Walworth County zoning staff told the agency they will begin copying town clerks when the county issues or renews short‑term rental (STR) licenses after the Town of Walworth requested that the county not issue its license until the town’s permit is in place.

Mandy, a county zoning staff member, summarized the town’s request and described current practice: “We do not currently have anything in place in our processes that first require that you get licensed with the town before we issue ours,” she said, adding that the county currently notifies property owners about town requirements but does not hold issuance pending a township license.

The agency discussed enforcement limits and the practical effects of conditioning a county license on an individual town’s approval. Staff warned that different town rules could create a “slippery slope,” requiring county staff to track 16 different township regimes. Mandy said the county already requires a state tourist rooming house license from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) for certain statewide categories and noted that counties do not receive reciprocal prior‑approval authority from DATCP.

Committee members who support the Town of Walworth’s request framed it as an enforcement tool: if the town’s local licensing/policing mechanism is stronger, requiring town sign‑off could give towns more leverage to address nuisance or safety problems associated with rentals.

The committee did not adopt a new formal county rule at the meeting. Instead, members agreed on immediate next steps: staff will start copying the town clerk at the time the county issues a license or renewal so towns are informed earlier, and staff will research whether a county revocation process or other enforcement mechanisms could be created or clarified to help towns address problem properties. Mandy said the county issues about 300 short‑term rental licenses at present, and staff monitor commercial platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) as part of their enforcement and compliance work.

Ending: Staff said they will pursue two deliverables — begin notifying town clerks at time of issuance and report back on options for town‑level enforcement or county revocation procedures — and will update the committee when those analyses are complete.