Kittitas County commissioners dissolve Short-Term Rental Committee; draft rules to go to Planning Commission

The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 25 approved a resolution dissolving the Short‑Term Rental Committee after county staff said the panel had finished drafting proposed short‑term rental regulations.

CDS Director Chad Bala told the board the committee "has completed the task of creating draft regulations for the short‑term rentals" and that the panel moved in December 2025 to approve the proposed draft codes. Vice‑Chairman Brett Wachsmith moved to approve the resolution; Commissioner Laura Osiadacz seconded the motion. The motion passed, with no dissent recorded in the meeting minutes.

The board’s action formally ends the committee’s work as a standing advisory body. Bala told commissioners the draft regulations will go before the Planning Commission in July — after the county completes its Comprehensive Plan update work — to start the formal public review process. Bala also told the board attendance on the committee declined over time, which he said explained the low quorum at the committee’s final meeting.

Why it matters: short‑term rental regulation affects property owners, renters and local housing markets and gives the county a formal pathway to shape rules through public hearings. The Planning Commission review will be the next public step; any code changes would return to the county for subsequent hearings and adoption votes.

The meeting record does not include a recorded roll‑call vote tally for the resolution beyond the motion and second. The minutes state the motion passed.