Council hears overview of proposed changes to extended‑stay hotel rules ahead of second reading

The Independence City Council received an overview on Jan. 10 of proposed amendments to city code Chapter 5 addressing hotels and extended‑stay hotels; the council will consider the ordinance for second reading next week.

Tom Scannell, director of community development, told the council the proposed ordinance reorganizes lodging regulations into two divisions: requirements that apply to all lodging establishments and those that apply only to extended‑stay hotels. “We created two divisions,” Scannell said, “and modified the definition.”

The nut graf: city staff said the changes aim to clarify regulatory requirements for operators, improve safety and security, align city rules with state statute and add compliance tools for delinquent tax remittance.

Scannell summarized key provisions: a legally existing extended‑stay hotel built without interior entryways or lobbies would be exempt unless it expands; registered guests staying more than 30 days must re‑register and be issued new keys every 30 days; the ordinance no longer sets a maximum allowable stay for extended‑stay hotels. For standard hotels, a single hotel guest may not remain more than 30 consecutive days; beyond that the guest should stay at an extended‑stay property.

Scannell said the 2023 ordinance had included a 60‑day maximum; the new draft removes that maximum to accommodate situations such as disaster displacement. He also said the city is adding a penalty and administrative procedure tied to transient guest tax remittance: any operator delinquent three or more months in the prior 12 months must pay, at license renewal, an amount equal to the prior 12 months’ transient guest tax owed; operators delinquent in remitting the transient guest tax may be subject to suspension or revocation of business or liquor license under the business license process.

Councilmember McCandless and others asked about operator and resident feedback; Scannell said staff met repeatedly with operators and that the removal of the maximum time limit was one of the changes made in response to their concerns. On enforcement, Scannell said the business‑license suspension/revocation pathway is available if operators do not respond to city requests. City staff also said the ordinance clarifies that for the first 30 consecutive days transient guest tax applies, reflecting state statute.

Scannell said the ordinance prohibits operators from allowing individuals other than the registered guest to occupy rooms without registration, a change prompted by police and code enforcement concerns about unregistered occupants and unauthorized business activity in rooms. The ordinance retains safety‑oriented provisions such as room inspection and eviction authority consistent with state law.

Ending: Scannell told the council staff will communicate the changes to licensed operators if the council approves the ordinance; the council scheduled second reading for the next regular meeting and had no formal vote on Jan. 10.