City staff, citizens discuss short-term rental urgency ordinance
City Manager Tom Frutchey discusses short term vacation rental issues with Council member Maria Elena Garcia.
–The issue of short-term vacation rentals came up before Paso Robles City Council Tuesday night. City Manager Tom Frutchey tells the council the issues include noise, traffic, parking, litter as well as the rights of property owners to do what they choose with their homes.
The proposal before city council Tuesday night was for an urgency ordinance and a long term ordinance refining the rules regulating short-term vacation rentals in the city.
Frutchey says a moratorium can create havoc for rental properties who need to plan 1-3 years in advance. He said that’s why staff prepared an urgency ordinance.
The proposals by staff inspired about an hour of public testimony at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Citizens talked about noise, parking, traffic, the rights of homeowners, and the welfare of residential neighborhoods.
Kathy Bonelli manages vacation rentals. She told the council that the number of complaints to police about vacation rentals was actually rather small. Her study found only 13 complaints in 2017, and 16 calls in 2018. Those calls were for disturbing the peace, noise complaints, and parking issues.
Ultimately, the council passed an urgency ordinance which includes a Hotline which neighbors can call to complain about problems with vacation rentals.
Bonelli says the urgency ordinance is a first step in resolving issues, but says it needs fine tuning.
A long-term ordinance is going back to the Short-term Vacation Rental Task Force and will be taken to the Paso Robles Planning Commission and, ultimately, to the City Council.
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