Council sets public hearings, outlines short-term rental registry launch and UDO review; Nelson Avenue PUD flagged for separate discussion

City officials described plans to launch an online short‑term rental registry in mid-to-late April and set public hearings on zoning text (UDO) changes recommended by the Planning Board.

Mayor Stafford and staff said the registry’s dashboard and application side are built; one remaining item is an affidavit that registrants must sign to acknowledge local registration requirements. Staff said they expect a brief beta period and aim to begin collecting fees and building a dataset on the market by May. The city expects inspections to be conducted on a rolling schedule over the first year once registration begins.

The council discussed enforcement coordination. Staff said they plan to work with the police, building and fire officials — naming Captain Hilton and other internal contacts — to determine how inspection and scheduling information will flow between the registry and existing department scheduling systems.

The council also said it will set a public hearing on the short‑term rental UDO and review the Planning Board’s advisory opinion. Council members indicated they do not intend to set a fixed maximum number of allowable rental days during the first year, preferring to collect data first. The Planning Board’s advisory opinion includes recommendations on several topics; the city will vote on each recommendation individually, the mayor said.

Separately, council members flagged the Nelson Avenue planned unit development (PUD) for detailed discussion. The council noted the Planning Board recommendations include guidance on height, parking and owner/operator governance, and said it will review those recommendations and vote on each numbered paragraph individually.

Ending: The mayor said the first year’s focus is to get the system operating and collect accurate registration and market information rather than immediately imposing new suspensions or penalties.