Astoria council adopts vacation-rental licensing ordinance after heated public comment

The Astoria City Council on June 2 conducted a second reading and adopted Ordinance 25-07, establishing a vacation-rental licensing, permitting and enforcement program and a cap on new vacation-rental licenses.

The ordinance, which passed on a 4-1 roll call vote, sets a licensing framework that city staff and supporters described as focused on fire, life-safety inspection and compliance. Mayor Fitzpatrick cast the lone dissenting vote.

The measure’s supporters, including John Roberts, Astoria’s community development director, told the council the ordinance creates “a regulatory framework” to monitor and evaluate administrative and enforcement impacts and removes certain burdens identified during the first reading. Roberts said amendments adopted after the May 19 hearing removed a requirement to list third-party platform information on new applications, clarified renewal timing and made revocation apply to the operator rather than the property when warranted.

The proposed fee structure discussed in the meeting would treat operators who already received land-use approvals as renewals and charge a $150 renewal fee plus about $25 per additional unit; reinspection fees would apply if multiple reinspections are required. The city indicated fees would be collected into the billing department fund and…