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Emery County Travel Bureau declines renewal of Decker Technology Airbnb-monitoring service
Summary
The Emery County Travel Bureau voted to deny renewal of its Decker Technology subscription after members questioned the platform's usage and value; the reported renewal cost was $3,675 and one member abstained because they missed the discussion.
The Emery County Travel Bureau voted in July to deny renewal of its Decker Technology Airbnb-monitoring subscription, citing limited local use and concerns about cost-effectiveness. The board’s discussion noted the platform had been purchased last year to help municipalities track short-term rentals and compliance; the renewal price presented to the board was $3,675.
Board members and staff said several municipalities had access to Decker but used it infrequently. "It hasn't really been utilized the way we anticipated," an unidentified board member said during the discussion. Another member noted the same data can often be found directly on the Airbnb website for free.
The motion to deny renewal was made, seconded and carried. One board member abstained, citing that they were not present for the earlier discussion and therefore could not vote. The chair said the board could revisit the decision if future needs or use-patterns change.
Why it matters: The decision removes a recurring expense from the bureau’s budget and signals a preference for lower-cost or in-house methods of monitoring short-term rentals. Staff retained the option to reintroduce the subscription if municipalities request it or if compliance needs change.
Next steps: Staff will remove the renewal from active purchases and report any municipal requests for monitoring tools back to the board; the bureau may re-evaluate options if usage needs increase.
