Council opens discussion on short-term rental rules; hotel-motel tax flagged as more complex

Council members discussed drafting a local ordinance to license and regulate short-term rentals and agreed to prioritize that work before tackling hotel-motel tax rules, staff said.
Town staff told the council they circulated model short-term rental provisions commonly used by similar small towns and asked members to review and decide which items to include, such as noise limits and occupancy per bedroom. “We feel like we could get that done way before the hotel motel,” a staff member said, because hotel-motel arrangements require county involvement for tax collection.
Staff and council members discussed next steps: council members should meet to select the substantive items for the short-term rental license (noise, occupancy limits and licensing conditions were specifically mentioned), then legal counsel will prepare an ordinance draft for council review. Staff suggested that, if the council reaches consensus on the proposed items, a vote could be possible by the next meeting.
Council members noted the town’s charter will guide the extent of the town’s authority over licensing and taxes and said the county’s tax-collection role will complicate any hotel-motel tax ordinance. Legal review was requested before any ordinance is finalized.