MANISTEE — Manistee is still at work determining a short-term rental ordinance for the city.
Councilmembers debated the limit the city should set for short-term rentals in residential zones at a virtual meeting on Tuesday.
City Manager Thad Taylor sought the council’s feedback on the frequency of inspections — the current draft leaves it to the same process as long-term rental inspections (twice per year) — and the licensing fee cost.
Councilmember Jermaine Sullivan said she felt the city should get an idea of how many short-term rentals are currently in the area before setting a limit.
Taylor said using software like Host Compliance to find that out would cost the city around $4,000 to $5,000. He suggested staff speak to real estate agencies and individual short-term rental managers to get an idea of the current number of rentals.
This limit would only apply to the number of short-term rentals in residential zones. The current ordinance states that condominiums and short-term rentals in commercial zones are unlimited.
Sullivan also suggested allowing unlimited short-term rentals along the waterfront. Councilmember Lynda Beaton said she thinks there should be an unlimited number of short-term rentals for people who live full-time in the properties they rent.
“We have a small number of people who stay in their homes full time and they rent out a portion of their home as a short-term rental,” she said. “I think those should be unlimited, because they're the property manager. They're good ambassadors for our city and the neighborhood feels comfortable that the owner is there.”
The current ordinance requires that licensees be available to receive notices and respond to complaints from neighbors or the city 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
Sullivan said she felt this was excessive, pointing out that the police department said in November they don’t often have issues with short-term rentals.
Taylor said this would give police an opportunity to work through problems without issuing citations.
Sullivan expressed concern about the time the council is pending on the short-term rental ordinance at the expense of regulating long-term rentals.
“People aren't going to come here and vacation in a house that's falling down. So, my problem is we're spending so much time on these vacation rentals and nobody's looking at the long-term rentals which should have way more restrictions and regulations,” she said.
Mayor Pro-Tem Mick Szymanski said he feels there should have to be “some kind of management over the unlimited growth in the short-term rental business” because it affects the availability of affordable, quality long-term rentals.
City staff will now work to determine the numbers of long-term and short-term rentals in the city before drafting a new version of the ordinance.
The next council meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m. on April 20.
RELATED: 'We're not trying to take something away': Council discusses short-term rental ordinance
"Short" - Google News
April 15, 2021 at 05:04AM
https://ift.tt/3aeKJqa
Council debates limit for number of short-term rentals in Manistee - Manistee News Advocate
"Short" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2QJPxcA
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Council debates limit for number of short-term rentals in Manistee - Manistee News Advocate"
Post a Comment