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Galveston council adopts short-term rental rules but drops proposed parking enforcement
Summary
After extended debate over enforceability, the Galveston City Council on Nov. 13 adopted a revised short-term rental ordinance for new registrations but removed the proposed parking-enforcement provisions the city attorney had recommended keeping.
The Galveston City Council voted Nov. 13 to adopt a short‑term rental (STR) ordinance that establishes registration and operational standards for new STRs while removing the draft ordinance’s parking‑enforcement provisions.
City Legal Chief Andrew Gaskin, who advised council during the meeting, told members the draft ordinance included a parking plan but recommended removing those sections because parking is a citywide problem and would be better addressed through a comprehensive parking initiative. "It is my recommendation from city legal that we move forward with this ordinance without the parking provisions," Gaskin said.
Councilmembers debated enforceability for nearly an hour. Councilmember Bob Brown said parking language signals the city’s expectations to residents and owners; "I think we owe it to the people who we've been hearing from ... to address parking in the best way we can," he said. Councilmember Alex Peretta and others countered that the proposed parking controls would be difficult to enforce outside special parking districts such as R‑3, where stickers and placards already make enforcement feasible.
The council first rejected a motion to adopt the ordinance with the parking requirements included. On a second motion to adopt the ordinance as recommended by City Legal — removing the parking provisions — the council approved the ordinance 4–2 (with one member absent). The meeting record lists the final majority in favor and two members opposed; minutes show Councilmember Beau Rollins, Councilmember Alex Peretta, Mayor Craig Brown, and Councilmember Sharon Lewis voted in favor, while Councilmember Bob Brown and Councilmember Marie Rob voted against; Councilmember Finkley was absent.
Under the ordinance, existing registered STRs are grandfathered; the new rules apply to future registrations (except those already regulated under R‑3 zones). City staff and council members said the new rules reflect months of committee work and aim to balance property‑owner interests with neighborhood concerns while leaving enforcement details for future operational planning.
Council members thanked the short‑term rental committee for 19 meetings over several months and acknowledged continuing parking complaints island‑wide. Council did not adopt the parking requirements as part of the STR code; staff said any broader parking regulatory framework would be considered separately.
The council’s action takes effect per the ordinance’s effective date and applies to new STR registrations going forward. Additional guidance on enforcement and operational rules is expected from staff in future briefings to council.
