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Council debates short‑term rental ordinance changes, inspections and parking rules
Summary
Council members and planning staff debated changes to short‑term rental (STR) rules including whether Class C contractors should be allowed to perform structural inspections, grandfathering of existing units, and parking ratios; council circulated a revised ordinance and planned further action.
The City Council spent substantial time on proposed text amendments to the short‑term rental (STR) ordinance recommended by a citizen task force and adjusted by the Planning Commission. The changes cover shifting STR violations back to criminal penalties, inspection frequency, who may perform structural inspections, signage, attestation for renewals and modified parking requirements.
Key disagreement: The task force recommended allowing licensed and insured Class A, B and C contractors to conduct structural inspections to reduce backlog; the Planning Commission recommended limiting inspections to Class A and B contractors given concerns about experience and insurance. Several council members and labor advocates argued Class C workers should not be excluded because they represent a sizable portion of the local workforce and take the same licensing exam, while others expressed concern about insurance and the technical scope of structural reports.
On parking, the Planning Commission proposed changing blanket standards to 1 parking space per 2 bedrooms for all STRs; several council members and the task force wanted grandfathering so that existing units keep the parking required at time of construction while new units remain at a 1:1 bedroom‑to‑parking ratio. Councilmember Remick circulated a revised ordinance prior to the formal vote that would restore grandfathering and permit Class C contractors; staff indicated that amendment could be incorporated for tonight’s consideration if the body chose to move forward.
Council also asked planning staff to develop safeguards to prevent inspections becoming a conflict of interest (for example, prohibiting an inspector who does an inspection from later bidding on repair work) and to confirm insurance requirements for Class C contractors before finalizing language.
Ending: Council approved inclusion of a revised version for consideration that preserved grandfathering for existing STRs and allowed Class A, B and C contractors in the draft on the floor, but asked planning staff and the planning commission to return with clarifying language on insurance, conflict‑of‑interest and the exact inspection scope ahead of final adoption.
