Arnold names 2 to TRPA board

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed two new members to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board on Wednesday.

Neither member lives in the Tahoe Basin, but both say they have a strong interest in the health of the lake.

San Francisco resident Steven Merrill has been visiting his family's Tahoe City home his whole life.

He said he's had "very typical opinions" about TRPA in the past.

"Anyone who owns a piece of property at the lake has had problems with TRPA," he said.

But he believes the bistate agency has an opportunity to present itself in a more positive light.

"Everybody hates the TRPA, and that's wrong," he said.

Merrill, 63, a venture capitalist, is a member of the League to Save Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Rim Trail and the Tahoe Lakefront Owners Association.

Merrill hopes the governing board can find a middle ground on most issues.

"I don't believe in extremism," he said. "I think (a middle ground) is what's needed with land-use issues up here."

Julie Motamedi, 44, grew up in Tahoe City and graduated from North Tahoe High School.

She hopes to bring a fresh outlook to the board and said she's excited about getting involved in Pathway 2007, a collaborative planning effort between TRPA, the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Forest Service and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, which will update existing basin management plans.

"It provides a wonderful opportunity for various agencies to come together as a collaborative effort," Motamedi said.

Motamedi, a corporate officer for Lakehouse Mall Property Management, was a founding member of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation and is a member of the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Maritime Museum.

Motamedi lives in Sacramento.

"I just felt that it was my civil and civic duty to put in my volunteer time," she said.

The 15-member governing board includes seven members from California, seven from Nevada and one non-voting presidential appointee. Six members are elected officials who represent local government.