LAKE TAHOE “-Tim Leslie, a California governor appointee member of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, resigned his position Wednesday citing philosophical conflicts with some board members and schedule conflicts with board meetings.

“I see storm clouds on the horizon,” Leslie wrote in an e-mail to TRPA Executive Director John Singlaub dated Jan. 21. “When the remaining North Shore projects are brought in for final determination, millions of dollars will have been spent and I have no confidence that they will be fairly judged, particularly by the California members.”

Leslie continued:

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“Hopefully I will be wrong; but when they are confronted by the “League,” the “Club” and a room full of angry members, who for the most part are concerned with their narrow interests rather than sustaining the benefit of our international treasure, they will be unable to approve an economically viable project. That is something I do not wish to be a part of. Even if they are approved you will face years of litigation while progress is brought to a halt.”

He closed the e-mail by saying that he had several activities scheduled for the year that would “significantly enhance” his retirement but conflict with scheduled board meetings.

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A strongly-worded resignation letter from Leslie was not a surprise, said TRPA Spokesman Dennis Oliver.

“He is a fairly outspoken person, and I think his resignation letter speaks for itself,” Oliver said. “In Lake Tahoe there are a lot of side arguments going on and not enough higher conversation about the lake itself and that can get frustrating.”

Leslie was appointed to the board by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in March of 2008. He replaced former board member and chair Julie Motamedi after she resigned from the board in December 2007.