Operators and neighbors of a private pool business called the "Yacht Club" spoke for and against a proposed short-term amenity rental ordinance at the Des Moines City Council meeting on March 27, asking the council to balance neighborhood impacts with permitting rules for new business models.

Annie Pansky, who said she operates the Yacht Club and wants to transition it to a Scandinavian-style family spa, told the council she and her husband have received neighborhood support and petition signatures and asked the city to allow amenity rentals under a reasonable framework. Pansky said the draft ordinance’s proposed outdoor sound limit of 55 dBA is below the neighborhood’s ambient noise near flight paths and busy roads and argued the code’s occupancy limit of six guests did not reflect available outdoor space, parking, or responsible management. She proposed a strike-based accountability model: three verified complaints from different neighbors within six months would trigger enforcement and three strikes in a year would revoke a permit.

Multiple neighbors described repeated impacts from short-term pool rentals. Kim Richmond, who said she lives next door, raised safety concerns and recounted a July incident when a 12-year-old “almost died” and was pulled from the pool by first responders. She said there is no lifeguard or health-department oversight for private rental pools, and described repeated noise and late-hour disturbances. Ellie Richmond, who said she teaches children, urged the council to exclude private short-term pool rentals from the code, pointing to lack of health-department reporting, absence of lifeguards, alcohol sales and what she described as environmental and safety risks. She noted Mount Rainier Pool as a public alternative that is regulated and staffed.

Council members discussed the item during the Economic Development Committee report. Chair Nutting said the committee heard the issue and directed staff to proceed with drafting an ordinance; Nutting said staff received the direction they needed and would consider public comments in the ordinance development. The transcript shows no council vote on a final ordinance that night.

City staff and committee members emphasized that any future rulemaking would need to balance neighborhood protections (noise, safety, parking, accountability) with the rights of property owners and small businesses. Neighbors asked for stronger enforcement tools and health oversight; operators asked for practical standards that reflect site-specific conditions and not blanket bedroom-based occupancy calculations.

The council did not adopt an ordinance at the March 27 meeting. The city manager and staff were directed by the committee to craft code language for council consideration in a future meeting, taking into account public comment and committee guidance.