The New Year's storm of 2023 delivered over four feet of snow to Lake Tahoe, transforming the region into a bustling winter wonderland. However, the snowfall led to serious infrastructure issues, overwhelming local resources and causing power outages. South Lake Tahoe officials described the situation as a 'perfect storm' of circumstances, highlighting the ongoing struggle between the Heavenly Mountain Resort's growing influence and the local government's ability to manage the related challenges, as the resort contributes little financially toward essential services used during peak tourism.
'The situation is not normal,' Tom Fortune, who was Heavenly's vice president and chief operating officer at the time, told the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Heavenly has never paid any sales tax or property tax from Cal Lodge to the city of South Lake Tahoe to cover the cost of services like plowing, road repair, fire fighting and law enforcement.
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