Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
Apparently, our city manager thinks it is up to the residents to police short-term vacation rentals by calling the police on every infraction, noise abatement, trash issue or other problem.
As the licensing agency for such endeavors, you would think that your code enforcement officer, cops and other agencies appertaining would be responsible, but apparently, the only barometer is if residents call and complain. On that note, why are we in peaceful neighborhoods stuck with this sort of exasperation?
Short-term renters have no buy-in to the community wherein they become ensconced. We have no control over a commercial enterprise that should be confined to commercial areas, except for your apparent grasping need for additional revenue from room tax. The real bone of contention is that STVR’s are unsupervised, unlike homestay or bed and breakfasts. Even month-to-month rentals are better because there is a greater period of time to discover and act on problems if they develop.
Why is this commercial endeavor OK, but others aren’t? It’s because the city sees revenue in it, and they don’t care about us.
My wife Debra and I encourage the city fathers to eliminate STVR’s from residentially zoned neighborhoods, and confine them to commercially zoned areas of the city as is proper.
Thank you.
John B. And Debra L. Peery