WINNING STRATEGRY
Mammoth Lakes Town Council meeting Wednesday was a six-hour long party, complete with a packed-house brainstorming session from the community as well as a show and tell – Police Chief Daniel Casabian brought in 100 vapes confiscated from the public schools.
For those of us that stuck it out, we learned a lot about the Town’s existing initiatives. Namely, the Council did make good on its promise to commit new Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds to its Housing Now! program. And within that program, planning for Parcel Phase III is underway. As for the Lease to Locals program, the jury is out on its success. All the while, broadband internet is on the horizon.
Dream a little dream
Council invited members of the public to weigh in on plans for 2025. In doing so, the town rolled out a survey to assess constituent desires. The survey received 352 responses, and 15 people spoke during the public comment period.
A strong contingent advocated for a bike park, led by a speaker who cited a petition with 300 signatures and a proposed site across from the schools. When he asked for support, hands shot up around the room.
In her request for a pool, one woman concluded with a statement that many children in town can’t swim … even though the town is named Mammoth Lakes. The packed room laughed.
A few women expressed frustration about having to travel for indoor snowsports training, calling for a local facility.
And there were plenty of suggestions on how to improve traffic infrastructure; from making Old Mammoth Road a one way to building a parking garage to constructing a pedestrian tunnel across Minaret Road by the Village.
Councilmember Bill Sauser thanked attendees and noted, “We’ll see what we can afford.”
No choice special
The Council formally allocated 100% of the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue expected from the additional 2 points to the Town’s Housing Now! program.
The initiative to raise the tax, known as Measure L, was passed by voters on November 5, increasing the TOT rate from 13% to 15%. The town began implementing the new rate starting January 1. The Town’s Housing Now! program encompasses Town projects such as the Parcel and the Bridge (loan) program with the overarching goal to improve the local affordable housing stock.
Prior to the increase, the town committed 18.08% of TOT funds to tourism, 6.54% to housing, and 6.54% to transit, with the remaining 68.84% to the General Fund. Those allocations will remain largely the same, with the additional funds accrued from the increase specifically allocated to the Housing Now! fund.
During the transition period, there will be some taxes still collected at the old rate to honor existing reservations. Those transactions will only be allocated to the base TOT and not include an allocation directly to Housing Now! aside from the already committed 6.54% to housing.
This methodology would also be used during the quarterly budget process to allocate any incremental TOT budget to each respective area, so as the base TOT increments through the year, so does the allocation to Housing Now! In this case, 13.3336% of every dollar collected will be allocated to the Housing Now! initiative.
The TOT increase has a ten year sunset, so these rate commitments will be eligible for reinstatement or retirement in 2035. With this in consideration, Councilmember John Wentworth requested that the impacts of these allocations be recorded meticulously in order to inform that future decision.
The staff report states reporting will be developed to show total TOT collected and how each dollar was distributed.
Lease to Locals
The Town aimed to secure 40 properties for its Lease to Locals subsidy rental program by the end of this fiscal year, but just five property owners have signed on six months in.
The Lease to Locals program offers a town-sponsored financial subsidy to property owners to lease their property on a seasonal to long-term basis. Chase Janvrin, General Manager of the program’s parent company, gave an update to the Council on why the program’s fallen behind its ambitions.
He compared Mammoth Lakes to Provincetown, Massachusetts, which launched a Lease to Locals program simultaneously with similar marketing efforts. While both programs initially engaged the same number of people, fewer property owners in Mammoth ultimately leased their properties.
Of the 94 property owner leads in Mammoth, 32 were not qualified, 30 weren’t interested and 32 were currently qualified or interested. Of the property owners who lost interest, 27% said the rent caps were too low.
Janvrin also said seasonal interest was a factor in the program’s disappointing numbers since people already have plans for winter but may rent out in the spring.
Third Time’s the Charm
Council began planning for the third phase of the Parcel affordable housing development.
The Town purchased the land for the project in 2018 and approved its master plan in early 2021. The first phase, the Sawyer, was completed in 2024 and is now fully occupied, while the second phase, the Kingfisher, is under construction. Both the Sawyer and the Kingfisher feature rental units with income restrictions due to the grants that fund them.
But the third phase of the build is not funded by grants unlike the other phases, and is aimed at creating ownership units for middle-income residents (120-200% AMI), with deed restrictions to ensure long-term affordability.
“We cannot afford to have a failure here,” Councilmember John Wentworth said. “We cannot afford to do something that is perceived as being stupid, that doesn’t make any sense.”
Amy Callanan, Engineering Manager, presented the proposed plan for the build alongside Haislip Hayes, Public Works Director, and Nolan Bobroff, Community and Economic Development Director.
The discussion for the plan was centered on the number of units with a maximum of 48. Councilmember Amanda Rice advocated for a lower number, emphasizing that density should not be prioritized over quality and livability. Council ultimately agreed on a target of around 43 units.
The Council favored mixed-unit buildings such as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes instead of large structures, and advocated for a 20-foot distance between units, with a strong emphasis on neighborhood aesthetics and snow removal.
Staff proposed a multi-use path to divide the property from nearby neighbors.
A square section of the property, identified as Lot 4, was evaluated for its practicality in relation to snow storage needs and project viability. Council considered whether to delay its development, incorporate it into the building plan, or use it as a parking area, which was its original purpose.
“My preference is if we have the money, I’d like to do it now, and I wouldn’t want to see it used for parking, I’d want to see it used for housing,” Rice said.
Broadband internet
A state project aimed at providing high-speed fiber internet to every address in Mammoth Lakes is in the works, said Barbara Hayes, Chief Economic Development Officer of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC).
The project is a result of a senate bill passed in July 2021 which allocated $6 billion for broadband infrastructure and created California’s first state-owned open-access middle mile system. This bill allows counties to own and maintain broadband, with the Golden State Connect Authority overseeing initiatives in 40 counties, including Mono.
The network will be owned and maintained by Golden State Connect Authority, allowing various internet service providers to offer services. Fiber connections will be installed at no cost to residents upon sign-up.
As part of the installation, three hut locations have been identified for housing the necessary equipment. The huts are projected to be built on town land, but not funded or directed by the town government.
Implementation will begin once all awards are finalized, expected by late February or early March.
Many businesses in town are excited about the project’s potential, said Brianna Goico, president and CEO of the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce. During the holiday rush this year, many businesses struggled with connectivity issues.
