Advisory group of concerned residents will work on Tahoe water issues

An advisory group is being formed to help Douglas County deal with water system issues in the Lake Tahoe basin.

"The workgroup is comprised of individuals with legal, cost accounting, consulting, fire management, water management and engineering expertise who were selected for their unique understanding of water related issues in the Tahoe Basin," said County Manager Steve Mokrohisky. "As important, these individuals are concerned residents who want to participate in a productive dialogue about how to solve challenging water system issues. I am confident that through the efforts of this group and with the support of the County and other water service providers in Lake Tahoe, we will identify reasonable solutions to provide quality water service at an affordable cost."

The initial members of the workgroup include Doug Patterson, Ron Alling, Cameron McKay, Darryl Harris, Lynn Endicutt, Greg Ott, Steve Kenninger, Rick Gardner, Ben Sharit and Mike Hashemi, all residents of the Tahoe Basin who have been involved in water related issues. The group's efforts are also supported by additional volunteers who are contributing their time and effort to this project.

"This is a great example of the County partnering with local residents to solve difficult issues facing our community and should serve as a model for similar efforts in the future," said Doug Patterson, a local resident and member of the advisory workgroup.

The workgroup is expected to release interim reports of its work prior to submission of its final recommendations which will be available through the County Manager's office.

The workgroup is expected to submit specific recommendations to the county manager by Jan. 31, 2012.