • Karen Aaron 
  • VJ Bonnard 
  • Richard Bothwell 
  • Gayle Dana 
  • Lorna Dobrovolny
  • John Groom (Staff) 
  • Livia Quan 
  • Ellen Raynor 
  • Graham Reid 
  • Peter Sawyer 
  • Charlene Simmons
  • Julie Thornton

To learn more about the Trails and Open Space Committee, click here. To participate in a TOS meeting, join the committee meetings held at least quarterly to focus on major policy and planning areas at Northwoods Clubhouse and online via Zoom.