Council, owners and managers press staff for quicker vacation-rental fixes; staff aims for December urgency ordinance

City staff presented a timeline for vacation‑rental ordinance revisions on Oct. 11, saying a fine-table recommendation will come to council at the Nov. 8 meeting and that full ordinance revisions could be returned in December or January. Staff stressed they do not intend to change rules mid‑winter and said the preferred path is to package changes so they take effect in the next season.

Many short‑term‑rental owners and operators urged quicker relief from large administrative fines and asked for digital or self‑managed check‑in options rather than mandatory in‑person check‑ins. Staff said owners who engage the city on renewals will receive multiple notifications (60 and 30 days) and that the city has begun mailing physical notices to permit holders. For inspections and renewals staff said a self‑certification option will be available to reduce back‑and‑forth scheduling.

Because of the high public heat on fines, staff told council it could pursue an urgency ordinance to implement reduced fines and digital check-in sooner than the standard two‑reading ordinance process. Council directed staff to prioritize the vacation‑rental ordinance work and to strive for an urgency ordinance in December; council also allowed staff to push other planning items (ADU/R‑3/dark‑skies) into 2024 in order to focus resources on the vacation‑rental package.

The items that will be part of the vacation‑rental revisions include a new fine table, review of check‑in options (in‑person vs. digital), revisions to quiet‑hours/SPA hours, parking language consolidation, trash and advertising/permit enforcement, and a three‑year review schedule. Staff said the first communication packages (email and physical mailers) have already been sent to affected permit holders.