2019 Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance Public Comments
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2019 Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance Public Comments Date Name Public Comments Staff Responses # 11/23/19 Pat & Nick We vote ‘NO’ on any Proposed Short-Term Rental Ordinance in Crow Wing County. Thank you for your comments. Crow Wing 1 Heinen County believes that properly regulated short- term rental licensing will minimize public safety risks and nuisances and enhance environmental protection without negatively affecting the positive values and attributes associated with their use. The goals of this licensing were to adopt sensible and enforceable regulations that ensure that short-term renting remains an attractive option for property owners while also preserving the residential integrity of neighborhoods. 11/23/19 Paula As a resident next to a Vacation rental, these rules need to be stiffer. Such as quiet time Thank you for your comments. 2 Ronning should be 10 pm. I work and head to bed early. I own my home and pay taxes to live on my lake. When I go to bed at night I want to be able to have my windows open and hear Short-term rentals have largely been flourishing the loons. Not the idiots next door having a outdoor party til all hours in the night. We as unregulated by Crow Wing County for some live on a small lake so we don't have a lot of boat traffic. This is our home year round. time. Crow Wing County believes it is taking a Summer is short. These places are being used as commercial property with tax breaks of sensible approach to regulating short term being homesteaded. Our quiet residential area is just that, so why are we allowing rentals through the regulations proposed in this commercial business in our area. This is more traffic on a dead end street where it used Ordinance. Compared to other Counties and to be quiet. When buying or selling a home next to one of these rentals it should be cities in the area that regulate short-term disclosed. It also should need the approval of the closest impacted neighbors as it really rentals, we believe this ordinance strikes a affects each neighbor of the adjoining property. Resorts and Hotels are set up for people, proper balance between protecting parking and noise and have all the necessary policy and safety in place.People bring their homeowners’ private property rights and dogs and let them run, last year I had a dog chase a doe through my yard.Not to mention promoting tourism on the one hand, while the barking. Please please this is our home we grow weary of the constant commotion preserving the residential integrity of day in and day out during the summer. I see Lake county will now charge the home neighborhoods on the other hand. owners with commercial taxes. Why not just keep residential areas residential and leave the Hospitality industry to them. Concerning quiet hours, the County believes that 11:00pm for the start of quiet-time strikes the appropriate balance of rights vs. residential integrity identified above. 1 2019 Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance Public Comments Date Name Public Comments Staff Responses # Concerning parking and other potential private property rights issues, state laws regulate and restrict a number of different issues. Any officer of the law who is able to enforce state statutes is able to enforce these laws. Concerning tax assessments and commercial uses, this proposed Ordinance does not regulate property tax classification(s), impose new / different taxes, nor does it change the current land use (zoning) classification to a different district. Tax assessments are handled as a separate issue. Earlier this year, Cook County requested guidance from the MN Department of Revenue Property Tax Division, who oversees and regulates county property tax assessment functions, on how to properly classify short- term vacation rentals. We have and must follow how they tell us to classify short-term vacation rentals. At present, if the primary use of a property is as a vacation rental, our instructions are to classify that property as commercial. 11/24/19 Lori Great ideas I would approve without modifications. Thank you for your comments. Crow Wing 3 Norman County believes that properly regulated short- term rental licensing will minimize public safety risks and nuisances and provide enhanced environmental protection without negatively affecting the positive values and attributes associated with their use. 11/25/19 Tom Larson (Phone) All for it! There are a number of issues with people who rent them. Thank you for your comments. Crow Wing 4 • Noise – very bothersome, fireworks year round County believes that proper, sensible 2 2019 Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance Public Comments Date Name Public Comments Staff Responses # • During summer the one near them is always rented, homeowner is not present regulations enacted through a licensing • Trash on the road Ordinance will reduce negative consequences • Don’t respect the lake or the road associated with some short-term rentals while • Air B&B – they are draining a swamp on the property into the lake promoting tourism and protecting • Rentals should be controlled and taxed as a business since that’s what they are homeowners’ private property rights. We • 23504 South Shore Lake Drive, Emily – Air B&B near them believe this proposed Ordinance will do just that. 11/26/19 Chris Pence Good morning - thank you for the opportunity to comment on the new proposed Thank you for your comments. 5 ordinance. I am not writing these comments to support or not support the ordinance - just things to consider if you do in fact adopt the ordinance. Concerning jurisdiction, the Ordinance does indeed apply to all areas within the boundaries of Crow Wing County including both cities and 1. What is the jurisdiction (Section 2.3) of the ordinance - the jurisdiction reads townships. that the ordinance applies to all areas within the boundaries of Crow Wing County - does that include incorporated cities as well as the townships? I am Concerning liability limits, this has been assuming not and the ordinance should clearly state this. You may also want to referred to Legal Counsel for review. review the purpose statement under Section 1.1 to clarify jurisdiction of the ordinance. Concerning occupancy limits, the intent of the 2. I recommend that you add a definition under Section 2.1 - Subsurface Sewage ordinance is to strike a proper balance between Treatment Systems (SSTS) should be defined according to MN Rules 7080.1100 protecting homeowners’ private property rights Subp 82. and promoting tourism on the one hand, while 3. I recommend that you add a definition under Section 2.1 - Bedroom should be preserving the residential integrity of defined according to MN Rules 7080.1100 Subp 9 A&B. neighborhoods on the other hand. To that end, 4. I recommend that you clearly state what 24/7 means in Section 4.1 (c) - we we believe that allowing up to 4 people per- know what that means in slang but should be clearly spelled out in an ordinance. room plus one person overall for the rental 5. I recommend that the county request a copy of the paperwork that documents appropriately strikes that balance. proper liability coverage is in place for the short term rental operation. Is there a required amount? I am not sure what acknowledgement means. Concerning septic systems, the term “ALASD” 6. I recommend that you spell out SSTS in Section 5.1 (a) to clarify what the means “Alexandria Lake Area Sanitary District” acronym stands for. I also do not know what ALASD stands for in Section 5.1 (a) and is a vestige from a similar but different 7. A septic system is sized during the permit process by the owner stating how short term rental ordinance. The intent was to many proposed bedrooms will be in a new home. This can change over the years identify a central sanitary sewer district (SSD). as the county does not require a permit for a new bedroom that does not add We will revise this language to correct the new space to the dwelling. I recommend that the county clearly define a error. bedroom and then physically inspect the dwelling to verify the number of 3 2019 Short Term Rental Licensing Ordinance Public Comments Date Name Public Comments Staff Responses # bedrooms before issuing a license. If there are more bedrooms in the dwelling Concerning occupancy, the proposed Ordinance then it is sized for, the county must require that the system be upgraded to meet states “overnight occupancy”, which means current ordinance requirements. that the intent is to regulate only persons who 8. I do not agree with Section 5.1 (c) - once a septic system has been inspected, it have rented the short-term rental and intend to should not need to be inspected again - it is more important that an operating stay overnight. When they do so, only the plan be placed on the parcel that regulates maintenance of the system. maximum persons allowed per-bedroom and 9. The occupancy listed in Section 5.2 states that the overnight occupancy is four one more overall in each building will be people per bedroom - MN Rules 7080.1860 defines wastewater flow as 150 allowed during the rental period. gallons per day - this assumes 2 people per bedroom using 75 gallons of water per day. I recommend that the maximum occupancy per bedroom be limited to Concerning quiet hours, those are hours in two people plus one person per dwelling. which renters are expected to keep noise down 10. What happens if the vacation rental has a big birthday party or some other event to a minimum so as to not disturb neighbors.