The Green Bay Common Council on Nov. 11 accepted an advisory report from the Equal Rights Commission on short‑term rental regulation and asked staff to draft ordinance language for plan commission review.

The ERC’s report — and particularly its recommendations for a 7‑night minimum stay and a 180‑day annual cap — drew more than three hours of public comment. Operators of short‑term rentals said the proposed limits would sharply reduce income for many small owners and the local workers who depend on the business.

“We operate one STR next door to our home,” said Steve Carls, a lifelong Green Bay resident. “We provide lodging for grieving families, for tournament visitors and for tradespeople who work in town.” Carls and other speakers told the council that most bookings are two‑ or three‑night stays tied to events and that imposing a seven‑night floor would eliminate much of their business model.

Members of the Equal Rights Commission and housing advocates urged the council to consider the city’s housing shortage when weighing regulation. “Green Bay needs thousands of new units by 2040,” said ERC member John Shelton, who said the commission voted to forward the report. Commissioners argued that the recent proliferation of short‑term rentals can reduce housing available to residents and that some limits would help preserve long‑term housing stock.

State Representative Amad Rivera Wagner told the meeting the city is constrained by a 2017 state law that narrows municipal options for regulating short‑term rentals. Rivera Wagner said he will introduce legislation to return greater local authority to municipalities, but urged councilors to act in the interim using the tools currently available.

Council members emphasized process nearly as much as substance. Several alderpersons asked staff to prepare a draft ordinance for the Nov. 17 plan commission public hearing and to spell out implementation details, such as grandfathering, enforcement pathways, and exceptions for owner‑occupied units. The council vote to accept the ERC report was recorded as 10–2.

What’s next: staff will draft ordinance language reflecting council direction and the plan commission will hold a public hearing Nov. 17; any final regulatory change would return to the council for adoption after additional public input.