TRUCKEE ISSUES
"My family instilled the importance of public service from a very young age. I want to work for you and tackle the important issues head on to ensure the brightest future for Truckee residents."
-Lindsay Romack
LEARN MORE ABOUT
LINDSAY'S PRIORITIES
HOUSING
I have been an active member of the regional Mountain Housing Council of Tahoe Truckee since its inception in 2017. Through research and conversations with regional partners, I have been better able to understand the housing challenges for locals. I also lived the challenges myself- just a few years ago, I shared a three bedroom house with four other 30-something local professionals. There is no one size fits all solution, but. there's plenty we can do to improve housing options in Truckee.
As a Town Council member, I will advocate for a variety of programs and services to help everyone from our low-income residents looking for an affordable rental to young professionals trying to buy their first home. This includes an optional locals deed restriction program which would allow the Town to ensure that some housing stock remains in locals' hands. Town staff has already done great work on the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADUs) program and I support the continued promotion of that since ADUs provide additional opportunities for our lower income workforce to live in already established neighborhoods.
I look forward to continued community conversation and data-gathering around short-term rentals and strive to find a balance between the needs of locals who generate additional revenue by renting a room with the effect short-term rentals have on our local housing stock. We should look to innovative programs, like the Landing Locals program that matches homeowners to local employees, to find ways to encourage more short-term rental owners to offer their properties to locals. I support the ballot measure for a 2% TOT increase. to enable the town to generate additional revenue for housing while we determine, with the community, the next steps for short-term rentals. I support the proposed ordinance that addresses nuiscance issues, including parking, noise, and litter.
SUSTAINABILITY/ENVIRONMENT
The climate crisis will have a dramatic effect on our mountain community in the years ahead. I am proud that past council members committed Truckee to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and other renewable goals to follow. However, I think we should have an even more aggressive timeline. I will continue to push our town staff to think outside the box to implement plan, such as how to eliminate single use plastic, add additional transit options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars, and reduce litter. We need to look to the innovative work of some of our local organizations- like Mountain Area Preservation, Protect Our Winters, and the Shane McConkey Foundation's Eco Challenge- to utilize new ideas and programs . I will ensure that specific metrics and objectives are outlined in the General Plan 2040 Update so it is very clearly defined what we need to be doing now and in the future to make a difference. The metrics will need to encompass not only future development, but current businesses and community organizations so everyone is doing their part for Truckee.
I also support smart growth to ensure we protect open spaces- not only to continue to allow us to recreate, but also so that open spaces can be treated for fire resiliency to better protect our community from wildfire.
INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
I am here to serve ALL Truckee residents. I will strive to provide opportunities for input in a variety of ways. I will push for more bilingual resources and forums to ensure that Spanish speakers in our community can provide input on important issues and access all of the resources we provide in Truckee. I'll work with Sierra Community House to help reach community members who are often excluded from the process. I will advocate for town staff-including the police department- to strive for more diversity in the Truckee's workforce. I also will push for improved training for staff to ensure that racism and sexism are being actively addressed in their interactions with the public and within the workplace.
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We also must acknowledge the history of the lands we live on and honor the Indigenous people, from the past and present, who call Truckee home. I will ensure Indigenous history is included on interpretive signs and placards and and advocate that we look to the Washoe language when naming new trails or parks.
My priority is that everyone feels welcome to live, work, and visit here.
TRANSPORTATION
We must continue to provide options to encourage Truckee residents and visitors to get out of their cars- both to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions. This means increasing both public transit and pedestrian/cyclist opportunities to connect people and places.
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Truckee has increased public transit options in the past few years- including neighborhood shuttles for special events, additional service on the fixed route through Town, and expanded night transit service to Olympic Valley and Northstar. I support these transit options and will advocate for more frequent service. I will also push for the expansion of neighborhood shuttles as well as investing in electrifying the transit fleet to further meet climate change goals established by the Town.
I will continue to work to get a connected trail system. The next leg of the Legacy Trail from Cottonwood along the Truckee River is already in the works and I will be a big proponent of completing that and connecting with Placer County’s proposed trail. This will bring us closer to connecting the Town of Truckee and connecting Truckee residents and visitors to Squaw Valley and beyond. I will advocate for additional bike lanes throughout town to encourage commuters, families, and visitors to safely navigate Truckee on a bike. In addition to recreation trails, we must ensure we are providing opportunities for people to bike to work, school, and transit stops. We know that emissions from cars are some of the biggest pollutants in our area, so providing additional transportation options is an essential part of sustainability.
COVID 19 SAFETY
I will prioritize the safety of our community to ensure that all residents feel that they can enjoy the businesses, services, and recreation amenities that Truckee has to offer, without compromising their own safety or their loved ones at home. Our economy can continue to safely open up and thrive if we listen to public health officials and are respectful of each other. I will push Truckee to be more proactive in addressing and enforcing these public health initiatives. I also will advocate for the Town to work with Tahoe Forest Hospital and Nevada County health officials to proactively plan for the facilitation of vaccine distribution in our community.