Council passes short-term rental resolution

City Council passed a resolution Thursday in a 10-1 vote that directs staff to “develop a plan for better enforcement regarding short-term rental properties, particularly those that have repeated complaints” or are noncompliant. The resolution directs staff to bring forward its report and recommendations on or by the Aug. 13 Council meeting. Council Member Greg Casar also proposed an amendment, which Council incorporated, to request that staff propose a resolution at the following Council meeting on Aug. 20 that would initiate most of the code amendments that Code Department staff presented to the Planning and Neighborhoods Committee on June 15. These include adding a penalty for operating a short-term rental without a license, requiring advertisements or promotions for short-term rentals to state that there is a six-person occupancy limit, adding a penalty for operating short-term rentals with an expired license, adding inspection requirements and striking a section of city code that allows unlicensed individuals to advertise a potential short-term rental solely in order to “gauge public interest.” The Planning and Neighborhoods committee will also consider the issue at its Aug. 17 meeting. Council Member Don Zimmerman cast the sole opposing vote.