To Supervisors:
Public comments about item 4a BOS meeting 8-29-2023
I am glad to see that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) is willing to discuss and possibly coming up with a direction to staff regarding an Inland Short Term Rental Ordinance.
I became interested in Short Term Rentals (STR’s) when I voiced my opposition to an application for a short term rental in Albion. The first meeting was on 7-15-2021 followed by a 9-2-2021, a 10-21-2021, and a 11-18-2021 meeting. It took 4 meetings until all planning commissioners realized that this particular application was wrong for this neighborhood. Based on this experience Chair Pernell created an ad hoc committee on 12-2-2021 to review the interpretation of the Planning and Building Services Director regarding Section 20.164.015(L) and Vacation Rentals. In May 2022 the North Coast Housing Action Team (HAT) launched a petition and campaign requesting that the BOS immediately create a STR ordinance restricting the # of licenses to no more than 2% of area housing. Realtor Birdie Holmes did not like their recommendations and shared this with the Planning Commission on 5-19-2022. Other community members shared their comments on 6-16-2022. Resolution # PC_2022-0018 that the ad hoc committee crafted was adopted on 11-17-2022. Unfortunately this Resolution was appealed by Paul Clark (Realtor Century 21) and his attorney Collin Morrow. Unfortunately 4 Supervisors upheld the appeal (not Supervisor Gjerde) on 4-25-2023. It saddens me to see that all this time has passed where we loose valuable community members/workers that need to leave the area as they can not find a rental, even less so an affordable rental. Our tourist industry is lacking workers that is why certain restaurants can only be open part time, or are considering closing or selling their business. Even worse is that we can not attract doctors, nurses, lawyers, veterinarians, dentists, teachers, etc. who might have enough money for a rental, but can not find one and leave the area or never consider coming here. We need an Inland Short-Term Rental Ordinance now! It will have to address noise & parking limits, water usage, septic capabilities, neighborhood stability, caps rental days, caps maximum occupancy, prohibit use of accessory dwelling units, disallows outdoor burning, requires property owners to live on-site and does not accept corporate ownership. Owners need to get a major permit, a STR permit from Planning and Environmental Review, a business license, and a registration that forces them to pay TOT. I believe that restricting the # of licenses to no more than 2% of area housing is a good idea. Unfortunately with all the Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, and other companies a lot of TOT money does not get collected.
Along with this Inland Short-Term Rental Ordinance an ordinance should be crafted that would tax people who have several houses that are not lived in at a higher rate.
Thanks for looking into the matter. It is long overdue!
Annemarie Weibel, Albion
To Supervisors:
Public comments about item 4a BOS meeting 8-29-2023
I am glad to see that the Board of Supervisors (BOS) is willing to discuss and possibly coming up with a direction to staff regarding an Inland Short Term Rental Ordinance.
I became interested in Short Term Rentals (STR’s) when I voiced my opposition to an application for a short term rental in Albion. The first meeting was on 7-15-2021 followed by a 9-2-2021, a 10-21-2021, and a 11-18-2021 meeting. It took 4 meetings until all planning commissioners realized that this particular application was wrong for this neighborhood. Based on this experience Chair Pernell created an ad hoc committee on 12-2-2021 to review the interpretation of the Planning and Building Services Director regarding Section 20.164.015(L) and Vacation Rentals. In May 2022 the North Coast Housing Action Team (HAT) launched a petition and campaign requesting that the BOS immediately create a STR ordinance restricting the # of licenses to no more than 2% of area housing. Realtor Birdie Holmes did not like their recommendations and shared this with the Planning Commission on 5-19-2022. Other community members shared their comments on 6-16-2022. Resolution # PC_2022-0018 that the ad hoc committee crafted was adopted on 11-17-2022. Unfortunately this Resolution was appealed by Paul Clark (Realtor Century 21) and his attorney Collin Morrow. Unfortunately 4 Supervisors upheld the appeal (not Supervisor Gjerde) on 4-25-2023. It saddens me to see that all this time has passed where we loose valuable community members/workers that need to leave the area as they can not find a rental, even less so an affordable rental. Our tourist industry is lacking workers that is why certain restaurants can only be open part time, or are considering closing or selling their business. Even worse is that we can not attract doctors, nurses, lawyers, veterinarians, dentists, teachers, etc. who might have enough money for a rental, but can not find one and leave the area or never consider coming here. We need an Inland Short-Term Rental Ordinance now! It will have to address noise & parking limits, water usage, septic capabilities, neighborhood stability, caps rental days, caps maximum occupancy, prohibit use of accessory dwelling units, disallows outdoor burning, requires property owners to live on-site and does not accept corporate ownership. Owners need to get a major permit, a STR permit from Planning and Environmental Review, a business license, and a registration that forces them to pay TOT. I believe that restricting the # of licenses to no more than 2% of area housing is a good idea. Unfortunately with all the Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, and other companies a lot of TOT money does not get collected.
Along with this Inland Short-Term Rental Ordinance an ordinance should be crafted that would tax people who have several houses that are not lived in at a higher rate.
Thanks for looking into the matter. It is long overdue!
Annemarie Weibel, Albion