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Council schedules community discussion on short-term rentals for March 4; mediator to facilitate
Summary
The Town Council agreed to hold a community discussion about short-term rentals on March 4, 6-8 p.m., at the community center using a neutral facilitator from the Center for Mediation & Collaboration Rhode Island. The council amended the item to label it a "community discussion" and set a follow-up workshop later for ordinance work.
The Town Council set a community discussion on short-term rentals for Tuesday, March 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the community center and agreed to bring in the Center for Mediation & Collaboration Rhode Island to facilitate.
Councilor (Ms.) McNally reported she had spoken with the center's executive director, who offered to send staff to design and facilitate a neutral, roundtable-style meeting that would aim to surface themes and give a wide range of residents an opportunity to be heard. The proposed format uses multiple small tables with note-taking and a read-back of themes for transparency.
Councilors debate: some members asked that the public-facing meeting be clearly described as a community discussion (not the ordinance workshop) and that the later work session at Town Hall -- where council and staff would consider specific ordinance text -- remain separate. Council amended the motion to call the event a "community discussion" and approved scheduling it for March 4 from 6 to 8 p.m.; the vote was unanimous.
Residents who spoke at the meeting supported a neutral facilitator and suggested the council provide a brief baseline fact sheet about the current short-term rental rules so the public can discuss accurate information. Several residents noted the town has multiple stakeholder groups (resident landlords, resident-representative groups, and out-of-town investors) and urged organizers to ensure diverse representation and mechanisms for quieter voices to be heard.
The council directed staff to finalize logistics and to return the summary of themes to a later town workshop where councilors can review suggested ordinance changes line by line.
