Leaders OK voter district boundaries

A plan that combines Lake Tahoe and part of the Carson Valley into one voting district was tentatively approved Thursday by Douglas County commissioners.

Known as redistrict option 5, the plan puts all of the Lake Tahoe basin, and a portion of the Carson Valley into the district 4 seat held by commissioner Don Miner.

Specifically, the district will cover the west side of Foothill Road to the California state line and the Genoa area to Sierra Nevada Golf Ranch.

Commissioners unanimously approved the plan after hearings on the matter began in October. A final map will be drawn and will go before commissioners again in Stateline for final approval.

"There's really not that much difference, so (option) five is fine with me," Miner said following the meeting.

Redistricting happens every 10 years to reflect population trends reported from the U.S. Census.

The 2000 Census showed Douglas County's growth over the past decade centered in the Carson Valley, while growth in the Tahoe basin remained relatively unchanged.

By law, each of the five commission districts must be within a 10 percent margin of the ideal district population. The figure, 8,252 residents in each district, is based on census figures.

The option also includes some reconfiguration of the district one seat, held by commissioner Steve Weissinger. A small pocket on the northern end of Gardnerville Ranchos would be picked up by district 3 commissioner Bernie Curtis under the plan.

Tahoe resident Robert Chester, who has followed the issue from the start, spoke in support of option 5 and thanked commissioners for keeping the Tahoe Basin district intact.

"I'm pleased with the direction," Chester said.

When hearings began, Chester and other Tahoe residents were concerned the Stateline area would not get fair representation if the districts were drawn in a manner that would divide the Tahoe Basin into several pieces.

Under the plan, district 1 will cover most of Gardnerville Ranchos precincts. District 2 would cover Wildhorse, the Minden-Tahoe Airport area, Winhaven, Westwood, Town of Minden, Town of Gardnerville except Chichester Estates, Mottsville and Centerville.

District 3 would cover the Orchard Road area, Chichester Estates, Fish Springs, a small northern portion of Gardnerville Ranchos, Dresslerville, Ruhenstroth, Topaz Ranch Estates and Topaz Lake.

District 5 would include Jacks Valley, Indian Hills east and west and most of the Johnson Lane area except Wildhorse and Pinenut.

Commission seats are held by Steve Weissinger, district 1; Jacques Etchegoyhen, district 2; Bernie Curtis, district 3; Don Miner, district 4 and Kelly Kite, district 5.