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Tetonia and county set Dec. 3 work session to resolve AOI boundary and coordinate zoning; staff restarts short‑term rental review
Summary
After a lengthy planning discussion the board agreed to meet with Tetonia officials on Dec. 3 at 11:00 a.m. to refine the area‑of‑impact boundary and possible zoning approaches. Planning staff also reported the county will revisit short‑term rental permitting, septic‑capacity checks and fees, and the staffing or vendor models needed to implement a permit program.
County planning staff and Tetonia officials agreed to a special work session on Dec. 3 at 11:00 a.m. to advance negotiations on the Tetonia area‑of‑impact (AOI) boundary and zoning guidance. Mayor Schindler and city staff told commissioners they support continued dialogue and are open to a memorandum of understanding for certain municipal properties (for example, the rodeo grounds); they also said their comprehensive plan work is nearing public meetings.
Planning staff said the most urgent remaining question for AOI adoption is identifying the appropriate county zoning for the impacted lands; as a default staff recommended leaving the status‑quo 2.5‑acre density while city planning continues. Commissioners and city leaders discussed the tension between smaller lot zoning (closer to the city) and larger acreage in more rural southern parts of the proposed AOI, and agreed to use the Dec. 3 work session to align on a zoning approach commissioners can adopt by the statutory deadline.
Separately, planning staff briefed the board on short‑term rental (STR) permitting. Staff estimated roughly 660–700 STR listings exist countywide and said the county needs a clear protocol to verify septic/wastewater capacity for STR permits (the public‑health district can perform capacity checks under a county request). Commissioners discussed permit fees, compliance/enforcement capacity, and the option of contracting a third‑party vendor to manage initial permitting if application volume overwhelms staff. Staff will return with updated permit language, capacity forms and a workload estimate.
