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Committee reviews short-term rental ordinance edits and considers whether county should serve as state agent for inspections
Summary
Committee members reviewed a revised short-term rental draft, discussed fee schedules and procurement policy, and debated whether Richland County should act as a state agent to perform licensing and inspections for short-term rentals and other regulated activities.
Staff presented a revised short-term rental ordinance text and asked the committee whether the county should pursue taking on an "agent" role to perform state licensing and inspections locally. Kathy noted a number of editorial fixes and obsolete dates in the draft (for example, a two-year license expiration date that referenced 2024) and said she would remove hard-coded calendar years and resubmit the draft to the county attorney for finalization.
Committee members agreed the ordinance should return for a public hearing once the administrative details are corrected. Staff said the fee schedule and a draft procurement policy will be finalized and rolled into the countycode-of-ordinances update so that licensing and fee administration are consistent.
The discussion of taking on the state agent role drew substantial procedural questions. Committee members were told the agent model would require the county to perform inspections and licensing that the state currently handles (for example, restaurant and lodging inspections or other regulated activities). Acting as an agent would generate fee revenue shared with the county but would also require staff capacity to perform timely inspections and maintain records. Several members suggested inviting a state representative to explain how the agent program works and to provide data on likely inspection volumes and potential revenue before deciding.
No vote was taken on adopting the ordinance or on assuming the agent role; staff were directed to correct the draft, add the ordinance to a future meeting for a public hearing and to arrange a state briefing on the agent program if possible.
