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Commission directs town manager to prioritize short‑term rental enforcement; new software to help detect unregistered listings
Summary
The commission voted 3‑2 to task the town manager to direct the new code enforcement officer to prioritize short‑term rental enforcement, focusing on unregistered STRs, advertising out of compliance and an audit of owner records; the town also previewed Deckard software to locate likely violations.
The Town Commission voted 3‑2 to instruct the town manager to have the new code enforcement officer prioritize enforcement of short‑term rental ordinances and to report back in writing at the November town meeting.
Motion language and focus: Commissioners moved that the town manager direct the new code enforcement officer to prioritize enforcement actions on three areas: unregistered STRs, STR advertising that is out of compliance with town rules, and an audit of STR owners’ record‑keeping (guest registers, age checks, license plates, and other required documentation). The motion requested a written progress report at the commission’s November meeting. The motion passed 3‑2.
Technology and enforcement tools: During the same discussion the Technology Advisory Board reported on a live demonstration of Deckard, a commercially available monitoring platform that uses automated web searches and AI to locate STR listings across platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. The town’s demonstration found a preliminary count of listings that appear to be in compliance and a number that are not: the presenter reported 17 listings that appeared registered and 32 that appeared to be unregistered in initial scans.
Staff and process next steps: Commissioners and several public commenters urged a clear, documented enforcement workflow: (1) identify likely unregistered listings with technology; (2) send initial notices and require registration; (3) escalate to fines and administrative proceeding if compliance is not achieved; and (4) report metrics to the commission. Commissioners discussed the need to balance code enforcement priorities, limit undue resource shifts and avoid disrupting public safety work.
Why it matters: STR enforcement is a recurring, high‑priority issue for residents who say noncompliant rentals generate noise, parking and trash problems; the vote directs staff to make enforcement a higher priority and to use new software to find likely violations more efficiently.
Speakers quoted: Commissioner motion sponsors, Town Manager Lisa Fraser, newly assigned code enforcement officer Fritz (status discussed), Technology Advisory Board lead Mark Lower and residents who urged more enforcement.
